by Tim Tevault
Staff Writer
As spring break fever sweeps the campus, there will be many students left in the dark because they do not have money to go out and have a good time. But money is not everything and students do not need wads of cash to enjoy their immaculate week off of school.
To prevent ultimate boredom during next week (and even beyond spring break), there are a few places for under $20 to go for a good time.
For those who enjoy being in the outdoors and thrust into the public scene, there are a few obvious choices. Places like Universal Citywalk and the Block in Orange can provide a good time for people who travel in large groups. With the many stores and restaurants, a good time is easy to find. A couple more similar places are the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Old-Town Pasadena, and the brand-new Downtown Disney. A few hours can be killed by going to any one of these places, people watching and window shopping. Although it is free to walk around the area, all of these places charge for parking.
Another packed place to people watch is Venice Beach. Here, students can enjoy the ocean, while watching street performers and enjoying the eccentricities that accent the beach. For a calmer version of Venice, there is always Santa Monica, complete with a boardwalk, rides, games and shops located right on the beach for those looking for some fresh sea-scented air.
Of course, to get out that far, some of the $20 would have to go toward gas. Locally there are some inexpensive things to do.
For the traditional enthusiast, there are bowling alleys, movie theaters, miniature golf and arcades. Going to these kinds of places can easily run the bill up to $20, but wise spending can keep it down. There is also laser tag for the more adventurous.
In terms of music, there are a few venues around town that showcase local musicians. Places such as the Glass House are constantly having shows and tickets are generally under $20.
For automobile fans, there is the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) museum, located at the Fairplex. Admission is cheap and features paintings, artifacts and cars from all time periods of auto racing history. Car fans can also check out the Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, where races occur (talk to kelly).
Another sport, baseball, is also cheap. Games for the Dodgers, Angels, and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (a minor league team) never run over $10 for the cheap seats. Of course the food alone can easily match the bill for the tickets, but wise spending can prevent this.
The great outdoors is a great place to get away from the world for a couple hours. Hiking can provide great views of surrounding cities and provide a sense of accomplishment. Locally, Chino offers a seven mile round trip hike with a 1200-foot elevation gain, offering a view of all Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. There are also trails located all around Southern California. Some may charge a small fee to hike. Another outdoor place, the LA Zoo, charges less than $10 for admission and can occupy the whole day.
Theater is also a place to spend a small amount of money. Watching a play can be aesthetic, inspiring, and is not a typical outing for most. In the city, there are a few shows worth note. Weights, a one-man show starring Lynn Manning, is occurring at the Actor’s Gang Theatre in Hollywood (6209 Santa Monica Blvd., 213-628-2772); Summerfolk, an hour-long comedy is at the Raven Playhouse until April 21 (5233 Lankershim Blvd., 818-754-5708); and Venus and Adonis, an updated 21st century version of Shakespeare’s poem starring Travis Schuldt of NBC’s Passions (6500 Santa Monica Blvd., 323-650-5111). Locally, the musical The Pirates of Penzance is playing at the Chino Community Theatre (13123 Seventh St., 909-599-1149).
There are many ways to waste that green bill with Jackson, but if spent wisely, $20 can go a long way.
