Badger Pass Ski Area in Yosemite National Park is scheduled to open Friday for downhill and cross-country skiing as well as snow play. There’s about 3 feet of snow at the high point, and more may be on the way. National Weather Service forecasts say the ski area could gain up to half an inch late Friday and 1 to 2 inches on Saturday.

For downhill skiers and snowboarders, Badger Pass has 10 ski runs — about a third for beginners, half intermediate and the rest advanced — served by five chair lifts. There also are groomed trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and a tubing and snow play area.

The ski area is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Lift tickets cost $52 for adults (13 and older) and $25 for children. The snow tubing area costs $17 per person for a two-hour session, at 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or 2 to 4 p.m.

Visitors staying in Yosemite Valley can take a free shuttle bus to and from the ski area located along Glacier Point Road. Check driving and weather conditions before you go at nps.gov/yose or call (209) 372-0200 (and press 1, and 1 again). Even if your vehicle has four-wheel drive, visitors are required to carry tire chains during winter travel inside Yosemite.

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Info: Badger Pass Ski Area

Question: I’ve had mixed results getting to LAX. There are a lot of bad reviews for shared vans. I’ve also had bad results getting picked up at LAX by one car service. Do you have any suggestions? We will have four heavy bags.
Jim Ragsdale
Duarte

Answer: If you live in Duarte, here’s the best way to avoid the trouble of getting to LAX: Fly out of Ontario. The Inland Empire airport parted ways with LAX in 2016 when the city of Ontario took ownership. This year, the little airport expects 5.5 million passengers, an increase of about 1.6 million from 2013. Services have improved too: You can reserve a parking space in the airport lots, and restaurant options, which now include Rock & Brews and Wolfgang Puck Pizza, and retail have improved.

Alas, Ontario, which is about 27 miles southeast of Duarte, does not have flights to Ragsdale’s destination, so that idea is a nonstarter for now. (Check back in about 10 years.)

But he (and others) have options, some good, some not so much because of the four large bags. I’ve listed them from low to high based on practicality ratings (0 to 4) that are not, I admit, scientific. Feel free to disagree. Write to [email protected].

Metro Rail Green Line

Love, love, love our light-rail systems. If Ragsdale could catch a ride from Duarte to Norwalk, about 20 miles southwest, he could catch the Green Line.

But if you’re the least bit savvy, you know “Los Angeles” is a synonym for “transportation dysfunction.” The Green Line gets close to LAX, but as we often said in the Midwest, close counts only in horseshoes.

In this case, he would have to take the Green Line Shuttle to LAX, which means four heavy bags from his house to the car, four heavy bags from the car to Norwalk Green Line station, four heavy bags from the Green Line to the Green Line Shuttle, four heavy bags from the curb at LAX. I’m tired just writing that, never mind doing it.

Practicality rating with four bags: 0

Practicality rating with no bags: 1½

Shared van ride

On Thursday, SuperShuttle, the distinctive blue vans with yellow writing, let its franchisees know that it would be ceasing operations, so you can cross that service off your list for the new year. Its last day will be Dec. 31. PrimeTime continues to operate.

In explaining its decision to stop operating, SuperShuttle cited regulatory and competitive issues. Certainly ride-hailing services have taken a bite out of its business.

Consumers have not been shy about complaining about the services’ faults, particularly when it comes to being on time and, in some cases, showing up at all. (Google the service and “Yelp” or “Tripadvisor,” where each received some applause but mostly a large chorus of boos.

If such services work, they’re an easy way to get to the airport. If they cancel at 3 a.m., two hours before pickup, not so much.

Practicality rating with four bags but no show: 0

Practicality rating with four bags and on time: 3

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FlyAway bus

If I were traveling with no or minimal luggage, the Flyaway Bus might be my first choice. It leaves from Hollywood, Long Beach, Van Nuys and Union Station and goes directly to LAX.

I rode it the other day when I missed my Commuter Express from Union Station, and it was fast and less than $10 one way. It was not such a great deal for one reader who missed her plane because the bus got stuck in traffic. Moral: Be obsessively early.

But for Ragsdale, who is traveling with four bags, it means getting to one of the pickup points, which involves extra schlepping.

Practicality rating with four bags: 0

Practicality rating with no bags: 4

Ride hailing

Say what you will about Uber and Lyft, they usually show up (except, in one recent case, when the driver couldn’t find Burbank Airport to pick me up).

Lyft last week estimated a “personal” (that is, just your party) ride from Duarte to LAX at $42-$49; Uber last week quoted an UberX (that is, you’re the sole occupant) from Duarte to LAX at $54.37. Be aware that surge pricing and traffic can affect costs.

They can drop you at the curb for departures, but remember, if you’re returning, you’ll have to get to the LA-xit (L.A. Exit, just east of Terminal 1) lot, on foot or by shuttle, to get a ride from the airport to home.

Practicality rating with four bags: My rating drops to 2 if you have to wrestle with the bags from LAX to home — and you will.

Taxi

Remember them? They almost always show up. Using Taxi Fare Finder, I estimated the tab and it showed $125.25, including a 15% tip, from Duarte to LAX. And that’s just getting there.

Practicality rating (if money is no object) with four bags: 2, because you still have to get to the LA-xit lot to get home.

Practicality rating with no bags: 4, but 0 if you’re a hitchhiker who travels on a shoestring

Driving and parking

If you’re driving and parking, you can do this one of two ways: You can drive to the airport, drop off your traveling companion at the terminal and have him or her wait with the bags, park the car at, say, the newish Lot E and take the shuttle back to the airport. You’ll pay $12 a day there or, if you use Parking Spot (my old standby) on Century for parking Dec. 20-26, you would pay $29 a day for uncovered parking, if you paid in advance, and $30.50 a day if you didn’t.

You also could walk back to the airport, said Heath Montgomery of LAX. I’d do that only if I hated the shuttle (I don’t) or wanted bragging rights (I don’t).

Practicality rating with four bags: 3 (minus one point for the inconvenience of having to park the car, then return to the airport)

Practicality rating with no bags: 3 ½ (an extra half for not having to lift bags on and off the bus)

Driving and parking really close

The other parking option is to park across from the terminals. I did that recently at Terminal 1 for a quick weekend trip. Parked, got out, took the elevator down to walk across the roadway, took the elevator up and that was it. That was the good news. The bad news: I paid $120 to park from 4:30 p.m. Friday to 11:30 p.m. Sunday. Ouch. But it was easy.

Practicality rating with four bags: 3 ½ because you still have to walk a little

Practicality rating with no bags: 3 ¾ for the same reason

Limos or car service

Feel like royalty and have a car service pick you up. I requested multiple quotes from area limo services using Yelp.

The fares ranged from $145 to $209 one way, plus tip and an airport fee of $15 for a domestic arrival, $30 for international and $20 if it’s early morning or late.

Practicality rating (if money is no object) with four bags: 3½

Practicality rating with no bags: 4, but 0 if you’re a hitchhiker who travels on a shoestring

And finally, bribery

Bribe your children, grandchildren or anyone else who is reliable and will be even more reliable if cash is involved. It’s said that you can figure out whether you’re in a loving relationship if your crush/spouse/kid will pick you up or drop you off at LAX, especially during the holidays or on a Sunday evening. As you might guess, this is my favorite. I always like the devil I know.

Practicality rating with four bags: 4 (unless your kid/crush/spouse drives a SmartCar, then it’s 0)

Practicality rating with no bags: 0, because if you don’t have any bags, you shouldn’t risk ruining a good relationship just because you’re too cheap to take Uber.

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

I was surprised and happy to see that someone was able to get some semblance of justice from Airbnb (“Airbnb Hits an Impasse,” On the Spot, by Catharine Hamm, Dec. 8).

In August I booked a home through Airbnb for our biannual cousins trip and had an experience with the host. I booked a home in San Diego for eight, then two more were added two weeks before arrival. The home supposedly slept 15, but was told I had to pay $250 per person. He said it was Airbnb’s policy, so I paid it.

The home was not clean when we arrived. There was expired food in the refrigerator, the trash had not been removed, the patios were littered with old leaves and debris, one of the beds didn’t have a box spring, bug(s) were found in the same bed (cousins were bitten), and there was a dog poop stain on the carpet that someone had tried to clean because the carpet was wet.

I contacted the owner, and he came by. He told us we could eat the food or throw it out and that the stain wasn’t poop. He also tried to charge for every person who came to the house, even if they weren’t staying there. (There are cameras in the driveway.) I had let him know beforehand cousins who live in the area might stop by. He called and asked me to update the contract to include these folks, which I did. We felt fleeced and that our privacy had been invaded/violated.

We contacted Airbnb and were told it could not help me. I tried to reason with the owner to no avail. I shut down the account and canceled the credit card on file just in case he tried to charge it.

Claudette McClenney
Los Angeles

::
That story sounded as if Airbnb dropped the ball on several counts. A few years ago I had problems with a host that turned a little nasty, but Airbnb investigated and figured out the host was wrong and made me whole.

Dale Smith
Carlsbad

::
Airbnb is the poster child for buyer beware. As happened to the unhappy renter mentioned in the story, some properties don’t live up to their amenities and accommodations. Plus they all have five-star reviews. What does that tell you?

Unless you have lots of people to accommodate, stick with a reputable hotel. Clean rooms, comfortable beds, nice TVs, maybe free breakfast and consistent experiences from city to city — and better values, in my opinion, than many Airbnb offerings.

Robert Bubnovich
Irvine

::
I stayed at a superhost’s place on Thanksgiving night in Mexico City’s gentrified Polanco area (a hacienda only 80 years ago) and was chewed up by bedbugs.

I fled the next day, and although Airbnb did not rebook me, it not only gave me a 100% refund but it also paid half my hotel bill for the rest of the time I had reserved at the Airbnb.

The host had reported my complaint herself and wept to me that Airbnb had immediately delisted her, putting her out of business. But just a week after she contacted it, her listings were back online.

Constance Bessada
Van Nuys

Enduring memories of Peru

Thirty-five years ago, my husband and I spent our honeymoon in Peru, including several days around Lake Titicaca, including exploring the reed islands that Thomas Curwen so vividly described in his wonderful travel story “Keeping Ancient Ways Afloat” (Dec. 1). Memories came flooding back, and we are reliving that squishy reed-island feeling under our feet.

Thank you for bringing this magical, remote land to life for so many readers. It’s heartwarming to learn about turismo vivencial and home-stay egalitarianism as well as a group of students assisting in construction of a local restaurant.

Conny B McCormack
Whittier

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Mazi is one of about 135 animals living at the nonprofit Keepers of the Wild in Valentine, Ariz., which is open to visitors year-round.  

(Lara Kraft)

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In a former life, Ruckus was primarily used for photo opportunities. The Bengal tiger now lives at Keepers of the Wild in Valentine, Ariz. 

(Lara Kraft)

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Bucky was one of five bears that performed tricks and posed for photos before being rescued from a roadside show. The black bears now live at the 175-acre Keepers of the Wild in Valentine, Ariz.  

(Lara Kraft)

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Buy feed for the deer in the gift shop at Grand Canyon Deer Farm in Williams, Ariz.  

(Jan Molen / Los Angeles Times)

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The deer will walk right up to you at Grand Canyon Deer Farm in Williams, Ariz.  

(Jan Molen / Los Angeles Times)

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The deer at Grand Canyon Deer Farm in Williams, Ariz.,, know that they can nab a few kernels of corn without a quarter.  

(Jan Molen / Los Angeles Times)

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Snow blankets the habitat of Geronimo, one of three tundra wolves in Bearizona’s three-mile drive-through. The 160-acre wildlife park is in Williams, Ariz.  

(Erica Parlaman / Bearizona Wildlife Park)

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For the best photos of the wildlife, including the black bear Kona, take the open-air bus tour offered four times a day at Bearizona in Williams, Ariz. 

(Erica Parlaman / Bearizona Wildlife Park)

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Sully, a brown bison, roams through a field of tickseed flower in the Bearizona wildlife park in Williams, Ariz. 

(Lisa Cruz / Bearizona Wildlife Park)

Maybe my daughter, Mika, chose Flagstaff, Ariz., as a college destination because she thought it would be a chance to get away. Wrong. But as much as we enjoy spending time in the woodsy town with its amazing restaurants and nearby natural attractions, we always brake for wildlife.

Three stops along Interstate 40 nurture our love of animals by offering close encounters with wolves, bison, tigers and other gentler creatures. Two are ideal for an hour or two visit. The third is large enough to explore for three hours or more. And all three offer plenty for your Instagram feed.

Keepers of the Wild

Last year Keepers of the Wild, aided by PETA and Lions, Tigers & Bears in Alpine, Calif., rescued five black bears from a Texas traveling show, where they sat in chairs for photos with visitors and performed tricks, said Lara Kraft, the sanctuary’s vice president.

Today, they lounge in hammocks, swim in a natural pool and forage for hidden treats at this nonprofit 29 miles east of Kingman, Ariz.

Keepers of the Wild cares for about 135 rescued animals, including lions, Bengal tigers, leopards, wolves and even a blind great-horned owl on 175 acres in the desert. About 70 acres are accessible to visitors on a nearly two-mile path you can stroll in less than an hour, with shaded areas throughout.

My family spent a long time observing the animals, but the desert heat eventually wore us out. On our next visit we’ll take the guided safari tour ($10) before revisiting our favorites. Take the 3:30 p.m. tour to watch the animals being fed.

If you’re pressed for time, head for the popular big cats, wolves and bears. They’re most active in the afternoon, said Kraft, because they know the feeding schedule too.

The gift shop sells animal-centric items (check out the giant puzzles) as well as prepared food, snacks and drinks.

Info: Keepers of the Wild, 13441 E. Highway 66, Valentine, Ariz.; (928) 769-1800, keepersofthewild.org. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Mondays, weather permitting; closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is $20; $15 for seniors 65 and older, military and veterans; $12 for children 3-12. Tours depart at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon Deer Farm

Count on getting amazing closeups at the 10-acre Grand Canyon Deer Farm nestled among ponderosa pines 8 miles east of Williams, Ariz. The privately owned attraction houses animals that were born there, brought in as babies or rescued.

A paved path winds past enclosures of mini horses, llamas, alpacas and a kissing camel, Gracie. Signs offer details about animals such as Zoolander, a zonkey whose dad was a zebra and mom was a donkey.

Bold fallow and sika deer will approach you; buy a cup of feed ($4 and $6), and you’ll get rock-star attention. Hold on tight to that cup — the deer aren’t afraid to help themselves. They even know to nudge the coin-operated feed dispensers for a few stray kernels of corn.

Two marmosets, Pharaoh and Cleopatra, are rescues. I couldn’t stop staring at Cleopatra’s sweet face, but as the sign warned, she started screaming — in my face. She was being protective of her guy, explained Patricia George, who, with her husband, Randy, have owned the park in 1987. People buy them as cute babies, she added, but as marmosets mature sexually, they become aggressive and can bite.

The mule deer, coues deer and Stormy the elk also are rescues. One mule deer fawn was found in the jaws of a large dog, George said. She’s fine now.

Mozart the cockatoo is quite the talker, making him a favorite with visitors. Also popular are reindeer Dasher, Blitzen, Holly, Mistletoe and Rudolph, George added. Some visitors are surprised to find reindeer aren’t mythical creatures.

The park offers a hands-on experience with coatimundi, wallabies and porcupines, and a zookeeper program that will take you behind the scenes to learn about animal husbandry. Both require reservations and additional fees.

Info: Grand Canyon Deer Farm, 6769 E. Deer Farm Road, Williams, Ariz.; (928) 635-4073, deerfarm.com. Winter hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (2 p.m. on Christmas Eve), weather permitting; closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is $14; $12.50 for seniors 62 and older; and $8 for children 3-13; free for kids 2 and younger. Gift shop with snacks and souvenirs. Picnic table out front.

Bearizona

For a longer outing, head to Bearizona for a three-mile drive through the habitats of bears, wolves, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, bison and more. The 160-acre wildlife park is set in the Kaibab National Forest and is a regular stop for my family.

Winter is a good time to see the animals sporting their thick full coats. Wolves and bison love the cooler weather and are active all day, said Erica Parlaman, Bearizona’s drive-through supervisor. Bears usually don’t start stirring until the afternoon. In the summer, early mornings and late afternoons are the best times to catch the animals in action.

You can also leave the driving to someone else. A free bus tour travels the loop four times a day, weather permitting. The open-air vehicles have no window glass to obstruct your photography, and guides feed the animals to lure them near the road, making close-up photos possible.

After completing the loop — you can drive it as many times as you want — head to walkable Fort Bearizona, 20 acres of animal exhibits, shows and a petting zoo.

Fort Bearizona is home to bobcats, javelinas, red foxes and more. For a closer look, take advantage of the animal talks and shows throughout the day. We loved the birds of prey show featuring owls, hawks and falcons.

Info: Bearizona, 1500 E. Route 66, Williams, Ariz.; (928) 635-2289, bearizona.com. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last car admitted to drive-through) daily; walk-through area until 6 p.m. Admission is $25; $23 for 62 and older; $15 for children 4-12; free for children 3 and younger; a maximum of $120 per private car. $2 off for military/veterans and Arizona college students with ID. Food stands, picnic area and the Canyonlands restaurant with hickory-smoked barbecue and a full bar. Huge gift shop.

Stocks on Wall Street closed out a listless day Friday with tiny gains that were enough to propel the Standard & Poor’s 500 index and the Nasdaq to new record highs.

The United States and China revealed they have reached an initial deal in their long-running trade war. The Phase 1 agreement means the U.S. won’t impose new tariffs on Chinese goods that had been set to kick in this weekend. Investors’ anxiety over the prospect of such an escalation in the trade war contributed to a sluggish start for the market this month.

On Thursday, media reports signaling that a deal was close spurred a rally that sent the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq to record highs. That likely led Friday’s muted reaction to official announcements of the deal.

“People obviously were excited about what they heard yesterday, and now what you’re seeing is a consolidation now that it’s actually been confirmed,” said Lisa Erickson, head of the traditional investment group at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.

Technology companies, which rely heavily on China for sales and parts, led the gainers Friday, outweighing losses in banks, energy firms and other stocks. Bond prices rose, pulling yields down.

The S&P 500 edged up just 0.23 of a point, or less than 0.1%, to close at an all-time high of 3,168.80.

The Dow Jones industrial average inched up 3.33 points, or less than 0.1%, to 28,135.38.

The Nasdaq, which is heavily weighted with technology stocks, rose 17.56 points, or 0.2%, to 8,734.88.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks fell 6.84 points, or 0.4%, to 1,637.98.

The S&P 500 ended the week with its third straight weekly gain. With less than three weeks left in 2019, the benchmark index is up 26.4% for the year.

The stock indexes were little changed most of Friday as investors weighed the implications of the trade deal.

The costly trade conflict and the threat it could escalate at any moment has been the biggest source of uncertainty for Wall Street this year. The dispute has also hurt manufacturing around the world and caused U.S. businesses to hold back on making investments. The saving grace for the economy has been a strong job market and consumer spending.

It’s unclear how much uncertainty the partial trade deal removes. The trade war has had more than a few swings since it started 17 months ago.

“We got something, but until we have a full-fledged deal, it may be tough to get excited,” said JJ Kinahan, chief market strategist for TD Ameritrade.

The next phase of the trade agreement will have to tackle some of the larger issues to provide relief from existing tariffs.

“It’s going to be a bigger lift, in large part because the president doesn’t really want to take the tariffs off,” said Jamie Cox, managing partner for Harris Financial Group. “That’s going to require much more give on the Chinese part than what is currently in the offer.”

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Technology stocks were the biggest winners Friday. Adobe climbed 3.9% after issuing quarterly results that beat Wall Street’s estimates.

Facebook fell 1.3% amid reports that the Federal Trade Commission could block the company from integrating its messaging apps, including Messenger and WhatsApp. Facebook has been planning to integrate those apps since early this year. Federal regulators are concerned that integration could make it hard to break up the company if the Federal Trade Commission finds a breakup necessary.

Utilities, household goods makers and real estate firms notched gains.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury dropped to 1.83% from 1.90%.

Bank stocks posted the biggest decline Friday, pushed down by that decline in bond yields, which are used to set the interest rates that lenders charge on mortgages and other consumer loans. Wells Fargo shares slid 1.1%.

The government said U.S. retail sales rose at a seasonally adjusted 0.2% rate in November. The modest pace fell short of analysts’ forecasts for a pickup of 0.5% and suggests the holiday shopping season got off to a slow start.

Several department store stocks fell. Macy’s dropped 3.4%. Nordstrom lost 3.3%. L Brands, the parent of Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works, slid 4.2%.

British stocks and the British pound moved sharply higher, the day after a resounding victory for the Conservative Party eased uncertainty over the nation’s upcoming exit from the European Union.

Benchmark crude oil rose 89 cents to settle at $60.07 a barrel. Brent crude oil, the international standard, climbed $1.02 to close at $65.22 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline rose 3 cents to $1.66 a gallon. Heating oil climbed 4 cents to $1.99 a gallon. Natural gas fell 3 cents to $2.30 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Gold rose $8.90 to $1,475.60 an ounce. Silver rose 6 cents to $16.91 an ounce. Copper fell 1 cent to $2.78 a pound.

Film producer Karina Miller finds respite and creative autonomy in her cozy Studio City kitchen, where she’ll happily cook for you — just don’t try to help.

“The short answer is control. I like to cook by myself, because as soon as somebody else is in the kitchen I have to manage them, and I manage people all day long,” said Miller, 43, founder of Sparkhouse Media, under which she’s produced “The Big Ask,” “To the Bone” and “Semper Fi,” which was just released on Blu-ray and DVD.

The kitchen of her 1,396-square-foot home is not only equipped with her dream cookware and appliances — her stove has eight burners in three different sizes and a dual-fuel oven — it’s also one place where she can oversee an entire creative process from start to finish, by herself.

“My job is wrangling like 200 people in months to make something creative in support of their vision, whereas when I’m cooking, it’s just me and I have more freedom. And I just love feeding people; it de-stresses me,” said Miller, who solo-cooked all the main meals for “The Big Ask,” mindful of its mere $150,000 budget.

“Three courses plus dessert,” she said. “I couldn’t just make one thing.”

Miller, who calls herself “a big bargain hunter,” snagged her fridge, the double dishwasher, the stove, hood and steam oven — all by Viking — at Appliance Outlet in Northridge for less than the retail price of just the stove.

Full sets of dark blue and light blue Le Creuset cast iron cookware were gifts from her mom, Patricia Taylor, and are nestled atop the stove.

Her brother, Keanu Reeves, got her three psychedelic pink-and-black shadow portraits of strippers, which boldly complement the royal blue walls and backsplash of sea foam green arabesque tiles.

Miller opted for white and light gray quartz countertops, which are less porous than marble and good for baking the most scrumptious pumpkin pies (which I might have obligingly tried).

“It’s about the spice,” she said.

Why is this your favorite room?

Our real estate agent asked what things I had to have in a house, and I said a kitchen that opens out into a space where people can sit and keep me company while I’m cooking. I really like to cook for people. Cooking, and baking specifically, really keeps me calm.

What do you like to cook?

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I’m a big cupcake person. This is my favorite season, so I do a pumpkin spice cupcake with an orange spice cream cheese frosting. I like making meats, like steaks and roasted tenderloins, things like that. Lately, I’ve been really into my Lebanese cookbook, because my husband’s mother was Lebanese and my brother [Keanu] was actually born there, so I’ve been trying to get to know food from other cultures.

This is such a cozy, colorful kitchen nook.

This is basically where we live. It’s really comfortable to sit here, read scripts and drink coffee with a view knowing everything is so organized around me. This nook fabric was from the industrial section — we have three dogs and we knew we were going to be spending a lot of time on it so we wanted it to be durable. We liked the tweed style because it picked up a lot of the different colors in the room and it’s really soft. The fixture above is from deKor in Atwater Village. The style is called Sputnik pendant light; I guess it’s kind of Russian constructivism.

Favorite memory in here?

This Thanksgiving was the first time we had eight people over. My husband and my brother were watching football, my friend was helping mix drinks and I was cooking. We got to really test our theory that a lot of people could be in here enjoying the space and still be really comfortable, and I could be cooking but still interacting. I had a whole chart of my oven schedule — my friends brought stuff that I could heat up in the steam oven. All the stuff got to be tested and it went really well and wasn’t stressful.

Start-ups want men to track, improve or freeze their sperm, hoping declining male fertility will become just as big a business opportunity as women struggling to conceive.

Legacy and Dadi provide kits for men to send their sperm to labs for testing and freezing. YoSperm and ExSeed use devices attached to smartphones to analyze sperm dripped onto slides at home. Sandstone Diagnostics is encouraging men to improve their swimmers by eating better, drinking less and staying out of the sauna.

Venture capital firms, including Bain Capital Ventures, TCG Capital Management and Section32, are betting that men will want to measure and protect their fertility from the comfort of their own home.

Khaled Kteily, Legacy’s chief executive, said men were “ignorant” of potential problems. “Mick Jagger is probably our biggest enemy,” he said. “He had so many kids when he was older.”

About a third of all infertility suffered by couples is attributed to male problems, a third to women, and a third is unexplained. Compared with women’s fertility, male fertility does not have the same age cliff, but studies show that it does slowly decline and that older men are slightly more likely to have babies born with disabilities. Overall, male fertility has dropped by more than half in 40 years, according to a large study of studies in 2017.

The start-ups are inspired by female-focused fertility companies, including Progeny, which went public in October and now has a market value of $2.2 billion, and direct-to-consumer healthcare companies such as Hims and Roman, which provide online access to doctors that enables men to avoid face-to-face visits for conditions such as erectile dysfunction.

Legacy sends customers a gold-embossed navy box, which looks like it contains a luxury shirt rather than a bottle for sperm collection. A delivery service later whisks the sample to a lab to be tested for semen volume and sperm count, shape and motility. Men receive a personalized report on how they could improve their sperm, which includes, for example, eating more tomatoes and nuts.

The sample is frozen until a man decides he wants a child. Sperm has been frozen for as long as 25 years and still used to create healthy babies — and some scientists believe it could last up to 200 years.

Kiyan Rajabi, a 28-year-old health tech entrepreneur in New York, said he began to think about his fertility when he saw so many of his female peers getting their eggs frozen.

“You hear hundreds of stories of families having difficulty conceiving. I don’t know if I will ever use the sample I provided. But I have peace of mind knowing I at least have a backup,” he said.

Dadi launched its service at the start of 2019 and has had thousands of men sign up. The start-up based in Brooklyn, N.Y., raised money in two funding rounds this year — $2 million in January and $5 million in August — and is starting to sign partnerships with employers, including McDonald’s, that want to offer its sperm testing and freezing service as an employee benefit.

Tom Smith, Dadi’s chief executive, who co-founded the company after working at Giphy, the gif provider, said the product resonated with investors. “Every single room we walked into, there was someone who had an infertility story,” he said.

Smith decided to start the company when he saw a friend struggle to freeze his sperm after a cancer diagnosis. “He was ushered into this little room and handed a cup. Three or four hours later, he was able to collect,” he said. “It’s not very conducive to trying to masturbate.”

The start-ups’ founders believe allowing men to produce a sperm sample at home will make them more likely to do it. Greg Sommer, founder of Sandstone Diagnostics, said that men on average have their first test after about 18 months of having difficulty conceiving, even though fertility testing for women is often far more intrusive.

“By then, women are already doing a lot on their reproductive health, with doctors’ visits and tracking,” he said.

Dr. Stanton Honig, a male fertility expert at the Yale School of Medicine, said he believes the at-home tests are valuable because they can be done at home and said papers have shown they are accurate. But he is less convinced that men who are not ill need to be freezing their sperm.

“I’m a little bit taken aback by companies saying, ‘Freeze your sperm because you are going to have a problem later,’” Honig said. “If a 50-year-old came to me and said he froze his sperm at 40, I’m not sure I’d recommend using the frozen sperm. I would tell him to try to get his wife pregnant the old-fashioned way.”

© The Financial Times Ltd. 2019. All rights reserved. FT and Financial Times are trademarks of the Financial Times Ltd. Not to be redistributed, copied or modified in any way.

Christmas came early for a few Westside real estate agents this week when the legendary estate known as Chartwell sold for about $150 million, a new California price record. The agents — all eight of them — will split a sizable commission for their efforts. Just how sizable? A 2.5% commission would mean a $3.75 million take for the listing agents involved (or $468,750 per person before taxes).

Our Home of the Week is a dreamy aerie in the foothills of Montecito. Built in 2001, the contemporary-style home makes the most of its natural surroundings with walls of windows and a second-story deck. Stained-glass clerestories filter natural light within.

Once you’re done reading about these deals, visit and like our Facebook page, where you can find Hot Property stories and updates throughout the week.

– Neal Leitereg, Jack Flemming and Lauren Beale

Nailing down a deal

“Claws” star Niecy Nash has wrapped up some business in Bell Canyon, selling her home of about six years for $1.265 million.

Set among mature trees on three-quarters of an acre, the scenic estate packs in the outdoor amenities. Within the landscaped grounds are a gazebo, a terrace, a swimming pool and a three-car garage. A detached studio adds even more living space.

The main house has four bedrooms, a beamed-ceiling living room and a lofted lounge area with a kitchenette. One of the guest bedrooms had been used by Nash as a custom dressing room.

The sale is Nash’s second of the year. In the spring, she sold another place in Northridge for just under $1 million.

Buyer dishes out big bucks for Giada’s place

Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis is off to cook in a new kitchen after selling her home in Pacific Palisades. The Food Network star got the full $7-million asking price for the contemporary home, which features — you guessed it — a drool-worthy kitchen.

Other perks of the 6,500-square-foot residence include a vast open floor plan, a dual-sided fireplace and bi-folding doors that blend indoor-outdoor spaces. A lower-level lounge with a game room, media room and wet bar has windows that look into the depths of an infinity-edge swimming pool.

He was no city slicker

The former home of Oscar-winning actor Jack Palance is back on the market in the Beverly Hills Post office area for $3.895 million, a $900,000 discount from when it first listed for sale earlier this year.

A work of architect Paul R. Williams, the Georgian Colonial Revival-style house has been extensively updated and modernized. Among the features are a snazzy kitchen, marble-clad bathrooms and pocketing doors. Guest and staff suites are among the five bedrooms.

In addition to Palance, the 1940s house counts director Stuart Rosenberg among its former owners.

That’s one way to pump up a listing

Rockstar energy drink creator Russell Weiner may be hoping a price-chop will create some buzz around his Hermosa Beach home. The beverage peddler recently cut the price of the Strand-adjacent pad to $18.95 million, down from the original $21-million asking price.

The contemporary-style home has three levels of patio and decking including a rooftop deck with a fireplace and spa. Inside, more than 5,600 square feet of living space holds a home theater, four fireplaces, an elevator and a gym.

From the archives

Thirty years ago, game show host and longtime Johnny Carson sidekick Ed McMahon listed his home in Beverly Hills for sale at $7.9 million. The 10,000-square-foot mansion — with six bedrooms, staff quarters and a projection room — was put up for sale as part of his divorce from his second wife, Victoria McMahon.

Twenty years ago, fresh off his performance in “The Hurricane,” Denzel Washington and wife Pauletta Pearson listed their Toluca Lake home for sale at just under $2 million. The Paul R. Williams-designed house, built in 1940, has been home to numerous stars through the years including comic and actor Leon Errol and actors William and Ardis Holden. The property is also where Ronald and Nancy Reagan held their wedding reception in 1952.

Ten years ago, television and radio host Larry King became the latest celebrity buyer at the ritzy Carlyle Residences when he forked over a few million for a three-bedroom unit in the high-rise. Other Hollywood names swayed by the 24-story, crescent-shaped tower were actor Bruce Willis and former William Morris chief Irv Weintraub.

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What we’re reading

Prepare for more big things near the L.A. Live campus in downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles Times business reporter Roger Vincent reports that Chinese developer City Century intends to build a $1-billion housing and retail complex after purchasing a development site across the street from the sports and entertainment hub for $121 million. Called Olypmia, the project could include more than 1,300 new apartments or condominiums.

Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama appear destined to spend more time on the eastern seaboard after buying a vacation home on Martha’s Vineyard. The Chicago Tribune reports the Obamas paid $11.75 million for the 29.3-acre estate of Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck.

This week’s culture consumption can be laden with seasonal offerings including American Ballet Theatre’s “The Nutcracker,” Pasadena Symphony’s “Holiday Candlelight” and the panto-style show “A Snow White Christmas.” The musical duo She & Him and Patton Oswalt bring good cheer to DTLA, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” returns to the Chance Theatre in Anaheim, and the Musco Center for the Arts celebrates “A Southern California Christmas.” If holiday shows just aren’t your thing, there’s a literary-charged work from Heidi Duckler Dance.

Of snowflakes and sugar plums

American Ballet Theatre returns with its spectacular staging of that holiday favorite “The Nutcracker,” with Pacific Symphony performing Tchaikovsky’s score and a cast of dancers that includes homegrown star Misty Copeland. ABT artist in residence Alexei Ratmansky supplies the choreography. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday; other dates through Dec. 22. $29 and up. (714) 556-2787. scfta.org

Feel the warmth

For this year’s edition of “Holiday Candlelight,” music director David Lockington and the Pasadena Symphony offer a program of seasonal favorites — with a little help from singer Sarah Uriarte Berry, the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, the Donald Brinegar Singers and L.A. Bronze Handbell Ensemble. All Saints Church, 132 N. Euclid Ave., Pasadena. 4 and 7 p.m. Saturday. $20 and up. (626) 793-7172. pasadenasymphony-pops.org

Who’s the fairest of them all?

A classic fairy tale gets a silly, song- and dance-filled makeover in “A Snow White Christmas.” Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child plays the evil witch in this family-friendly show presented in the style of a raucous British panto. Neil Patrick Harris provides an onscreen performance as the magic mirror. Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green St. 7 p.m. Friday, 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; other dates through Dec. 22. $28 and up. (626) 449-7360. thepasadenacivic.com

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What’s past is prologue

Heidi Duckler Dance unveils its latest work, “What Remains.” The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, the writings of poet Rainer Maria Rilke and a short story by Christa Wolf inspire this site-specific mix of dance and opera. The Wende Museum, 10808 Culver Blvd., Culver City. 7 p.m. Thursday-Friday. $35, $50. heididuckler.org

Three for the show

She & Him, the whimsical duo consisting of “New Girl” actress-singer Zooey Deschanel and alt-folk singer-songwriter M. Ward, will sing seasonal favorites and more in a two-night stand as part of their “She & Him Christmas Tour.” Special guest: comedian Patton Oswald. The Theatre at Ace Hotel, 929 S. Broadway, downtown L.A. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday. $40.50-$100.50. axs.com

Things to do

Working for Peanuts

“A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the stage adaptation of the beloved animated TV special featuring the characters created by Charles M. Schulz, is back for another year. Chance Theater, 5522 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday; 1, 2:30, 6 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; other dates through Dec. 29. $21-$35; discounts available. (888) 455-4212. ChanceTheater.com

Troll the ancient yuletide carol

The Orange Community Master Chorale and dozens of other local singers, dancers and musicians share the stage as part of the third-annual holiday celebration “A Southern California Christmas.” Musco Center for the Arts, Chapman University, 415 N. Glassell St., Orange. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday. $25-$58. (844) 626-8726. muscocenter.org

Where else but in Los Angeles does holiday cheer come with statues of bizarre winged bulls topped with bearded human heads — and what’s purported to be the world’s tallest cut Christmas tree? The 115-foot tree, more than twice as high as the letters in the Hollywood sign, currently lights up a spot at the Citadel Outlets shopping center in Commerce.

Why such a super-size tree? “The scale of the building is quite large and tall,” says Steven Craig, whose company owns and operates the modern-day retail fortress whose historic design copies elements of a king’s palace from ancient Assyria. “The things we’ve done fit in quite nicely. Proportionally, it looks fantastic.”

Indeed, the stately white fir covered in lights, bows and jeweled ornaments the size of bocce balls fits right in. Whether it’s the tallest hardly matters. It’s less than 10 miles southeast of downtown L.A. and free to visit, for those who resist the urge to spend money shopping.

Here’s everything you need to know before you go.

1. From top to bottom, the tree is as tall as six giraffes standing on each other’s backs or three telephone poles stacked on top of each other. Also, it’s 20 feet longer than a regulation basketball court. “It’s the largest live-cut tree in the world, and we track these things closely,” Craig says. “To the best of our knowledge, none is any taller.” (It doesn’t appear anyone keeps records on the size of live Christmas trees.)

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2. This is the sixth year in a row the Citadel has hoisted a record tree. By the way, Guinness World Records says the tallest cut Christmas tree ever was a 221-foot Douglas fir displayed in 1950 at a shopping center in Seattle.

3. Here’s how the Citadel’s tree stacks up with others: It would tower over the more famous 77-foot Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, a Norway spruce, and the planted 30-foot Colorado blue spruce that’s the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C.

4. It’s real fir. The white fir (Abies concolor) comes from private timber companies that have holdings in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest , a 2.2-million-acre swath of land north of Redding, Calif. White firs, which are evergreens, grow at higher elevations primarily in the West.

5. The tree, weighing 18,000 pounds, was going to be cut down anyway, likely to be sold as lumber. Victor Saucedo of Victor’s Custom Christmas Trees in Laguna Niguel selected the Citadel’s tree long before December. Months earlier he hiked into the forest to find and identify trees that would make for the best holiday displays for now and future years. “We cut off only private land owned by timber companies which raise and harvest trees for lumber or fuels,” or from private landowners who do the same, Saucedo writes in an email.

6. Saucedo brings in a large crane to cut the tree. The crane then raises it horizontally in midair and places it on a flatbed truck; the tree never touches the ground. He prunes lower branches of nearby tall trees to add to the fullness of the tree when it’s installed.

7. Where the big tree once was, a dozen new saplings are planted to keep the forest going.

8. The flatbed truck then prepares for the 600-plus-mile drive to L.A. Per California road rules, the driver can travel with such an oversize load only between 2 and 5 a.m.

9. It takes about three days for the journey to the Citadel. After the tree arrives, it takes about a week to drill holes and add branches.

10. The tree is put up before Halloween during a lull in the center’s foot traffic; it’s unsafe for visitors to be around the site. Workers clear out an 8,000-square-foot area to work their magic on the tree and swing it into place. It was illuminated Nov. 11.

11. The tree is sprayed with green flame repellent to give it color and keep visitors safe in case of a fire.

12. It glows every night with more than 18,000 LED lights and 10,000 ornaments and bows.

13. It costs $150,000 for the tree, the transport, the whole shebang. It’s a project close to Craig’s heart. “We’re a traditional company based on traditional values,” he says, adding that families from the L.A. area come year after year to take photos in front of the tree.

14. The tree stands about midway from either end of the shopping center, which started life as the Samson Tire & Rubber Co. in 1929. The front pillars and statues take their design from the ornate palace of King Sargon II, who in the 8th century BC ruled over Assyria (modern-day Iraq and Turkey).

15. What are those creatures? The funny stone statues are called lamassu; they have animal legs, bird wings and human heads with long beards and hats. In ancient times, they were believed to be guardians who protected the kingdom. The Citadel adopted the lamassu as its quirky logo. You can find originals from Sargon’s palace at the Louvre in Paris and other museums.

16. The front of the building is wrapped with a giant, lighted red bow. It’s 36 feet wide and 21 feet tall. The bow is made of 18 loops 10 to 12 feet tall and finished off with 75-foot tails that drape down the front. It took 4,000 cans of paint and primer and 1.5 tons of glitter to make it.

17. Below the bow, the Assyrian wall, as the building’s facade is called, is decorated with shimmering gold pillars topped with parapets outlined in white lights. The scene is an Instagram fever dream.

18. The huge lamassu statues that crouch at the front of the building wear lighted red bows around their necks. Below them you’ll find a concrete bas-relief of the king himself, Sargon II, with a staff in hand.

19. Drivers heading north and south on the 5 Freeway through Commerce have excellent drive-by views of the decorated facade. Enjoy the view but don’t slow down or attempt to take a picture if you’re driving.

20. You can get a great photo of the bow and the decorated front of the building on foot. Walk through the shopping center’s food court and then cross Telegraph Road in the crosswalk to a concrete island (the 5 Freeway will be to your back). You’ll be able to capture all the decorations on the front of the building in one shot.

21. Distances are far at this 700,000-square-foot shopping center with more than 130 stores, so wear comfy shoes. I racked up more than 1,000 steps from the Disney Outlet on the western edge to the Starbucks on the other end near Telegraph Road. (Your steps may vary, depending on how many stores you wander into.)

22. Santa Claus will be in the house for anyone what wants a photo with their pet 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday. Santa is on deck 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. until Dec. 23, except Sunday, when he’ll greet humans only until 6 p.m.

23. The tree will stand until a few days after New Year’s Day. After that, the Citadel will get ready for Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan. 25.

24. After the holiday, the tree’s ornaments will be removed and the tree will be recycled. Saucedo describes the process this way: “When the trees come down they are cut up and taken to the local green-waste facility, where they are chipped up for mulch. About three-quarters of the trunk of the tree is split and given away as firewood, cut for stepping stones, used in gardens or as landscape accents.”

25. The Citadel tree isn’t alone in its stature. L.A. has at least two other super-tall Christmas trees to marvel at and photograph. The white fir at the Americana at Brand in Glendale is 102 feet tall; the one at the Grove in Los Angeles is 101 feet tall.

SoCal’s tallest of Christmas trees

The Citadel Outlets

Where: 100 Citadel Drive, Commerce

Hours: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Dec. 23, and until 8 p.m. Dec. 24. Closed Christmas Day. Free parking.

The Grove

Where: 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles

Hours: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. through Dec. 23, and until 6 p.m. Dec. 24. Some shops are open Dec. 25. First hour of parking free; $24 daily maximum.

Americana at Brand

Where: 889 Americana Way, Glendale

Hours: 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays and Dec. 23; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 24. First hour of parking free; $18 daily maximum