Take to the Sea, Land and Air in Los Angeles

Picture yourself catching a curling wave along a long stretch of sandy beach. If you can't imagine doing that, maybe your tastes run more to inline skating, horseback riding or mountain hiking. If you're daring enough, you can try sea kayaking, windsurfing or hang gliding. They're all favorite outdoor activities in Los Angeles.

Blessed with one of the best locations in the country for those who love active outdoor pursuits, Los Angeles boasts both topographic diversity and a nearly-perfect year-round climate. Mountains, sea and allinclusive flat areas all meet in the same small region, enabling visitors to select from a wide range of active outdoor activities during their Los Angeles vacations. If you're energetic sufficient you can you swim or kayak in the ocean, ride a bike or roller skate along scenic trails, then hike in the mountains. And in Los Angeles you can do it all in the same day. But it gets even better. When you're done for the day, you can share of a delectable epicurean meal or some tasty ease food, go shopping or museum-hopping, or take in a game that's being played by one the city's some pro sports teams.

Roller Skates Shops

On the Water

Thanks to The Beach Boys in the early 1960s, Southern California practically automatically pops to mind when many Americans think about surfing. The Los Angeles area has great waves for surfing and the song "Surfin' Usa" mentions many of the area's prime surfing spots. Along some beaches the waves are challenging-enough to satisfy even highly experienced surfers, but surf schools with experienced instructors are plentiful, so don't worry if you're a novice. And who knows, you may find surfing to be addictive! Redondo Beach, Santa Monica Beach, Venice Beach, Manhattan Beach and Malibu Beach are some of the area's familiar surfing sites, but there are many more than just those few.

Whether you try sea kayaking in a calm harbor or on the open ocean, you'll be paddling during a quiet, serene maritime journey. Much like sailing, no motor noises detract from the perceive -- the only audible distractions will probably come from the occasional seagull or other water bird. It's just you, the kayak and the water. This is a favorite water sport in Los Angeles, and kayak lessons and rentals are effortlessly available.

Windsurfing, sometimes called sailboarding, is other water sport that's favorite in the area. Great fun, but more difficult than it looks. Not to worry, because as with sea kayaking, windsurfing lessons and rentals are easy to find.

On Dry Land

If you're more concerned in land-bound activities, take a shot at horseback riding straight through the area's scenic hills. Unless you ride on a quarterly basis you'll work some unaccustomed muscles, but you'll admittedly get a nice workout. Guided rides for even fresh horseback riders are available throughout the day in Griffith Park. And if you'd like a minuscule horseback romance, take a private night ride with your sweetheart at Sunset Ranch. Placed just on the edge of Griffith Park below the supreme hillside Hollywood Sign, all levels of riders can enjoy day rides there too.

Los Angeles is a veritable mecca for bicycle riding. Long-distance riders can enjoy all or part of a 22-mile paved bicycle trail between Pacific Palisades and Torrance, with stops along the way at Venice, Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo beaches. Water fountains, food stands and restrooms are scattered along the trail. If mountain biking is more your thing, the trails straight through the around Santa Monica Mountains would be perfect. Because you probably didn't bring your bike with you on your vacation, bicycle rentals are available in some places throughout the region.

These same Santa Monica Mountains also supply a great spot for mountain hiking and wild animal-spotting. The mountains climb to just over 3,000 feet and supply a good workout. They can get hot in the summer, so make sure you bring water. Hiking straight through Temescal Canyon in Pacific Palisades is easier, but Pacific Palisades also offers intermediate and developed hiking. It rewards those who make the tougher climbs with views of Los Angeles and the Pacific that can't be beat.

The Los Angeles area also features one of the premier rollerskating spots in the country, the same lengthy trail between Pacific Palisades and Torrance that's so often used by bikers. Skating is also a favorite active pastime on the boardwalk at Venice Beach, but truth be told, population in Los Angeles roller skate just about everywhere that bicycles are ridden. Inline and conventional skating are both very popular, and rental skates are available in some locations.

In the Air

If you like a minuscule more elevation in your sport, try taking to the air for some hang gliding. The geography of the Los Angeles area provides plentifulness of opportunities, from beginner level lessons at bunny hills to thrilling solo flights at the devotee level. Begin yourself off the top of one of the many hills in the area.

I'll Just Watch, Thank You!

Several Los Angeles outdoor activities are also great fun to watch. Surfing and windsurfing, in particular, offer prime opportunities for onlookers. But

If you just want to watch, hang gliding might be the most spectacular opening of them all. Even without trying, spectators often catch these gorgeous kites and their riders gracefully soaring in the air.

Take to the Sea, Land and Air in Los Angeles