We've been coming here for years and we stopped in here recently, finally…read more I've been a history buff for years. Yeah, I'm a nerd like that. But I also like to see the gemstones and minerals from a long time ago too. I make jewelry for family and friends, so I know alot about it. It's neat to see artifacts from years ago. We checked out the exhibits. It's small but you can learn a thing or two. Glad that we stopped in. We wanted a break from the 20 bus loads of teenagers at the Park.

I had no idea this museum had it's own Yelp entry since it's in Knotts Berry Farm. Nonetheless,…read moreyeah, this is a pretty impressive museum. It's packed. Even the ceiling.... If you're a die-hard Knotts fan you'll recognize art by Paul von Kleiben, mockups of larger attractions, historical items 150+ years old and more. My favorite part is bringing kitty treats. The cats of Knotts spend their day sleeping in the protected courtyard, but some will come close for a treat.

I've taken Studio 105's Acting Classes with Steven and Cruz Teaches Improv. Both classes have been…read moreso helpful with building my confidence. I am not an actor and I'd never taken an improv class before. I signed up because I struggle with overthinking when speaking in front of others. These classes have really helped me feel less anxious and, instead, supported by others. I was even able to participate in my team's improv showcase due to the support of my team and instructor. My next round of improv with Cruz starts tonight!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAWESOME TEACHER!! I took classes with him in I think 18 or 17 when my other acting…read moreteacher moved out of state. his classes are so friggin fun and beneficial! I was trying to find him again but it looks like he may be on hiatus. I will be sure to try again soon and hopefully he will still teach. if not all the best to Cruz and his family! :-)

This is my second Star Wars Celebration. The first one I went to was in LA…read more.. Perhaps the difference between Los Angeles and Anaheim is relevant but it is also... Disney took over. This one wasn't nearly as much fun. It was more families and less sexy stormtrooper parties (yes, that is a thing). The biggest disappointment is that the ONE official Celebration store was so overwhelmed and underprepared that it was closed after the first full day. When we tried to go in, there was an absolutely enormous line just to enter and truly frightening lines to check out, so we just walked away. There also weren't as many interesting panels this time or big events/organized parties. It was basically shopping at a giant Star Wars garage sale. Which is still not a bad way to spend a day. The food options at this one were much improved as well. And I did come home with some very cool geek toys. MTFBWY!

The year 2022 was a huge success. I was fortunate enough to see and attend Obi-Wan Kenobi's red…read morecarpet world premiere. Security and event staff need to be more organized. They always seemed to be clueless about what was going on or how to handle a situation. This is the only issue I have with the event. The rest of it is fantastic. There's so much to see and do. Pro Tip: Even if you live close by, as I do. Choose a hotel that is close to the event and I mean basically next door like the Marriott or Hilton. The Marriott was where we stayed. It was well worth the money because you will be exhausted and hungry at the end of each day and it save so much time. We walked out of the event and were in our hotel or restaurant in less than 5 minutes. You can easily do that multiple times a day without hassle and using a car.

Eh... where were the cherry blossoms? :'(…read more That may have been a downer for this event, but I still had a very enjoyable and fun time at this festival. It was my first Japanese culture festival here in Little Tokyo (surprisingly I didn't get a chance to go these past few years). I absolutely love Japanese culture... so when I saw the lolita fashion show, and the incredibly high voice of the cute girl doing the ro-sham-bo contest, I was excited. Hands down my favorite part of the festival had to have been the food. Dogzilla was really good, and the okonomiyaki was savory and tasty (although one could have fed two people... if only I could have yelped it before hand, lol). And yes, I did try the Kirin and sake at the 21+ garden. Mhmmmmm We came for the Photogenic dog contest... and damn, so many cute and energetic dogs everywhere!! Congrats to Bailey for the win, though I'm sad Billy didn't place...

The 2011 Cherry Blossom Festival Southern California was postponed from its original dates on April…read more2 and 3 2011 to September 24 and 25 because of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan March 11, 2011. The theme was "Blossoms in the Fall." Months ago I did not know about the cancellation until I walked around Little Tokyo and finding no festival. I did go this year with a friend and later with my family on the same day. The festival was at the parking lot near the Metro Station near Alameda Ave and Temple. In previous years (I've only lived in LA for three) the festival was within the Little Tokyo neighborhood, which was quite nice because it made the village seem so lively and busy and so much going on especially since it is around the businesses. There seemed to be fewer vendors this year. Komodo was the only food truck at the festival. There was really affordable food at the festival, but nothing exciting...we left the festival to get some food anyhow. Entry to the festival is $1. It does cost quite a bit to put on a festival and maybe this is part of their fundraising efforts to rebuild Japan. The festival is also staffed entirely by volunteers. The origami cranes you see around tables or around the festival is their Japan Rebuild - 10,000 Paper Cranes. People make cranes, donate them, and make more at the festival and it sells for $1 with a message. All proceeds go to Japan Rebuild, which the Cherry Blossom Festival made a five year commitment to support. I took my niece and nephew to the kids crafts zone and for $1 I kept them busy. The interactive storytelling kept me awake because, to be honest, watching my niece and nephew color was like watching paint dry. I decided to leave them to their parents (my sister and husband) while I checked out the rest of the festival. There were four stages with nearly constant stuff going on: Blossom Stage, J-Pop Stage, Martial Arts Stage, and Hawaiian Village Stage. I usually just catch a little of this and that...a little ondo and dancing, music, performances, fashion shows, etc. The festival was nice. It's nice to see a bit of Japanese culture through the festival. Some cultural festivals are geared towards people of the culture presented. Some cultural festivals foster awareness among the community. I've been to a handful of festivals in Los Angeles. Cherry Blossom Festival was another reason for me to visit Little Tokyo (though I visit pretty frequently).

I may not have gone if I knew it was "children's theater" but every element was outstanding,…read morestaging, choreography, lighting, sets, music. I could not always understand the dialogue, but I am a huge fan after seeing their last performance of Urinetown.

The staff is wonderful! My son really enjoys going to his rehearsals and spending time with new…read morefriends. Highly recommend going to their plays and volunteering your time if possible.

While visiting LACMA for another exhibit, I noticed Metropolis II on the first floor of the BCAM…read more When I asked one of the museum personnel if it ever ran, he told me to come back at 1:30 and it would operate for an hour. This was a Friday. Precisely at 1:30, a woman entered the inner part of the sculpture and started the different areas to send the 1,100 cars along the 18 highways that make up Metropolis II. She also gets the small trains running that are closer to the floor. Make sure you walk up the steps and look down and watch the cars as they go up the ramp and then split to the individual highways. I was in awe of the precision needed to get this running the way it does and the planning needed to pull it off. After about 10 minutes, I had watched enough and the kid in me was satisfied. Besides, I had to get to DTLA to check in to my hotel.

The image of cars and trains zooming along elevated, crisscrossing roadways and tracks and hulking…read moreskyscrapers rising up out of a dense cityscape have been fixtures of the dystopian imagination ever since Fritz Lang, in his 1927 silent movie classic, Metropolis, combined grand scale and modern malaise in a way that has indelibly cast the worst of what's to come in urban terms. For this reason, it would be hard not to hark back to Lang's work; but, Chris Burden, additionally, has also deliberately referenced Lang's masterpiece by name. This might be a dubious (and even a failed) move by an artist out to score cheap points if Metropolis II, in its mass of fabricated steel, aluminum, wood, and plastic weren't, in actuality, such a dead-on reminder of Lang's cinematic original. Although Metropolis II is a sculpture, it is a kinetic one (complete with a flow of traffic and frenetic movements that dramatize its message very purposefully) and that, unquestionably, reveals its essence much more than a static presence ever could. When all of the switches have been turned on and its more than 1,000 miniature cars zip by on its 18 roadways that curl around an assortment of skyscrapers and buildings, Chris Burden's sculpture becomes a visual wonder to behold. Magnetically powered and traveling at 240 scale miles per hour (a ridiculous speed that makes it difficult for the eyes to follow), the cars, amazingly, do not crash into each other or sit helplessly in an immense traffic jam (as in some sort of future "carmageddon"). Instead, there is a gapless fluidity to the breakneck movements. The lone train, pulsing by at a much reduced speed, provides a calming baseline. Given its sheer size and intricate design, awe starts to inevitably creep in as one walks around the huge contraption. Who would not marvel at its inner workings? Who can avoid trying to discern how it is pieced together or not gawk at the various levels of roadways and tracks to admire their spellbinding juxtaposition, metallic hues, the dazzling colors of the model buildings, or at the beautiful multi-tiered components of the skyscrapers? On a mezzanine level, museum goers can even view Metropolis II from above (as if doing a traffic report). Metropolis II is, supposedly, Chris Burden's vision of what Los Angeles might look like in five to ten years (with a burst of infrastructure and a network of even more freeways elevated above street-level and with what Burden describes as driverless cars that only carry passengers). Driverless technology already exists; but, Burden sees this technology being exponentially exploited to create seamless, coordinated high speed travel that would end all gridlock. Unlike Lang's vision, Burden's vision of a future Metropolis is less dystopian if for no other reason than the fact that L.A.'s ongoing traffic headaches are seemingly solved. It is a hopeful vision that Fritz Lang, in all likelihood, would have understood...even if he never did frustratingly endure rush hour traffic on the 405.

Closed! The Hollywood museum is open. This location is…read moreclosed because the city will not pay for security guard. Call or email your council member to complain. So many wonderful treasures of LA history and it's closed to the public.

This museum is a little hidden gem in the heart of San Pedro Little Italy…read more It is located on a corner of the City Hall Building for Council District # 15 and it is only open on Fridays and Saturdays, but well worth a visit, especially if you have children. I truly enjoyed the tour with the very knowledgeable Chief Gordon (Gordie): he explained in detail the story of the most particular artifacts and you can detect from his words how passionate he is about his job. One of the pieces I loved the most was a poignant painting in which all the faces of the firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11 were depicted. It was such a touching tribute! The Museum also has some historic engines and uniforms, as well as some firetrucks. If you are in the area, please stop for a visit and leave a small donation. It is a small thank you for the volunteers who work hard to preserve the local history.

National Dance Day was held at Los Cerritos Center, in front of Nordstroms. The event was hosted…read moreby Casey McCabe, from 97.1 FM AMP Radio http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/national-dance-day-cerritos#l0TorSk7EZqpdyKydUg4MQ AMP Radio was kind enough to give me a snazzy tank top, which I'll be glad to sport around http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/national-dance-day-cerritos#Z7WKczqGvwk7Z5fCPouaGw DanceFit Direct conducted 2 Zumba sessions at 12:10 & 2:30 http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/national-dance-day-cerritos#uZM_t22JIDCNBfp2tMrbXw Other performances included Amor de Mexico, iDance Studio & Maya Room Dance Studio. U-Jam Fitness concluded the festivities with a Hip Hop Dance session. Not being a wallflower, I did both Zumba sessions & the Hip Hip Dance. Dressed in my civvies (khaki pants & collar shirt) & being the only dude dancing, I still rocked that shiznit! I shook my moneymaker like I was covered with fire ants. Sweating like a politician, I had a great time dancing & getting my heartrate up! Vendor booths were on hand, promoting their respective businesses. New York & Co. was having a 50% off everything sale at their stores. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/national-dance-day-cerritos#8tMtl1rMaAsRhXMkbCFMQA Cinnabon gave out samples of their Wild Berry Cinnamon Rolls & Iced Mocha http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/national-dance-day-cerritos#l4zUROC6AKFtcLEX5GJpYQ http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/national-dance-day-cerritos#SdS0LJULNSx7FLqozMeytw Teavana had samples of their Pineapple Dragonfruit herbal tea, which was a lifesaver after all that dancing I did. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/national-dance-day-cerritos#9pWqKstOqpdtgXekGU0rRA Skinfood gave out jello cups to passersby http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/national-dance-day-cerritos#5od78eM5Z2vFnLF0t0dl3A Godiva gave out chocolate truffles, of which I got around 4 http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/national-dance-day-cerritos#sibL2Zh1pBNYP7hFt3Wp2w Hot Dog On A Stick gave out samples of their lemonade & coupons http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/national-dance-day-cerritos#AfRNGG1eV57vd-7hXhat2A Burke Williams gave out free passes to their day spa & I received a free hand massage. Yogurtland had froyo samples & coupons for 3 oz free. I later redeemed the coupon and, even though my froyo weighed 3.2 oz, they gave it to me for free ;p Raffles were held every half hour, with yours truly winning a Zumba shirt & bracelets from DanceFit Direct http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/national-dance-day-cerritos#Jb91mfuG86zFdgnR7hx8lw http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/national-dance-day-cerritos#vMPovJbIcRGC0DvV5i-vZQ The big prize were tickets to Drake & Lil Wayne from AMP Radio. Congrats to the winner! I'm kinda glad I didn't win them, because I'd probably get shot at before/during/or after the concert J/K A fun event that promotes exercise & being active, National Dance Day was a hit. I had a great time dancing & enjoying all the samples & festivities. Highly recommend!