A delegation from Munich has arrived in Los Angeles to help advise on the plan to restore the L.A. River from a concrete open sewer to an actual, gosh-darn-it river.
Apparently, way back when, Munich’s Isar River was also a dammed and sealed drainage channel, but over the years has been revitalized into an urban greenspace, complete with parks, swimming areas, and even a permanent surfing wave. And although the river does still have some high germ levels (due to some sewage treatment plants upstream, currently being upgraded), it’s still a great example of what L.A. can do with its much-neglected waterway.
Read more about the plans, events, and photo ops on Tom LaBonge’s site and at the Friends of the L.A. River site. If anyone knows how to plan something, it’s a German Delegation.
Here’s hoping for a fully green L.A. River that some of us may actually get to enjoy during our lifetime!
Image by Fire Monkey Fish
Via Curbed LA.
While doing a bit of research on the Icehouse Canyon area for my last write-up, I stumbled upon the personal web site of a physics and engineering professor at Mount San Antonio College. He owns one of the cabins in Icehouse Canyon, and apparently they’ve got themselves something of a historical society in that canyon.
The professor has two interesting posts, one small capsule history of the Canyon itself, and a great post on the Chapman Ice House Canyon Resort and Lodge, with some great scanned images from another cabin-owner.
Not necessary to hike and enjoy the canyon, but if you’re a history nerd like me, you’ll gain a whole new level of appreciation for Icehouse.
Image from the Pomona Public Library
… and that should get a few more interesting hits from Google.
But it’s true, according to a recent CNN story about “natural highs.” Hiking and mountain climbing rank among such other risky and rewarding activities as going to the gym, public speaking, skydiving and … um … shoe shopping.
If you’re looking for motivation to hit that next peak on your list, listen to Ramani Durvasula, a professor at CSULA, describe her hiking experiences:
When you pull yourself up onto a summit — and climax, so to speak, particularly as a woman — the sheer physicality, beauty and endurance are like no other feeling on earth … My favorite ‘lover’ was Half Dome … I fell to my knees. It was one of the best moments of my life.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to make plans to visit Yosemite.
I wonder what Durvasula would have to say about the rock formations in Cappadodcia …
image by Jeff Werner.
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