Cheap & Cheerful Skiing - Mountain High/Wrightwood

What?! you say. Cheap and Skiing are mutually exclusive terms. Well here is the best deal I've found.

Mountain High offers a free 8 hour lift ticket on your actual birthday. That's a $59 -$69
dollar value depending on what day of the week you go. Now if you need equipment, you are still on the hook for $34 to rent skis and poles. If you have your own stuff, I'd recommend bringing $15.00 for lunch.

This is about as good as it gets.

http://www.mthigh.com/deal/birthday

(888) 754-7878.

Cheap & Cheerful Drawing Hour - West La

While I love the holidays, if you are feeling a little burnt out from it all, here is a really peaceful, interesting and inexpensive way to spend a Sunday.


Getty Drawing Hour is offered at the Getty Center(1200 Getty Center Drive) on the first and third Sunday of every month (so January 2 and 16), and moves outdoors to the Central Garden in summer. Sign-up opens at 2:30pm at the Getty Information Desk. Drawing kicks off at 3:30 p.m. You are welcome to bring your own materials or use those provided.

It's a drop in program, first come first serve, so make sure you allow enough time.

Remember,admission is free at the Getty Center, no parking reservation required, but parking does cost $15.00.

(310) 440-7300

http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/learning-from-the-old-masters-at-getty-drawing-hour/

Cheap & Cheapful Ice Skating, Santa Monica, Downtown

Stop complaining about the cold weather and make the most of it! Now is a great time to go ice skating and there are several places to check out.

Ice at Santa Monica (1324 5th St. - Corner of 5th St. & Arizona Ave.) just opened yesterday, offering an 8000 square foot main rink and a smaller 400 square foot rink (for children 8 and under). Hours are Mon-Thurs 12:00 noon to 10:00 pm, Fri noon - midnight, Sat 10am to midnight, Sun 10 am to 10 pm.

$10 includes skate rental. Skating lessons and season passes are available.

Metered parking is available on Santa Monica Blvd.

If you live closer to downtown there are two rinks to check out:

Downtown on Ice (Pershing Square)is right in front of the famed Biltmore Hotel and is is open for business until Jan 16, 2012. Hours are Mon-Thu noon - 10 pm, Fri-Sun 10 am - 10 pm, Dec 19 - Jan 2: 10 am - 10 pm,New Year's Day and MLK Day noon - 10 pm.

Rates are $6 per 1 hour skating session plus $2 skate rental


Here's a new kid on the block: LA Kings present Holiday Ice at LA LIVE (800 W. Olympic Blvd.)

Hours are Monday through Friday: 5 PM - 11 PM Saturday & Sunday: 3 PM - 11 PM
$12 includes admission and skate rental.


For more info about these rinks as well as rinks in woodland Hills and Irvine, visit

http://golosangeles.about.com/od/losangelesoutdoors/ss/Outdoor-Skating-in-Los-Angeles_2.htm

Cheap & Cheerful Twilight Cruise - Pomona

If you're think how does one cruise in Pomona, well it ain't on a yacht!

The Twilight Cruise I'm talking about is an amazing showcase of cars from 1970 or earlier and it is held the first Wed of every month at the Pomona Fairgrounds (1101 W McKinley Ave) December 7 of this coming week is the last of 2011.

Twilight Cruise admission is free. Hosted by Cal-Rods Car Club, the Cruise runs from 4:00p.m - 8:00 p.m. and features the Celebrity Picks for participating cars, great raffle prizes and a huge 50/50 drawing. Food and beverages are available. It's a fun evening and a great chance to see some of the coolest cars in Southern California. Proceeds generated by the 50/50 drawing go to support the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum.


For more information, contact Cruise Coordinator John Duran at 626-252-3060 or johnduran@verizon.net.