I took AH for her very first visit into Topanga Canyon today. 

 Topanga is like the lost world of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles is pretty much a city city, but Topanga is its heart of darkness. There is nothing but twisty canyon roads, hidden homes and survivalist colonies. It’s off the very beaten track. 

We were in Topanga, eating lunch at Cafe Mimosa off the main road. (Very fine fair; AH and I had a portobello and brie panini and chicken curry wrap with raisins and coffee and vanilla chai). Because it was off the main road, we had to make several dangerous u-turns to park—first we passed the restaurant, then we turned around and turned into the wrong road, then turned around, then turned into the right parking spot, all while carefully checking blindspots. 

On the way, we passed some very typical and atypical Topanga sites. 

Typical: The Theatricum Botanicum 

Atypical: A sign advertising a credit check company on a perilous mountain turn. It was a lonely, 81/2 by 11 in sign with the backdrop of the San Fernando Valley right behind it. 

Typical: Hidden driveways and roads. 

Atypical: a patch of snow. Typical: Artistic graffiti and the sense of bohemia everywhere 

Atypical:  a strawberry and cherry stand cause is it strawberry season already? 

Typical: The restaurant closing at 2 just cause, I bet 

Atypical: A hold-up bottleneck

Typical: bicyclists, pedestrians and people randomly walking up the steep roads

And so forth. 

Lovely Saturday afternoon for us here in la-la land!