Things to Do in San Fernando

The Acting Corps, a school endorsed by Oscar winner Sydney Pollack as well as Rainn Wilson of The Office, takes a modern approach to acting instruction. In classes with an average of 16 students, creativity flows unimpeded and students overhear the whispered names of Hollywood’s best agents quite clearly. Actors with MFA degrees lead programs that help acting students find an authentic style, and also pilot advanced classes with mock auditions that challenge experienced actors. Four- or six-week acting boot camps incorporate aspects of the Meisner technique and the Michael Chekhov technique. In classes engineered for international acting students, teachers elucidate methods for developing a convincing American accent or faking a convincing cheeseburger craving.

The Jade Apple’s extensive lineup of instructors leads a schedule brimming with rejuvenating yoga and dance styles for all levels and interests. Classes include introspective restoration sessions, which buoy soothing postures with pillows, blankets, and a studio pumped full of helium, affording students time to reflect on the day. On early mornings, Rise to Shine jolts drowsy ligaments awake with classic Hatha asanas and periodic traffic updates, while hips twist in energetic belly dance classes. The studio also hosts events to promote participation in the ancient art such as a family workshop. There is also a boutique that accessorizes students' ever-expanding range of postures with goods ranging from yoga mats ($30) to Jade Apple T-shirts ($22).

Steve Ellis and Ken Lindsay have traveled far and wide to hone their fly-fishing skills—they bring knowledge gained in Belize, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, and several US states to their Van Nuys fly-fishing shop, Fishermen’s Spot. For the past four decades, the shop has stocked high-quality fishing gear from makers such as Sage, Simms, Winston, and Abel, as well as vintage equipment such as bamboo rods and ancient flies that still haven't evolved wings. To complement these wares, the shop offers classes that help students master fly-fishing basics, such as casting, selecting tackle and flies, and tying knots.

John Wells Golf Center's lighted driving range offers 60 spacious, canopy-covered hitting stalls that look out onto a range that stretches 260 yards into the distance. Yardage markers populate the field, letting players gauge the distance of each shot, and synthetic mats provide a smooth hitting surface so guests can leave their Persian rugs at home. The center offers lessons and clinics taught by a staff of five instructors anchored by Don Shauger, who trained two-time National Long Driving Champion John Marshall with methods he learned from Mike Austin, the golf renegade famous for hitting the game's longest drive ever—a 515-yard missile—at the age of 64. On select dates, the center offers free golf clinics for junior and adult beginners who purchase a bucket of range balls. Those looking to upgrade their golf gear or replace a wedge caught fraternizing with enemy irons can check into the discount pro shop, which offers name-brand apparel and equipment at as high as 50% off retail price.

InYoga Center's owner, Julie Buckner, has a head for business and a heart for yoga. When not working on political campaigns on state and national levels or appearing on CNN to share her opinions, Julie can be found stretching her limbs in the comfort of her spacious, sunny yoga studio. Her team of certified yoga instructors works with students of all ages, abilities, and experience levels, leading both physically rigorous classes and gentle stretch sessions. After class, students carry the peaceful vibes with them into the studio’s spa-like changing facilities, into the boutique stocked with yoga gear and accessories, or into the lobby where fresh water and hot tea close the circle on InYoga’s offerings of self care.

Trips and training form the centerpiece of PCH Scuba's services for area hydronauts. Programs range from beginner-level certification to search-and-recovery training, and adventures journey both close to home and as far ranging as Fiji. The Open Water Diver course makes for a fun and accessible first foray beneath the waves, incorporating a deep-delving adventure to Catalina Island, which is named after the third queen of Spain: Queen Island. The staff leads explorations of San Diego's collection of wrecks and adventures on chartered dive boats. Whatever sort of wave-blanketed voyage the aquatic adventurer desires, PCH's community of Master Scuba Diver–certified teachers and dive leaders are eager to chaperone.