Things to Do in Hawthorne

Featured on Gizmag and UrbanDaddy, SkyTechSport Ski & Fit’s interactive skiing and snowboarding simulators let users hone carving techniques in ideal, virtual environments. The simulators' panoramic 3-D screens can display either endless slopes or finite downhill stretches, complete with optional slalom flags and cheering sections populated by selfless yetis. Onsite trainers oversee sessions, correcting technique as cyber skiers practice holding skis parallel, edging skis, and maintaining their balance in the face of lifelike g-forces.

Amid the bustle of Hollywood Boulevard stand two monuments to the silver screen. One, the TCL Chinese Theatre, oozes with history— imported Chinese stone lions, a 90-foot-tall copper roof, and concrete blocks that bear the handprints of Hollywood luminaries from years gone by each memorialize the celebrated role the building has played in Hollywood for more than eight decades.

Next door, Chinese 6 Theatres is a tribute to the cutting-edge. Six theaters, some with 3D capability, immerse viewers in ultra-realistic picture and sound better than sitting inside Steven Spielberg's android brain. Beyond the plush theater seating, a bar slings cocktails for in-movie sipping and a restaurant serves a full menu for cravings after the show. The service schedule varies for the bar and the restaurant but both will be open during Summer 2013. Whether they opt for the historic cinema or the ultramodern theater, visitors can catch a full slate of acclaimed new releases on their chosen big screen.

The storied history of TCL Chinese Theatre rivals those of the more than 200 celebrities whose handprints, footprints, and autographs are cemented into the theater's forecourt. Erected in 1927 and declared a historical and cultural landmark in 1968, the iconic theater stages movie screenings, premieres, events, and red-carpet ceremonies. Today, moviegoers walking through the theater's main courtyard can revel in the same opulence of those 1920s screen idols, craning their necks upward to take in the looming pagoda that frames the entrance. Inside, the theater's original 1927 screen towers high above the plush red-velvet seats, surrounded by wooden panels that rise to a ceiling with flowing Chinese-style drawings. This classic Hollywood setting is one of the reasons why the theater, in an echo of its origins, hosts celebrity-studded premieres, such as the 2012 opening for Life of Pi and the 2013 opening for Beautiful Creatures.

Since she started tapping her toes at the age of 8, Nadia Eftedal has gone on to grace the global stage with ballroom moves that earned her prizes all over the world. Today, she organizes one of the nation's top dance seminars and has served as the American judge in the Open British Championships, which challenges dancers to maneuver their feet around extra U's. In her airy, blond-wood studio, Nadia leads an international cast of championship dancers that teaches ballroom dancing to children and adults, supplying them with skills in styles such as salsa, swing, and mambo. Group lessons, private classes, and workshops are each available in a variety of levels, whether pupils want to casually cut rugs, enter serious competitions, or settle legal disputes with courtroom dance-offs. Clients with a wedding or special event on their calendar can also consult with the instructors to develop a custom curriculum.

Phantom Muzik aids talent in ascending the shaky ladder of the ever-changing music industry. Besides hosting fresh-faced pop, hip-hop, and pop-rock artists on its very own record label, the production company also fosters burgeoning songwriters through its music-publishing services. In a business that can be as perilous as a mayonnaise self-portrait left in the trunk, Phantom Muzik's representatives hit the mat to promote their artists so that their sound can reach multiple platforms, from live performances to multimedia soundtracks.

A fresh harbor breeze passes through the annual MarinaFest, where sailing aficionados and experts gather each spring to celebrate the boating lifestyle and the joys that trail in its wake. Throughout the two-day event, interactive attractions glean the attention of all ages, ranging from a standup paddleboarding clinic to free scuba-diving lessons in a fully equipped dive pool. As a variety of educational seminars dispense maritime knowledge, the lineup of activities includes special appearances from the _Bill of Rights_—a replica 19th-century schooner that sailed through New York Harbor during America's bicentennial—and teenager Abby Sunderland, who nearly became the youngest person to ever sail solo around the globe. Between eyeing the halyards and learning semaphore to communicate with mermaid figureheads, attendees can also skim through the products from a variety of exhibitors, showcasing everything from yachts to boating accessories, electronics, and watersports equipment.

Glowing monkeys scamper toward a neon waterfall, and a knight bearing a radiant yellow lance rides past a bright orange octopus emerging from the ocean. What appears to be a time-traveling session gone awry is really the evolving environment within Putting Edge’s indoor black-lit mini-golf course, which whisks players to deep seas, Aztec jungles, and medieval times. Since opening its original location in Canada, Putting Edge has now expanded to 18 North American locations, all of which invite guests onto its challenging 18-hole courses to seek victory over opponents and the forces that keep their teeth from not glowing as brightly as they could. Elsewhere, the facility houses private party rooms, concessions, and an arcade filled with gamer favorites such as air hockey and Time Crisis 3.