16 QUINTESSENTIALLY L.A. WAYS TO CELEBRATE MOM
WHEN MY family moved to San Diego from L.A. in 1966, my mother never looked back. She was thrilled to leave the traffic and pre-emissions smog of Los Angeles behind.
Still, there were times over the years when she would fondly recall our time spent together at Descanso Gardens and how she felt comforted by the shade of the botanical garden’s statuesque oaks. It was a happy memory, and an L.A. experience she never forgot. I think of her whenever I visit the botanical garden in La Cañada Flintridge and imagine, now that I am a mother myself, how wonderful it must have felt for her to get a break.
Los Angeles has a way of doing that, creating indelible moments amidst hard things — traffic, heat, wildfires, smog. There are so many extraordinary things in L.A. that we never get around to experiencing. This Mother’s Day, why not give moms the best gift of all: an L.A. adventure. Because spending time with you is what most moms really want for Mother’s Day.
1 GET A STREETSIDE VIEW OF SOME OF L.A.’S MOST ICONIC ARCHITECTURE
When we asked a local panel of experts to name the best houses of all time in L.A. in 2008, many described their choices as an emotional experience. But that’s what it feels like when you spot John Lautner’s Chemosphere peeking out from the trees overlooking Mulholland Drive, or Frank Lloyd Wright’s concrete blocks from the street. Most of L.A.’s iconic homes aren’t open for tours (the Stahl House is sold out through June), but you can still do a self-driving tour.
The L.A. Conservancy has detailed tours online so you can map out a fun drive with Mom, including Paul R. Williams’ residences, 1970s Los Angeles, the Homes of View Park and Venice and Eclectic: Modern Architecture From the ’70s and ’80s. For a whimsical look at L.A., there are storybook houses; for a laugh, check out the Brady Bunch house.
2 BIKE THE VENICE ELECTRIC LIGHT PARADE
If you’d like something a little adventurous and very out of the ordinary, pack up Mom and your bikes and head for Windward Plaza Park on the Venice Beach Boardwalk to join the Captain — Marcus Gladney — and hundreds of other wheeled folk who ride in the dazzling Venice Electric Light Parade every Sunday at sunset.
Participation is free, but if you’d like to add a few strands of LEDs to your bike, get to the boardwalk early and seek out Sebastian “The Light Man” Butler, who sells strings of lights for around $40 and helps add them to your bike. His motto? “Get lit or get hit.”
The ride starts as the sun goes down — around 7 p.m. these days — and Gladney cranks up the throbbing lights and music on his giant beach bike, “Big Red.” The route takes you west to the Santa Monica Pier, back up along Abbot Kinney, finishing at the end of West Washington Boulevard in Marina del Rey, about a half mile from where it all began. If you don’t want to transport bikes, Gladney rents light-bedecked bikes for $99 a night (reserve online via Airbnb Experiences; bike storage is about 3 miles from the boardwalk). The rental includes a Venice Electric Light Parade keepsake T-shirt. Plan at least three hours for the ride. — Jeanette Marantos
3 GO BIRD WATCHING AT THE L.A. COUNTY ARBORETUM
Put on your comfiest sneakers and take Mom to the Arboretum for a day filled with plants and peacocks. Excellent selfie backgrounds are everywhere in its 127 acres, especially at the Queen Anne Cottage, a historic lakeside building from 1885. You’re also likely to spot some of the 150 peacocks that roam the grounds (and perhaps peachicks, as they hatch in late April and early May). Admire the peacocks from afar — but don’t feed them, no matter how squawky they get near the Arboretum’s Peacock Cafe (you can’t bring in food).
Be warned: Mother’s Day is one of the Arboretum’s busiest days, so steel yourself for crowds and difficult parking. You must buy tickets online two weeks ahead of time, but members never need a reservation. — Brittany Levine Beckman
4 HIKE TO AMIR’S GARDEN FOR A PICNIC
Griffith Park is full of hidden gems, but an especially unusual one to experience with a mom who likes the idea of hiking uphill is Amir’s Garden. The 0.4-mile hike, which is steep at the beginning, ends at a shady garden filled with lush greenery. Once you pass Water Tank #73, you’re about halfway there.
Bring a lunch and chill at one of a handful of picnic tables. Then amble through the 5-acre garden first lovingly planted in the 1970s by Amir Dialameh after a brush fire left a landscape of scorched earth and tree stumps. You’ll feel transported out of L.A. into a secret garden until you snake back to the main trail and spot Glendale’s city skyline, the L.A. Zoo and a driving range. The sandy trail can feel slippery on the way down at the end.
Park at the Mineral Wells Picnic Area, on Mineral Wells Road off Griffith Park Drive. You’ll see a yellow gate in front of the entrance to the nearby fire road, also called North Trail. That’ll take you to Amir’s Garden. Or park near the Wilson Harding Driving Range and walk up the Mineral Wells Trail that starts at the intersection of Griffith Park Drive and Camp Road, but that’ll add 0.4 miles to your hike. You may hear coyotes barking in the distance.
If your mom likes to walk on trails but would prefer a mostly flat pathway covered by tree canopy, head over to the Ferndell Nature Trail (at Fern Dell and Black Oak drives), which is about a half-mile round-trip and features more than 50 species of fern. The Trails, a cafe offering coffee, sandwiches and pie, is nearby at 2333 Fern Dell Drive. (The rhubarb is a favorite.) Street parking is available along Fern Dell and Black Oak drives.
— BLB
5 TAKE IN ART AND LUNCH AT LACMA
Walking through the graphic, text-filled walls of the Barbara Kruger retrospective at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art can be both exhilarating and infuriating, depending on your worldview.
“YOU KNOW THAT WOMEN HAVE SERVED ALL THESE CENTURIES AS LOOKING GLASSES POSSESSING THE MAGIC AND DELICIOUS POWER OF REFLECTING THE FIGURE OF MAN AT TWICE ITS NATURAL SIZE,” screams the black-and-white installation “YOU.” It’s a powerful experience to share with your mother.
Stop by Ray’s on the plaza for a bite — it has pizza options if you’re touring with kids — or at the Stark Bar, or have a picnic nearby in Hancock Park between LACMA and the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum. Kids can keep an eye out for seeping tar, or roll down the slanted lawn just outside the museum while Mom soaks up some sun.
6 TOAST MOM WITH A BOTTLE MADE BY A WOMAN WINEMAKER
If your mom is a wine fan (and you’re over 21), take her to Vinovore (vinovore .com) in Silver Lake or Eagle Rock. Both locations focus on women winemakers. Handwritten tasting notes help you choose among the variety of reds, whites, oranges, rosés and bubblies.
Have Mom grab a bottle (or two) as you pick up the tab — you can find plenty priced around $20. Vinovore also carries chocolates and cheese if you want to nibble (the Tom Bumble peanut butter flake candy is a decadent treat). Clink your glasses and ask Mom to regale you with stories from her youth. What did she like to do with her friends when she was a kid? What was she obsessed with as a teen? When did she have her first sip of wine? — BLB
7 SHOP FOR WOMEN-RUN INDEPENDENT BRANDS AT THE UNIQUE MARKET
She escorted you on all those excruciating trips to the mall over the years, so treat Mom to a shopping experience she’ll actually enjoy. L.A.’s Unique Markets (unique markets.com/losangeles) returns to the California Market Center May 7-8, featuring 150 small, independent brands, a majority of them owned by women and people of color. This year’s spring market offers some nice perks for Mother’s Day: a cafe featuring food from Uncle Paulie’s Deli, Chifa, Todo Verde (plant-based food) and Civil Coffee, as well as a complimentary tote bag, photo studio with free portraits and a DIY Zone where you can make-your-own watercolor and block-printed greeting cards, courtesy of Shippo.
8 HIT THE POOL TO RELAX AND COOL OFF
Pamper mom by renting a pool on Swimply, an app dubbed the Airbnb for pools, and invite other family members to splash around too. As of this writing, there are about 30 pools to rent across L.A. and Orange counties on May 8, when prices tend to range between $50 and $100 an hour (guest caps vary). Many pool rentals offer grills and pool toys. Check the fine print for information about restroom access, cancellation policies and pet friendliness.
Not ready to pony up that much for a pool rental? Consider visiting one of Los Angeles’ municipal pools, where entry costs $4 for adults and $1 for children and seniors — just be prepared for crowds. You can get a swim pass at some local hotels, but they’re selling out quickly for Mother’s Day. — BLB
9 EXPERIENCE SPRING AT DESCANSO GARDENS
Spring is a beguiling time at Descanso Gardens when the lilacs, cherry blossoms and tulips are in bloom. The lilacs will be gone by Mother’s Day, but that’s the beauty of the 150-acre botanical garden — something new is always in bloom, which makes every visit unique.
“Your (Un)natural Garden,” an art installation by Adam Schwerner, director of horticulture and resort enhancement for Disney, is another new experience, featuring archways and artworks made from found materials, including rooms filled with hundreds of bells playing to feather boas hanging from the ceiling. If Mom enjoys “please touch this” artworks, reserve tickets in advance, and don’t forget to check out the vast variety of roses.
There will be a full bar on Mother’s Day at the Boddy House, and you can purchase food from the Kitchen at Descanso and eat in the gardens.
10 ACCEPT AN OSCAR AT THE ACADEMY MUSEUM OF MOTION PICTURES
Take a Mom-themed visit to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures that includes a spin through the costume exhibits (this is where you tell her how much you loved the Halloween and school-play costumes she made for you); a quick round of “Guess Who Thanked Their Mother” in the showcase of significant Academy Award acceptance speeches; and then, if you’ve planned ahead and paid the extra $15 (you planned ahead, didn’t you?), treat her like the star she is by giving her the
Oscars Experience, where she will virtually accept her Oscar for World’s Best Mom.
End the visit in the gift shop, where you can literally buy her a piece of a historic building to wear — in the form of jewelry made from the original gold glass mosaic tiles that once covered part of the May Co. building’s exterior (the pieces are a collaboration between Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter and jewelry designer Dourien Fletcher), or take her to brunch at Fanny’s Cafe. (It doesn’t take reservations.)
— Adam Tschorn
11 SEE THE TONY-WINNING MUSICAL ‘HADESTOWN’ AT THE AHMANSON
There’s something special about the plaza of the Music Center, where you can watch Angelenos in formalwear head to the opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion or enjoy a drink at one of the tables overlooking the water fountain. If Mom is a musical theater fan, the national tour of “Hadestown” at the Ahmanson seems like a sure bet, based on The Times’ theater critic Charles McNulty’s assessment: “Simply one of the most exquisite works of musical storytelling I’ve seen in my more than 25 years as a theater critic.”
12 SHOP FOR NEW, VINTAGE AND JUST PLAIN FUNNY ITEMS AT THE MELROSE TRADING POST
Bring the one who brought you into the world to this flea-marketmeets-people-watching spectacular that occupies the Fairfax High School parking lot every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to a curated selection of old and new apparel, accessories, arts and crafts and furnishings that skews heavily toward the Y2K-meetsL.A.-streetwear aesthetic, there’s a fleet of food trucks and a live music stage that gives the whole affair a festive feel.
There are plenty of opportunities to commemorate your day together, from finding the perfect iron-on patch (we suggest the one that says “Super Mom”) or “Plant Parenthood” T-shirt or even an area rug shaped like Ryan Gosling’s head. If you want to give her something a little more special (but, really, what’s more special than letting her wipe her feet on Ryan Gosling’s grinning visage?), keep your eyes peeled for the stall where you can have a beautiful custom faceless watercolor portrait of you both hand-painted in about 15 minutes by Jewel Sales Art, or have one of your eyeball irises photographed on the spot for her by Cosmic Eye L.A. so she’ll be able to gaze lovingly into (at least one of your) eyes when you’re far apart. — AT
13 SHOP LOCAL FARMS AND COOK BRUNCH AT HOME
If your mom loves experimenting with new recipes, take her to the Hollywood Farmers Market. For my mom and me, breakfast is our favorite meal. We make it a point to get together, when we can, to catch up over coffee and buttery pastries. So sourcing local ingredients to cook a delicious brunch at home is the perfect idea for a day well spent with Mom.
The Hollywood Farmers Market starts at 8 a.m. and runs until 1 p.m. at 1600 Ivar Ave. Pick up your morning brew at the Collage Coffee stand. Together you can sip your drinks, catch up on life and soak in the colorful produce of the spring season. Come prepared with an easy brunch recipe to cook once you get home. Opt for avocado toast and pick up fresh bread from Bub and Grandma’s. Or if you have a sweet tooth, lemon ricotta pancakes with fresh berries from Harry’s Berries will satisfy your craving. Don’t forget to grab some fresh flowers for your mom from one of the vendors.
— Jacqueline Pinedo
14 EAT YOUR WAY THROUGH SMORGASBURG LOS ANGELES
If your mom loves to eat but is COVID-cautious and not quite ready to dine indoors, take her to Smorgasburg L.A. (la.smorgasburg.com), the largest weekly outdoor food market in the country, located behind Row DTLA. The event features more than 80 local vendors offering everything from oysters to tacos, vegan donuts to Ethiopian food, as well as crafts vendors. After lunch, you can peruse the shops at the Row DTLA, including A+R, Pantora, Jonny Cota, Flask & Field wine shop, Shades of Grey, LVIR and Powder Beauty, a nail salon.
15 VISIT WATTS TOWERS
This tall, roughhewn landmark, built by compulsion by a devoted Italian American laborer and surrounded by a blue-collar community that’s mostly Latino and Black, has become one of the most emblematic works of art in the state. Sabato (Simon) Rodia, an immigrant from Italy, started this backyard project in 1921 and spent 33 years putting up Watts Towers (up to 99 feet high), using rebar, concrete, cast-off tiles, bottle caps and bits of colored glass (especially blue Phillips’ Milk of Magnesia bottles). He walked away in 1954 and died in 1965. Yet he built it so well that his work has survived; it inspired many local children to pursue creative careers (including celebrated assemblage artist Betye Saar and jazz great Charles Mingus). It’s now protected as a state historic park and neighbored by a community arts center. The area inside the triangular property’s walls is closed indefinitely for restoration work, but you can see plenty from outside the fence.
— Christopher Reynolds
16 GO WHALE WATCHING FROM POINT VICENTE INTERPRETIVE CENTER
In spring, gray whales that wintered in Mexico are completing a 10,000mile round-trip journey home to Alaska. Nowhere else on the planet does this migration unfold, so make the most of your front-row seat with Mom. Watch for a spout and chat with volunteer whale-spotters from the American Cetacean Society’s L.A. chapter, who keep careful count of the behemoths, and have done so since 1984. Volunteers will be at their posts through late May and may help point out the whales. — Mary Forgione