Actor Mykelti Williamson (“Forrest Gump” and “Con Air,” which opens Friday)

Picnicking: I like to take my wife, Sondra, for a picnic on the rocks overlooking the ocean at Malibu Creek State Park. But I like to do it up right. I bring real silverware, linen napkins and bamboo plates. I love cooking so I’ll bring home-cooked roasted chicken with sun-dried tomatoes, a small salad and some really expensive red wine, a Bordeaux or a cabernet.

Romantic getaways: I take the coastal highway up to Carmel by the Sea. I love to ride horses and sit by the ocean. I like to walk to dinner because in the evening most people have fireplaces, which you can smell burning, and you can hear the ocean. It’s beautiful. Flaherty’s is a great place to hang and talk to locals.

Cruising: My favorite weekend in Carmel is the second weekend in August because it’s car show time--the Concourse D’elegance. This year I’m showing a 1953 Chevrolet pickup that I have restored. It took me two whole years to finish.

Music of the night: I like to go to B.B. King’s at Universal CityWalk and listen to blues on Fridays and Saturdays. There’s also a place called the Cinegrill in the Hotel Roosevelt. Atlas Bar and Grill on Wilshire is also one of my favorite hangouts. It looks like a 1940s nightclub and reminds me of old stories my parents told me.

By the monkey cage: My little girl, 3-year-old Phoenix, likes to be pulled in her wagon. There’s a park called La Dara Park we can walk to. She also loves the zoo. Phoenix could watch the monkeys all day.