3 days, 3 adventures: Montebello, Downtown & Long Beach

Last weekend our family hosted some friends who dropped in for a visit on their way up north to Tahoe. This wasn't their first time in L.A., so they were itching to see something new. Past trips included Hollywood, the Hollywood sign, Santa Monica and Venice beaches, Beverly Hills, the Getty and the Original Farmer's Market.

We decided our daughter would be the factor in determining some interesting sites to take them. Finding family-friendly things to do in L.A. has become one of our favorite challenges, as we're always delighted with our discoveries and generally pleased with our experiences.

Our itinerary for the long weekend: a picnic and visit to the Montebello Barnyard Zoo at Grant Rea Park in Montebello; breakfast Downtown and a stroll through Little Tokyo; and a day in Long Beach at the harbor and Aquarium of the Pacific.

Upcoming Zydeco and Cajun Dancing in LA

Well for those who missed the Long Beach Crawfish Festival and the other Zydeco/Cajun and Mardi Gras festivals in Long Beach and elsewhere, there is a chance to join hundreds of others to dance to Zydeco and Cajun music at the Music Center Plaza on Friday night August 26 from 6:30 pm to 10 pm. This free event is back by popular acclaim and for those who haven't participated before, put this on your calendar. This is one of many free Music Center events during the summer on the plaza. Even if you have never done this form of dancing, don't worry, there will be free lessons to help you learn and overcome any anxiety. Purpose is to have fun and be part of this gathering.

And if you are looking for a low cost family event revolving around cajun/zydeco music, then you are in luck, as the LA County Arts Commission has such an event at the Ford Amphitheatre the next day after the Music Center on the morning of August 27. Children under 12 are free and adults are $5. The kids will get to dance and have fun listening an interacting with Lisa Hadley and the Zydekats

If you are already a fan of this music genre and are looking for a regular fix, then LouisianaDanceLA.com offers up live Zydeco/Cajun music every month in Long Beach on the second Sunday. The $10 cost of admission covers the cost of the band which sometimes are musicians on the road from Louisiana, and on those times, the cost is $15. Before the night begins at 4:30 pm, there are free dance lessons. This past Sunday, there were 30 people that showed up early to get the free dance lessons from Karen Redding who is also part of the Music Center Plaza event. Here are performance pictures that I took from this past Sunday's event featuring David Sousa & The Zydeco Mudbugs. Watch the ExperienceLA events calendar for these upcoming sessions for September, October, November , December and beyond.

If you have been to the various Lousiana-related events in the Los Angeles over the years, and are a big fan of zydeco and cajun music, then maybe it is time to visit Louisiana and get beyond New Orleans and their Jazz Festival. One of the great festivals for Zydeco/Cajun music and regional food is the annual free Festival des Acadiens et Creoles in Lafayette, Louisiana from October 14 -16, 2011. Here is a link to pictures I took from several years ago at this major regional music and food festival in Louisiana.

Now if you want to know where to go in the Los Angeles area for authentic Lousiana cooking without waiting for the festival circuit, well that will be a future ExperienceLA blog post. I do have my favorites for Oyster Po'Boy sandwiches, but for now here is one from Traxx Restaurant at Union Station.

Sarah Jarosz at Long Beach Fingerprints

I have my Tivo player set to record all episodes of Austin City Limits, and thus I discovered the repeat performance of Sarah Jarosz as the second act following Steve Martin and his banjo. Sarah is an amazing American roots musician just having turned 20 hailing from Texas. She just had "Follow Me Down" her second CD released in May 2011 and the first one ("Song Up in Her Head") released in 2009 by Sugar Hill Records in Santa Monica. This recent Austin City Limits broadcast was a repeat of the original performance from October 2010.

Trying to find out more about Sara Jarosz, I discovered that she was coming to the Los Angeles area in June to play McCabe's Guiter Shop in Santa Monica and the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. However, when I bought the Follow Me Down CD at Fingerprints in Long Beach, they told me that she was also doing an in store appearance after playing San Diego and my purchase entitled me to attend the 50 minute concert (and here is the link to my Sarah Jarosz Fingerprint pictures on flickr).

Review: Loving "Loving Repeating"

Looking for a unique way to express your love? Are you a hopeless romantic? Maybe not? Well, "Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein" (now playing at the Center Theatre in Long Beach) could be what you're looking for!