One of the great surprises of Los Angeles is that there are several local places to escape and find a bit of nature. I really dig the hiking trails in Elysian Park, where you can enjoy tremendous views of the bustling city below, including Dodger Stadium, while only hearing the sound of your own footsteps and the rustling of bushes as lizards and small mammals go about their daily routines. Below the trails, there's also a traditional green-grass park setting, where you'll find everything from children's birthday party's with pony's, mariachi bands, over-exuberant uncles, and shit-tons of unleashed dogs, to man-whore's cruising for sex, cracked-out hobos, and gangsters of every flag. Griffith Park is obviously world-renowned for its observatory, but it's also home to the abandoned site of the old L.A. Zoo! It's not necessarily undiscovered country, as there are picnic tables and typically a healthy dose of fresh graffiti scrawled over the man-made enclosures, but it is a mildly creepy spot, with a bit of signage explaining its roots. Pack a lunch and climb through the old animal exhibits -- just watch out for puddles of human feces, and the more than occasional Urban Outfitters catalog photo shoot.

This happened last winter— due to extreme climate changes there was a rare snowfall in the hills of Los Angeles. I can count on one hand how many times I have seen snow, nonetheless driven in it. I was playing "I Love You" by Takehiko Honda while driving through Hollywood Hills and Griffith Park. I will never forget it.

Endless hours of plants to discover. I've never seen so many types of plants in one place. A great place to spend the day getting inspiration.

Salton Sea is not technically LA, but is a by-product of its history and my first-choice escape from the city: one of the world's largest inland seas and lowest spots on earth, a man-made lake in the midst of the Colorado desert, a resort area in the twenties turned in one of the worst ecological disaster of the past century.

This neighborhood is my home. Since I moved here 2 years ago there has been so much improvement in the area. I am walking distance from the art supply store, gourmet beer, korean barbecue, and every major freeway. I am the perfect distance from everything without being in the metropolitan epicenter. Image taken at Wurstkuche.