Secret Walk #2: L.A. River Walk South, 2.2 miles

An escape from the city in the middle of the city, this section of the L.A. River Bike Path also known as the Los Angeles River Greenway Trail, runs a mile along the 5, from Fletcher Drive north to Glendale Blvd. We started at the Fletcher Drive Bridge built in 1927 during the Cryer administration—one of the most corrupt administrations in LA history. (Nice bridge, though.) We walked north along the river to Red Car River Park, dedicated to the extant trestles for tracks that carried Pacific Electric Rail cars over the river from Edendale to Atwater Village almost a century ago. The incessant noise from the 5 freeway couldn't drown out birds singing, geese and ducks hooting, and the splash of water rushing over river rocks. We took it all in—ducks swimming, pigeons swooping, fish jumping, and one magnificent heron who stopped to pose for us. Our final destination: Rattlesnake Park and the put-in for public boating on the river. No kayaks today, but the season is open if you're interested. Calming.