Redneck in the Woods

Los Angeles - One of the many benefits of living in LA is having sizable mountains in our back yard. It was a cloudy day, a bit on the cool side and the hills were calling. I grabbed my jacket, dog and together, Amber and I drove up Angeles Crest Highway for an afternoon of 4-wheeling, exploring and a little wood-gathering.

It's been a few years since the dreaded Station Fire that took out a good portion of our local mountains. Thousands of trees caught fire leaving the once conifer-covered hills mostly barren except for a few blackened trunks.

Along the dirt roads we came across dozens of fallen trees that were taken by the fire. We stopped a few times and gathered miscellaneous limbs that littered the road. By the end of the day we had a fair amount of wood as well as a few laughs.

Car On a Lake

North of Los Angeles -- Some towns have dirt roads, other prairies, but we have nothing but large parking lots, surrounded by a concrete jungle. But if an Angeleno ever wants to teach their 12-year old son to drive, take him to a dry lake bed in the middle of the desert. Both of you will never forget the experience!