Berkshire County: Welcome

The Berkshires have been a much loved getaway for Bostonians and New Yorkers for over a century. The colonial aesthetic takes you back to the 1700s when towns across the Northeast were first being built. The windy gravel roads are surrounded by forest opening occasionally into idyllic farm scenes with old red barns, hay stacks, and windmills.

In the fall, the entire landscape transforms into a magical palette of red, gold, and orange.

Painter Norman Rockwell created an image of the picture perfect American town while living and working in the county. He painted happy scenes of quaint communities; beautiful, brightly-lit homes, families spending time together, children playing, and couples falling in love.

Norman Rockwell's painting of the Berkshire town "Stockbridge" in wintertime

Years later, Folk Singer James Taylor was equally inspired by this charming place describing it in his famous song "Sweet Baby James" as "dream-like."

Samuel Herrup Antiques in Sheffield, Massachusetts

In addition to the beauty, The Berkshires boasts first-rate dining, museums, theatre, an annual film festival, a small ski slope, hiking, world-class antiquing, art studios and galleries, and a thriving local food scene with boutique grocers and farmers markets.

The Old Inn on the Green in New Marlborough

This week Backpacktress will explore all it has to offer and show you why it's worth a road trip next time you're on the East Coast.

LA County: Little Israel

There's no "little Israel" in LA, but if there was it'd be at the intersection of Pico and South Robertson Boulevards. On Friday nights and Saturday mornings, you can see big groups of Orthodox Jewish families walking to shul for Shabbat services. The women in long skirts and long-sleeved shirts push strollers, the men with yarmulkes and tzitzit stroll behind them with their prayer books in hand.

This neighborhood caters to the highest concentration of Jews anywhere in the city with over thirty kosher restaurants, over twenty synagogues and several Jewish day schools. It's also home to Nagila, a little family-run restaurant known by Israeli Angelenos for serving up the best falafel and shawarma in town.

All the plates come with traditional sides: a yogurt sauce, diced tomato, hummus, minced parsley and garlic and some pickled vegetables. Their falafel is always fresh and right out of the fryer which gives it a crispy breaded outside and moist inside. Their lamb shawarma sizzles on a spit all day periodically doused in oil, oregano and basil which soaks to the core of the meat giving it an explosive flavor.

Your protein of preference is served on a plate with salad and fries or wrapped in their to-die-for homemade laffa bread which is like a fluffier version of naan. Each portion size is so generous it can easily be split or taken home for a second meal.

Eilat Bakery

Afterwards, you can take a stroll around the neighborhood. Check out the local bakeries for challah, macaroons, hamentashen, flourless chocolate cakes and dozens of other kosher goodies. There's also a grocery store off Wooster Street called Elat that sells great hummus, baba ghanoush and dolmas.

Nagila Meating Place is located at 9407 W Pico Blvd

LA County: The Largest & Oldest Open-Air Market

In the middle of Downtown LA sits a bustling open-air market full of groceries and food stalls specializing in cuisine from around the world.

Grand Central Market has been a hub for people of all walks of life since 1917. Nowhere in Los Angeles is the cultural and international diversity of the city more prominent.

You can find Mediterranean spices, nuts and dried fruit, fresh fish on ice, cheap produce, cheese, salsa, cactus, kebabs and more. It's a trove of exotic ingredients for lovers of cooking seeking inspiration and immigrants looking for a taste of home.

The market's best known for its mean tacos. There are several taco stalls which are always swarmed with people competing to shout their order up to the fast-cooking assembly line. "Yes, beans. No, pico de gallo. Extra cheese!"

It's really the fresh corn tortillas and the tender, marinated meat which makes these tacos so memorable. I recommend a traditional preparation of tortillas, lime, cilantro, onions and meat.

Then, grab a seat and dive in. The people watching is what completes the experience.

For more information on Grand Central Market click here

LA County: Serenity in the City

In 1950, guru and yogi Paramahansa Yogananda stumbled upon a garden just West of Los Angeles where he decided to dig roots and spread his teachings across America. From this ten-acre lot in the Pacific Palisades he introduced meditation to millions of Westerners. His sanctuary, the Self-Realization Fellowship, is still free to the public seven days a week from 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

The grounds are centered around a manmade lake surrounded by pathways which take you winding into forested nooks. Each private little area is decorated with quotes from faiths from around the world. They convey similar messages of love, acceptance and peace.

Thousands of people come to this shrine each year to quiet their minds amidst the serenity. There's prayer, yoga, chanting and meditation sessions held in a temple built on a nearby hilltop overlooking the water.

LA County: Korean BBQ, Quality Over Quantity

Going for Korean BBQ is more than a meal, it's an experience. First, you choose your beef, chicken or fish. Then, your cut of preference. Next, you cook it on a tiny teppan-like grill that's situated in the middle of the table. You add the finishing touches by dressing it with several of the dozen or so pickled vegetables and sauces that come with your meal. Finally, you dive in.

You can go through these steps at most Korean BBQ restaurants in Koreatown, but don't be fooled by signs offering all-you-can-eat specials for as low as $10.00. They tend to serve the fattiest and cheapest cuts. How else could they afford to serve up unlimited plates of steak?

If you want the real deal, you gotta go to Soot Bull Jeep. This popular Ktown joint is the master of sizzling, juicy strips of meat that will leave your mouthwatering and your clothes smelling for days. 

There's so much smoke in this tiny restaurant, you'll feel like you're at a campfire. 

Their beef is as tender as the meat you'd pick up at a steakhouse. They also offer hard to find Korean favorites like marinated squid, beef tongue, and eel. 

Between the rice, soup, vegetables, and kimchi that come with your order, you certainly won't leave hungry. 

LA County: Jazz Jam Brings the Heat to DTLA

Every week a New Orleans-themed joint tucked onto a side street in Downtown LA's Art District attracts Jazz cats from all over the city for their Monday night jam. NOLA's has become a long overdue haven for musicians of different backgrounds and levels of experience looking to hone their chops. 

Jacques Lesure, a guitarist from Detroit who’s played with big names like Les McCann and George Benson, is the man behind it all. 

photo courtesy of: Craig Johnson, http://illtakeyourpicture.com/

He wanted to create a place where Jazz musicians could support one another in cultivating their craft. Everyone from college students to longtime players who have recorded with legends like Theolonious Monk can be seen sitting together on stage. Jacques' only rule is that everyone who performs has to take themselves and their fellow musicians seriously. Everyone is expected to give each tune their all. They always do. 

If you just stumbled upon it you'd never know that most of the musicians have never played together before. The talent is extraordinary and the diverse crowd always makes for an interesting show. 

It's also a great spot to grab some dinner. Their Cordon Bleu-trained chef Edric Ocampo whips up mouth-watering Big Easy specialties like jambalaya and shrimp etouffee. Take a bite and close your eyes, you might just think for a minute you're sitting in the French Quarter. 

LA County: The Mountain Getaway

The San Gabriel mountains sit behind LA freeways serving as an integral feature of the landscape. Angelenos have gotten used to seeing them from a distance, but where are they? A short drive up to La Canada Flintridge just west of Pasadena will take you winding through the Angeles National Forest where you'll get to see the range up close. You'll pass by stretches of desert with Joshua trees, large orange rock formations and ultimately end up in Wrightwood, California.

Wrightwood feels like a small mountain town you'd stumble upon in Idaho or Colorado. The homes are mostly built like log cabins or barns, the streets have names like "Evergreen Road," "Apple Avenue" and "Cedar Street," and the fresh mountain air smells of pine. It's only about an hour and a half from LA proper, but a world away from the trafficky metropolitan chaos of the city.

The whole town can be walked in about fifteen minutes. They've got an antique shop, quaint Americana restaurants, a couple local dives, a book store, a candy store that's always handing out freshly made fudge samples, a farmer's market and cabin rentals.

The most popular attraction is a series of ziplines that take you soaring through the mountains. It's the perfect way to get up, close and personal with the San Gabriels.

There's also enough nearby hikes you could explore a different trail everyday for weeks. 

If you're looking to get out of LA, it's the perfect place for an overnight stay.

LA County: El Pollo Local

Koreatown is one hole in the wall restaurant after the next. All the signs look equally tired and the decor equally unthoughtful so it can be practically impossible to know which family run joints are worth trying. The only way to go is by word of mouth. That's exactly how I found Pollo A La Brasa.

Spits of whole chickens roast over an open fire to crispy perfection. The white meat underneath the skin is plump and moist. An entire chicken with two sides of beans, rice, salad or french fries costs $18.00. To drink they have jamaica (an iced drink from Mexico made with hibiscus flower) and horchata.

While just about everywhere in Ktown boasts competitive prices you'll have a hard time finding somewhere that's as reliably delicious, fresh and...wait for it...healthy.

LA County: High Class, Low Cost

Every Friday night of the summer at 6:00 p.m. the Los Angeles County Museum of Art hosts a free Jazz concert in their outdoor courtyard. The museum brings in big names for the series like Wayne Shorter, Arturo Sandoval, and Kenny Burrell.  Many attendees sit on the nearby lawn and picnic with wine and cheese. If you’re looking to splurge, make a reservation ahead of time at LACMA’s gourmet Ray's and Stark Bar. They have an innovative yet classic menu and perfectly mixed cocktails.

The museum keeps their world class contemporary exhibits open until 11:00 p.m. so you can check out the art when the show's over. Regardless, you’re bound to be beckoned by Chris Burden’s alluring “Urban Light” installation situated just beyond the stage. 

Stroll through the art deco lampposts at the right moment and the stars overhead accompanied by the live soundtrack make you feel like you’ve walked onto the set of a Hollywood classic. 

LA County: The Bohemian Oasis

An easy to miss turn off Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu takes you into the artistic community of Topanga Canyon. There you'll find small art studios, local theatre troupes and quaint boutiques.

It feels like Woodstock circa 1969. There's only one gravel road that goes round and round the canyon surrounded by pine trees that are hundreds of years old reaching up towards the sky. Along the path, you'll see local businesses that are open at unpredictable hours. You get the sense it's because no one living in the area feels compelled to maintain a nine to five lifestyle.

One of my favorite businesses is the Hidden Treasures vintage store. It's a trove of trinkets and costumes from the 1920s to today. You'll quickly get lost in a maze that takes you through one cubby and into the next until you realize you're back where you started with an arm full of things you never knew you wanted. There's house dresses from the 1950s, fur, clunky plastic accessories, fringe lamps, heavy persian rugs, pleather platform boots, hats and a little patio outside under the trees if you're seeking respite.

The Inn of the Seventh Ray

Just up the trail and over the small bridge, there's a series of cottages which are home to "The Inn of the Seventh Ray." It's a restaurant and spiritual center which serves up reenergizing and wholesome meals right next to the creek. It's the perfect place to spend quality time with a loved one away from the hustle and bustle of your everyday.

Topanga Canyon State Park

After lunch you can go on a stroll through the magnificent Topanga Canyon State Park or head back down the mountain for a little beach time on some of the most sublime stretches of sand in Southern California.

LA County: An Evening of Transcendence

In the 1950s, Jack Kerouac repopularized Buddhism in the West. Since then, widespread ideas about enlightenment have circulated through generations of Americans frustrated by materialism. 

For many, there's this idea that seeking transcendence is a long and sometimes laborious journey to be taken within oneself. I won't claim to be enlightened or to know what it takes to get there, but every third Saturday at The Hub in LA I get the closest taste of what I imagine it would be like. 

A group of anywhere between five to forty people gather at night in a yoga studio situated in between Venice and Santa Monica. The evening always begins with introductions; there's always a good mix of reluctant first-timers and committed veterans. Scott, the leader, encourages a friendly and open atmosphere. "Share something about yourself," he says, "Anything." It feels like summer camp. 

The lights are lowered and you begin to breathe. In and out, in and out. It's the simplest most essential act, but it makes you aware of how you're operating. Everyone stretches and moves at their own pace. It's a designated time for you to lengthen out the back you've been slouching or shut the eyes that have been glaring at a screen for eight too many hours. 

The teacher walks around the room with incense. Sounds of wind chimes and wafts of lavender produce a feeling of calmness. Just as you relax, the beats begin. People naturally move with the pace of the music as it progresses. Before you know it, you're dancing blissfully unconcerned with how your movements appear to others. It's how fun should always be: organic, rejuvenating and safe. 

The excitement builds in the room as strobe lights flicker on and glow sticks are thrown into the circle for the taking. Everyone moves how they please, no one thinks.

Just as you're beginning to break a sweat the beats fade and the sound of gongs vibrating through the air brings you back into a state of tranquility. This time even more quieted after the release of adrenaline. You lay still, high on life and happier than the best cocktail has ever made you. 

LA County: Holy Mole

Growing up in Southern California, I had Mexican food at least a couple of times a week. Needless to say, it takes a lot to impress me. I rarely go back to the same place twice.

There's one restaurant in LA that keeps me comin again and again: Guelaguetza in Koreatown. It's always packed with Mexican families sitting at long tables right next to a stage with live mariachi. On a typical weekend night, there's usually around four or five musicians in festive garb playing guitar, bass, piano and singing over an overmodulated sound system which was probably intended for karaoke.

The lively atmosphere is full of people dancing in between tables, diners laughing and shouting over the music and waiters swiftly navigating through the crowded restaurant with large platters of sizzling fajitas, mole and steaming fresh corn tortillas which are being made by hand at a station in the corner.

If you can't decide which mole to get, try them all with the "festival of moles."

There are four different kinds of homemade mole all seasoned differently, but equally as flavorful. The dish takes hours to make properly, but Guelaguetza churns out pots of the stuff. It's so good that people often pick up small jars at the front on the way out.

They also have other rarely seen specialties like: marinated pork feet with jalapenos, grilled cactus and crickets. If there's a place to expand your culinary horizon, it's here. Everything is patiently cooked to perfection.

Their variety of spirits is no less impressive than their menu. They have over 60 kinds of mezcal and 80 kinds of tequila ranging from $6.00 to $50.00 a shot. They also have killer mango margaritas garnished with fresh slices of fruit.

From the music to the drinks to the food, Guelaguetza is an experience. Even Jonathan Gold says, it's the "best Oaxacan Restaurant in the country."