Good morning, homebodies. Today we become wayfarers. 

I know you’re still weary from that long holiday stretch or perhaps that icky bug that rendered you horizontal, but we’re going to blow this popsicle stand for a little adventure. 

(Still contagious but feeling antsy? Stay in the car and follow me on this scenic drive.) 

We’re going to cross the Vincent Thomas Bridge, venture over the water, whiz past the Port and make a pitstop in San Pedro before we ride over Rancho Palos Verdes’ scenic peninsula.

As a Central Coast expat, this coastal cruise lends me a small dose of comfort when I’m feeling homesick. In many ways, it shares similarities with stretches of the wending seaside roads of Montana De Oro and Big Sur (aka my favorite places on Earth). 

Today, we are in pursuit of the mysterious and complex emotion of “awe.” Or at least, a small dose of it. Dacher Keltner, a psychologist at the University of California Berkeley has defined that yummy feeling as one that comes from a “perceived vastness” — something that reminds us of how small we really are. It’s an emotion that removes us from our anxiety-ridden minds and busy-bee lives for a moment. The New York Times just interviewed Keltner, among other experts, on the subject.

But you didn’t come here for a therapy session (or maybe you did?). Grab a warm jacket, pack a snack, pull on your walking shoes and let’s go find something awe-some (sorry). 

This itinerary will take you, at minimum, about two hours if you aim to hit all three places. If you’d like to pick just one, the drive from Long Beach is around 20 to 30 minutes give or take. 

Korean Bell of Friendship –  3601 S Gaffey St., San Pedro

Our first stop is one you may have heard of. And it’s something that will quite literally make you feel small (ahem, it’s a huge bell). This bell was cast in Korea and shipped here in 1976. It was given to us by the Republic of Korea to mark 200 years of U.S. independence and to also honor veterans of the Korean War. 

I thought this detail was pretty neat — the pavilion’s twelve columns, which support the bell, represent the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac. It’s apparently their job to guard the old bell, which is modeled after an even older bell in South Korea (the Bronze Bell of King Songdok was cast in 771 A.D.)

San Pedro’s Friendship Bell weighs 17 tons, has a diameter of 7 ½ feet and is 12 feet tall. We just missed the ringing of the bell on Jan. 13 to mark Korean-American Day, but it’s also rung 13 times on the first Saturday of the month at 11:30 a.m.

The view around the bell isn’t so bad either — at least, when you don’t go on a morning as foggy as I did. Enjoy. Onto the next. 

Palos Verdes Nature Preserve – 30940 Hawthorne Blvd., Rancho Palos Verdes 

Our next stop is along that coastal scenic road I mentioned. If you’re up for a walk or even a hike, there are many trails — both long and short — to seek out here. 

Unfortunately or fortunately (wherever you sit on the political divide), the easiest way to access some of the beautiful Ocean Trails Reserve, is by parking near or in the Trump National Golf Course. Once you’re past that uh, area, you can access one of many trails that will take you down to the beach. 

During my visit on Tuesday, there were dolphins jumping in and out of the water, adjacent to the first trail on the right that leads you down to a lookout and beach. The “awe” feelies were strong. And then someone started…playing bagpipes nearby? Anyway, normally it’s pretty quiet. Happy trails. 

Wayfarers Chapel – 5755 Palos Verdes Drive South, Rancho Palos Verdes

For our final stop, we’re going to church. But not just any church — the Wayfarers Chapel. Not religious? No problem. The grounds are open daily to all. And meditation is encouraged — for those of any faith or no faith at all. Recently, the chapel (designed by Lloyd Wright) was dubbed a National Historic Landmark. 

If you haven’t been, it’s a must. Surrounded by a grove of redwood trees with a view of the ocean, this sanctuary constructed of glass and wood geometric shapes is a sight to behold. And it’s less than a half hour’s drive from Long Beach. 

I cringed a little bit when the Los Angeles Times recently crowned it as the “most Instagrammable chapel in L.A.” — but hey, they aren’t wrong. To my delight, when I arrived this week, at noon sharp, the bells were tolling and there wasn’t an Instagrammer in sight. I took a moment to walk around the grounds before I entered the empty, 100-seat chapel. 

I sat alone at a pew in silence for a few moments before I realized how small the chapel actually was. Funny how that awe-struck feeling works. 

The chapel is a national memorial to Emanuel Swedenborg, a natural scientist who was born in, well, Sweden in 1688. Rev. David Brown recently told The Times: “People may have never read our theology, but by simply walking into Wayfarers Chapel, they are living out a core part of our theology. The natural world corresponds with the spiritual.” 

I concur, reverend.

And that concludes our awe-some tour. If you find yourself full of that yummy feeling we worked so hard to find today, but empty of food, try Ko-Ryu Ramen in San Pedro (I have our food writer, Caitlin Antonios, to thank for that recommendation) on your way back to Long Beach. I ordered the spicy vegetable ramen, but be warned, it’s enough to feed four. 

Where do you go for a mental massage? What’s your go-to, close-to-home adventure? Email me, wayfarers. I’d love to learn your secrets.