Girlawhirl loves L.A. because she can almost always exercise outside. Since she visits the city pretty frequently, she's found some great places to go for a “hike.” She's got four favorites. Three of them are perfect for a quick walking workout when she's got a day full of meetings and the fourth is her pick for when she's got a full day to spend at the beach.

When she's in Hollywood, Girlawhirl heads for Runyon Canyon. She starts at the park entrance on Fuller Avenue just north of Hollywood Boulevard. From there she can go clockwise and follow the paved path or counterclockwise for the more difficult ascent along a dirt path. Either way, she'll end up at a scenic overlook called Cloud's Rest where there's a great view of the L.A. basin below. If she's got time, she'll return to the paved path and walk up to the park's north entrance on Mulholland Drive and then turn around. If not, she continues on the loop back to where she started. The loop is a little more than three miles. (A few notes: parking is on the street; the trail is an “off leash” area so there are a lot of dogs; there's no shade, so sunscreen is a must; because it is an “urban” hike it can get crowded, don't expect to be alone on the trail.)

If Girlawhirl's in “the valley,” her trail of choice is the one at Fryman Canyon in Studio City. It begins at Wilacre park on Fryman off of Laurel Canyon Boulevard. The trail starts at the gate just outside the parking lot, but Girlawhirl prefers to walk back out to Fryman road, then take a right on Iredell and follow that through the neighborhood (past George Clooney's house!) to the gate at the other end of the trail. It's a steady climb to the top, where she gets great views of the San Fernando valley, but there are some shady spots along the trail so the sun's not beating on her the entire time. She ends back at the parking lot, or if she's particularly ambitious and has the time, she turns around and repeats the loop in the opposite direction. Doing the loop one way is about two and a half miles. (Notes: parking is $1; although recently expanded, the parking lot is still small and the trail gets crowded especially on weekends, so try to get there early; dogs are allowed on the trail on leashes.)

When she's in the Santa Monica area, Temescal Canyon is Girlawhirl's favorite spot to hike. She gets there by taking the Pacific Coast Highway to Temescal Canyon Road and taking that to the end into the park, just north of Sunset. Girlawhirl starts out on the Temescal Canyon trail, which begins behind a group of buildings that used to be the Presbyterian Conference Center. When it intersects with the Temescal Ridge trail after about 1.5 miles, she follows that back down to the buildings, about 4.5 miles total. The trail has some steep, rocky parts but there are also densely wooded areas that offer plenty of shade, a stream and even a waterfall if it's the right season. But the most impressive part of this trail is the breathtaking view of the Pacific ocean and the coastline. Girlawhirl pauses quite often for “beauty moments” when she does this hike. (Notes: parking is $5 in the park but there is street parking in the neighborhood, dogs are not allowed on most of the trail.)

Girlawhirl's final favorite is reserved for when she's got a whole day to herself. It's out in Malibu and it offers plenty of opportunities to stop, sit on the beach, relax and even have a drink. This one starts at the part of Zuma beach called Westward Beach and ends at Paradise Cove. At the end of the beach parking lot, there's a distinct path that leads up through sage, cactus and other plants Girlawhirl can't identify, to the top of Point Dume where there is a stunning view of the Pacific and the channel islands, and if it's the right time of year, a great spot for whale watching. The trail continues over the point and down a staircase to the beach where there are tide pools full of sea urchins and starfish. A mile down the beach she reaches Paradise Cove where there's a restaurant right on the beach, which is a perfect spot for lunch or a mid-hike cocktail. After refueling, she retraces her steps back up the beach – about four miles roundtrip. (Notes: to reach the trailhead turn onto Westward Beach Road off of Pacific Coast Highway about 25 miles north of Santa Monica; parking is $6; passage is easier at low-tide, so consult a tide table.)

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