I love Bear Grylls, the former British paratrooper who is host of the adventure show "Man Vs. Wild." I don't care if some die-hard adventurers scoff at the notion that Grylls and his crew get assistance when they face dire circumstances in the wild. What's wrong with taking some Immodium AD after wolfing down some larvae and scorpions? I pretend to be Grylls when I go hiking in L.A. Today's adventure took me to an easy four-mile hike on the Lower Arroyo Seco Park Trail. Though Grylls usually shows off his survival skills solo on his show, I took Max along as my sidekick. About halfway through the hike, we tipped up our heads to admire the Colorado Street Bridge towering 150 feet above us. Lore is that the bridge is a popular suicide spot.
Max thinks that I'm on a big bear hunt these days, what with my crush on Grylls and recent encounters with other scruffy dudes in L.A. But Max was the most dapper bear in the woods.
Ever the enterprising fashion writer, I never get a day off from the rag trade. Do you like how I mixed high and low fashion, namely my devil-woman T-shirt from Hysteric Glamour with my new Prana hiking pants? The pentagram on the T is actually upside down, so I'm not as dangerous as one might think.
Max and I walked carefully past the archery field set on the western side of the trail, lest the archers mistook us for bears.
Last night's rain flowed down a brook squeezed between the eastern and western edges of the trail. The trees, clean air and tinkle of the water helped Max and me to relax.
A long hike required replenishment. Max and I had to choose between huaraches or hamburgers. Because Max was complaining about a heavy holiday party load, we decided to fortify our bodies with some iron. Some red meat seemed like the perfect antidote for my recovering appetite. We hit Pie 'N' Burger in Pasadena. The cash-only joint was drenched in browns, creams and wood panels that would have made it a perfect backdrop for "The Brady Bunch."
I was so hungry that I didn't register the second word in the restaurant's name before ordering my chocolate shake. If I hadn't had the sweet drink, I could have eaten a slice of the ollallieberry, pecan, cinnamon, banana cream or cheesecake pies. The young waitress behind the counter was much nicer than the grumpy guys who work at Apple Pan, another unfussy burger shop located across town. With her black and silver hoop earrings, she could have passed for one of those sassy yet sweet girls in a J. Lo video.
Max and I shared the eggy, mayonnaisey potato salad topped with large slices of pickles. I wasn't in much of a pickle mood, so I asked Max to eat the pickles to afford me unobstructed access to the cold mushy taters.
'Tis the season to rub Santa's feet, close your eyes and make a wish!
The suburbanites who live in Pasadena really get into the Christmas spirit. This house located around the corner from Pie 'N' Burger decorated their front lawn with a giant Frosty-themed snowglobe. They should be careful of the bears in the 'hood!
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