Fun

Celia Center Arts Festival: Art and Family Fun for a Cause

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Diversions LA

Save the date: Friday April 12^th and Saturday April 13^th, the Celia Center is holding their second annual Arts Festival, Adopting Resilience, Fostering the Spirit of Creativity: The Voices of the Fostered and Adopted.

The non-profit organization is featuring the work of diverse artists in a wide range of mediums; along with the art exhibition, performances, readings, workshops, children’s activities, and an artist’s panel are all part of the event.

The artists participating were encouraged to explore their personal experiences as individuals who were adopted and/or in foster care. They’re offering experiences in musical, performance, and visual arts, as well as in the healing arts.

The event will be held at the Highways Performance Space, a co-presenter of the festival in partnership with Celia Center. The opening reception is scheduled for 6 – 8 p.m. on the 12^th. The art exhibition will be viewable through April 28^th.

The LA-based, non-profit Celia Center was founded in 2012 by Jeanette Yoffe, a child therapist with a special focus on adoption and foster care issues. Inspired by her own experiences in the foster care system and through the adoption process, Yoffe also had a strong desire to merge her previous career in the arts as a dancer and actress with her activism.

The center provides workshops, salon support groups, and other events throughout the year, supporting and uniting those who’ve worked their way through adoption and foster care.

Joffe (left) will be one of the performers at the Celia Center Arts Festival. Other highlights of the weekend event include a writing workshop, and a celebrity book reading for children with track athlete Steven Benedict (right); the opening reception is focused on the CCAF’s visual art group exhibition, curated by Nicole Rademacher (middle image), herself both an artist and an adoptee.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear evening performances at 8 p.m. both nights of Voices from the Past to Present, a 90-minute presentation of narrative, poetry, spoken word, and theater pieces assembled by actor and playwright Brian Stanton; the event will also include Yoffe’s performance from her own play, What’s Your Name, Who’s Your Daddy. The play recounts her experiences in foster care and adoption by a New York Jewish family, a work which inspired Yoffe in her work as a psychotherapist.

Also featured will be Rock Willk (above), Julayne Lee, and performance artist Kayla Tange; as well as Jerri Allyn, reading a letter written to the biological son that she found. The event will additionally include a reading from Susan Harris O’Connor, writer of a seminal autobiographical book, The Harris Narratives: An Introspective Study of a Trans-racial Adoptee.

A writing arts workshop will also take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Both this workshop, Writing the Unsaid, and the evening performances require purchased ticketing; tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/celia-center-arts-festival-2019-tickets-51995221106

Free programming at the event includes children’s activities such as face painting from 12 noon – 3 p.m. on Saturday; a celebrity book reading at 1 p.m. from professional track and field athlete and Olympic Trials Qualifier Steven Benedict, a former foster child who has run in some of the world’s most prestigious events.

Event goers can expect to experience VR painting with Google Tilt Brush as well. And for ages four and up, there will be a Healing Arts Table for children in foster care and/or adoption and their families. Free for adults will be an artists panel and Q&A moderated by curator and Highways museum director Rebeca Trawick.

For more information, visit https://www.celiacenterartsfestival.org/

Highways Performance Space is located at 1651 18^th Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90404

Genie Davis; images provided by Celia Center Arts Festival

Moonlight Forest Weaves Magic Spell

Posted on December 24, 2018 by Diversions LA

Moonlight Forest, the Los Angeles County Arboretum’s holiday lights display, is a special and beautiful experience.

The highly unique use of lush, lit-up fabric “lanterns,” created by artisans from the Sichuan province in China, is truly magical.

From a distance, the glowing works resemble 3-D stained glass. Some are animatronic like a paddling sea turtle or pandas in a bamboo grove riding a see-saw; all are vividly colored, positioned in a way that makes each of the exhibitions three distinct areas just separate enough to create a true sense of wonder.

The areas are roughly circular, comprising a nature area with animal figures, a children’s area with whimsical pieces such as happy carrots and smiling quarter moons, and an area devoted to Chinese culture.

Arguably, the standout is an enormous red and good dragon, its undulating curves reflecting in the lake it is positioned over, seeming to hover on the air, suspended from a dock above the inky water.

There are many impressive works, including a giant pagoda; a candy-themed tunnel; glowing green plant arches with hovering bees after nectar; a sea-life tunnel with floating fish.

A replica of the terra-cotta army, found in Xi’an, China is dazzling.

Up close, it’s astonishing to realize that these vivid works are shaped from illuminated fabric.

From magenta blossoms to an arch shaped like an octopus, this is a stunning show that is more than just holiday lights – it’s also culturally resonant and offers a look at a delicate art form writ large.

Moonlight Forest runs through January 6. Don’t miss! Tickets at: www.moonlightforest.eventbrite.com

Genie Davis; Photos: Jack Burke

Beach Party Time for the Holidays and Any Time

Posted on December 22, 2018January 8, 2019 by Diversions LA

It might be chilly in Hollywood, Calif., but you can party on the beach in balmy Hollywood, Fla. And you can party in style.

If you’re planning an affordable destination wedding venue, an anniversary, a big birthday bash, or a celebration of any kind – post Art Basel, perhaps? – at Broward Banquet Hall, you’ll find exactly what you need for on-the-beach fun only 20 minutes away from Fort Lauderdale International Airport.

Located in Hollywood Beach, this banquet hall in Florida has everything you need to create the event you want. Wedding ceremony on the sand, reception party just steps away. Special occasions of any kind go down beautifully at this venue, positioned right on the beach where those warm sea breezes beckon. The hall is a part of the Hollywood Beach Resort Hotel, which means visitors can enjoy a 30% discount on rooms and suites at the hotel, too, for all guests of the party who book the hall.

We loved the fact that the venue takes care of just about every detail – except booking your flight to Florida. Once you’ve done that, then get ready to have a blissfully easy experience. Wedding events are a specialty, from hosting a shower to a large-scale rehearsal dinner, to ceremony and reception. Host, bartender, waitress, security: it’s all taken care of. Photography and videography services can be provided too, if you’d like to document the occasion professionally. Special dining requests? Outside catering is allowed.

The carefree planning style the hall offers is matched by its truly luxurious accommodations. A large dance floor includes disco and laser lights; there are projector tables and a 60″ flat screen if you’d like to – show a film – Facebook photos – art images – or take a sweet walk down memory lane. The music sounds great, and you’ll be dancing all night long.

There’s a comfortable outdoor seating area, smoking area, and a VIP room for the most special guests. To create an elegant vibe all around, the spot also has a red carpet, ropes, and stanchions.

As relaxed and easy as the staff makes setting up and running an event, there’s plenty of upscale style at the venue that belies the value. Exceptional customizing of lighting in the color of your choice, a bridal dressing room, photography room, and expert table set-up add to the experience: it’s pro all the way, with unpretentious, helpful, and experienced service.

No matter what kind of event you’re planning – baby shower, bar mitzvah, spring break party, or special birthday, the celebration may be yours, but the space is Broward Banquet Hall all the way. Expansive in size, with superior customer service and those soft white sands right outside the door, this Hollywood Beach spot is close to the airport, the blue Atlantic — and will end up being close to your heart. It’s a high recommend for celebratory fun.

Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall – All You Have to Do is Go – to Utah

Posted on December 17, 2018December 13, 2018 by Diversions LA

From soaring red rock cliffs to stunning sandstone mountains, jaw-dropping rock formations, and the perfect hiking and exploring experience visiting Utah offers many pleasures.

The wild beauty of nature is also well matched with top accommodations and five-star dining experiences that are equally awesome. The result: a perfect vacation for just about every traveller.

Visit during the winter holidays, when a dusting of snow makes those red rocks glow like fire; in the spring, when the first wildflowers begin to show their drowsy heads above the magnificent hilltops; or in summer, when temperatures are often surprisingly moderate, and the weather is perfect to stargaze late into the night. Whatever the season, you’ll find a terrific reason to take a trip. Here are three of our favorite spots to explore and relax.

Spa Luxury and Serenity with a View

Located just outside St. George, Red Mountain Resort is the ultimate getaway. The “adventure spa” serves a wide array of gourmet meals, with a terrific range of vegan and vegetarian options. Try an equally substantial menu of exercise and meditation classes, and enjoy a stunning setting ringed by red rock.

Rooms are fresh and modern; family style “apartments” with two bedrooms, a fireplace, fully equipped kitchen, and porch or patio luxuriously large; the perfect retreat to rest awhile. The latter are positioned around a pool and hot tub, one of several on the property, and a great place to indulge in a dip while stargazing.

Don’t miss the spiral labyrinth on property; and as tempting as it is to dine, doze, and take in all that scenery, be sure to attend classes. Take a dive into an exuberant Zumba class, experience a body-aligning Chiball stretch, or find serenity in a guided meditation.

photo above: courtesy of resort

A true don’t-miss is outdoor yoga in nearby Snow Canyon – a state park that is also well worth a day’s exploration in its own right, from layers of Navajo sandstone, lava tubes, fossil finds, and petrified dunes.

General manager Tracy Welsh has been with the resort for 18 years, ten of them as GM. “The challenge for us is to have something different every day for our guests and flow nimbly with whatever fits best.” The fact that the resort is an independence property allows her to remain fluid and offer so many different experiences at the resort. “Our location, adjacent to Zion National Park and a state park, you just feel a sense of calm here. It’s easy to let yourself feel that,” she relates. The property itself encompases 55 acres of undisturbed open space. “The nickname for the area is ‘color country,'” Welsh says, “and just looking at the area, the colors as they change day to day, it’s a constant reminder that life is ever changing, as is earth itself.”

Welsh, above. Below, a look at some of the experiences the resort offers.

“We want to be more about self-care than anything else. Indulge a little, relax, enjoy a hike and a massage. We’re all hitting it too hard, we do all of our work at hyper speed and the level of expectation is high, the pressure is always on. We try to relieve that here.”

Morning hikes originating at the resort are available at three different levels from entry level Explorer hikes to challenging Endurance hikes. Along the way, guests can explore the regions flora, fauna, and a petroglyph or two; or simply take in the beauty of the region and the thoughtfulness the resort uses in preserving it.

Return from any excursion to a beautifully prepared meal in the resort’s dining room. The food is absolutely gourmet-class; no boring “health food” fare here, although the choices are undoubtedly healthy. There’s carrot peanut butter as well as dairy buttter; farm fresh eggs or an exceptional tofu scramble for breakfast.

Lunch is served buffet style, with choices such as baked eggplant or seafood paella.

Dinner, fully served, offers selections like pan roasted sea bass and polenta lasagna; delightful salads; organic produce, and all created in a satisfying and innovative style. Delicious wine-based cocktails and an extensive wine and beer list add to a menu that also includes a changing confection of desserts – yes, there is chocolate.

While the average stay is four nights, some stay for a full week, others just visit for a weekend – only to return, again, and again for more natural beauty and relaxation.

Don’t miss a visit to the spa, where an expansive mountain view spreads out before soft loungers in the reception area, and nature-focused treatments such as a hydrating Agave Ritual massage and scrub, or a Warm Detox Wrap awaits. Try a Warm Himalayan Salt Stone massage or the Zen experience of crystal bowl Vibration Sound Therapy. Sound baths are especially popular.

“35% of our guests are here for a solo experience,” Welsh reports. “So we try to offer a welcoming, safe, and casual environment that has a real lack of pretension.”

Soaring Zion National Park Heights

Zion National Park is popular indeed, but despite shuttle busses around the valley floor and a robust tourist popular year-round, there are many beautiful spots to visit where you can experience blissful nature, breathe deep, and take in towering views and memorable vistas. Here are tall cliffs and dazzling canyons, viewed perhaps most expansively from just outside the valley floor at the Canyon Overlook Trail in the upper East Canyon.

Peer in the slot canyons below, or pause along the admittedly narrow path for a break in a small cavern. At the termination of the one mile, mostly flat hike (warning: it will take an hour both to appreciate the view and approach narrow bends with caution), you’ll be rewarded with a broad and stunning view.

Don’t miss the exceptionally easy 1/4 mile path to Weeping Rock in the heart of the park; in the winter, icicles drip from the red rocks, while come spring and summer, flowers and mosses fill the crevices wet from natural springs with fecundity.

Stroll along the Virgin River to the Narrows, where canyon walls tower overhead; when it’s warm enough, wade with other park visitors into the rivers midst, and feel a part of the flow. In the winter, enjoy deer nibbling on patches of greenery, and let the afternoon sunshine warm your face while you stroll.

After a full day of hiking and exploring, the place to stop is in Springdale, just outside the park’s main gates. The Desert Pearl Inn is a real gem, with sleek, modern rooms that feature hardwood floors, porches or balconies, and a setting that offers views of a bubbling stream or the beautiful cliffs of Zion. Enjoy Native American art and regional flora on the walls; a shiny kitchenette makes the perfect spot to have breakfast before visiting the park or an evening cocktail.

A nice touch: handmade soaps are shaped like natural rock.

A large pool and hot tub are just steps away from the rooms.

The setting is serene, the cool, clean modern look of the inn makes for a totally Zen vibe at the end of a long day exploring the park.

Where to eat? There are plenty of choices: no junk food or chain restaurants to clutter the natural landscape.

Fine dining with southwest flair is the order of the day at the beautiful, art-filled Bit & Spur Restaurant and Saloon also in Springdale.

Enjoy the stunning work of local artist Richard Harding on the walls along with dining on fare such as rich Brie quesadillas, stuffed jalapenos, and a polenta stack with wonderfully fresh shrimp. The drinks are fantastic: spicy jalapeno margarita or prickly pear? It’s a difficult choice to make, and most of the ample craft cocktails are crafted with fresh fruit.

Drinks above, stuffed jalapenos and those amazing quesadillas, below.

Did you think you were full? Mushroom and shrimp polenta, below will lure you right back to the table.

Carnivores will want to try the seasoned just-right tender meat, below.

Below: the don’t miss sweet potato tamales.

Don’t miss the sweet potato tamales, and be sure to save room for the oreo ice cream pie with hot fudge, a chocolate bundt cake, or lush fruit pie.

Decadent delights.

The perfect final touch: espresso with lemon zest.

Or have some of each: you’ll be hiking again tomorrow.

A more casual option is the brilliant gourmet selection at a small, warm cafe in an unlikely location: a former gas station. The Whiptail Grill now adjoins a gift shop; a large patio with great park views has taken the place of the gas pumps.

Check out the chili relleno, above. It’s a beauty, and beautifully plated, too.

Tuck into a cozy booth indoors or take in the view from the patio, either way you’ll enjoy a stellar hand filled chili relleno or a plate of nachos or enchilladas large enough to share.

The stuffed avocado salad filled with sweet marinated corn is also delightful.

For dessert – homemade chocolate cake.

The Park Less Traveled

It’s only a few hours drive to Capitol Reef National Park, one of the least visited in the state, with some relatively deserted trails even in summer. Mild temps year round, brightly hued sandstone cliffs, sunset views, and yes, even an in-park orchard and bakery, make this beautiful place the perfect spot to “wash up” on the reef.

You’ll want to visit the arch at Hickman Bridge and make a stop for an evening view when vivid colors paint sky and rock in a rainbow of shadows at Sunset point. You’ll also want to include a stop in at the orchard shop in Fruita, an historic farming area within the park; settle down on a picnic bench and enjoy a freshly picked peach or apple pie.

The Grand Wash is long at 6 miles, but flat and easy; take in the incredible, shifting views; make a side forray to the more strenuous but rewarding Water Tanks – natural formations worn into the stone.

Reward yourself with dinner at Cafe Diablo, just outside the park in Torrey, Utah.

Feta and Watermelon salad, above; Pumpkin-seed-crusted trout, below

Look at the lobster: lobster mac n’ cheese doesn’t stint, below

At such a remote location, the food is an incredible surprise, with elegant desserts that literally resemble artwork; creative salads such as the watermelon, Feta, and arugula; pumpkin seed encrusted trout; a gorgeous and rich lobster mac n’ cheese, or the roasted butternut squash risotto. The cocktails are exceptional, too. The food is so unique and the setting so welcoming, you may come back more than once to experience it.

Wait for it – here come the desserts –

Aren’t you glad you took on a six-mile hike or two now?

We stayed at the friendly, Western-appointed Broken Spur Inn. The large and comfortable room included delightful features such as spur-shaped towel racks and pillows inviting us to “kick off your boots and stay awhile.” A small sitting area makes the room even more inviting; while outside expansive views look toward the park’s Panorama Point.

An indoor pool, laundry facility, and an on-property steakhouse with salads, pasta, a truly fine fresh salmon, and yes, of course, plenty of well cut steaks, adds to the convenience and pleasure of a stay here. There’s cobblers and brownie sundaes, too.