A Walk in Will Rogers State Historic Park.

William Penn Adair “Will” Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was a Cherokee-American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer and actor. You may recall his most famous saying, "I never yet met a man that I didn't like".

I went for a hike out in the Santa Monica Mountains today - there are some nice trails at the Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades (off Sunset, west of the 405). Rogers was an avid booster of aviation, Rogers undertook a flight around the world with a fellow Oklahoman, world-renowned aviator Wiley Post, in the summer of 1935. Post's plane, an experimental and nose-heavy hybrid of Lockheed Explorer and Orio, crashed south of Barrow, Alaska, on August 15, 1935 when its engine failed on takeoff, killing both men.

It may be difficult, with the passage of time, to fully comprehend the extraordinary place Rogers held in the minds and hearts of the American people at the time of his death. Today's youth, I think, are more concerned with text messaging, Ipods, American Idol and Heidi Montag + Spencer Pratt on the faux reality show The Hills then they are with the history of the entertainment industry. The outpouring of national grief over Rogers' passing is generally regarded to be the greatest such show of national mourning since the death of Lincoln some seventy years earlier. He was a headliner in Ziegfeld's Follies for 9 years, and later was the nation's most widely read newspaper columnist, in the form of his daily "Will Rogers Says" telegrams and in his weekly column; his Sunday night half-hour radio show, The Gulf Headliners, was the nation's most-listened-to weekly broadcast; and he had been the nation's #2 movie box office draw in 1933 (behind Marie Dressler) and #1 in 1934, ranking 2nd at the time of his death in 1935 only to Shirley Temple.

Will's home in Pacific Palisades, which lies in the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles. The 31-room ranch house, which includes 11 baths and seven fireplaces, is surrounded by a stable, corrals, riding ring, roping arena, golf course, polo field - and riding and hiking trails that give visitors spectacular views of the ranch and the surrounding countryside - 186 acres. The ranch became a State Park in 1944 after the death of Mrs. Rogers, and the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

The ranch buildings and grounds are maintained as they were when the Rogers family lived there in the late 1920s and 1930s. The living room of the main ranch house, with a collection of Native American rugs and baskets, features a porch swing in the center of the room and a mounted calf, which was given to Will Rogers to encourage him to rope the calf instead of his friends. The north wing of the house contains the family bedrooms, Rogers' study, and the sunroom. But the park is more than just an historic site, it's also a working ranch. The park still retains many of the western equestrian activities that were a part of Will Rogers' life. Up the hill from the main guest ranch, above the green expanse of lawn, are the stables, which have been renovated.

I lucked out and got to the park as a polo match was under way - Pacific Palisades versus Beverly Hills. The ranch reflects Will Rogers' roots in horsemanship - the polo field is the first thing the visitor sees when looking south from the parking area. The field is the only outdoor polo field in Los Angeles County, and the only field that is regulation size.

Beyond the ranch and the stables are the trails that lead to spectacular views of the countryside around the park. Since Will Rogers State Historic Park is on the tip of the Santa Monica Mountains, the trails offer vistas of both the sea and the mountains. Visitors can hike to Inspiration Point, take the Rogers trail around the perimeter of the park or continue on into Topanga State Park via the Backbone Trail System. I opted for Inspiration Point. Though there's a great trail at the eastern end of the park that goes back to a waterfall - off the beaten path. Been there a few times. An actress friend of mine told me her and her ex-boyfriend used to go back there and make love. I then asked her if she wanted to take a walk back to the waterfall sometime. WHOOO!

A view of Pacific Palisades.

Looks like the set of MASH, doesn't it? The TV series wasn't filmed here but in mountainous area similar to it close by.

Another view of the Palisades with the Pacific Ocean in the background.

SACRAMENTO (AP) ― January 2008. From north to south, there are 48 state parks, beaches, reserves and recreation areas that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is proposing to close to help balance the state budget. The parks would be closed until enough money is available to reopen them. The governor's office also said some parks could be turned over to local governments to operate.

Will Rogers State Park is on that list. Though Will Rogers and the other parks remain open, the governor's proposal is still on the table - which means they could all still be closed. Dumb idea, Governor Terminator. It is estimated that the closure of these parks will result in a little more than $13 million in savings, or one-thirteenth of 1 percent of the state budget. However, when you factor in the loss in tourism dollars to local communities, it becomes negligible. It has been estimated that for every dollar spent by the state on parks, $2.35 in tourism revenue has been generated.

If you feel strongly that Schwarzenegger is off his rocker, check out the California State Parks Foundation and find out how you can help their cause.