Next week, on Jan. 9th, will be the monthly downtown happening at L.A. ArtWalk. But L.A.’s not the only place in SoCal with an ArtWalk. Long Beach has its own, as do San Pedro, Claremont Village, and Huntington Beach. All are monthly events. Visit their websites for dates, hours, and listings of events. These include not only gallery openings, but food trucks, live music, special hours at neighborhood shops, and more. 

http://www.1stthursday.com/

http://www.artwalkclaremont.com/

http://downtownartwalk.org/

http://www.artwalklb.com/

http://www.hb-downtown.com/ARTWALK.html

L.A. area museums included in this offer are :

Museum of Latin American Art (BofA Free wknd) , Long Beach

Autry Museum of the American West (BofA Free wknd) , Los Angeles

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (BofA Free wknd) , Los Angeles

Skirball Cultural Center (BofA Free wknd), Los Angeles

Once upon a time, folks traveled the length of California by stagecoach. Hotels along main routes supplied food and lodging for these travelers, much as motels do today for drivers. For a peek into the history of these lodgings, visit the Stagecoach Inn Museum in Newbury Park. Other exhibits address the local Chumash Indians and the historic rose garden.

The museum isn’t free, but it’s definitely cheaper than many in the L.A. area. Fieldtrippers visit the Stagecoach Inn Museum Wednesday-Friday. It’s open to the wider public on weekends.

http://www.stagecoachmuseum.org/visitors_information/visitors_information.htm

http://www.familyfinds.com/r/cmd:refer_offer/u:179074/sig:ed7becc601b223b8b6699dc0e9bb7ad8/source:36002/deal:1146/offer:1177/track:date=2012-01-23

Participating Museums:

• The Annenberg Space for Photography - Both Days
• The Autry National Center - Both Days
• California African American Museum - Both Days
• California Science Center - Both Days
• Chinese American Museum of Los Angeles - Both Days
• Fowler Museum at UCLA - Both Days
• The Hammer Museum - Both Days
• The Getty Center - Both Days
• The Getty Villa**- Both Days
• Laguna Art Museum- Both Days
• Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial
  (Both Hollywood & San Pedro Locations)- Saturday, January 28th Only
• The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) - Saturday, January 28th Only
• Museum of Tolerance - Sunday, January 29th Only
• Museum of Latin American Art - Both Days
• Pasadena Museum of California Art - Both Days
• Santa Monica Museum of Art - Saturday, January 28th Only
• Skirball Cultural Center*** – Saturday, January 28th Only
• Zimmer Children’s Museum - Sunday, January 29th Only

For more details, check http://www.museumsla.org/news.asp.

I’ve always found the Aquarium of the Pacific to be frustrating. It’s wonderful to visit–especially with kids or out-of-towners–but the prices are not so wonderful.

However, with a little planning, there are a number of excellent discounts available, including a very good (and current!) coupon available at Albertson’s through February 21, 2012 . For more details, visit this web page: http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/visit/discounts.

On the way to Snow Valley (sledding there is highly recommended, but can be very pricey) last month, we saw people gleefully enjoying “Snowdrift Tube-Bogganing” near Running Springs. $10 per person (plus $5 for parking) is cheaper than most other options, even if not the cheapest option. Supposedly, the fee is for one hour, but the rule is generally not enforced according to reviewers. (Though I’m usually a rule-follower.) I would check the weather before heading up. Snow Valley makes snow if there’s a thaw, but the inner tube place won’t have that luxury. Here’s the link:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/snowdrift-tube-boggan-area-running-springs

To find a National Park near you, visit: http://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm

Here’s the full list of free-admission days for 2012:

• January 14-16
  Martin Luther King Jr. weekend
  
• April 21-29
  National Park Week
• June 9
  Get Outdoors Day
• September 29
  National Public Lands Day
  
• November 10-12
  Veterans Day weekend

The Ebell club of Los Angeles has long been a mysterious landmark for many. Its historic building houses a ladies-only educational and social club (there are a few male members now, but they are non-voting) whose monthly meetings include lectures on all sorts of cultural topics. The building is beautifully appointed and often hosts special events. Its corridors have welcomed royalty and Amelia Earheart, on one of her last public speaking engagements. However, the club has about one-tenth the members that it did at its height. It’s now actively seeking new members and is holding an open house Sunday.

Details

Sunday, Jan. 15th - 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Ebell, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd

For more information, visit the Ebell website: http://www.ebellla.com/

or the following article in today’s L.A. Times:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ebell-club-20120115,0,5818773.story

165 years ago,  General Andres Pico and Lt. Colonel John C. Fremont signed the treaty that ended hostilities and brought peace between the American forces and Californios under Mexican Rule. The place: Campo de Cahuenga, in what it now North Hollywood/Studio City. The Campo celebrates this anniversary every year with a Living History event. Witness a re-enactment with actors in costume on the very spot where the historic event happened!

Sunday, January 15 2012
1 p.m – 2:30 p.m.
Free event; everyone welcome.

Campo de Cahuenga
3919 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood 91601

For more information, visit:
http://www.campodecahuenga.com/

The Campo also features an award-winning garden and newly-remodeled adobe. Docent tours are available on Saturdays. (Even if you don’t plan to visit, it’s worth checking out the website, which is very well-done and informative.)