John Muir died in Los Angeles in 1914, after spending his lifetime creating the environmentalist movement as we know it. He worked hard to preserve large tracts of land throughout California, including Yosemite, and formed the Sierra Club.
The fact that he was anywhere near L.A. toward the end of his life may come as a surprise, but he, like me, saw nature and "home" as inseparable. He saw all of the earth as "home" and Southern California was no exception. He was en route to the extreme desert near Daggett, California, when he had to go to the hospital in L.A.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Daggett&state=CA
I count the mountains as home; I don't think I'd like to even try to live anywhere without mountains. My sense of place and my sense of home are inseparable and they are very much grounded in mountains. Others feel that way about the sea.
Muir's Sierra Club has hundreds of holdings throughout Southern California, and maintains a "Hundred Peaks" list of valuable ascents people might make throughout their lives here in this part of the world.
http://angeles.sierraclub.org/hps/hpslist.htm
The point of all this is is that Los Angeles is still one of the loveliest places on the planet. Angelenos navigate through the admittedly nasty smog and traffic because we know that the quality of outdoor life supercedes the trouble. The smog is nowhere near as bad as it once was, though the traffic has increased of course. But the perfect weather allows for year-round exploration, gardening, and camping ... escape from the traffic and the full calendars of events.
Below are some photos I took today on a misty, drizzly four-mile round-trip hike to Hermit Falls, a trek very much worth your time ...
http://www.trails.com/topomap.aspx?trailid=XTR003-088
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