Things to Do in Claremont

Wine, whiskey and beer flow freely as DJs spin rhythms and food trucks heap paper plates with nachos, barbecue, and decadent crepes. As the public unveiling of the 2012 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition's winning libations, the Fun Decanted festival gives its attendees a chance to sample the competition's victorious roster for one evening. When not filling their souvenir glasses with tastes of the winning wines, beers, and spirits from all over the world, guests join classes on how to produce, taste, and write online dating profiles for a range of wines, beers, and olive oils. A silent auction lets guests bid on wine-related prizes, and all event proceeds go to benefit The Learning Centers' developmental programs for children and technical-school classes for adults.

The Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition has showcased and awarded domestic and international libations for nearly 75 years. In the same way a restaurant chooses its chef via midnight raids of the applicants' refrigerators, the competition's panels of professional judges use a series of blind tastings to ensure a non-biased approach in winner selection. The competition also emphasizes wine education by inviting industry experts to lead classes on topics such as wine growing, grape selection, and food pairing.

Jose Becerra’s camera seeks out the best angles, the right focus, and the correct lighting to capture memories for his clients. By changing his shooting style to fit his subjects and the situation, Becerra can offer them a range of photographs from posed quinceañera portraits to a photojournalistic take on a beachfront wedding. He also offers services, which extend beyond the shoot to include digital albums, video services, and photo-booth rentals that supply guests with instant keepsakes that are not stolen silverware.

At Fast Lap Indoor Kart Racing, which earned CityVoter's Best Sports and Recreational Activity title in 2009, visiting motorists whirl around a 1,200-foot indoor track designed by former IKF racers. Drivers suit up with protective helmets and neck collars before strapping themselves into Sodi karts, whose gas-powered Honda 200-cubic-centimeter engines and miniature horses power them through 10- to 12-minute races. The indoor facility’s professionally engineered exhaust system ensures safe, clean air for all racers as they wind through the course with up to 11 other competitors. Computerized timing systems accurately record photo finishes, and video helmets and race suits are available to enhance the experience. Guests might snag a chance to rub bumpers with a slew of celebrity guests who frequent the track, attempting to outwit IndyCar drivers or trading high-speed knock-knock jokes with Hollywood comedians.

Lincoln limousines slip quietly through traffic, heads turning to wonder who is behind the dusky windows. Smith Entertainment and Transportation's professional drivers navigate the jet-black limos, as well as town cars and party buses, on trips to the airport, fiestas, and wineries. Town cars purr, transporting sharply dressed groups to prom, and Hummer limos mix class and ruggedness like a lumberjack learning to play croquet.

From this high up, the world seems small and compact, framing the ocean, mountains, and desert in the same field of vision. Though Mt. Baldy's soaring peaks seem to shrink the globe to the size of a globe, they also grant access to nature's majesty throughout the year. Four chairlifts gently propel skiers through the San Gabriel Mountains over the trails and 800 acres of skiable earth ranging from gentle slopes to natural quarter pipes. In the warmer months, hiking trails blaze through mountainsides, affording glimpses of historical mining facilities and natural wonders, such as canyons, fauna such as bighorn sheep, and Mother Nature's secret collection of acre-long coffee spoons.