You have that friend who took the water conservation warnings too far and hasn’t taken a shower since Jerry Brown’s very first mandate was released. If despite all your efforts, your friend still won’t budge, maybe you can get them to settle for a meteor shower instead.
It is ideal to witness a meteor shower from a dark, wilderness location devoid of city lights. To get the ultimate view, your best bet would be to take a road trip to one of the state's beautiful national parks. However, there are still places in LA that are good options to see these fleeting, celestial sightings that remind us that Los Angeles is, in fact, not the only frontier (though we would like to argue that it is the best one). Here are our top spots to watch a meteor shower in and around LA.
1. Joshua Tree
For those who take their meteor sightings very seriously, Joshua Tree is the best place to head to and reinforce your relationship with outer space. Its distance from city lights will give you the dark sky needed to see the meteor shower in all its glory.
2. Kanan Dume Road
Kanan Dume Road is a very scenic drive in Malibu with canyon and ocean views. The stretch that runs alongside the Zuma/Trancas Canyons is the place to watch a meteor shower. Though the road is very narrow with little room on the side, there are overlook spots where you can park your car and enjoy the scenery, like this one.
3. Palos Verdes Peninsula
As long as it's not an overcast night, a place along the cliffs on the Palos Verdes Peninsula or on top of the hill would make for a great viewing of a meteor shower. Most of the cities on the peninsula don't have street lights, which makes the spot a great option for people in the South Bay or Long Beach areas.
4. Angeles Crest Highway
On the other side of LA, you'll find the Angeles National Forest. While there are many spots here that will likely be sufficient to see a meteor shower, we recommend hitting up Angeles Crest Highway and stopping at one of the overlooks to get a good glimpse.
There is no place like home, and some may argue that the ultimate meteor shower viewing experience takes place while curled up in a ball on the couch. You creative kinds can even simulate the outdoors—s'mores and all—by shutting off every light and letting yourself get lost in the interplanetary display of Earth's atmosphere and the ever so absorbing blue light of your laptop.
Check out this light pollution map to see if your favorite lookout is dark enough to catch a good glimpse of a meteor shower coming our way.