JSLALALAND

CITY & ITS PEOPLE

LA weekends come in roughly these 6 tribes

In LA, ask 'what are you up to this weekend?' on a Friday afternoon and you'll know someone's tribe. People here don't 'go somewhere' on weekends; they 'get out.' Six tribes plus a hidden one every Taiwanese person has been, with destinations, drive times and a seasonal chart.

Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.

Key points

Full text

  1. First | How to read the drive times

    Drive times in this post are rough, no-traffic estimates. Leaving LA on a Friday afternoon, automatically add an hour.

  2. 01 | The Coast People

    There's always a beach towel and flip-flops in the car, and you stake out your sunset spot an hour early. Regulars at El Matador in Malibu and Laguna Beach, and farther out, Santa Barbara (about 1.5–2 hours).

  3. Beach tribe tips

    For 72 hours after heavy rain, LA County advises staying out of the ocean.

  4. 02 | The Desert Escapers

    Goes to Joshua Tree three times a year and says 'this time we'll stargaze' every time. The national park is about a 2.5-hour drive, $30 per car, good for 7 days.

  5. The desert tribe: Palm Springs

    About 2–2.5 hours, most comfortable from fall to spring; the July average high is 109°F, so really, don't pick summer. The big Modernism Week runs 2/11–21/2027.

  6. 03 | The Mountain Minds

    Big Bear (about 2 hours) for snow in winter and boating in summer; Lake Arrowhead is a lakeside town, Mount Baldy is the closest mountain to LA, and Ojai is a quiet town ringed by mountains.

  7. Mountain tribe tip | Snow chains

    From November to April, always carry snow chains when you head up the mountain. When Caltrans restrictions are high, even 4WD vehicles must carry them; at the highest level, every car has to put them on.

  8. 04 | The Market Loop

    Out the door at 8 on weekends, because the best flowers and fruit are gone by 9. Signature line: 'I'm just going to pick up some vegetables.' Comes home hugging a potted plant.

  9. The market tribe: farmers markets

    Santa Monica is Wednesdays and Saturdays 8AM–1PM on Arizona Ave, and Sundays 8:30AM–1:30PM on Main Street; Hollywood is Sundays 8AM–1PM (Ivar & Selma).

  10. The market tribe: flea markets

    Melrose Trading Post is every Sunday 10AM–5PM, $6 cash to get in; Rose Bowl Flea Market is the second Sunday of every month, general admission from 9AM, $15.

  11. 05 | The Soft Weekend

    Announces Friday night, "I'm protecting my energy this weekend," sleeps till they wake up naturally, makes a pot of soup, and puts the phone far away. In LA, 'not going out' is also a very serious plan.

  12. 06 | The Vegas Spontaneous

    Straight onto the I-15 after work on Friday, about 4 hours of driving, stopping at In-N-Out and quirky desert shops along the way, then two buffets and a show. 'Let's go, we'll be back tomorrow.'

  13. Hidden tribe | 99 Ranch + Costco

    A month's worth at Costco in the morning, a bowl of beef noodle soup next to 99 Ranch at noon, portioning and freezing everything in the afternoon, and video-calling the parents at night to report the haul. Every Taiwanese person in LA has been this type.

  14. Same question | Sunday night, your car has…

    A car full of sand, a car full of a different kind of sand (desert), snow chains and a bag of pinecones, a bunch of flowers and three bags of vegetables, a car that never moved, a casino parking ticket, and 48 rolls of toilet paper.

  15. The weekend seasons chart

    The beach is best summer to fall, and May and June are often May Gray and June Gloom; the desert, October to April; the mountains, for snow in winter and escaping the heat in summer; heading to Vegas in summer, bring extra water in the car.

  16. Two-city mirror

    In Taipei, weekends point you home; in LA, weekends point you out of town. Some people need the ocean, some need the desert, and some just need a bed.

Places in this story

In this series

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An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).