If you’re renting a car in Las Vegas any time soon, be warned: The base rate might seem low, but taxes and fees may add a significant amount to your bill.

This warning comes from the rental car comparison site Autoslash.com, which did a state-by-state comparison earlier this year and concluded that Nevada had the highest rental car fees and taxes in the country. (Las Vegas, of course, is the rental car capital of the state.)

The priciest states for rental car fees in the Autoslash list were east of the Rocky Mountains.

But once you start comparing cities and states, it’s quickly clear that anywhere you rent a car, your bill deserves scrutiny.

Throughout the U.S., rental car prices rise and fall dramatically by the season and sometimes by the day.

“It’s important that you recheck the rate,” said Jonathan Weinberg, chief executive of Autoslash. “Just because you have the best rate today doesn’t mean you’ll have the best rate next week or next month.”

Also, no matter where you’re headed, the rental car company is likely to pitch you hard on insurance, toll coverage, prepaid refueling and other cost-boosting options. (That’s another conversation.)

Almost anywhere you go, you can count on a medley of local and state taxes and airport and other fees that many consumers think are levies by some government agency.

Many of those costs are government taxes. Legislators know it’s easier to extract money from visitors (who often rent cars) than from their constituents. And those taxes “are getting higher,” Weinberg said. “It’s basically a money grab by the municipalities.”

Every state, every city and every rental car company has its own way of labeling the dollars it extracts from consumers.

Some states, like Colorado, have sales tax and separate rental-car taxes.

Then there’s Alaska, which charges no sales tax but hits rental-car customers with a 10% surcharge.

Meanwhile, Oregon has neither sales nor rental car taxes. But that doesn’t mean your Portland trip next year will be a bargain bonanza. Multnomah County, which includes Portland, has a 17% rental car tax.

For anyone who wants to see which states have the highest taxes that specifically target rental car customers, the National Conference of State Legislators has been keeping track. Alaska, Nevada, Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Texas and Virginia are at the top of the list, all assessing 10% to 11.5%.

Once those state taxes get combined with city levies and other fees, the results can be daunting. Which brings us back to Nevada.

Autoslash’s tally of Nevada fees includes a 10% rental-car surcharge and a statewide sales tax of at least 6.85%. The study also noted an extra 2% levied by Clark and Washoe counties (which include Las Vegas and Reno, respectively). In Clark County there’s also 1.4% in sales taxes that Autoslash didn’t delve into.

If you rent a car for a base price of $100 in Las Vegas, expect $20.25 or more on your bill.

Among other states with the highest combined taxes and fees:

Minnesota: Taxes and fees add up to more than 18% (9.2% statewide rental car surcharge, 6.875% in state sales tax and local taxes that can add up to 2%).

Arkansas: Taxes and fees amount to 16.5% (6.5% sales tax and 10% rental car surcharge).

District of Columbia: Taxes and fees add up to 16% (5.75% sales tax and 10.25% rental car surcharge).

And then there are those fees

But there’s more to worry about than just government taxes and surcharges. Many rental car companies come up with their own added “fee” categories to defray operational expenses rather than just including those costs in their advertised rates. It makes their base prices look lower. (It’s a cousin of the hotel resort fee, now the subject of lawsuits against Hilton and Marriott.)

For a closer look at how that can work — and how costly and confusing it can be — let’s go to Denver International Airport.

There, the city and state sales taxes add up to 8.31%. When I consulted Avis for a detailed price quote, the website and a reservationist gave me these numbers: 13.25% in taxes, joined by the following array of fees and charges, including an 11.1% concession recovery fee, a vehicle license fee of 38 cents a day, a customer facility charge of $2.15 a day and a Colorado road safety fee of $2 a day.

Autoslash’s Weinberg calls these categories “sleight of hand” by the rental car companies. The concession recovery fee is basically to cover the company’s rent at the airport, he said, adding that when you see an “energy recovery” fee, that’s probably the utility bill.

They add up. If you rent a car in Denver for four days at a base price of $75 a day, your $300 becomes $401.12.

A salve plus savings

There is, however, a sour sort of consolation for Californians renting cars out of state: Every other state has substantially lower gas prices than California, so your service station stops will feel like a bargain.

This is because California assesses more taxes — 56 cents per gallon — and because of supply and demand. On Monday, AAA reported California’s average regular gas price at $4.06 gallon, followed by Hawaii ($3.66) and Nevada ($3.39). The rest of the country was spread between $2.24 (Louisiana) and $3.43 (Washington state).

Here are a few ways to keep your rental car bill down:

• Rent the smallest car you can get away with and don’t let the agent upsell you into a larger vehicle or more insurance than you need.

• Use off-airport companies when you can. That way, you escape airport concession fees.

• Compare rates using a one-stop site such as Autoslash.com, Costcotravel.com, Kayak (a travel aggregator) or Travelocity (an online travel agency).

• Think hard about ride-share, taxi and public transit options, especially if you’re headed to a big city where parking is expensive.

• Book your rental car as part of a package with your airfare or hotel. (I recently did that through Expedia on a Baja California trip and wound up paying a base rate of $8 a day for a Nissan Sentra from Enterprise.)

• Look for coupon codes for rental car companies. (Google “coupon codes” and “rental cars.”)

Have a travel problem, question or dilemma? Write to [email protected]. We regret we cannot answer every inquiry.

Santa Fe, N.M., has many charms: its historic downtown plaza, Native American crafts and jewelry, centuries-old churches, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and the Canyon Road arts district. My husband and I visited those spots but also spent a fair amount of time exploring the Railyard District, Santa Fe’s hippest neighborhood, repurposed and expanded into an invigorating mix of art galleries, restaurants, brewpubs, movie theater and more. The adjacent Railyard Park is an ideal place to picnic, enjoy public art and catch one of many free events offered throughout the year. The tab: We spent $200 for a night at the Santa Fe Motel & Inn and $230 for two nights at the Sage Inn & Suites, about $250 for meals and drinks, and $26 for museum admission.

THE BED

We played a game of musical motels on a three-day weekend. Both were adjacent to the Railyard District. The first night, we splurged at the lovely Santa Fe Motel & Inn. Our Southwestern-style casita was nicely furnished and had a gas fireplace, full kitchen, washer and dryer, front yard and a private patio. To balance the splurge, we said goodbye to our spacious hacienda and hello to a small but nicely decorated room at the Sage Inn & Suites for two nights. It delivered great value; the lobby, bar and breakfast room had been recently renovated, and it offered a free buffet breakfast and free hourly shuttle to downtown Santa Fe.

THE MEAL

Santa Fe has several fine restaurants serving tasty New Mexican cuisine, but we had a hankering for ribs and Cowgirl BBQ was calling. Cowgirl, at the tip of the Railyard District and a short walk from the Santa Fe Motel, serves music nightly along with good and messy barbecue chicken, brisket and ribs with baked beans, potato salad and coleslaw. For purists, the eclectic menu has Southwestern favorites as well. Second Street Brewery at the Railyard, near the Sage Inn, was a great find for a late dinner after a full day of sightseeing. We had refreshing brews (kolsch, pale ale) and split fish and chips and homemade sausages with house-made mustard and sauerkraut from a specials menu. We ate there again, this time for lunch, ordering the Original Alien Burger, a green chile cheeseburger that packed a punch.

THE FIND

The goal: Sample some margaritas using the Margarita Trail list of specialty margaritas around town as a guide. The one that rang the bell for me was the Bell Ringer Margarita (jalapeño tequila) at the Bell Tower, a rooftop bar with city and mountain views at La Fonda on the Plaza hotel. But I thought the simple tequila flights at Cowgirl BBQ were the best way to drink tequila. On the non-drinking trail, there’s a great Saturday farmers market in the Railyard District where you’ll find farm-fresh produce, meat, eggs, honey, bakery goodies, handmade crafts and fresh-cut flowers.

THE LESSON LEARNED

You don’t need to rent a car unless you want to. You can fly into Albuquerque and take the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter train to Santa Fe, which will drop you off in the heart of the Railyard District.

Santa Fe Motel & Inn, 510 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe; (505) 930-5002, santafemotel.com. Limited wheelchair accessibility.

Sage Inn & Suites, 725 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe; (505) 982-5952, santafesageinn.com. Four wheelchair-accessible rooms.

Cowgirl BBQ, 319 S. Guadalupe St., Santa Fe; (505) 982-2565, cowgirlsantafe.com. Wheelchair accessible from Aztec Street.

Second Street Brewery at the Railyard, 1607 Paseo de Peralta, No. 10, Santa Fe; (505) 989-3278, secondstreetbrewery.com/the-railyard. Wheelchair accessible.

Margarita Trail, margaritatrail.com

Click Here: chloe perfume

La Fonda on the Plaza, 100 E. San Francisco St., Santa Fe; (505) 982-5511, bit.ly/belltowerbar

Rail Runner Express, riometro.org

The Trump administration is planning to require automakers to modestly bolster fuel economy and pare tailpipe emissions after 2020, a reversal from its earlier proposal to freeze requirements through 2026.

Administration officials have tentatively agreed to the change, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked for anonymity because the deliberations are private.

At issue is a proposal from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Transportation Department to dramatically ease federal automobile greenhouse gas emission and fuel economy standards that had previously been coordinated with California.

Under the administration measure proposed last year, those requirements would have been frozen at a 37-mile-per-gallon fleetwide average after 2020, rather than increasing to roughly 50 mpg by 2025 under current regulations.

Administration officials now plan to require 1.5% annual increases in fleetwide efficiency of new autos. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler has telegraphed the shift, which was reported by the Wall Street Journal on Thursday evening, repeatedly saying the final plan will not look exactly like the original one advanced in August 2018.

Officials have considered a range of options as they prepare to finalize the rule this year. The latest plan could still change before the final rule is published.

In a related move, the administration in September moved to strip California of its authority to limit greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.

The Trump administration argued its original proposal would lower costs and save lives by encouraging motorists to replace older, less-safe vehicles with newer models.

But the proposal drew fierce criticism from environmentalists and California officials, who said it would increase pollution. Some automakers objected to the proposed freeze and urged the White House to soften the measure.

Click Here: chloe perfume

China’s phone carriers offered discounts to subscribers after switching on the world’s largest 5G network Thursday, seeking to spur growth for an ultra-fast wireless system that’s key to technology supremacy.

The country’s three wireless operators need to attract users to help pay for infrastructure they’ve spent more than $43 billion on in this year alone. Although the technology is essential for developing industrial applications expected to drive a new digital economy, its faster speeds and lower lag times may be less compelling for consumers than previous upgrades.

On the launch day of fifth-generation services in Beijing’s financial district, stores were quiet as carriers said they expect more users to sign up online.

On the Twitter-like Weibo, “5G launching in 50 cities” and “5G package prices” were among the top-20 trending topics. But some Chinese consumers are balking at the high prices for handsets and service plans.

“I don’t have money to buy a 5G phone or to pay for a plan,” said Weibo user Yuanyao.

“Too expensive. I can’t afford it,” said another named XBACK-No fear.

While carriers look to lure more users to pay up for faster services, China’s handset makers also stand to benefit from fast uptake.

Huawei Technologies Co., which also supplies the biggest slice of 5G network equipment, saw its smartphone market share jump to 42% in the third quarter, up from about 25% a year earlier, according to research firm Canalys. It has already introduced several 5G models, as have Chinese brands including ZTE, Xiaomi and Vivo.

Luring users to the world’s largest 5G networks may also help Chinese handset makers increase their global market share. Samsung Electronics Co. is the world’s top seller of smartphones, followed by Huawei and Apple Inc.

Huawei has already introduced models that work on the super-fast network in Britain and other markets in addition to China. On Wednesday, the Nikkei reported that Apple is telling suppliers that it expects to ship at least 80 million iPhones with 5G wireless modems next year.

In the U.S., T-Mobile US Inc. this week said it will flip on a nationwide 5G service by year end. Still, the carrier doesn’t yet offer a 5G compatible device and the service will be available only on one band of airwaves they are calling the “foundational layer,” with more layers of spectrum to come.

The largest U.S. wireless carrier, Verizon Communications Inc., launched 5G in April and has promised to have it available in parts of 30 cities this year. The “home internet” service is available in some parts of Los Angeles. Rival AT&T Inc. has 5G in areas of 21 cities, including L.A., and plans to offer 5G nationwide by mid 2020. Sprint Inc., which has limited 5G available in parts of L.A. and eight other cities, has promised a superior 5G network if its $26.5-billion merger with T-Mobile is approved.

As of Thursday, China Mobile Ltd. was offering discounts of as much as 30% for users that pre-registered for 5G. Consumers buying 5G handsets from the carrier will get as much as 600 yuan ($85) off and gifts worth 699 yuan, the biggest operator by users said in a statement.

Click Here: chanel perfume sale

China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd., the No. 3 carrier, and No. 2 China Telecom Corp. are also offering similar discounts to pre-registered users, along with other discounts and gifts via online lotteries and through their branches throughout the country.

South Korea’s wireless carriers were the first to offer commercial 5G services, with SK Telecom Co. launching its network in April and Samsung already offering a 5G-enabled smartphone. Total 5G subscribers have surpassed 3 million in the country, although consumer reaction has been mixed.

The faster network’s coverage was initially incomplete, leaving users to fall back on 4G more than some had expected, especially when using the service indoors.

South Korean carriers SK Telecom, KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp., have also sought to entice new users to adopt the technology, offering trade-ins and incentives that slash the price of new 5G phones to less than $200 from sticker prices of as much as $1,000. The subsidies have declined as the rollout expanded, said Kim Hee Sup, vice president at SK Telecom.

“It’s true that the speed and coverage of 5G didn’t meet consumers’ expectations in early days,” Kim said. “Now, the 5G service is rapidly improving as carriers are expanding the roll-out.”

Zhao and Yuan write for Bloomberg.

Sam Walton’s 1950 five-and-dime variety store still stands in Bentonville, Ark. — the city that’s now headquarters for Walton’s Walmart chain, the world’s largest retailer, which he launched in 1962.

“When times are good people shop at Walmart, but when times are bad they shop at Walmart more,” said Dave Marrs, who with wife, Jenny, hosts HGTV’s Bentonville-based “Fixer to Fabulous,” which premiered Oct. 22. Bentonville (pop. 51,000) is wedged into the state’s northwest corner, near the Ozark Mountains.

Walmart’s presence is a boon for the region’s real estate market — and for the couple’s business, Marrs Developing, which has built about 30 homes a year since 2004. “We can’t build fast enough — a great problem to have,” Dave Marrs said.

We reached the couple at their renovated 1903 five-bedroom farmhouse, set on a 56-acre farm 15 minutes from downtown Bentonville, where they live with their five children, one adopted from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

You’ve mentioned that some folks have a skewed perception of Arkansas — here’s your chance to set them straight.

Dave: I went to college in Colorado and was offered a job to move out here. My friends said, “Why in God’s name would you move from Colorado to Arkansas?” Two of them came to check it out and they now live here. We have a small-town feel with front-porch living. People are active and friendly. Cost of living is fairly low but wages are fairly high.

Jenny: Dave always describes it as Mayberry. There’s a big art scene and mountain biking is huge. As cheesy and cliché as it sounds, it really is about the people. Everyone is very welcoming, very open — more so than anywhere I’ve lived.

Tell us more about the effect of Walmart’s behemoth presence in your small town.

Dave: If a supplier has a product in Walmart, they have an office here. Tyson Chicken is based here (Tyson Foods, Springdale), also J.B. Hunt (a transportation firm in Lowell). We have so many people that are not from here — it’s a melting pot from all over the country and world. It gives us freedom with homeowners to do different things. Someone selling a million-dollar apartment in San Francisco can buy a 5,000-square-foot home here. A family can move here and get a three-bedroom, two-bath, two-car garage home for $175,000.

You transformed a 1930s rundown Craftsman into a Creole cottage. Given that style’s vibrancy, how did you dial down the owners’ desire for a “white on white on white” look?

Jenny: A black island (in their white kitchen) was a bold, unexpected piece I was able to talk her into — painted Benjamin Moore’s Onyx with a Calacatta marble top. She was still a bit nervous, but when she saw it, she loved it. We added color in her study too: Benjamin Moore’s Bavarian Forest.

You also convinced her to create wide arches instead of knocking down walls — a nod to pushback we’ve seen against the de rigueur togetherness of open-concept design.

Jenny: Having a touch of privacy in that particular house created a cozier space, like how houses used to be. It is a nod back to the home’s original architecture. It also helped us make the fireplace the central point of both those rooms (kitchen and living room) without it feeling overly modern.

Your farm includes a “U-pick” blueberry enterprise, animals, an event barn and an old red barn where you mill local trees for home renovations.

Dave: Anytime we clear a lot and take out a tree, I want to salvage as much of that tree as I can. We custom mill white and red oak, silver maple, walnut, sycamore, sassafras and some exotic hardwoods like pecan. We do quite a bit of flooring and we make a ton of furniture — porch swings, beams for mantles, you name it.

Jenny: Our kids have been involved in the berry farm from Day One. We went as a family to Africa (profits from the berry farm benefit orphaned and at-risk Zimbabwean youth via Help One Now). And leaders from Zimbabwe came last fall and stayed with us. It’s been really important for our kids to be exposed to other cultures and to develop those relationships.

In the high-caliber housing market of Los Angeles County, every neighborhood has a distinct style, offering a list of pros and cons that can leave even the surest of buyers second-guessing.

Better views lead to longer commutes. Living closer to the action may mean sacrificing space.

This series digs into these differences, pitting properties against each other in a head-to-head format and allowing the listing agents to proclaim why theirs is best.

Click Here: chanel perfume sale

To make the most of Manhattan Beach’s shoreline, you must live on the Strand. The 22-mile bike path runs from Pacific Palisades down to Torrance, and some of L.A. County’s most impressive oceanfront homes are found along the way.

Houses lining Manhattan Beach’s two miles of Strand feature uninterrupted ocean views and the easiest access to the city’s wide stretches of sand. They’re impressive, but also extremely expensive.

For $16 million, which would you prefer: a newly built contemporary with a rooftop deck or a corner-lot property with slightly more space and an oceanfront spa?

Contemporary residence

Built in 2019, this three-story home with a rooftop deck boasts expansive open living spaces that flow outside via 22 feet of pocketing doors. It’s listed by Keith Kyle of Vista Sotheby’s International Realty.

Address: 3808 the Strand, Manhattan Beach, 90266

Price: $16.65 million

Specs: Four bedrooms and seven bathrooms in 4,772 square feet (3,501-square-foot lot)

The agent’s pitch: Although it doesn’t get much better than living beachfront, the architect and builder went above and beyond to design and create a home with a true connection to the ocean and beach.

The home offers three oceanfront levels — each with retractable doors — allowing the indoors and outdoors to seamlessly merge. When the doors are open, there’s nothing but ocean views and the sounds of crashing waves.

This architectural masterpiece sought to combine a true sense of luxury with Manhattan Beach’s more casual lifestyle. Luxury features are everywhere, including a 500-square-foot home theater with drop-down seating, multiple fireplaces elegantly wrapped in Brazilian stone, a three-stop elevator, Siberian oak floors and a dazzling great room with coffered ceilings. The open-concept kitchen is ideal for entertaining centered around the incredible 54-square-foot waterfall island.

This is a showcase home offering an open and elegant space for modern beachfront living.

Corner-lot residence

This three-story home offers warm, wood-filled living spaces and opens to two balconies and a beachfront patio. It’s listed by Edward Kaminsky of Strand Hill Christie’s International Real Estate.

Address: 3400 the Strand, Manhattan Beach, 90266

Price: $16.75 million

Specs: Five bedrooms and six bathrooms in 5,478 square feet (3,502-square-foot lot)

The agent’s pitch:

The perfect Manhattan Beach home would be — of course — oceanfront on the Strand. It would need to be on an elevated, south-facing corner walk-street lot for the most spectacular views from Palos Verdes to Malibu.

It would be located far enough from the busy parts of town so you could enjoy privacy and quiet beaches, yet close enough that you could walk or bike to your favorite restaurants and shops. It would be located on the north side of town, making it an easy commute to the Westside.

Welcome to 3400 the Strand: a spectacular work of a true architectural genius through thoughtful design and high-end materials inspired by the Four Seasons Kona. Roughly 5,500 square feet of luxury is yours in this five-bedroom, 5.5-bathroom contemporary home with an open floor plan, spa, 1,500-bottle wine cellar and a front row seat to sand, ocean, sunsets and memories.

In the beginning, God took a fistful of diamonds and hurled them at the world. Those, of course, became our sports bars.

Some sparkled, some didn’t. But in L.A. the very best became hangouts for transplants who gathered to follow their teams from back home.

These days, SoCal boasts hometown sanctuaries for cheeseheads and chowderheads, Eagles fanatics and followers of the Fish (a.k.a. Miami Dolphins).

Some spots are proving that sports bars don’t need to be dark, sticky relics (though that certainly helps). The newer ones are swanking it up a bit, looking more like athletic clubs than taverns. But the places worthy of our time all have the same great autumnal feel — that of a beer hall after the harvest is in.

Our favorites

Buffalo Bills

Can we get a seat? Will I feel comfortable flying solo? Busby’s West is your place to cheer for any team, but particularly the Buffalo Bills. This rambling roadhouse offers a roomy bar and a series of booths and tables where smaller groups can huddle. Go big with the chicken and waffles and the loaded tots. 3110 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica; (310) 828-4567; busbyswest.com

New England Patriots

The Boston accents are as thick as the chowder at Sonny McLean’s — you almost need subtitles. This old shoe doesn’t have beamed ceilings or anything resembling the latest look in hospitality. What it has is character. And characters. 2615 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica; (310) 449-1811; sonnymcleans.com

Chicago Bears

Owner Brian McKeaney takes a hands-on approach to running Rush Street, a large and stylish Culver City venue. The Bears are the emphasis (go upstairs), but Rush Street is roomy enough to handle clusters of other teams on the first floor; the Browns, 49ers and Rams all draw contingents. 9546 Washington Blvd., Culver City; (310) 837-9546; rushstreetculvercity.com

Looking for some Soldier Field insanity? Tin Horn Flats in Burbank is a packed and passionate neighborhood hangout where they yell as if the refs can actually hear them. 2623 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank; (818) 567-2470

Seattle Seahawks

Dark as a bad dream, the Backstage is where the Munchkins drank during breaks from “The Wizard of Oz.” These days the legendary dive, in the shadow of Sony Studios, hosts one of the largest gatherings of Seahawks fans outside Seattle. Open 365 days a year, the Backstage seldom sleeps. 10400 Culver Blvd., Culver City; (310) 839-3892; backstageculvercity.com

Other fine institutions of lower learning

New York Giants

Big Dean’s Oceanfront Café, at the base of the Santa Monica Pier is the best open-air bar in America, despite serving only wine and beer. It draws transplants from all over, but New York Giants fans are the house band. 1615 Ocean Front, Santa Monica; (310) 393-2666; bigdeansoceanfrontcafe.com

Green Bay Packers

They should rename Pickwick’s Pub “The Lambeau Leap.” Any good scouting report would note that they roast the turkey and the beef on the premises of this well-coached place. Even Lombardi would approve. 21010 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills; (818) 340-9673; pickwickpub.com

Philadelphia Eagles

Britannia Pub in Santa Monica has been dubbed “Eagles Nest West.” Early openings, 8 a.m. on Sundays, speak to how serious they take their team. 318 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica; (310) 458-5350; britanniapub.com

You can also catch Eagles mania at the Harp in Costa Mesa, another super pub that offers up playoff-caliber food and atmosphere. 130 E. 17^th St. Costa Mesa; (949) 646-8855

Kansas City Chiefs

The doors and windows swing wide at airy Jalapeno Pete’s, the primary destination for Chiefs fans around Los Angeles. Fans start lining up as early as 8 a.m. for a 10 a.m. kickoff (doors open at 9). The tacos are worth a trip all by themselves. 11618 Ventura Blvd., Studio City; (818) 579-4264; jalapenopetesla.com

Minnesota Vikings

If you bleed Vikings purple, head to Pineapple Hill in Sherman Oaks. This cozy Valley landmark is handsomer than the bland exterior might suggest. And you have to admire a sports bar that opens at 7:30 a.m. on game days. 4454 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks; (818) 789-0679

Miami Dolphins

For Dolphin fans, the Snug is the place to be (even if the team itself seems headed for a winless season). It serves a game day menu that includes a beef eater’s dream: the Snug Burger, a double patty topped with pastrami for $9.95. The fish may fail to score, but you will with this bodacious burger. 4108 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank; (818) 557-0018; thesnugburbank.com

Washington Redskins

Is this the Redskins year? Evidently not. (The team is 1-7.) But all the more reason to come to Joxer Daly’s for some group therapy. This place has that intangible “Cheers” vibe that sports bar patrons crave. 11168 Washington Blvd., Culver City; (310) 838-3745.

San Francisco 49ers

Naturally, the San Francisco Saloon worships the Niners, Warriors and, of course, the baseball Giants. An uncommonly wide-ranging menu includes omelets at prices that are better than most. Almost instantly you’ll feel like you’re back in North Beach. 11501 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles; (310) 478-0152, https://sfsaloon.com

Cleveland Browns

Got a Cleveland Browns fan who needs some company? Take him or her to Matt Denny’s, a San Gabriel Valley favorite for all sports, but especially the beleaguered Browns. 145 E. Huntington Drive, Arcadia; (626) 462-0250; mattdennys.com. In Santa Monica, Browns fans flock to JP’s Sports Bar. Grab a Pabst and a pool cue at this lovely old dump. 1101 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica; (310) 394-7660

Los Angeles Rams

No, we didn’t forget the hometown team. Among the most-sophisticated Rams hangouts is the Park near Westlake Village. The pizzas are worthy, but go long with the Nashville hot chicken sandwich ($15). 706 Lindero Canyon Road, Oak Park; (818) 532-7919; theparkrestaurantandbar.com

No team? No problem

Here are two sports bar superstars for free agents looking for a team to party with.

Nickel Mine
Nickel Mine draws good Rams and Lakers crowds to a clubby venue that features leather seats, bookshelves and a wall of windows that lets the sun shine in. 11363 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles; (310) 231-0239; nickelmine.com

Legends
Established by former Rams all-pro Dennis Harrah, Legends just celebrated its 40^th anniversary. Who’s No. 1? The wings at Legends are No. 1, and the burgers are among SoCal’s best. 5236 E. 2nd St., Long Beach; (562) 433-5743, legendssportsbar.com

For a queer woman, the dating pool is limited no matter how large of a city you live in. It can be difficult to find a potential date who is not your best friend’s ex, let alone park your car without bumping into an ex-girlfriend. While I wouldn’t say that I moved from Seattle to Los Angeles for this reason, exactly, after nine years, I was ready for a fresh start.

I arrived in Los Angeles on New Year’s Day of this year, and I was single. By mid-January, I was getting to know the city from the passenger’s seat of a new sweetie’s Jeep. But by Valentine’s Day she was gone, and I had ruined the city of no ex-girlfriends. I told myself L.A. was still full of people I had yet to meet. I set out to swiping on a dating app. My first connection was with someone who hooked me with a line that she was “Just looking for a girl to pop popcorn with.”

Though our first date felt relaxed, in retrospect our conversation was intense — broaching subjects like religion and children. She told me she wanted to have four kids and a golden retriever. I quipped that I was “dating lite.” Despite such heavy topics, her strongest reaction came when I told her I liked to hike.

“I don’t hike,” she said firmly.

She told me a woman she dated had once invited her to meet at a lookout point for a sunset picnic. Dressed in white pants, a cashmere sweater and perhaps the same fur-lined loafers she was wearing the night we’d met, that “lookout point,” she claimed, was atop a hike that kicked up her allergies, sullied her clothes and made her sweat. I took the hint — no hiking dates.

A week later I sat by the pool at the Line hotel with some Seattle friends before they flew back to my old city. I told them about my dates — a date that never showed, a date that felt like just friends, cocktails with a musician paleontologist who intrigued me. After recapping my drinks with the “no hiking for me” date, I said I’d planned to see her again but I knew it wasn’t going anywhere. “Why not?” They wanted to know. My flimsy justifications fell flat.

“You’re going to fall in love with her. That’s what always happens when my friends say they aren’t getting serious with someone,” one of them said.

“That’s not what’s happening here.” I answered sharply.

In the weeks that followed, the one I “wasn’t going to fall in love with” made regular appearances. At her suggestion, we built the IKEA bookshelf that stood between me and being fully moved in. As we unloaded books from my last box onto the shelves, in rainbow order, I began to suspect I had found a total catch. Dating apps and other prospects fell away.

Despite this, I floundered when she asked me to be exclusive. I was caught between my defenses and the fact that I had been trying to find true partnership for most of my adult life. Did I really believe that I had already ruined my chance at love in L.A.? Or after all this time looking for love, was I afraid of the deep end?

I decided to take the plunge. After that, we moved on to terms like “girlfriends” and even “love” without a hitch.

None of this prepared me for the day she used the word “hike.”

It happened when her interest was piqued by a photo of a turtle that I took during one of my hikes.

“Babe,” I warned, “if you want to see the turtles you have to go on a hike.”

“OK,” she said, “I’ll do it.”

I was used to a 9 a.m. hike start, but it was after 11 when we began our climb at Debs Park on a spring day that felt like summer, 80 degrees and shadeless. I held my tongue, but I was worried. I felt a little bit miserable and this was my activity. Would we make it to the turtles without a meltdown? Was I risking our relationship for an activity I knew my girlfriend despised?

Despite the temperature, she side-eyed me less than I expected.

Hot and panting, we crested the final hill and reached the oasis we had come for — a lush pond swimming with ducks, fish and turtles. She stopped suddenly.

“I’ve been here before.”

“That’s not possible,” I said. “You never hike.”

“Is there another way here that’s straight up?” She asked.

Actually, there was.

From another side, the hike has a fork where you can choose to ditch the meandering for a steep, direct line that arrives at the opposite side of the pond.

“This is it! This is where I went on that date!”

For a moment I thought this memory might taint our adventure.

“Well, it’s way better with you,” she took my hand and we kissed.

We looped around the pond, cooing at turtles not only on flat rocks in the sun, but also stacked on each other’s backs in the brush along our path. Orange shapes streaked across the water — two massive koi I had never noticed, and a pair of hawks soared overhead.

Later, recovering on the couch in the air conditioning, she proclaimed, “I think I might be a hiker!”

The author is a writer, creative writing coach and LGBTQ literature advocate. She is on Instagram @molly__parton and her website is mollythorntonwrites.com

Straight, gay, bisexual, transgender or nonbinary: L.A. Affairs chronicles the search for love in and around Los Angeles — and we want to hear your story. You must allow your name to be published, and the story you tell has to be true. We pay $300 for each essay we publish. Email us at [email protected]. You can find subscription guidelines here.

With his sidekick, a goldendoodle named Barbara, nearby, Ludwig Göransson sat in his recording studio in Glendale on a morning last month. The 35-year-old Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer was explaining how he came up with the epic sounds for his forthcoming project, Disney+’s “Star Wars” series, “The Mandalorian.”

On a large screen near him, scenes from the galactic show, which premieres Nov. 12 on Disney’s new streaming platform, played in the background.

To make this new “Star Wars” score, he said he bought a bunch of recorders (as in, the woodwind instrument) and he also took an adventure in the woods to be with nature, meditate and play the instruments.

“I wanted to get back to that nostalgic childhood memory I had watching ‘Star Wars’ and the excitement of seeing these kind of really amazing visuals and with music that sounds like it’s coming from other planets,” Göransson said, adding that he wanted to explore using “organic instruments” such as guitars and pianos in ways audiences haven’t heard before.

“For any film composer, ‘Star Wars’ is the holy grail of film music because it’s the most well-known music,” he said. “Period. The way I approached it was to try something completely different. The loneliness of a single solo flute. The bass recorder became the sound of the Mandalorian. That’s how I started. … I wanted the core soul to be organic. Then I wanted to add a tech sound to it. And I also wanted to add on a cinematic orchestra, which makes it feel like ‘Star Wars.’ ”

It’s because of his creative streak that Göransson, who’s signed to the publishing unit of Jay-Z’s entertainment venture Roc Nation, has become the talk of the town. In recent years, Göransson’s muscial storytelling has turned up on a varied list of projects ranging from Childish Gambino’s soulful song “Redbone” and the social-political anthem “This Is America” to the sounds of Marvel Studio’s “Black Panther” and the “Creed” films.

For “Creed,” he recorded sounds at a boxing gym and worked them into his music. For “Black Panther,” he went the extra mile by taking a life-changing trip to Africa with his wife, violinist Serena McKinney, and working with Senegalese musician Baaba Maal. Go to the movie theater in 2020, and you’ll catch Göransson’s musical prowess in director Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” as well as in “Trolls World Tour,” for which he worked on original songs and music with singer-actor Justin Timberlake.

“We’ve been working on this for 2 1/2 years,” Göransson said of the new “Trolls” film. “It’s an animated movie. Justin is really particular over the details. It has been awesome working with an artist that’s so devoted. We’ve really been working hard on this.”

His stylish ways

In Hollywood circles, the accomplished musician-songwriter-producer, who’s from Linköping, Sweden, isn’t only known for his music — and what he does to create ear-catching sounds. He’s also known for his style: his mane of brown hair, his smooth skin and his funky self-styled looks.

Talk to his recent collaborators, and they’ll hear the same thing. Göransson dresses the part in and out of the studio. Bold fashion choices play a role in his music (and vice versa), unlike what he said he saw during his early L.A. days at USC where casual and everyday style — think sports jerseys and T-shirts — ruled. (Göransson said back then he felt as if he were in the film “American Pie.”)

Director Steven Caple Jr. has known Göransson for years and wanted to find a project they could work on together. Ultimately, the two collaborated on the music for Caple’s 2018 film “Creed II,” which starred Michael B. Jordan. Previously, Göransson scored 2015’s “Creed,” which was directed by his longtime friend from USC, Ryan Coogler, the director of “Fruitvale Station” and “Black Panther.”

Caple said he took note of Göransson’s fashion during the process of making “Creed II.” “He really dresses up,” Caple said. “You see him pop out with his clothes. I don’t know if that does something for him … In the listening stage and stuff, I feel him in the zone and coming up with ideas, and I was like, ‘I wonder if his clothes have something to do with it.’ ”

During the mixing of “Creed II,” Caple said, Göransson wore a “cool jacket” that appeared to be an homage to singer Michael Jackson. “He was like, ‘Yeah, man, I’m feeling good,’ ” Caple said.

Caple said what helps set Göransson apart, in addition to his clothes, is that he’s the type of composer who understands story. “He really understands character,” the director said. “He’s definitely always looking from the sound perspective, but he’s always trying to find ways to connect and give insight on what the characters are feeling, their journey, their arc and what they are going through at the moment … Talking to Ludwig is like talking to another writer or another actor or editor. He was just talking, essentially, about sound.”

In terms of his style, Göransson said he wears clothes that complement the music he’s working on. He regularly checks out online fashion sites such as Moda Operandi and Farfetch for new pieces, and he likes the clothes sold at Mohawk General Store. His roster of favored labels includes Ann Demeulemeester, Haider Ackermann and Sies Marjan. For now, he said, he’s into silky pajama-style dressing. (During a photo shoot for this story, he wore combinations of his favorite pieces.)

Perhaps his free-flowing and loose attire can be tied to him having a special year. Just as he wrapped up work on “The Mandalorian,” he and his wife became parents in September to a son named Apollo.

Their newborn’s name was inspired by the Greek god of music, prophecy and healing and also has a connection to fictional character Apollo Creed from the “Rocky” and “Creed” films. Göransson, who is named after German composer Ludwig van Beethoven, said his son doesn’t have to follow in his musical footsteps.

“Fatherhood is going well,” Göransson said. “I love him.”

“He is such a dream,” McKinney said about Apollo.

McKinney and Göransson met at a scoring session 11 years ago. They were the youngest musicians there. They were friends for about six years, attending concerts and dinner parties, before tying the knot in 2018. (They had three days of wedding festivities in Sweden, including a forest rave and an opera-house wedding officiated by Coogler.) Recently, they had the chance to work together again on “The Mandalorian.”

As for her husband’s style, McKinney said, “I think he uses fashion as inspiration even when he’s going to the studio … He never leaves the house in a basic T-shirt and jeans. There’s always something interesting going on. He’s an artist, and I think that comes out in so many ways. With fashion, he’s always exploring new things. He has such a unique style.”

Göransson’s style — fashion, music and otherwise — comes from his curiosity and his Swedish roots. Growing up, Göransson, who has worked with Chance the Rapper and L.A.’s Haim, once saw his father, Tomas, a guitar teacher who’s in the cover band Chuck Berry Mania, rocking out to Metallica. He said the moment stuck with him. As for style, his older sister, Jessika, who once had her own fashion label, would dress him when he was a child. Another fashion influence for him was singer Beck, who has successfully married fashion and music. (“That ‘Midnite Vultures’ album was really cool,” Göransson said.)

1/3

Ludwig Göransson says his bold fashion was influenced by his Swedish culture and his sister, Jessika, as well as singer Beck. 

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

2/3

A closer look at the colorful prints and gold chains worn by Göransson. 

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

3/3

Göransson is known in Hollywood circles for his bold fashion choices (as well as his mixing of patterns and prints) that appear to influence his music and vice versa. 

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

“My music taste is all over the place,” he said, adding that it ranges from classical to songs by new artists. “It kind of depends on what I’m working on. Whenever I drive home from the studio nowadays, I put on classical music. I let my ears rest and get inspiration. It’s a soothing thing for me. I’m listening to a lot of Bach.” Also, he said he’s got Stevie Wonder’s 1979 album “The Secret Life of Plants” in heavy rotation. “I think it’s super interesting,” he said.

The dream year

In addition to having a banner year on the personal front thanks to the birth of his son, the award-winning composer has also enjoyed a series of career highs in 2019. In February, he was honored for his songwriting on the much-talked-about Childish Gambino track, “This Is America,” with actor-singer Donald Glover and rapper Young Thug, as well as for his work on “Black Panther.” (For the 61st Grammy Awards, he wore a colorful shirt and white suit by Louis Vuitton.) Göransson, a former assistant to composer and mentor Theodore Shapiro, and Glover first met years ago when both were involved with the TV show “Community.” Working on the show was Göransson’s big break, he said, thanks to Shapiro who recommended him for the job.

Weeks after this year’s Grammys, Göransson had another big moment at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Dressed in a navy-blue Tom Ford tuxedo (for the special occasion, he had help selecting his jewelry), Göransson won his first Academy Award, for original music score for “Black Panther.” “It was crazy,” Göransson said about Oscar night, during which “Creed’s” Jordan and Tessa Thompson announced his category. “I didn’t expect to win. … It was so surreal — that whole experience.”

The composer, who moved to L.A. in his 20s to attend graduate school, first worked with Coogler on the director’s short film, “Locks,” which Göransson speaks of with fondness. Thinking about the then-and-now of his career, Göransson said, “When we are working, I still get that same feeling that I had when we were students in our dorm room working on the short film. It’s the same spirit, and it’s the same kind of just tingling feeling in your stomach when we’re working together. It’s really special and unique to have have a [friendship] that spans that young to now … I guess we’re doing that same thing but on a bigger scale, and more people can hear it.”

Stepping into ‘Star Wars’

Göransson’s next feat, stepping into a galaxy far, far away, might end up capturing the hearts — and ears — of generations of “Star Wars” fans. Jon Favreau, showrunner, writer, creator and an executive producer on “The Mandalorian,” hopes so. He met Göransson thanks to Coogler and knew of him through Glover and “Avengers: Endgame” directors the Russo brothers among others. He and Göransson talked about the new “Star Wars” series, which stars “Game of Thrones” alum Pedro Pascal, more than a year before the first episode was shot.

“I had been unaware that I had known Ludwig’s work although I had heard it in many media, but I didn’t know who he was until Ryan Coogler had spoken so highly of him,” Favreau said by phone last month. “Everybody who had worked with him only had wonderful things to say about him. I was looking for somebody to work on this ‘Star Wars’ project, ‘The Mandalorian,’ and music is such a big part of ‘Star Wars.’ [Composer] John Williams had been such a defining voice in that world over 40 years.”

Starting with new characters in a new time frame, Favreau said he wanted music that took into account “Star Wars’” past but also went in a new direction. “I was looking for something that was a little grittier, a little edgier and a little more tech-oriented, something that felt half-tech, half-classic,” he said. “It was quite impressive how [Göransson] was able to incorporate everything that I was concerned with and then bring his own personality to make it extremely catchy and iconic and have all of the quality and breath of a ‘Star Wars’ score.”

Favreau, who’s now working on Season 2 of “The Mandalorian,” said the first reactions to Göransson’s new soundscape were positive. “I was very pleased with that,” Favreau said. “We have themes that recur throughout the eight episodes of the first season, but each episode is completely different. And he even recorded different end-credit music. We even loved the end-credit music so much that we built the whole visual language around the ending so that we can support the score that he would write. And then to be with him and his wife in the scoring stage was wonderful as well. That’s really when he really comes to life.”

Favreau said he also became aware of something about Göransson: his sounds for “The Mandalorian” are different from his previous work.

“He doesn’t necessarily have a signature style musically,” Favreau said. “His music adjusts to each story, and as a filmmaker that’s really compelling. … He’s able to collaborate in many, many different worlds and many media. He has already proven at his young age that he knows how to connect with people — not just the people he’s collaborating with but audiences and listeners.”

And that might mean that at some future date, Göransson, who calls L.A. home, will end up with a night celebrating his music for a crowd at the Hollywood Bowl in a similar style to Williams’ popular concerts at the venue. Might that be of interest to the composer?

Pondering the question, Göransson said, “I would be very interested to see what the crowd would be like because music-wise, it’s a wide range. I’d be curious to see who would show up. What I like to do with my projects, ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Creed,’ is to create a totally different world — a sonic world for every project I’m doing. That’s literally how I work on every project — to come up with a new soundscape and new world that can inspire me to write music.”

SEOUL, South Korea — 

Searchers found the wreckage of an ambulance helicopter in waters off South Korea’s eastern coast Friday and were continuing to look for its seven crewmembers and passengers, who were presumed dead.

The helicopter had picked up an injured crab fisherman before it crashed around 11:30 p.m. Thursday near the South Korea-controlled islets of Dokdo between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

Dozens of aircraft and vessels and more than 30 divers have been searching the area since around midnight.

Divers found the wrecked helicopter about 230 feet below the surface around 2:30 p.m., said Hwang Sang-hoon, a Korea Coast Guard official, in a televised briefing.

Rescue workers are now focusing their search in nearby waters while South Korea’s navy plans to deploy remotely controlled underwater vehicles to search the wreckage, he said.

Hwang admitted the chance of finding survivors was low, considering the time of the crash and cold water.

Click Here: azzaro parfum

“We will closely examine the body of helicopter’s body and search for any (crewmembers and passengers) inside before deciding whether to raise the copter,” Hwang said.

Seong Ho-seon, another rescue official, said the helicopter was taking the injured fisherman to a hospital in the mainland city of Daegu, but likely crashed into the sea amid strong winds within two minutes after liftoff from Dokdo.

The Dokdo islets, called Takeshima in Japanese, are a subject of territorial disputes between the countries.