All posts tagged: christina huntington

The Adventure Project

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The forecast called for rain. Not just a chance of sprinkles here and there…full-on El Niño rain blasting with possible freezing temps and snow. After a winter of nothing but broken promises, it seemed our elusive stormy friend was finally arriving to unleash its downpour fury on Southern California. When iPhone declares 100% chance of showers every hour, you know it must be true. In LA, people cancel dinner plans just ten minutes away because they’d rather not “deal with the rain.” But now we were asking our friends to drive two hours outside the city in possible El Niño storms to meet a guy we’d never met and go to an undisclosed location to have an unknown experience—only knowing he was “taking us to the mountains.” I’m pretty sure these are all the things our parents warned us never to do. But, hey, we get to make our own rules now. And after all, we said we wanted an Adventure… We meet at a gas station at the base of the mountains on the way …

Free National Park Week!

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Aside from this glorious pre-summer weather we’re being blessed with in Southern California, all you Mother Nature lovers out there have just been given another reason to strip down and do your sun-worshipping dance! It’s National Park Week—which means you can get into any National Park across the U.S. completely FREE this week! From Saturday April 16th – Sunday April 24th, all parks that normally charge will be waiving their entrance fees. Been wondering about that rare Death Valley superbloom? Go explore for yourself! Been yearning for the epic peaks of Yosemite? Get in the car and go before the summer crowds hit! Longing for the damp moss-covered forests of Muir Woods? Let your inner wood nymph go romp! Big bonus to all you kiddos trekking back from Weekend 1 or out to Weekend 2 of Coachella—you can enjoy free entry into Joshua Tree National Park while you’re out there! Take a break from soaking in the sounds to soak in some beautiful desert stillness. LIFE BONUS: the Lyrid Meteor Shower is also happening this …

Malibu Farm ~ Malibu, CA

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With Spring upon us and Summer close behind, the Southern California beaches are calling! Though it’s not quite warm enough for basking on the sand and splashing in the surf, you can still enjoy a day of seaside fun at the recently renovated Malibu Pier. What was once a run-down ramshackle fishing spot with less-than-stellar dining options has transformed into Malibu’s go-to destination for fresh, farm-to-table eats and treats. Over the past few years, local rancher Helene Henderson bought up the restaurants on either end of the pier, creating Malibu Farm Restaurant and Malibu Farm Pier Café for your dining pleasure. Both establishments specialize in organic fare fresh from local farms. With overlapping menus, the main difference is that you get to choose your own dining style. When you enter onto the pier, Malibu Farm Restaurant is first up. Split onto two sides and decorated in cheery bright beach whites, you can sit at an indoor or outdoor table and be served by their friendly wait staff. If you don’t want to wait to be …

Poppy Hunt ~ Lancaster, CA

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Every spring in California, the magic moment happens. We’d heard the legend for years. Fields of neon orange flowers suddenly exploding into full Technicolor glory in every direction as far as the eye can see. Mountains, hills and every surface ablaze with fiery petals. Enough California poppies to make Dorothy forget about heading to Oz. We knew this generally happens in springtime, though we had never experienced it ourselves. With spotty reports from the park service, but a few promising Instagram updates from friends, we decided to set off on our very own poppy hunt to witness Mama Nature’s majestic springtime pageant. We packed a picnic and off we went…visions of poppy fields dancing in our heads. The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster was our destination, about an hour and half up off the 5 Fwy N. We threw on some good tunes, passed the wild Martian mountains of Vasquez Rocks Park and enjoyed the wind in our hair, the sun on our skin and that thrill of freedom and adventure that always comes …

The Last Bookstore ~ Downtown LA

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Some people collect fancy shoes and designer bags. Some people collect the latest tech toys. Some people collect superhero action figures. I collect vintage books. In a world that has become increasingly digital, virtual and cloud-based as the new normal, I have made it my personal mission to save the world’s beautiful orphaned literature—one book at a time. If you, like me, still love the feeling of holding a REAL BOOK in your hands when you read—smelling the musty paper, feeling the crispness pass through your fingers as you turn each page, folding corners and underlining paragraphs of the passages that sing to you—then you must treat yourself to a visit to LA’s book lover’s paradise, The Last Bookstore. Located Downtown on the corner of 5th & Spring, The Last Bookstore is a giant two-story mecca that feels like an enormous gleeful protest to the rapid disappearance of the art of the paper book. In the midst of the digital revolution, The Last Bookstore is clearly making their final stand. The first floor houses a …

Paramount Ranch ~ Agoura Hills, CA

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Tired of hearing the word “Runyon” after your friends invite you on a hike? Can’t handle the crowds of actors posting vaguely inspirational (mis)quotes as an excuse to sneak in another almost-naked photo of themselves hiking the go-to trail? Well, breathe a giant sigh of relief because we’re here to tell you that you never have to step foot on that over-run Tinder trail again. Plus, it’ll be closed April through July for repairs—so what better time to expand your horizons? For genuine hiking enthusiasts, LA offers endless gorgeous trails throughout all of our many mountain ranges. If you’re looking for something truly unique, then hightail it out to Paramount Ranch. Located just off Kanan on the way to Malibu, Paramount Ranch is part of the Santa Monica Mountains and is overseen by the National Park Service. Most importantly, it’s also an Old West ghost town. Or, more specifically, an Old West Tinsel Town ghost town. Built by Paramount Studios back in the 1920’s to shoot their Western “talkies”, the Wild West facade set has …

Just Float ~ Sensory Deprivation Chamber

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Our mission at Sirens & Scoundrels is to go find every cool off-the-beaten-path adventure and bring it back to you so you can try it yourself. As a meditation teacher, I’m always especially curious about anything that promotes increased presence and self-awareness. So what do those things have to do with locking your naked self in a pitch-black soundproof weightless saltwater chamber voluntarily? Well, step inside and let us show you… Sensory deprivation tanks originated back in the 1950’s as a means to research the brain’s dependence—or lack thereof—on external stimuli. What they discovered is that controlled sensory deprivation (the removal of all external stimulation) over short periods of time had the same effects as entering a meditative state—moving from beta or alpha brainwaves into theta waves for deep relaxation. Starting in the 1980’s, centers began providing float tanks to the public seeking their restorative and rejuvenating properties. Over the years, we have heard about several float centers in L.A. But we knew the time had come to dive in with the opening of Just …

Downtown Field Trip

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Earlier this month, we invited our readers to cut class and ditch work with your resident Ferris Buellers for our first official Sirens & Scoundrels Field Trip. We were beyond thrilled to have an awesome group of artists and innovators come together for a rogue weekday art, food & culture adventure to Downtown LA! Who knew Tuesdays could be so cool? We started our adventure at the new Broad contemporary art museum on Grand. We first wrote about the Broad in our December article: HERE. Many readers wanted to check it out for themselves afterwards, but were surprised that tickets were booked out months in advance. So we decided we’d make it really easy: secure a bunch of tickets and invite people to just show up. This is the best way for you to do it with your friends, too. Tickets are free and you can reserve up to nine at a time, so we suggest that you just take the initiative for your gang and book the earliest date available online: HERE. The good news is …

Le Garage ~ Sausalito, CA

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What’s a Siren or Scoundrel to do when they’re itching for the South of France but also need to pay the rent? Head up to Sausalito and experience the Riviera’s kissing cousin in all its dreamy aquamarine glory. If you really want to set the scene, go straight to Le Garage for a French Bistro dining experience that will leave you asking, “Cannes who?” Sitting right along the waterfront with big white sailboats and shiny yachts glittering and bobbing lazily in the afternoon sun, you can relax with a glass of French rose and dust off those phrases you haven’t used since high school: “Ah oui, Monsieur, je vais tres bien, merci beaucoup. Umm…that’s all that I remember.” Le Garage is a true fine dining experience made refreshingly accessible and delicious. The French owners wanted to bring some of their local comfort foods to the traditional bistro menu. So alongside their exquisitely executed staples like Steak Frites and Salade Nicoise, you’ll also find Country Pork Chops and Crispy Panisse—french fries made from chickpeas. The highlight …

California’s French Riviera ~ Sausalito & Marin, CA

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One of the greatest joys of living in California is that you can hop in your car at a moment’s notice and create the instant epic road trip of your dreams. Snow, surf, forest, mountains, desert—whatever your heart desires, it’s right here for the taking. And if you’re like us and dream of wearing stripes while sipping rosé by the waterfront in Nice, then it’s time to head up to Northern California for a taste of the French Riviera in our own backyard! We feel the call of Northern California quite often. Big fans of a road trip, we answer that call by piling our gang into our (eco-friendly) cars and making the drive up the coast. It’s the perfect time to get in some 80’s-power-ballad sing-alongs, have some deep and meaningfuls, explore sleepy unknown towns and their many dried fruit & nut options, and of course—catch up on Serial and backlogged This American Life episodes. On our last trip up, even though we were seeing Hall & Oates play The Greek in Berkeley, we …

All Space Considered ~ Griffith Observatory

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So, it’s time for us to come clean….we at Sirens & Scoundrels are actually big secret space nerds. How can you possibly see pictures of the cosmos (like the ones below from NASA) and not have your mind absolutely blown away by how unfathomably complex and mysterious the universe is—and how miniscule we are amongst it? How can you not be filled with an undying thirst to want to know more—how it all came to be and why we still have so few concrete answers even with all of our advancements in technology? If you have ever seriously wondered about the mysteries of the universe and our place in it, but don’t have time to go back to school for astronomy…we have something wonderful to let you in on. Once a month, the Griffith Observatory holds a free space talk. Not just a talk—but a fun, lively, often hilarious roundtable of respected scientists (seriously, we had no idea scientists could be so funny) breaking down all the latest space news in a way that we …

Sirens & Scoundrels March Field Trip ~ The Broad

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Remember that thrill of getting to cut class, load up on a bus with your pals and head out for a day of adventuring—all in the name of furthering your education? Do you ever miss the joys of a good old-fashioned field trip? If so, you’re in luck! Because we’re extremely excited to announce our very first official Sirens & Scoundrels Field Trip! You’re invited to come join us on a group adventure Downtown to visit The Broad museum on Tuesday, March 8th, 2016. Tickets are totally FREE and can be reserved by emailing us at: sirensandscoundrels@gmail.com. Just let us know that you wanna join our field trip! We’ll check out some art, get in some culture and then head on over to Grand Central Market for the deliciousness of your choosing. We’d love to have you join our art gang! Come cut class with your resident Ferris Buellers—we promise you won’t regret it. After all…life moves pretty fast—if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. The Broad …

The Old Place ~ Cornell, CA

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Here at Sirens & Scoundrels, we’re dedicated to bringing you only the best of the off-the-beaten path adventures that LA has to offer. We love to bring you secret hidden places that you never knew existed that are just waiting to be discovered sitting in your own back yard. Well today, you’ve hit the Motherload. Because we’re sharing our most secret, most hidden, most favorite place in all of Los Angeles. Universally, when people step foot in the Old Place, they want to know “HOW ON EARTH HAVE I NEVER KNOWN ABOUT THIS PLACE BEFORE??!” That was a lot of caps, but it’s true. But don’t beat yourself up for not knowing about it. See, that’s the thing with a secret—it’s a secret, until you get let in on it. It has to be shared. Just a little ways up Kanan in the mountains of Agoura Hills, the Old Place is an old general store and post office turned steak and clam house that’s been a staple in these parts for 46 years. Run by …

Wolf Connection ~ Acton, CA

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Does the Month of Love have you feeling the call of the wild? Looking for that perfect hot date to get your blood pumping and make your temperature rise? Wanna let your inner beast out to play? Well, we’ve got just what you need to satisfy your cravings. If you’re ready to TRULY take a walk on the wild side, then grab the one you love (or the one you’d like to love) and head over to the Wolf Connection for their once-a-month Hike With the Pack. Located in Acton just 45 minutes north of LA, the Wolf Connection rescues and rehabilitates wolves and wolf dogs from across the country. The sanctuary is home to about 30 wolves, most of which are neglected and abused domestic rescues from owners who didn’t get that wolves and dogs are not the same thing. But luckily, the incredible staff here at the Wolf Connection is dedicated to making sure that their adoptees get a second chance at life, nursing them back to health and heartiness with loving care …

Vegan Comfort Food ~ Lentil & Sweet Potato Salad

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So, this dish is pretty legendary amongst our friends. It seems inconspicuous enough at first glance—lentils in a bowl. Big whoop. Until you bite into it. Then universally everyone asks, “Wait, WHAT’S IN THIS?!” Quickly followed by, “Can you give me the recipe?” after going back for thirds. This is quite possibly one of the simplest meals you will ever make, but it is just undeniably delicious. It’s healthy vegan comfort food that settles deep down into your bones and feels like a big warm food hug. The secret is the richness of the roasted sweet potatoes combined with the unexpected creamy tanginess of the lentils cooked in olive oil and apple cider vinegar. I know people who have literally lived off this dish after being introduced to it. And it’s so easy ANYONE can make it. You ready? Here goes… Serves 6 INGREDIENTS~ 2-3 medium-large sweet potatoes 3 cups soaked or pre-cooked lentils (I use 1 bag of Trader Joes pre-cooked lentils) 1 bag of arugula (optional) olive oil unfiltered apple cider vinegar everyday …

Museum Free-For-All

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If one of your resolutions was to get up close and personal with more art this year, congratulations! Your hour has come! This Saturday, January 30th, you and your friends can get into over 30 museums in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas totally free as part of the 11th Annual Museums Free-For-All. It’s the perfect opportunity to check out that museum you’ve always been curious about but never tried or visit an old favorite and explore their collections. General admission is free, but special exhibition tickets are not included and parking fees are still required where applicable. Here is the official list of participating museums from So Cal Museums: Annenberg Space for Photography Armory Space for Photography Autry Museum of the American West (Includes free admission to the Autry in Griffith Park & Autry’s historic Southwest Museum Mt. Washington campus) The Broad California African American Museum California Science Center (Does not apply to specially ticketed exhibitions or IMAX films. Timed reservations are required for space shuttle Endeavour.) Craft & Folk Art Museum (Sun, January …

The Lake Shrine ~ Pacific Palisades, CA

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A picturesque wooden windmill resting atop a blue lagoon. Gushing waterfalls cascading down lush green tropical hillsides. White swans floating gracefully along a glassy lake as dragonflies skip and chase each other. A sprawling rose garden bursting in full Technicolor rainbow bloom. And a sweet gentle hush of stillness so deep you’d swear you entered another dimension. And maybe you’re right. There is definitely something other-dimensional about this place. But luckily, you don’t have to book an international or intergalactic flight to experience all of its tranquil magic. This little piece of hidden Heaven is right here in our own backyard. Tucked away behind an unassuming wood gate just above where Sunset meets PCH in Pacific Palisades, the Lake Shrine Temple has been helping people cultivate inner stillness since its origins in 1950. Founded by yogi Paramahansa Yogananda as the Los Angeles flagship of his Self Realization Fellowship, the Lake Shrine Temple’s 10-acre grounds provide the perfect environment for contemplation, meditation, inner reflection and connecting to whatever Higher Power you believe in. Open to people …

Cabin Feasting

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With winter finally hitting Los Angeles, it’s time to plan your next cabin excursion with friends. We’re so lucky that in California we have a million options for local getaways where the cabin game runs strong. So if you’ve got a cool case of Cabin Fever coming on (and really, who doesn’t?), then go check out Idyllwild, Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead, Yosemite, Mammoth, the Sequoias…or all of the above! This week, we shared our recent New Year’s adventure to idyllic Idyllwild with you. One of our favorite parts was getting to stay at a beautiful snowy treehouse cabin in the woods with friends. The great thing about being tucked away in a secluded cabin somewhere for a few days is that you get full permission to rest, relax and rejuvenate. Sacred time to just unplug, hunker down and, of course…chow down. And that’s really our favorite part. Grab your gang, have everyone bring some groceries to cook up their favorite mountain meal and enjoy a weekend of culinary adventuring. On our Idyllwild trip, we hit …

Campfire Cider

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We were introduced to this mouth-blowing apple cider while on a beach camping trip with friends. (Yes, we just made up “mouth-blowing”, but that’s exactly how it feels drinking this cider.) One of our resident Sirens, Alexa, whipped out a bottle of rich dark brown swirling magic with cloved orange rinds that she’d been spice-infusing overnight. She threw it on the camping stove and lives were changed that night as we huddled around the bonfire, warmed from inside by what felt like Christmas in a cup. The recipe is kept loose, meant to be open to your unique spice preference. The key here is the infusing process—letting the cider marinate in the spices in advance for a good many hours before heating and serving, creating a robust and complex cider experience beyond anything you’ve tasted before.   INGREDIENTS~ -1 gallon Apple Cider – fresh-pressed, not from concentrate -Spice Blend to taste (add slowly and keep tasting): Cardamom – we used the green pods even though you have to shell them Star anise Ground clove Ground …

Breakfast Baked Potato (with Vegan Option)

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This December, I woke up one morning and decided I wanted to combine my two favorite deep-winter comfort foods: baked potatoes and breakfast eggs. And just like that, my Breakfast Baked Potatoes were born. I began serving them to friends as December got chillier & chillier, culminating at our New Year’s cabin getaway to Idyllwild. It’s such a simple dish, but people lose their minds over it. We seriously had people moaning at the breakfast table. Plus, it’s the perfect hearty meal that easily keeps you going all day long while satisfying you deep down into your soul. The following recipe is how I like to make it, but feel free to experiment with ingredients and make it your own. Serves 6 INGREDIENTS ~ 6 medium-large Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes 6 organic eggs 1 large white or yellow onion 1 carton of cherry tomatoes 1 carton of mushrooms 1 bag of fresh spinach leaves 1-2 garlic cloves (optional) Olive oil Salt & pepper to taste ASSEMBLY ~ Preheat oven to 350°. Rinse and scrub …

Mountain Escape ~ Idyllwild, CA

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After many years of patiently waiting, winter has finally decided to grace us with her presence in Southern California. The recent rainstorms have brought fresh snow throughout our local mountain ranges…just in time for everyone to go back to work. For those of you suffering from Mountain Fever and looking for a quick and easy weekend getaway, we’ve got just the thing for you. But here’s the catch: you have to promise to keep this between us, okay? Purposely kept extremely hush-hush within the mountaining crowd, Idyllwild is a quaint and charming artists’ colony located just two hours east of LA in the San Jacinto Mountains above Palm Springs. It’s such a hidden gem that we debated even writing about it. But since we are sworn to provide you with the inside scoop on all things off-the-beaten-path-awesome in California, our sense of duty won out in the end. So without further ado, may we present: Idyllwild, the place to make all your mountain dreams come true. The first thing you should know is Idyllwild is …

Gluten-Free Apple Crumble (with Vegan option)

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If you want to be the guaranteed hit of your next winter gathering, look no further than this Apple Crumble recipe. I’ve been perfecting this recipe for some time now and it never fails to be the sure-fire crowd (and stomach) pleaser at any party. I offer it to you here so that you can spread this edible joy in a baking dish to the ones you love and feel that immense satisfaction as they come back for seconds and thirds, scraping the dish clean. Even though I eat flour, I adapted this into a gluten-free recipe for my many GF friends and to be honest, I prefer it this way now. Even when I don’t have gluten-free guests, I opt to make the GF topping because it’s lighter and melts away in your mouth perfectly. A simple switch of vegan sticks in place of butter can turn it into an instant and unexpected vegan dessert. It’s rare to find a dessert that has that same deeply soul-satisfying taste once it gets translated to gluten-free and vegan, but this …

Holiday Gathering ~ Gingerbread House Party

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Every November as Thanksgiving approaches, the emails and texts start rolling in, all asking the same question—“When is Gingerbread this year?!” A tradition a couple decades in the making, this kiddo-like party has become THE hot Holiday ticket for all of my grown-up friends, who clear their calendars each year to make sure they can be in attendance. What could possibly be so amazing about sticking a candy house together with some edible goop, you ask? EVERYTHING. My mom started this tradition with my older brother and I when we were just kids growing up here in LA. Of course, at eight years old being given permission to make a house made entirely out of candy and then EAT IT is the most amazing thing that could ever happen. Especially for kids raised on tofu dogs and no-sugar cereal. As teenagers, the Huntington Gingerbread House Making Party really just became an excuse to mix our friend groups of guys and girls. Space was limited around the table and my girlfriends clamored for a chance to sit …

The Broad ~ Downtown LA

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If you’ve been wondering about those mysterious photos of your friends seemingly floating amongst infinite cosmic light that have been popping up all over your feeds this fall, it’s time to trot yourself down to The Broad (like “road” with a “b”) museum and experience it for yourself. The newest arrival on the contemporary art scene, The Broad is already a hot-ticket destination for the city’s trendsetters, who flock through the doors each day to take in the likes of Warhol, Basquiat, Lichtenstein and Koons, amongst a plethora of modern art heavy hitters. Built from scratch to host the 2000-piece art collection of Eli and Edythe Broad, the museum opened in September 2015 and has become an architectural destination in and of itself. Located adjacent to the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown LA, the Diller Scofidio + Renfro designed museum boasts a huge looming perforated metallic “honeycomb” exterior that adds even more wow factor to your walk down Grand Avenue—the two enormous landmarks at once opposing and complimentary. The interior is everything a modern …

Winter Picnic ~ Malibu Wines

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When the leaves turn colors and start falling from the trees and that winter chill finally hits the air after those hot October nights, there’s nothing better than layering up in your wooly finest and heading out for a winter picnic with friends. Our favorite spot to gather for some lazy mid-winter’s revelry is Malibu Wines. A local vineyard tucked away in the Malibu Mountains just off of Kanan, Malibu Wines offers a sprawling picnic area complete with farm tables, chairs and flaming heat lamps to cuddle up and get cozy around. Lay out a sumptuous spread, sample some house wines, take in the live music and soak in the glorious afternoon. Order a couple bottles of wine for your table or try individual “flights” from the wine tasting bar. You can pick the flight of your choice and sample wines at your own pace throughout the day. Outside alcohol is understandably not allowed in, but you are welcome to bring any non-alcoholic beverages with you. We highly recommend bringing plenty of water to make …

Stargazing ~ Joshua Tree, CA

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Looking for a fun, easy, affordable excursion to entertain your out-of-town visitors this Holiday season? Jump in the car and head out to Joshua Tree for a night of midwinter stargazing! Less than two hours away, Joshua Tree is one of our favorite places to get away from it all and get in touch with that deep desert stillness that always stirs the soul. In these winter months, the best way to camp out is in a little desert hacienda—so you can be sure to stay toasty and warm when it comes time for sleeping. Joshua Desert Retreats has become our go-to purveyor of desert retreat houses. With twelve adorable, well-appointed and very affordable rental properties ranging in occupancy from 2 to 14 people, they have every kind of getaway home to fit your needs. All houses come with fully stocked kitchens, so you never have to leave the property unless you want to. So cooking and sharing meals together becomes a part of the fun. Most houses also include an outdoor fireplace, pool and …

Go Rogue! ~ Opt Outside on Black Friday

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This Friday, instead of facing the real-life version of The Walking Dead at your local retailers–witnessing throngs of people stampeding each other in a crazed daze for a cheap(er) wide-screen TV…why not reclaim your sanity (and your humanity) and Opt Outside instead? REI started this inspired movement by pledging to close its doors on Black Friday and #OptOutside in an effort to get families to bond out in nature instead of under glaring fluorescent lights buying a bunch of crap no one needs. You can find awesome hikes in your area just by entering your zip code here. Save the Redwoods League has even upped the ante—offering free day passes to 49 California State Redwood Parks in Northern California. Happily, there has been an overwhelming response to this rogue reclaiming of the day after Thanksgiving and some park passes have already sold out. But there are still plenty of parks available. You can find a list here. For those of us in Southern California looking for a place to spend November 27 in peace, we have some …

Rain Room ~ LACMA

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For a city in the midst of a Megadrought, there is something strangely poetic about going to a museum to visit the rain. In Rain Room, LACMA’s latest interactive environment exhibit from their Art + Technology initiative, that’s essentially what we’re doing. When Random International originated the concept in London in 2012, followed by an insanely popular run at MoMA in NYC, it’s probably not what they had in mind. But just as every great work of art changes in relationship to its environment, this is no exception. What could be just a really cool sensory experience anywhere else, within the context of Los Angeles begins to take on a larger meaning. Our first piece of advice is to go in knowing as little as possible. So honestly, you should just stop reading right now, buy yourself a ticket through this link and go. Trust us on this one… Still reading? Okay, so you like to be prepared. In that case, we’ll let you in on a few key tips for getting the most out …

Apple Picking Season ~ Oak Glen, CA

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Every Fall I go apple picking. And each time I come back with my bags of apples and Mile-High Apple Pie in tow, everyone asks, “WAIT!—You can go apple picking in LA?” YES. Yes you can. Meet Oak Glen, CA. Nestled up in the mountains about an hour & a half east of Los Angeles, the folks in Oak Glen have been growing apples since 1867. If you imagine Autumn-in-Vermont Pioneer Village meets 1950’s Frozen-in-Time Americana, you’ve got Oak Glen. It’s a magic combo that makes you feel like you’ve just stepped inside a Charles Wysocki puzzle. Located a mile up the mountain, this 5-mile loop of sweet old-fashioned apple orchards actually experiences all four seasons beyond just “warm and warmer”. Official apple picking season runs September to November, when the trees explode with ripe juicy apples of every flavor and the surrounding landscape bursts into an impressive show of bright yellows, reds and oranges. The best time for apple picking is the start of the season. But if you wait until later, there is …

Apple Bake

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Returning from our recent day-trip to Oak Glen’s apple orchards with massive bags of farm-fresh apple bounty in hand, our Sirens were inspired to turn our treasures into tasty treats. We invited the ladies over for a leisurely afternoon of apple baking, followed by a roundtable tasting with our Sirens and Scoundrels. There were some soul-stirring gems, as well as some disasters. (TIP: Guava and apples don’t mix.) We’re sharing the best of the bake-off with you here. Try our recipes out yourself at your next Autumn-into-Winter dinner party. Happy baking!           CLICK LINKS BELOW FOR APPLE BAKING RECIPES~ Apple Castles Gluten-Free Apple Crumble (with Vegan option) Vegan Sugarless Apple Oat Cookies >>For your baking pleasure, enjoy these Farm Fresh Folk tunes!<< Be sure to subscribe to Sirens & Scoundrels for more awesome recipes & adventures delivered straight to you! Enter your email address on our home page & hit “SUBSCRIBE”!  Follow us on Instagram: @sirensandscoundrels Words by Christina Huntington // Photography by Sarah Prikryl © 2015 Sirens and Scoundrels