Things to Do in Monterey Park

Mark Morrow knows Hollywood. After arriving in Los Angeles more than 25 years ago, he enjoyed a brief foray into the music scene before finding his niche in the tourism industry. Mark went on to design his acclaimed Hollywood and Beverly Hills tour, the success of which earned him recognition from the Small Business Development Center hosted by Santa Monica College.

In the comfort of a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, Mark shuttles passengers around Tinseltown, showing off iconic sights and sounds while focusing on TV, movies, and musical moments. While sharing entertaining anecdotes, he guides groups past downtown LA, the Hollywood sign, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and other famed landmarks where feature films were made and straight-to-DVD releases were watched. As he waxes informational about all of the landmark sites, a 32-inch flat-screen multimedia center projects additional information, trivia, and satellite views of celebrities' homes.

Hollywoodland Tours escorts guests through Tinseltown's star-studded streets during a trio of informative adventures. Aboard the company's shaded, open-air van, tour takers snap pictures and revel in the close proximity of famous landmarks as knowledgeable guides dish out facts about passing sights. The Beverly Hills Star Home tour showcases the castles of more than 70 celebrities, including Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts, before coasting over to the Sunset Strip, where industry big shots dine, shop, and teach their wax likenesses how to use chopsticks. Patrons can also hitch a ride on the Hollywood tour, which sails past the sites of historical films, television series, and radio studios, while the Hollywood Sign tour grants picturesque photo opportunities and the chance to ask the typically reticent "H" for its autograph.

Experienced instructors at Billy Camarillo Cutting Horses tailor classes to horses’ dispositions and riders’ goals. Although they offer beginners lessons in basic Western-riding techniques, the staff specializes in training more advanced horsepeople in cutting, a fast-paced equestrian sport in which the rider attempts to separate a single cow from the rest of its herd. To facilitate cutting practice, live cattle graze on the premises 95% of the time, and students practice on a mechanical cow famed for its iron-flavored milk during the remaining 5%. The full-service facility also provides room and board for many patrons' steeds, and Billy himself takes in young colts in need of starting.

Reflecting their zeal and do-it-yourself confidence, the LA. Derby Dolls zip around a 100’x60’ banked oval track that they built themselves with the help of friends and family members. The track’s customized slope and elevation enables them to hit breakneck paces normally reserved for cheetahs that can afford their own cleats. Bout attendees can wander over to the factory’s Vendor Village for apparel and jewelry, food from the likes of Garage Pizza and Hot Dog on a Stick, and brews from PBR and Schiltz. Alex’s Bar also serves Jack Daniel’s ready-to-drink bottles.

Although fans keep the air moving, the Doll Factory doesn’t have air conditioning or heating, so audience members should dress according to the season. Bout attendees can park their cars for $10 at Silver Lake Medical Center or their motorcycles and scooters for $5 at the Westlake entrance.

Recognizing the opportunities that having such a large track gives them, the Derby Dolls have expanded their community involvement by offering the venue for events such as the TwentyWonder fundraiser for the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles.

For Urban Outdoor Skills staff Pascal Baudar and Mia Wasilevich, living sustainably is more than just talk. Baudar has been sourcing his own food since his childhood in Belgium, and Wasilevich—a self-taught chef—lives off her own urban garden. Together they run Urban Outdoor Skills, teaching their students self-reliance through classes where they pickle and can their own foods or make organic soaps from wild aromatic plants. Underlying every session is a bounty of expertise in foraging from the surrounding mountain wilderness: nettles and yucca become piquant sauces, seeds become breads and crackers, and flowers become wood-sprite birthday cakes.