All posts tagged: outing

Sunset Swim~ The Annenberg Community Beach House

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Words by Christina Huntington // Photography by Sarah Prikryl Our favorite summer swim nights are back at The Annenberg Community Beach House! Don’t miss the first of three adult swim parties beginning in August!  If you ever wished you could’ve been alive in the days when you drove your woodie down to the beach for a surfin’ safari and a little beach blanket bingo, then your time has finally come. The Annenberg Community Beach House is a throwback to the days when cool guys and gals gathered on the shores to enjoy some California fun in the sun. Open daily to the public during the summer months, the Annenberg Community Beach House is still somehow one of LA’s best-kept secrets. A gorgeous pool. On the beach. Right in the heart of Santa Monica. Open to everyone. It’s almost too good to be true. It has a rich history, too. The Beach House is actually on the old Marion Davies Estate, the beachside love pad built by William Randolph Hearst for his silent film starlet mistress back in the …

The 14th Factory

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Words by Christina Huntington // Photography by Sarah Prikryl  If you ever wished you could combine a haunted Halloween funhouse with a large-scale multi-media international modern art installation (minus the chainsaws and hulking guys in masks breathing down your neck), your wish has finally come true. Full of thrilling discoveries and suspense around each new darkened corner, The 14th Factory is an art-lover’s moody paradise—combining video, sound design and both static and interactive immersive environments to create an art experience truly unlike any other. Envisioned by British-born, Hong Kong-based artist Simon Birch in collaboration with global artists from China, Hong Kong, the US, the UK and Canada, The 14th Factory asks you to step inside a nondescript seemingly abandoned warehouse located in a forgotten part of Los Angeles and follow the path it leads you down…armed with little more than the promise of experiencing a Hero’s Journey. The black box entrance greets you with a brief introduction written on the walls where you are handed a map and then let loose to discover what secrets await. Funneling onto …

Sunset Swim ~ The Annenberg Community Beach House

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If you ever wished you could’ve been alive in the days when you drove your woodie down to the beach for a surfin’ safari and a little beach blanket bingo, then your time has finally come. The Annenberg Community Beach House is a throwback to the days when cool guys and gals gathered on the shores to enjoy some California fun in the sun. Open daily to the public during the summer months, the Annenberg Community Beach House is still somehow one of LA’s best-kept secrets. A gorgeous pool. On the beach. Right in the heart of Santa Monica. Open to everyone. It’s almost too good to be true. It has a rich history, too. The Beach House is actually on the old Marion Davies Estate, the beachside love pad built by William Randolph Hearst for his silent film starlet mistress back in the Golden Age of Hollywood. The pool is the estate’s original, all marble and tile refurbished by hand. Marion’s lavish guest house still stands and you can tour it during the day. …

Highland Park Bowl ~ Highland Park, CA

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In a city that habitually tears down our beloved historic spaces in favor of erecting yet another strip mall full of dry cleaners and spray tan salons, we gladly give our full support to any business that stands for the preservation of our architectural history. So when we heard that Highland Park Bowl had recently opened after a major preservation project, we knew we had to take the new digs for a spin and go knock some pins around. Located on Figueroa in a burgeoning strip of Highland Park, Highland Park Bowl really does feel like stepping back in time. From the moment you enter the wrought iron gates under the peeling-paint façade, it’s as if the decades instantly begin to roll away behind you with each step until you find yourself right smack in the middle of a bygone era, perhaps meeting Nick Carraway for some tales and a stiff one over a game of tenpin. The original establishment dates back to 1927, giving it the unique distinction of being the oldest bowling alley …

Camp Cooking ~ Lentil Stew (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

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With summer in full swing, it’s time to go camping! Last week, I let you in on a delicious, quick and easy campout breakfast idea: Hayley’s Crave-Worthy Banana Fritters. As promised, I am continuing to divulge all of my Campout Secrets. There’s nothing like a warm home-cooked meal, especially after a day in the sun. After mountain hiking, dog chasing and river plunging all day, the act of gathering around a glorious campfire in your dusty clothes with an iced beverage in hand is so satisfying.  While the sun sets over the mountains and through the trees, the harmony of the crickets and crackling fire are hypnotizing as you smell supper ready to be devoured. What could satiate better than a piping hot bowl of delicious hearty stew? My favorite camp eats to cook are always quick and easy, no-fuss, healthy hot-pots. The last thing you want to think about when you’re hungry and ready for some serious campfire lounging is making a complicated dinner for the crew. My recipe for delicious Lentil Stew is probably the easiest camp food you will ever eat. It is so hearty, …

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 …

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 …

Say Cheese! ~Your Self-Help Guide to Cheese Pairings

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This one is for all you cheese lovers out there. Spoiler Alert: This article may trigger impulsive behavior. It may induce intense cheese board fantasies–forcing you to go buy large chunks of cheese, then gather all your friends to eat said cheese while enjoying the best day of your adult lives. Because what’s up with being an adult if you can’t eat as much cheese as you want, whenever you want to? Maybe that’s why I like to create moments that make me feel as if I’m living a life of leisure: lounging in a farmhouse…on a vineyard…in the south of France (where they supposedly have 452 official kinds of different cheese). My favorite thing in the world is sitting down with friends at sunset over a cheese board and a glass of Rosé. Because really, cheese just makes everything better. I want to take your taste buds on an adventure. In solidarity over our mutual cheese obsession, we’ll learn the nitty-gritty about what makes a good cheese pairing. And what could be better than enticing your friends into the …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …