Labor Day parties, traffic to the beach and city, this year skip the all and instead enjoy your extra day off with family and friends near your West Hills rental home.

Go Hiking

Grab your backpacks, comfortable shoes, tanning lotion and water and head to a park or nature reserve near you.

Here are a few you might want to try:

Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyons

5792 Cheeseboro Road, Agoura, CA

Moderate

(leashed dogs welcome)

There is a 4.4 mile shady hike with a lot of beautiful scenery and foliage.  Palo Comado trail head is accessible from the first parking lot.  (note there are a few trails to hike with varying degrees of difficulty, download a map or view their website for more details).

Great for hiking, mountain biking, trail running, horseback riding, dog walking, bird watching and picnicking.

Malibu Creek State Park

1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, CA

Moderate

 (Dogs are restricted from some trails)

Malibu Creek Trail is a good spot for hiking, bird watching and fishing.  Take a hike on a 7.9 mile point to point trail.  This trail is considered moderate and has beautiful views.  Again, Malibu State Park has several trails, please look at signs to make certain you are hiking on a trail that matches your ability and always bring plenty of water.

O’Melveny Park

27300 Sesnon Blvd, Granada Hills, CA

This park is the 2^nd largest park in LA and offers picnicking and trails for hikers and bikers.  There are several trails and wildlife is abundant.  The Bee Canyon Trail is a moderate 2 mile out and back trail.  Dogs are allowed on leash.  (Several trails at this park, be certain to read signs and/or view a trail map to be certain you are on the correct trail for your ability).

 Dance, Eat & Be Merry

An extra day off from work is always a reason to celebrate.  Get your game on and your taste buds revved up and join the many festivals in your area, here are just a few:

Shoreline Jam

September 5^th and 6^th, Long Beach hosts a 2 day Labor Day music festival at the waterfront with music, yard games, beer, cocktails and food.

Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, CA

The Taste is back.

The LA Times hosts a celebration of Southern California’s culinary scene from September 4^th through the 6^th at Paramount Picture Studio’s backlot.

The 3 day celebration includes 5 different events.

September 4^th 7:30 to 10:30

Purchase your tickets (@150) online or at the event.

Stay at Home and Cook/Freeze/Can

Late summer is the perfect time to harvest all of the wonderful produce that Southern California offers.  Why not stay home this Labor Day, cook up a wonderful meal and prepare some meals for more hectic week days

Go to the farmer’s market and pick up some beans and cukes and follow easy recipes for canning.  Don’t forget while stone fruit like peaches and nectarines are still available locally they can be canned.  PS – it is easier than you think, you can also follow an easy pickling recipe for the fridge and by pass the canning, and they will stay fresh and crisp for weeks.

Make your own granola and pack it in air tight bags for a quick week time breakfast or a snack.

Make sauce or pesto and freeze it.  This way on a busy week day you can pop it out of the freezer and with some pasta and a salad you have a great meal.  PS, I freeze my herbs in olive oil or butter and pop them in an ice tray, then I just pop them out when I need them.

Casseroles, cookie dough, pasta sauce are all great options for freeze and use later meals.

Try a New Cuisine

Try a new cuisine this weekend, either make it at home or go out and try something new.  Try Korean, Brazilian, Indian, Middle Eastern, you are lucky to live in an area that offers such rich and diverse cuisines, come on try one.

• Anarbagh Indian Restaurant – Indian/Woodland Hills
• Shalimar Cuisine of India – Indian/Woodland Hills
• Kravings – Brazilian/Latin – Tarzana
• Ubatuba Acai – Brazilian – Tarzana
• Palm Grove Ethiopian Restaurant – Ethiopian/LA
• Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine – Ethiopian/LA

Let’s Go Fly a Kite

When was the last time that you flew a kite?  Let’s bring out the kid in you and either make or buy a kite and head to Serrania Park or Warner Reach Park, both located in nearby Woodland Hills.

Relax and Read a Book

Take the extra day to read and relax, like many of us it is hard to find time to read a book (like an actual book) instead we are busy working, commuting, cleaning, browsing the internet.  Instead plan nothing but time to read and relax, pretend you are on vacation, head out to the pool and read.

If you have kids, get them reading as well or have them color or do a word search, but NO Internet.

These Labor Day activities are fun, relaxing and won’t break the bank and are close to West Hills.  Happy Labor Day.