The Whitefire theatre is also a teaching theatre. They have provided professional training in acting, hosting, comedy, and musical theatre for over 20 years. Kids can take classes here too with shows written specifically for each class in order to tailor the performances to the uniqueness of each child and class as a whole. This little theatre offers so much; it is definitely worth looking into!

It is located at 13500 Ventura Boulevard, which is only 13 minutes away from Balboa RV Park. What a great thing to do on a night where you do not want to drive too far for some live entertainment! You have got to love Los Angeles because there is always so much to do!

For more information go to: http://www.whitefiretheatre.com/Whitefire.html

Balboa RV Park was honored to have such an amazing musician and artist be our guest! He has played and written songs for the legendary John Denver.  His most notable song written for John Denver was a number 1 hit on the charts, “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” but the first song Denver recorded was “The River of Love”.  This amazing talent who played instruments such as the fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo and harmonica in Denver’s band is John Sommers. We are so excited to have the privilege to see John Sommers play tomorrow night at the Hermosa Beach Playhouse and we would love for you to come by and enjoy the show with us!

The Scottish Fiddlers of Los Angeles’ 2013 Annual Spring Concert begins at 7:30 and tickets are $10 for adults. The address is Hermosa Beach Playhouse 710 Pier Avenue Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. From Balboa RV Park, the Playhouse is about a 40-minute drive. www.scottishfiddlers.org

If you miss out tomorrow, then you have another chance to see John Sommers next weekend at the Escondido Center for the Arts. It is located at 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido, CA 92025. 800-988-4253 www.artcenter.org

Both events are family friendly and promise a very good time!

photo courtesy of johnsommers.com

Feel like a celebrity for a day while being pampered at Luna D’oro in Beverly Hills. The review from Guily City Los Angeles says this about the salon:

Luna D’Oro Beverly Hills Beauty House is the first salon in L.A. to use and carry products from Christina Fitzgerald, an Australian manicurist to the stars who has earned praise from GQ andInStyle. It’s also the only salon we know where pedicurists have to take a course from a podiatrist to ensure their knowledge of proper foot care. 

Writes, LA Confidential, “Luna D’oro Beauty House offers a fresh spin on traditional full-service salons.” Adorned with cream-colored couches, shelves of rare books and mod graffiti-style art, the spot feels like a stylish apartment. You’ll be greeted with snacks, Champagne cocktails and an iPad upon arrival. Manicures and pedicures are paired with everything from collagen treatments to algae masks for your hands and feet.

Sounds like a fun time to me! I am seriously thinking about going on my birthday with a few friends! Who doesn’t like indulging in some girl time while getting beautified with chocolate and champagne?

If you sign up for Guilt City, you will find a special deal for a pedicure and manicure that will be good until June 7th so if you are planning on being in town anytime before then, you might want to look into this deal. Treat yourself to a pedicure before summer begins.

http://www.giltcity.com/invite/113066030araez3h4l6r

Photo courtesy of yelp

Holmes had quite the bit of homework preparing for this role in the movie. He talks about his experience saying:

I met with Sam Raimi at Raleigh Studious in Michigan to talk about my character 1 month before shooting. Sam asked me in the nicest way, if I was going to work out at the gym for this role, I explained I have not worked out in over a year because my wife and I are raising are newborn twin boys right now, yet I will start training every day and continue during shooting. I weighed 220lbs when I started training. I got up to 245lbs by the end of shooting. I trained every day, sometimes twice a day. I did no cardio, only lifted heavy weights, ate everything I could think of, ice cream, steak, pasta, etc., and spent a thousand dollars a month on weight gain powder, protein powder and 10 other things the huge guy at the health food store told me to take. Weighing that much was strange to adjust to. I bumped into walls in my home. I actually fell out the shower and broke the shower curtain rod. When I would tie my shoes I would be out of breath from bending over. I researched carnival strongmen and wanted to feel and look like one actually would during that time period, like a lumber jack who could toss a log or knock out a horse, and I did look like that in my eyes. I would walk around in costume all day, to lunch and all rehearsals, I had pictures of carnival strongman in my room and listened to heavy metal all day with my Bluetooth earphones as I read my favorite Uta Hagen book, then I would take out the headphones right before we shot our scenes. I even brought some dumbbells and a bench to my dressing room and left it there. I would train before I went to set at 5am and continued throughout the day in my dressing room. Those were some good times and a lot of bad but tasty food. I definitely feel better since I’ve lost the weight. (www.IMDb.com)

We wish you all the best and much success Tim! Congrats again!

Photo of the Holmes family courtesy of Zeke Jennings

Check out a preview to Oz: The Great And Powerful here:

The El Capitan Theatre is always a special treat for kids (and those who are kids at heart)! Starting March 8^th, the El Capitan Theatre will be showing Disney’s Oz The Great and Powerful running until April 30^th.  It just might be the perfect activity to keep your kids busy during Spring Break. I always enjoy the special live show they do and then we head over and grab an ice cream treat from the Disney soda fountain. Who wouldn’t enjoy that?

The El Capitan Theatre is located at 6838 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA. There is a parking garage directly across the street and the theatre does do a partial parking validation so be sure to bring your parking stub. The theatre is only 15 miles away from Balboa RV Park.

Go here for more information and to buy tickets: http://elcapitan.go.com

With so many educational experiences in Los Angeles, Balboa RV Park would be the perfect stop for any roadschooling families out there (and families on vacation as well).  We are centrally located to museums, beaches, historical sites, observatories, archeological digs, aquariums, movie studios that offer tours, and not to mention lots of fun amusement parks like Disneyland, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Hollywood Studios (which could be educational too, right?).

I would imagine roadschooling might have some families living on a tight budget, so here is an article on a few museums that offer free admittance at least on some days that might be worth looking into. It is an older blog so the dates are not current, but the museums are still worth looking into.

http://readysetgrowla.org/blog/2011/05/10-educational-fun-and-free-things-to-do-with-kids-in-los-angeles-this-summer/

Discover Los Angeles is another great website to check out for information on experiences of all kinds including culture, nightlife, activities, etc.  You can even sort by region as well such as Hollywood, Santa Monica, Pasadena, etc. might be very helpful.

Please let Balboa RV Park know if there is anything we can help recommend to you. We want you to enjoy your stay!

When Sugaray belts out a song, you not only hear it, you feel it. The excitement in the room is palpable when he takes the stage; he is a superb vocalist and entertainer. His dynamic voice is large just like the man. With his old school vocal style, echoes of Muddy Waters, Otis Redding and Teddy Pendergrass can be heard. At 6’5” he is a big man, but he moves with grace and energy. His fluid dance steps will remind you of the Legendary James Brown.

The Mannish Boys will be headlining at the Cajun & Blues Music Festival in Simi Valley Memorial Day Weekend May 25-26, 2013. It should be lots of fun. I know we will be there just to check out The Mannish Boys in person. You should go too! Hope to see you there!

To find out more information and purchase tickets, please go to this website: http://www.simicajun.org/2013/index.html

To check out more about Sugaray, please go to www.sugarayblues.com

1. Go to the Rose Parade
2. Go to the Pasadena Doo Dah Parade
3. Have brunch and hit the beach at Paradise Cove
4. Sled the Venice sand berms
5. Visit Griffith Observatory
6. Pick your own veggies at Underwood Farms
7. Tour the STAR Eco Station
8. See an IMAX movie at the California Science Center
9. Visit Kidspace Children’s Museum
10. See a play at the Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga
11. Finagle a guest pass to kids brunch at the Magic Castle
12. See a movie at Disney’s El Capitan
13. Ride the Santa Monica Pier ferris wheel at sunset
14. Ride the Orange County Great Park helium balloon
15. Go to a Native American event at the Autry National Center
16. Camp in Malibu Creek State Park
17. Do an LA Conservancy Family Walking Tour
18. Go rollerblade along Venice Beach
19. Head south to swim with the belugas or dolphins at SeaWorld
20. Go to a Medieval Times dinner tournament
21. See EquestFest over winter break
22. Play at Noah’s Ark at the Skirball
23. Build a campfire and cook dinner at Dockweiller Beach
24. Do a Sunset Ranch Hollywood sign trail ride
25. Ride a Fillmore & Western train
26. Take a whale watching trip
27. Skydive on Universal Citywalk at iFly Hollywood
28. Try the Muscle Beach Travelling Rings
29. Ride the trains at LA Live Steamers in Griffith Park
30. Go on a Faery Hunt
31. Go to the Rose Bowl Flea Market
32. Hike to the Bat Cave at Griffith Park
33. Visit Olvera Street during a traditional Mexican festival
34. Register with Central Casting to be extras in a movie
35. Watch a taping of a live kids’ show
36. Take a surfing lesson
37. Rent (or bring) a bike to ride the beach bike path
38. Ice skate in short sleeves at one of the seasonal outdoor ice rinks
39. See a show at Bob Baker Marionette Theater
40. Go for a walk through the Venice Canals
41. Take a day out of school to go to Disneyland when it’s not busy
42. See the buffalo on Catalina Island
43. Check out Watts Towers
44. Visit the Flower Mart downtown
45. See the swallows return to San Juan Capistrano
46. Ride Angels Flight
47. See the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade
48. Go watch some old TV shows at the Paley Center
49. Ski or sled at a local ski resort, then have dinner by the beach
50. Go to a Presidential Library - Reagan or Nixon
51. Buy a season pass to one of the big parks (Disneyland, Universal, Knotts) so that you can drop in any time, even if only for a couple of rides
52. Ride the high-wire bicycle at the California Science Center
53. Watch a horse show at the LA Equestrian Center
54. Wander The Huntington Gardens
55. Attend a hand print or a star laying ceremony on Hollywood Blvd.
56. Go to an open rehearsal at the Hollywood Bowl
57. Join LACMA Nexgen, and go to a Family Sunday
58. Attend an event at the Central Library (story hour, author event, etc..)
59. Do a sleepover at either the Tar Pits or Natural History Museum
60. Go to the Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown
61. Do a beach clean-up
62. Wander the Camellia Festival at either Descanso or Huntington Gardens
63. Take part in a Dia de los Muertos Festival at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
64. Drop in on Los Encinos Living History Day
65. Explore the Natural History Museum’s seasonal Butterfly Pavilion
66. Explore the Natural History Museum’s seasonal Spider Pavilion
67. Visit the Moorpark Teaching Zoo
68. Do a Kids Run the Bases day at Dodger Stadium
69. Go to a Family Festival at the Getty Center
70. Tour (or stay at) the Queen Mary
71. Spend a day at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire
72. Go to the Los Angeles County Fair
73. Attend the Hollywood Christmas Parade
74. Go to the LA Times Festival of Books
75. Ride the Marina del Rey Water Bus to a waterside concert
76. Bake cookies, bring them to your local fire station, and get a tour of the station and engines
77. Take a Beverly Hills Trolley Tour
78. Attend a Saturday Scene family show at the Geffen Playhouse
79. Go sea kayaking
80. Have dinner at the Santa Monica Food Trucks, with a table (and grown-up drinks) at The Victorian
81. Take a Family Fossil Trip to Red Rock Canyon
82. Celebrate Mardi Gras at the Farmers Market
83. Get in the Halloween spirit at Knotts Scary Farm
84. Sign up for a free Apple Camp at the Apple Store
85. See the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the Samuel Oschin Pavilion
86. Take a trapeze lesson
87. Volunteer to work on a Rose Parade float and/or view the floats up closeafter the parade
88. Check out the Heritage Square Museum
89. Catch a Sunday shark feeding at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium
90. Enjoy a Sunday morning concert at McCabe’s and try out all the guitars afterward
91. Experience a Toyota Symphony for Youth at Disney Concert Hall
92. Create a recycled masterpiece at ReDiscover
93. Take a Warner Brothers Studio Tour
94. See the Avila Adobe – LA’s oldest house
95. Go for Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues
96. Catch some live music at Amoeba Records and show kids what records are
97. Attend the annual Jet Propulsion Laboratory Open House
98. Catch the Tall Ships Festival
99. Rent a family bicycle surrey at Lake Balboa
100. Go on a Grunion Run

Hollywood Boulevard between Orange Drive and Highland Avenue will close Sunday night at 10:00 p.m. and will remain closed until 6 a.m. February 26.

Here are other closures beginning Sunday night:

• The south sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard between Orange Drive and Highland Avenue will close at 6 p.m., with the exception of an 8-foot pedestrian access.
• The north sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard directly in front of the Dolby Theatre portal will close at 10 p.m.
• The north sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive, with the exception of an 8-foot pedestrian access, will close at 10 p.m.
• The pedestrian mid-block crosswalk on Hollywood Boulevard between Highland Avenue and Orange Drive will close at 10 p.m.
• At 10 p.m. Monday, the Hawthorn Alley on the east side of the El Capitan Theatre will close from Hollywood Boulevard south 210 feet.
• At 12:01 a.m. Friday, Hawthorn Avenue will close between Highland Avenue and Orange Drive.

On Saturday, the day before the show, a series of other closures will begin:

• Orchid Street will close from 60 feet south of Franklin Boulevard to Orchid Alley.
• Orange Drive will close from Orchid Alley to Hollywood Boulevard.
• The north and south sidewalks of Hawthorn Avenue will close from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive.
• The north sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard will close completely from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive.
• The west sidewalk of Highland Avenue will close from Johnny Grant Way south to Hollywood Boulevard.
• Johnny Grant Way from Highland Avenue to Orchid Street will close.

On Feb. 24, the following restrictions will take effect:

• The remainder of Hawthorn Alley from Orange Drive to Highland Avenue will close.
• Orange Drive will close from Hawthorn Avenue to Hollywood Boulevard.
• The north and south sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard from Highland Avenue to 300 feet east of Highland Avenue will close.
• The south sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard will close directly in front of the north-south running Hawthorn Alley.
• The east and west sidewalks of Highland Avenue from Hollywood Boulevard to Hawthorn Avenue will close.
• The east sidewalk of Highland Avenue will close from Yucca Street south to the alley.
• The north and south crosswalks on Hollywood Boulevard at the Highland Avenue intersection.
• The northbound and southbound offramps of the 101 Freeway at Highland Avenue will close.

Thanks to KTLA 5 for the information.

Anyone interested in getting a glimpse of how movies and shows are filmed? Here are the locations so you check out how it is done and possibly even see some actors while they work!

90210 is filming at Mother’s Beach in Marina Del Rey.

Perception is filming at 132 N Euclid St. Pasadena.

Appetite for Life is filming at 408 S Main St, Los Angeles (8:30 AM – 1:00 PM).

The Angriest Man in Brooklyn is filming at 1360 E 6th St, Los Angeles (5:00 AM – 10:00 PM).

The Pitch is filming at 325 W 8th St, Los Angeles (7:00 AM – 7:00 PM) through 2/20.

Southland is filming at 709 N La Brea Ave and N Wilton Pl and Virginia Ave in L.A.

Castle is filming at Raleigh Studios, Los Angeles.

Dexter is filming at Marina Green Park in Long Beach.

Thanks to On Location Vacations for the information!