Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with california

Where can I play soccer in Southern Cal?

sirhensley — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:38:23 -0800

I would like to find a place where I can play soccer in the San Fernando Valley. I have searched google many times and have only found one league that plays in Griffith Park I believe. That is too far... Please help me find a place close to home where I can play (ideally on a weekly basis). I am trying to find a place where I can play soccer on a regular basis in the San Fernando Valley (Chatsworth, Northridge, Granada Hills area). Ideally, this would be as a member of a team/leaue. Unfortunately, I have never really played soccer before, so starting with an advanced team is not an ideal option. That said, I am fairly athletic and generally pick up new skills quite quickly so I worry that a beginner league would bore me by mid-season.

A brief background: I played football, basketball and tennis throughout my youth and into high school. I ran track and cross country in college after which I played some semi-pro football (dont let the name fool you, it's more like post-high school football) and played in a couple of hockey leagues. When I joined my first hockey team it was a level 2 out of 5 (5 being highest). I had never played on a hockey team before and was one of the worst people on the team the first couple of weeks. By the end of the season I was one of the best. I generally get immersed in my sport and anticipate I will do the same with soccer.

I would like to find a team where I can be forced to improve my skills rapidly and be a decent player by mid-season. I would be happy with a co-ed, or play-for-fun league if a more competitive league is not an option.

Are there any leagues that play primarily in the Valley? If not, is there a good place that I could go to hop into a game and play?

Please help me find a place to learn & enjoy the game while getting a good workout.

Where there are no streets to have names

tyrantkitty — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:22:25 -0800

I'm writing a book set in a location similar to Joshua Tree National Park, and I'd like recommendations on resources for learning more about the area. It's a bit of a fantasy story (children/YA), so I'll be taking liberties with the setting, but I'd like to have a good idea of the actual flora, fauna and geography before I start mucking it up.

I thought I could do some basic research myself via Google/Flickr, but the incredibly large amount of sites and photos out there are hard to wade through and poorly marked. I'd like reliable information on what's depicted in a photograph, the geological history of the park, its major sources of water, the weather, the elevations as well as any myths or legends relating to the area, weird little creatures particularly fond of the place or something you heard about it once that might be worth my checking out.

Help troubleshoot and enhance my move / road trip from Lawrence, Kansas to Eugene, Oregon.

Derive the Hamiltonian of... — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:27:01 -0800

Help me troubleshoot and enhance my roadtrip / move to Eugene, Oregon. I will soon depart Lawrence, KS for adventures that will eventually leave me in Eugene to begin graduate studies with UO. I'm going to outline the planned itinerary in the hopes that the hive mind can suggest areas to visit at our planned stops, beautiful or interesting routes to take between them, and interesting pit stops to make. Also, warnings of potential trouble spots or situations will be greatly appreciated. The Participants:

A mated pair of chemical engineers and myself. We all love the outdoors, interesting technology, interesting architecture/engineering (especially anything energy efficient, otherwise green, or enormous), anything that will increase our nerdlore, and any delicious food of almost any variety. We're all in very good shape, although my 270 lb ass will not be running up any mountains.

The Vehicle:

A 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit, so no unimproved roads.

Itinerary:

Day 1:

Leave Kansas and pick up two friends at Denver International, thus officially beginning the road trip. Drive to Great Sand Dunes National Park and set up camp. We're thinking about stopping at Garden of the Gods on the way down. I'm kinda torn between driving down on 29 so that we can see Garden of the Gods and driving out on 70 and then down on 24/285 to get some awesome mountain highway action in.

Day 2:

A hurried attempt at acclimation for days 3 to 4. Play around on the Dunes and see other interesting things in the area. So far, besides the Dunes, I know of Zapata falls, although I cannot remember the exact location.

Day 3:

Get up very early, drive to the Mt. Blanca/Ellingwood trailhead, and pack in to Lake Como. Set up camp and enjoy the lake, trees, and canyon walls. I should mention that I've done the Blanca/Ellingwood combo before and that we are all experienced hikers. I'm not enthusiastic about doing this two days after getting to altitude, but this is the portion of the trip I'm most sure of. One question; on my previous trip, we were in Jeeps and easily made it to the beginning of the serious incline before we got out and started hiking. Are there spots on the sandy, car-navigable part of the road where I will be able to pull over and park without going into the bushes and rocks? 14ers.com seems to indicate so, but I want to be sure that I'm not going to have to park within sight of the highway.

Day 4;

Summit Blanca and Ellingwood, head back to the vehicle, and drive off into the midday sun. Head out to Black Canyon of the Gunnison and make camp. For the drive to Gunnison, we're currently set for doing 285 to 114 to 50, but 149 looks really fun and twisty.

Day 5:

See what we can in Gunnison during the early morning, drive to Arches National Park, see what we can in a few hours, and drive to Great Basin National Park to camp for the night. This is a very rushed portion of the trip, but we want to have several days in SanFran later on and are constrained by plane tickets.

Day 6:

Drive from Great Basin to Grass Valley, CA, where we will apparently be hanging out at some awesome bathing holes near some awesome waterfalls.

Day 7:

Drive from Grass Valley to San Francisco and crash with friends. We will be staying at an apartment in what my friend calls the McBaker Heights neighborhood, although I'm not sure whether that name is colloquial. The intersection of Baker and Golden Gate gives you a general area. My understanding is that the area requires some sort of special neighborhood permit and has no off-street parking, so I need to figure out a safe arrangement for parking my car. Non-exorbitant garage parking would probably be fine. We'll reach SF on a Saturday afternoon, so I'm hoping to avoid doomtraffic.

Days 8 – 9:

San Francisco! Oh, what shall we see?!? Our friends in the city have plans already, but suggestions would be great. Bonus points for godlike sushi and any other kind of interesting ethnic food.

Day 10:

Drive up the coast to Redwood National Park. We're not sure about the route yet, although we would love some awesome coastal highway action. We also aren't sure of what portion of the massive park to camp in.

Day 11:

Drive to Crater Lake, check it out, drive to Eugene and crash at the co-op I'll be living in. Any suggestions for awesome places to eat dinner or night scenes to check out?

Day 12:

Get the other two to Portland for a 10 am flight.

Where can I find people who like to know 'how stuff works' in socal?

tarthur — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:46:18 -0800

Where around socal can I meet other aspiring electronic do-it-yourselfers? [backyard imagineering] I'm having a hard time finding fellow young folks (I'm 21) who read and understand the liking of MAKE magazine... people who like to take things apart and play with electronics.

Looking for others interested in figuring out Arduino boards, LEDs and automation stuff and I desperately need someone who can teach me some new tricks.

Any ideas where I can find (remotely) normal people with similar interests? Are there any user groups or something a bit less geeky?

Swimming in San Francisco

fourcheesemac — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:53:59 -0800

For a friend: where do people go swimming in San Francisco? Friend just moved there, asked me to post this. Nearest ocean beach that's safe for swimming? Does anyone swim in the Bay, and if so where? She thanks you, and I thank you, in advance.

What to do during our SDCC hangover?

bodgy — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:49:45 -0800

In San Diego for 2 days, hate zoos and most museums. Willing to travel. What should we do? My husband and I are going to San Diego Comic Con and got tickets that fly out from LA MONDAY night rather than our intended SUNDAY night. So we have all day Monday and, as we're usually done with SDCC after Saturday, we can also have all day Sunday to do something.

This is not our first trip to SDCC but we usually feel we only see the convention center and the gaslamp quarter. But we're not Zoo people, museum people, or Seaworld people.

We love going places where we can take scenic and cool photographs, or just have good experiences and see unique things. Are there some things in San Diego we should do?

If not in San Diego, we'll have a rental car and need to go back to LA by Monday night, so should we drive somewhere? We can't think of anything really fun in LA. We've seen the Tar Pits, Hollywood, Venice Beach, filming of the Tonight Show etc. so unless LA has some hidden treasures we'd like things outside of LA...

Thanks!

Independence Day in LA

dead_ — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:59:33 -0800

What's the best (cheap) thing to do on the Fourth in Los Angeles?

Usability Head Hunters in California?

cuando — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:32:16 -0800

Usability Head Hunters in California? I'm a user interface designer / information architect looking to move to either northern california (San Francisco, San Jose, etc) or southern california (LA, San Diego). Does anyone have any recommendations for a good head hunter that specializes in my field of usability?

Or is it better to just submit my resume on company websites? Or do both?

shine on your crazy tourmaline (or whatever)

luriete — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:09:47 -0800

When I was a kid living in La Mesa, California, my mother got to poke around in the tailings at local tourmaline and mica mines as part of weekend classes we took at the natural history museum. Are there any kinds of similar gemstone mines anywhere near where I live now - Sacramento, California - that offer similar opportunities?

Plan our cross-country road trip!

CommonSense — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:47:21 -0800

Where MUST we stop on a road trip from the Bay Area (CA) to Baltimore (MD)? My fiancee and I will get married in November, in California. Afterwards, we'll throw some junk in her car, and drive from there (the East Bay, just across from San Francisco) to Baltimore (where I live, and will be carrying her, against her will but alas, for the sake of love).

She's got a fun car to drive (Acura TL -- it's an automatic, but I'm done giving her a hard time about that), and that's good, because I know she's going to make me do about 94-95% of the driving. I know we can just generically do the I-80 to I-70 thing all the way here, and that there's even some decent scenery along that path (mainly out west), but surely there's a more fun, more scenic way to do it?

I'm open to being torn away from this "optimal" route. For instance, I'm already pretty sure I want to throw Chicago into the mix. St. Louis is good, too -- I have friends there who'll offer us free lodging, and it'll be good to see them after a while. But I've wondered about the beauty of Montana for the longest (hear good things about Glacier National Park!), though I've also heard Utah's natural beauty is not to be missed. Geography demands I pick one or the other, though.

I've heard great things about the farthest northern reaches of Wisconsin and Michigan's UP. Idaho's supposed to be really pretty in parts. The Dakotas, from what I can tell, have an amazing, idiosyncratic beauty. (Me living in Baltimore, and her living in California, we'd actually find the "utterly mind-numbingly boring, flat" nature of the Great Plains to be an utterly fascinating change of pace.) I hear Central Nebraska is fascinating, in its own unique way.

So, in any event, I'd love to hear some recommendations about how we can transform this otherwise mundane "let's haul the rest of your crap into our new home" trip into an adventure, in and of itself. Hey, we're already going to be raped on gas, to the extent that it'll COST as much as an exotic vacation, so I figure we might as well make the trip BE a destination in itself!

FWIW, this will happen in November, just before Thanksgiving, so yeah -- certain parts of the continent might be kind of inhospitable, weather-wise. But let's assume otherwise, for the sake of argument.

Many thanks, fellow travelers!

Kayaking in L.A. area?

slopepheasant — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:04:19 -0800

I took a trip up to the pacific-northwest and tried kayaking for the first time (and second, and third) and became hooked. Can anyone recommend some good kayaking spots (river or ocean), tour companies that do camping trips etc with kayaking involved, or other nifty ideas that I haven't thought of in Southern California? I live in L.A. but a few hours drive seems reasonable.

Where to find cheap nuts/fruits in Sacramento, CA

Sultan of Succulence — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 19:58:04 -0800

Where is the best place in the Sacramento, CA area to buy quality nuts and dried fruits on the cheap? They just seem too expensive and/or "fingered" at the grocery stores.

What's your favorite Sonoma winery?

mostlymartha — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:38:48 -0800

What extra special wineries has this Sonoma Valley regular missed? Since we live about 40 minutes away, we go wine tasting in Sonoma quite frequently. We have probably four very regular wineries and another half dozen semi-regulars. We love these places (Mayo are practically family) but have started to wonder what jewels we've been neglecting.

A partial list of places we've been more than once: Mayo, Gloria Ferrar, Roshambo, Schug, Ravenswood, St. Jean, Wellington, Eric Ross, B.R. Cohn, Cline.

Of course, there are practically a bajillion other wineries in the area. What are the best places (big or small) we've missed? We particularly value attentive, fun, and knowledgeable staff in tasting rooms. We don't particularly care about tours and hate it when we get the perfunctory in and out with a sales pitch wine country tourist experience.

Also, although we go tasting in Napa, Healdsburg, etc. as well, I'm mostly interested in Sonoma and Glen Ellen simply because that's where we go the most.

Lindy out in public in the 50's and 60's?

np312 — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:48:44 -0800

Where can I find a list of any of Charles Lindbergh's public appearances in the 1950's and 60's? I'm especially interested in whether he made any public appearances, speeches, or lectures in California during that time. I realize he was a very media-shy individual, but he was involved in various corporations and groups that would occasionally call for his presence. The more public the event, the better!

Thank you!

Oakland Introduction

mikoroshi — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:20:47 -0800

Help us get the best out of our Oakland exploration We moved to Sacramento a year ago and already are chafing from the cute-but-tiny-ness. We've got our eyes on the Bay area in the next year or so and think that Oakland might be the place we'll want to end up. Our few friends in SF don't know the Oakland so well, so we've a plan to make monthly excursions over the next few months.
I found this thread, which will be great for house hunting time, and a thread from 2005 which talks about up and coming neighborhoods, but I hear the city's done some changing in the last 3 years. So, which areas have, um, up and come? What we're looking for is not necessarily "sell us on Oakland", but more, what's to do, where is cool, what's it got to offer from a locals perspective?
Examples; funky indie-rock dance nights, rock shows, hole in the wall bars, art scene (noticed Oakland has lots of split use artist/residential spaces, which is quite exciting), coffee houses, books stores, funky restaurants, all the usual liberal accoutrement's.
It may also be good to mention here that we've come from 8 years in DC, so we're down with ethnically diverse and/or developing neighborhoods, but it'd be helpful to know what areas are still sketchy for the hanging out/living.

Best florist in Long Beach, CA?

taojones — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 19:23:46 -0800

I'm on the east coast and I want to send flowers to a lady I really, really, really (did I mention "really"?) like in Long Beach, CA. Is there a great local florist that the hive mind could suggest? I suspect that a local shop could make something nicer than the national brands (FTD or 1-800-flowers). I searched all of ask.metafilter, I swear. The closest questions I could find were posts on sending flowers to Vancouver and buying orchids in Los Angeles.

So, do ya think it still works?

miss lynnster — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:25:29 -0800

Allegedly, this is the original key to the choir loft of Mission San Luis Rey. A) How can I confirm its origins? B) What should I do with it? My mother went to school at the Mission in the 1930s and tells that she was given this artifact by a priest who befriended her. It's just been kinda hanging out in our family ever since. I don't know how to verify its history, and I am not sure what the best place for it would be. I DO know that the best place for it probably isn't sitting on top of my television. No idea of its worth historically or monetarily. When I called the mission, they just sounded confused.

Help California (or western Nevada/Arizona) entertain us!

guruguy9 — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:42:03 -0800

Please provide some suggestions for an entertaining 1 day road trip based out of Los Angeles. We've already traveled to Death Valley, Salton Sea... A friend and I have been taking 1 day road trips every few months to explore, take photos and experience some of the more ridiculous attractions within striking distance of Los Angeles. Previous trips include: Death Valley, Barker Ranch, The Salton Sea (East and West sides in separate trips including Salvation Mtn, Slab City etc), Mexico boarder towns, Calico Ghost Town, Cave Tours, Ship Wreck in Long Beach, and the Dinosaurs from the Wizard (CALIFORNIA!!!).

We’re out of ideas.

What other fun, odd or otherwise drive worthy destinations can be experienced in one full day from LA (our longest trip was just under 20 hours there and back largely because we were lost on the back roads of Death Valley – but we saved stranded Russian immigrants!). Have to say, LA county attractions are out unless they are amazing as we’re looking to hit the highways or dirt roads. Any other suggestions appreciated!

Mount Shasta Fun!

goalyeehah — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:55:26 -0800

What is there to do when visiting Mount Shasta and Siskiyou County? I plan on spending 3 days there late next month. I would not consider myself to be an outdoorsman, yet would be interested in hot springs, hikes, nature walks, good restaurants, bookstores and more. Also would love to check out a local farmer's market or 2 if any are going on.

I went to art school to avoid math... sigh.

miss lynnster — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:17:40 -0800

Can you recommend a kickass financial advisor/planner in Southern California, por favor? You'll be my new best friend. Thanks!

Best and cheapest storage in the San Fernando Valley?

quarantine — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:49:24 -0800

Downsizing -- wife left me -- and moving to Woodland Hills, California (CA). I need storage. Help? I'm moving into a two-bedroom apartment with my old college roommate, whose marriage fell apart just as mine did.

I'm looking for inexpensive storage in Woodland Hills. I've Googled, but an insider would know better.

I'm a bookseller, and my inventory is not going to fit in the new apartment. I'm looking for, essentially, warehouse space.

One of those drive-up carport types would probably be best. A room in a big building would be second-best. One of the "palletized" ones where they bring your stuff down for you to look at is a no-go, as I'll want to retrieve items several times per week.

I'm looking for at least a 10'x10' area, and I'd like to spend less than $170/mo for it.

For bonus points, one within walking (or biking) distance from Topanga Canyon and Vanowen (or just southeast of that) would be wonderful!

California dreamin'

fcoury — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:22:49 -0800

I will be doing a very anticipated trip to California for the first time. Please advice with good tips! Hi,

I am going to the US on September, and I would like all advice I can get on planning my trip.

It will have two "parts":

On the first part, I will be visiting the IBM team I work with on Boulder, Colorado. I'd like tips for what should be seen on the whereabouts of Boulder and Denver. I will stay there for about 5 to 6 days only and will work 8h a day for 5 days.

After that period, I will be catching a flight to California. Here I have two questions: what would be the cheaper way to fly from Colorado to California? On what city should I start?

My idea for the second part is to have a roadtrip, stopping in must-see cities, staying for the night, then leaving in the morning. I want to drive all the way from California to Las Vegas. I will have 15 to 20 days on that part of the trip. Is that feasible?

I am really into getting to know the American way of life, like small cities, eating at BBQ, Hamburger and Dinner places on the roadside, besides maybe stopping on a amusement or theme park along the way. I am thinking about Six Flags or something like that. Any tips on that?

Also, please consider I am 29 years old and I am on a budget. I'd like to spend some time on budget hotels and motels but I would also spend some nights on good hotels that are worth the money.

Any tips or at least pointers to places on the internet where I can find further advice would be awesome.

How to negotiate telecommuting salary?

just another other — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:35:08 -0800

I'm currently living on the East Coast and considering taking a job based out of California. Because it's a job that doesn't require me to be on-site, I will have the option either to relocate or to telecommute. I intend to pursue the latter, which leads me to my question: how do I negotiate my salary? If I were doing comparable work for a local company here in my city on the East Coast, I would be making around $50,000. However, if I were living where the company is based in California (where the cost of living is much higher), I would expect to make something more like $60,000. Should I negotiate a salary based on my location or the company's?

Best economical 4WD car?

lalochezia — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:36:22 -0800

What's the best 1-2 yr old 4WD-capable car? Best for us means: fuel economy, reliability, non-behemoth-SUV-ness, aesthetic and reasonable cost (<$25k). Also: any knowledge about Subaru Outbacks and SoCal 4WD dealers. We're interested in getting a 4WD car to go to the mountains in winter and some minor desert-offroading in summer, but can also act as a daily driver in southern california. We don't need a huge (or medium!) SUV, and would like something that is economical and reliable as possible. I would think that having a selectable 2WD vs 4WD would improve fuel economy, yes?

Current frontrunner is a Subaru Outback: if you know anything about pros/cons/what to look for in these cars, please comment. If you have suggestions for other alternatives, those are welcome too. Things to look out for in general in 4WD welcome.

Suggestions for places to buy/avoid in SoCal a bonus....

Green Concierge Seeks Los Angeles Infodump

carsonb — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:00:25 -0800

I'm starting a new job as a telephone concierge at a Brand-new upscale retail/housing establishment in Glendale, CA next week—can you help me get my ear to the ground? Clients will be both tenants of the property and casual shoppers, and I am expected to provide expert-level concierge service. However, I'm relatively new in town, and the time I've spent here has been confined to a rather narrow corridor between Echo Park and central Hollywood. My boss is even newer to town than I, and I'd like to make a good impression by hitting the ground running for this gig. Please, I'm eager for all types of suggestions:

- Specifics on LA destinations (restaurants, attractions, events, nightlife, etc. with a focus on upscale, hip, guaranteed solid types of establishments)
- Hints/tips on transportation and navigation
- Blogs, websites, mailing lists, and RSS feeds that will keep me up to date on all of this stuff (I've subscribed to some related AskMe tags already; what am I missing? =o)
- Dead tree rags I should be reading regularly
- Any other information you can provide

Glendale is my first priority, but superior knowledge of all of Los Angeles is my ultimate goal. As mentioned above, I'm working my way through pertinent tags here on AskMe, but if you know of any relevant/obscure questions I might like to see please do mention them. Also, as a sub-question, do you have any tips on this type of job? I've worked as a TTY Relay Operator before and am happy to customer-serve, so I'm not completely unaware of what it entails. But if there's any specific advice you're holding I'd appreciate a share. Thanks!
Yes, I run with my ear to the ground; talented like that.