“When I drive the freeways, I see the soul of humanity of my city and it’s ugly, ugly, ugly.”
—Charles Bukowski
When I got my driver’s license in the late ’80s, hating L.A.’s car culture was already in vogue.
And I never understood it. Long aimless drives opened up my small teenage world. The detours through the fast-food drive-thrus aggravated my dietitian to no end. With so much of the cityscape optimized to be experienced from behind the wheel, where else would you want to be?
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It took me 30 years to realize the road was not the only path, and that something fascinating was lurking just below.
View toward what would be the Los Angeles River Platform Park.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Before there were dusty trails and stage coach routes and boulevards and freeways, there was the Southern California watershed — the maze of rivers, creeks and washes that sent rain water from the mountains and valleys to the ocean. You barely notice as you drive over them, just another concrete slab.
But L.A.’s waterways are teeming with life and possibility. And L.A. County has big plans for them.
I discovered the watershed a few years ago during the pandemic when I took up e-biking. At first, I stuck to the popular beach bike paths. But the region also has an extensive network of trails bordering the rivers and creeks, and I have come to favor them because you never know what you will find.
In my rides along the inlets and washes, I’ve spotted miles of horse stables in the backyards lined against the San Gabriel River in Norwalk and Downey. A little zoo along the Rio Honda in Montebello. Rusting quarries at the mouth of Azusa Canyon. Unhoused tent cities on the banks of the L.A. River in Long Beach. Fishermen actually catching their dinner where the San Gabriel empties into the Pacific. Group yoga at sunset on Ballona Creek. An antique high-wheel cyclist navigating the L.A. River path near Griffith Park.
An aerial view of where the Santa Ana River meets the Pacific Ocean
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
For decades, activists and ecologists have fought to take advantage of our watershed for recreational and community life, with remarkable success. (L.A. has fallen to 90th place among the top 100 cities in the U.S. when it comes to park space.) And much more could be on the way:
Many of these projects are far from done deals. Some are very costly. But they represent a starkly different future from the days when I first started my tour of L.A. drive-thrus.
A rollerblader on San Gabriel River Bike Trail silhouetted against cloudy skies over Santa Fe Dam in Irwindale, Calif., in 2022.
(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Back then, there was a proposal to run a freeway above the L.A. River, reserved for carpoolers and buses from downtown to the Valley and for trucks from Long Beach to downtown (the freeway would close during heavy rains). Young me thought it was a fine idea. Back then, our creeks and rivers were just anonymous underpasses, not worth even taking my eyes off the billboards, fluorescent signage and palm trees.
Now, I know what lurks just below.
Recently, I found myself sharing the Rio Honda Creek trail with an older gentleman in a cowboy hat riding a horse.
I noticed we were about to pass under the 60 Freeway and thought to myself: I’m so much happier being down here than up there.
Today’s top stories 
Large boulders block Santa Susana Pass Road two miles west of Topanga Canyon after a rain-soaked hillside slid onto the roadway in Chatsworth in 2016.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
California may be in the path of a ‘super’ El NiñoA potentially historic super El Niño could develop by late fall.For Southern California, the phenomenon could bring a wet winter that tamps down wildfire risk but also may trigger flooding, debris flows and coastal erosion.California’s bid to build the world’s deepest floating wind farmCalifornia plans to transform Humboldt Bay into a hub for floating offshore wind power to help reach its 100% clean energy goal by 2045.Yet the technology for wind power that floats is just emerging, and has never been attempted in waters as deep as the Pacific off Northern California.The massive stakes if a Republican becomes California governorSteve Hilton said he would collaborate with other Democratic leaders in the state, while Chad Bianco promised a confrontational approach.The Legislature’s Democratic supermajority and other Democratic leaders could block much of Hilton’s or Bianco’s agenda, but a GOP governor could reshape executive agencies and potentially trigger gridlock across state government.Three unions unite in a massive LAUSD strike threatThree unions representing nearly 85% of LAUSD’s 83,300 workers — teachers, support staff and administrators — threaten to strike on April 14 in an unprecedented alliance.All three groups demand significantly higher pay, citing $5 billion in reserves.What else is going onCommentary and opinionsThe restaurant inside L.A.’s best new food hall is a triumph, argues restaurant critic Bill Addison. It could be a revelation.“Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair” brings the gang back and stays true to the original, writes television critic Robert Lloyd.The new LACMA is divisive. It’s also ambitious, disorienting — and radically alive, guest contributor Sam Lubell writes.This morning’s must readAnother must readFor your downtime 
Coachella returns to the Empire Polo Club in Indio April 10-12 and 17-19.
(Los Angeles Times)
Going outStaying inA question for you: Are you planning on leaving California for another state? If so, tell us why.
Karen KT said, “I’m planning to retire from LAUSD within the next 5 years and hopefully move to Colorado. It’s not a whole lot cheaper there, but any little bit helps. It’s unreachable for me to buy property in LA.”
Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
And finally … your photo of the day 
Flowers along Highway 78.
(Josh Jackson)
Today’s great photo is from Times contributor Josh Jackson. During a spring road trip through Julian and Borrego Springs, Jackson explored California’s overlooked scenic highways and saw some wildflowers in bloom along the way.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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