Sandi Hemmerlein
Sandi Hemmerlein is a writer and photographer. Based in L.A. but constantly on the prowl for new adventure, she spends most of her time nurturing her interest in birds, animals, neon, historic theaters, puppets, trains, folk art, and stained glass. In addition to her work for PBS SoCal, Sandi also documents everything on her own website Avoiding Regret.
Here are nine oddities worth a desert detour for a closer look — because no matter how odd they may seem, your eyes aren't deceiving you!
Here are 8 of the best SoCal gas stations for bringing some magnificence to the mundane — whether you're on your daily commute or using up your savings to reach a farther flung locale.
Los Angeles has a wealth of cultural destinations, so much so that there is one that might be sitting just beneath your radar. Here are just some of the most intriguing, and often hidden, highlights of what the UCLA campus has to offer to the public.
Whether you'd like to whet your whistle inside a whiskey barrel or fill your belly inside a bowl, here are seven places where you can feast your eyes upon some of the oddest and most entrancing remains of L.A.'s wackiest roadside architecture.
Every February, architecture fans and interior design enthusiasts descend upon Palm Springs for its annual Modernism Week. But if you're looking for something closer to home, here are six amazing modernist architecture destinations you can visit right now in the L.A. area.
From salvaged architectural relics to a 100-year-old park and former industrial sites that have returned “back to nature,” here’s where you can explore the most unexpected outdoor gems of the South Bay.
You don’t have to be a long-distance hiker to enjoy SoCal’s best hiking opportunities. But if you’re ready to go the distance, these six trails are waiting for you whether you've got just a couple of hours at a time or months to devote to the most epic trek of your life.
Here are nine areas of "old school" Magic Mountain that you can visit today for a true throwback Southern California theme park adventure — all year round.
Skip the Christmas tree lot and go straight to the living Christmas trees that are taller than your wildest dreams and have lived longer than most anybody can remember. Here are seven great groves of evergreen trees right here in the lowlands, by our beaches and in our residential neighborhoods.
From coastal cities to desert gateways and wine country weekenders, here are the most historic depots where you can take the train — and what to do once you arrive or before the conductor calls out, “All aboard!”
No matter if your starting point is an inland valley or an oceanside beach community, here are six mountain drives you can take on a day trip from L.A.
Here are 10 of the best Highway 99 remnants that capture the character and charm of early 20th century "highway life."