To the untrained eye, there’s not much in the way of scenery along the 270-mile stretch between Las Vegas and Los Angeles—just distant mountains and vast expanses of desert punctuated by the occasional tumbleweed. The monotonous terrain seems a fitting contrast to what awaits at either destination: the promises of money and stardom. An empty stomach and a taste for curiosity, however, can get the best of anyone during the four-hour drive. Luckily, just off the beaten asphalt of Interstate 15, there’s a smattering of roadside stops that prove anything but boring.
Just an hour outside of Las Vegas, Primm is more than meets the eye. The city sits right up against Nevada’s border with California—an imaginary line that felons have long associated with freedom from the law. It happens that Primm is home to the most famous getaway car of all: Bonnie and Clyde’s V8 Ford. Punctured with more than 100 bullets, the battered vehicle sits behind a glass enclosure inside Whiskey Pete’s Hotel and Casino. Nearby rests the torn and bloodied shirt Clyde wore on the morning of his death.
More than 70 miles down the road and safely across California’s border, Alien Fresh Jerky restocks stomachs set on empty with 20 flavors of jerky—not to mention stuffed olives, nuts, candy, and various sauces. A few miles south of the exit for Zzyzx, CA, the gourmet jerky stop gets its curious name from owners who founded it after a failed search for Area 51.
Standing at an impressive 134 feet and visible from Interstate 15, the world’s largest thermometer sits just down the road from Alien Fresh Jerky. The thermometer’s height honors the highest temperature ever recorded in North America: 134 degrees in nearby Death Valley.
The heat and lack of moisture in the desert can help with preservation, which might explain why dinosaurs still roam the earth at Peggy Sue’s Diner and Dinosaur Park. When nobody is looking, the giant metal dinosaur statues that inhabit Peggy Sue’s backyard are said to slip quarters into the giant outdoor jukebox and feed on Peggy Sue’s hearty burgers and sandwiches.
Not far down the road from these towering statues, Casa Jimenez hosts some animals of its own. The Mexican restaurant lines its walls and counters with stuffed antelope, zebras, and wolves. Of course, you don’t need to contend with wild beasts to get your fill of tacos and burritos. Just across town from Casa Jimenez, the world’s oldest operating Del Taco has kept its grills hot and its drive-through open since 1964.
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Things To Do In Calabasas
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Treks and Tracks
Four-Hour Beginning Rock Climbing Class for One, Two, or Three from Treks and Tracks (Up to 60% Off)
Experienced outdoor guides teach climbing and belaying techniques at two picturesque state parks and provide all safety gear
Multiple Locations
$105 $49
Four Intro Art Classes for Children or Teens and Adults at MEhnoosh art classes (Up to 50% Off)
Mehnoosh art classes
Multiple Locations
$120
$60
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Fitness Assessment and Customized Workout Plan at Harvest Fitness (75% Off)
Harvest Fitness
Tarzana
$100
$25
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$25 for Eight Kids' Karate Classes at Tarzana Boxing & Fitness ($100 Value)
Tarzana Boxing and Fitness
Tarzana Boxing and Fitness
$100
$25
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Four or Six Personal Training Sessions at Camera Ready Fitness (Up to 73% Off)
Camera Ready Fitness
Calabasas
$240
$69
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Golf-Swing Evaluation, Lessons, and Instruction at The Golf Academy/LA (Up to 70% Off). Three Options Available.
The Golf Academy/LA
Multiple Locations
$175
$52
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Rock Climbing or Canyoneering Tour for 2 or 4, or Hiking Tour for 2 with SoCal Adventure Company (Up to 58% Off)
SoCal Adventure Company
Multiple Locations
$300
$150
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50-Minute Personal Training, Yoga, Pilates, or TRX Training Sessions at Fit Core Smart Moves (Up to 76% Off)
Fit Core Smart Moves
Calabasas
$115
$28
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One or Two Months of Group Piano Classes at Piano4Everyone (Up to 71% Off)
Piano4Everyone
Multiple Locations
$129
$39
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10 Bellydance Classes from Layla Dance Academy (70% Off)
Layla Dance Academy
Tarzana
$162
$49
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Three Yoga Classes at Morning Vinyasa Blast (65% Off)
Morning Vinyasa Blast
Tarzana
$97
$34
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Select Local Merchants
The National Basketball Academy's instructors host clinics, training sessions, and tournaments for various age groups. Their coaching helps participants improve all aspects of their performance on the court, from shooting to defense, and their youth programs nurture sports skills in children as young as kindergarten. They also set up teams and leagues that allow players to compete in a supportive, friendly environment.
4029 Las Virgenes Road
Calabasas,
CA
US
Since it was founded in 1990, the nonprofit Celiac Disease Foundation has pioneered celiac disease education, awareness, and advocacy. Its network of national chapters have responded to the growing health care challenge of diagnosing celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders. The CDF Medical Advisory Board brings scientific knowledge to the cause and imparts crucial care information to individuals, medical professionals, and industry partners who confront celiac disease and gluten-related disorders on a daily basis. Through its annual CDF National Conference and Gluten-Free Expo, the organization opens the public's eyes to new ways of looking and living with foods that do not contain wheat, barley, rye, or triticale.
20350 Ventura Blvd., Suite 240
Woodland Hills,
CA
US
Walking around Vintage Market at Pierce College is like stepping back in time. Well, more like shopping back in time. More than 180 vendors from near and far travel to this outdoor bazaar to showcase their treasures, which range from vintage fashion accessories and clothing such as hats and shoes to guitars, vinyl, art, and comic books. A stroll down one row may yield tables of die-cast trucks or ceramic busts, whereas a turn around the corner may bring one face-to-face with life-sized marionettes and shelves upon shelves of aged globes. The market, like a shy perennial, is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month, from January?November, plus December 15.
Victory Blvd & Mason Ave
Woodland Hills,
CA
US
As a veteran swimming instructor, Andy Gattuso knows how to teach kids to swim, but as a dad, he knows how important it is. At My Little Swimmer, he blends his expertise and paternal instinct to help babies, toddlers, and school-age children master the water. During Baby and Me classes, he emphasizes fun through bubble-blowing, back floating, and underwater swimming with the help of a parent. With Group Aquatics, he teaches basic safety skills and swim moves.
5654 Oakdale Avenue
Woodland Hills,
CA
US
At Piano4Everyone, a music school founded by accomplished concert pianist Dr. Katya Gliadkovsky, students learn to play the piano in interactive group classes. Sight reading and ear training are just two of the skills that players learn. As an added benefit, students can access the studio's instruments to practice outside of class hours.
6047 Tampa AveSte 309
Tarzana,
CA
US
Sky High Sports emancipates kids and adults from the laws of gravity with each jump, twist, or backflip their trampolines aid. The yellow-and-black play space features a spring-loaded frame that provides more give to jumpers, with all frames and springs covered by 2-inch-thick safety pads. To take full advantage of its unique space, Sky High hosts springy and elevated games of dodgeball as well as AIR-obics, a low-impact, fat-burning workout class that helps improve balance and coordination. Pintsize gymnasts can take refuge in a specially designed kid court and romp around in the foam pit while they brainstorm nicknames for their pro-wrestling career.
6033 De Soto Ave.
Woodland Hills,
CA
US
