If you don't get what the Perseid meteor shower hoopla is all about, pack up your blanket and head for the Santa Monica Mountains on Wednesday night. A star party at the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve in West Hills will be your guide to shooting stars expected to whiz by at a rate of 100 per hour.
The park, better known as the old Ahmanson Ranch, is a good place for viewing because it's away from city lights.