I can’t tell anyone about this. It’s too good. It’s too special. And yet, here I go.

When my heart sings, it’s rarely for anything but food, love or nature. (And the occasional cute dog). The first time I went to Franklin Canyon it was reverberating with hidden chords of nature-joy. The second time, a balmy, lazy afternoon on New Year’s Eve when I surprised my boyfriend with a picnic, well, it was full blown Operatics. Let the glory of Franklin Canyon be revealed to you in the same way by honoring Spring with a little picnic of your own! Just please don’t tell anyone.

Because I have to admit I feel a little guilty. Today while taking photos for the site, a wandering man in orange marveled at the view, only to lean in auspiciously to “shhh” me and say “Don’t tell anyone”.

“Ha ha!!” I beamed. Wait til this amazing shit goes up on Cityzine dude.

Gulp.

Don’t hate me God! I did not heed your messenger. It’s just too beautiful here.

Over 5 miles of hiking trails climb up and down the 605 acres of wild hill and dale that make Franklin Canyon what it is. Hidden glades and sudden shocks of sparkling lake water leave you wondering where in the hell you are. Certainly not in LA. And MOST certainly not in the Valley. And yet there it is, cracked like an egg yolk and cradled in a mirage of trees that is neither Studio City nor Beverly Hills, home to every duck who wasn’t born on Balboa Lake. It’s heaven.

My favorite thing about Franklin Canyon is in fact that amazing lake. I mean, a LAKE lake, a glorious, where-did-this-come-from lake, with water plants and everything. With that quietly lapping shore. With that cool, sweet and slightly musty-water breeze that suddenly rises and falls in the midst of it all, sending contented sounds of birds off shivering in the distance. You can see hardly any civilization. It’s magical.

So magical, in fact, that I wanted to share it with my someone special, in a very special way. A foodie-dream picnic in the clouds of Franklin Canyon is a wonderful way to share the scenery, just don’t quite do it the what I did.

I’ve been hiking at Fryman Canyon (a.k.a Tree People) across the way since I was a kid, and only just accidentally discovered Franklin Canyon this year. So it was with bubbling mischief and child-like joy that I fitted a blindfold over my boyfriend’s weary eyes, stashed my car to the hilt with bags of Whole Foods bounty, and planned a surprise picnic that faithful New Year’s Eve afternoon. I had it all worked out: I would blindfold him, take a quick shortcut across Mulholland drive, walk him peacefully to our secluded spot and whip it off to open his eyes to a waiting picnic under showers of passionate kissing and jaw-dropping wonderment.

One torturous, queasy drive down the bumpiest road in Los Angeles later, and I was doggedly leading him down the near mile-long road that led to my highly anticipated reveal-spot like a terrified blind man on stilts. Back breaking under the weight of my groceries, I suppressed an uncomfortable mixture of utter shame and laughter as he cowered at every passing car. I had been so determined to give him the Franklin Canyon magic, I just about raped him with it. Shockingly he forgave me and we carved out hunks of cheese and slices of saucisson with our little knives, drank white wine and ate lots of pastries. Then we went to Disneyland.

All’s well that ends well at Franklin Canyon!

Aside from springtime Shakespearian picnic opportunities such as mine, there is also a mini amphitheater, a strange Tiki-Indian-hut kind of thing to sit in (now that’s scientific for you) and a place called Heavenly Pond, where ducks, birds and sleepy turtles drone about like they own the place. Wait, they do! Heaven. Nature is happy here. Many shaded picnic tables and a spot magnificently entitled The Sycamore Grove round out Franklin Canyon as the place to be for the celebration that is Spring.

So plan a (non-blindfolded) picnic when the weather is still breezy, stock up on some of those Hallenbeck’s sandwiches I told you so much about and do as RUMI says:

“Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don’t claim them. Feel the artistry moving through and be silent.”

And all will be well.

2600 Franklin Canyon Drive
Beverly Hills
Phone: (310) 858-7272

(average rating: 5 out of 5)

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