unique things to do 

Love or hate this city, there’s no denying LA offers so many ways to broaden your horizon. We are better because of our experiences. 

1. grape stomping (camarillo) 

At Cantara Cellars, if you get on the email list, they will announce their grape stomping date which only happens once a year! Usually held on a Sunday, with the date announced in an email newsletter typically going out two days before on a Friday. Grape stomps here are usually around August/September. You get to enjoy a glass of wine, some light snacks (cheese, crackers, fruit) and go to town stomping grapes. It’s the best exfoliator for your legs! $30/person.

2. go-karting, mb2 raceway (thousand oaks) 

*$ave: I’ve seen this on Groupon a few times, check there first.

Go-Karting is a fun activity to try if you’ve never done it before. I’m a good driver in real life, but this was actually pretty humbling aka I sucked at go-karting. There are times during race rounds where someone (usually 16 year old boys who come every weekend) might run you off the road or you might accidentally run yourself into the wall (either with overzealous steering or acceleration). Either way, it’s possible to end up with a huge bruise. (I totally had a huge one on my inner thigh that lasted weeks). It’s safe; if there’s a collision, they slow down all the cars on the track so you don’t get swiped again. Fun if you’re good, funny if you suck!  

3. lax gun range (westchester) 

*$ave: I’ve seen this on Groupon a few times, check there first.

This is a fun experience to have, obviously with someone you trust. It helps to go with someone who knows how to load the magazine.

4. couples massage (multiple locations) 

This city is crawling with Asian massage places where you can book a couples massage. Some places offer drinks after your session, included in your package. It’s a fun date idea, I’ve done it once and would definitely do it again. Be sure to check Groupon for couples massage places or company direct websites for specials.

• Sparadise (Hollywood)
• Sparagon (Studio City)
• Raindrop Bodyworks (Palms)

5. GAMES & ARCADES 

Dave & Buster’s (multiple locations)

Buying and reloading credits will start to add up, but as a once-in-a-blue-moon thing, Dave and Buster’s is awesome! I’m a big fan of the air hockey tables and there really is something for everyone (watching sports, skeeball, Dance Dance Revolution, eating, etc). 

• Eat & Play Combo: Sun - Thurs all day and 5 pm on Fri/Sat

• Wednesdays: ½ price games every Wednesday from open - close

• Free Game Play: Sign-up for D&B Rewards and get $10 FREE game play with$10 game play purchase – just for joining! Plus, register your Power Card® to earn $10 on every $100 you spend on food, beverages, and games!* That's a 10% savings just for having FUN!

Button Mash (Echo Park)

Eat, drink, play and hang out with the kids (optional). You’ll find an extensive variety of arcade games and pinball at Button Mash. The game playing might have you feeling reminiscent, since games require tokens as an old-school alternative to the digital age of card swiping or scanning. Video games cost 1 token, pinball machines 2 tokens. Tokens are priced like quarters – 4/$1, 20/$5 etc. 

6. PAINT NIGHT

Many paint night places list on Groupon. Get drunk on wine and attempt to paint. Seems like a good date alternative to the cliche dinner and a movie. Certain places are also starting to have painting parties with weed instead of wine (but I do think you have to provide your own bud).

7. INDOOR ROCK CLIMBING 

Many indoor rock climbing places usually list on Groupon. Also a seemingly good date idea and probably somewhat of a workout as an added bonus.

8. PAINTBALLING

Many paintballing companies usually list on Groupon. Best in groups of 4+ with locations in the San Fernando Valley and Santa Clarita.

9. JET-O-VATOR

I’ve seen Groupons for this (but careful, locations are usually in the Greater Los Angeles area). You essentially strap on gear, get boated out on the lake, and have water compression shoot you up and propel you into the air! More of a splurge item, but decently affordable with a Groupon.

10. trampoline park 

Trampoline parks will often list on Groupon. Trust me, fun for both kids AND adults. Probably best with a group of people.

11. fruit picking (u-pick options by city) 

For the best U-pick options visit my "Cheap, Fun Things to Do" page also under the Entertainment tab. 

12. Afternoon Tea 

Pinky’s up. It’s time to get British with afternoon tea. For the best places in the city, check out my "Best Places for Afternoon Tea - with pricing! " blog post. 

13. Dragon Herbs 

Pop in to Dragon Herbs for Eastern Medicine approaches to any sort of ailment or condition, or if you overall have interest in your health. 

14. hookah lounge

Fun option if you want to be social without hitting the bar or club.

Almaza (Venice)  - Have a nice dinner and hookah combo. Decently priced meal.

Blow Hookah (Culver City) - Fun atmosphere, cash only, great music, good street parking.

Habesha Cafe (Mid-City) - Pretty lights, good DJ's, great vibe on weeknights and weekends, *Check Groupon

The Candy Bar Hookah (Westchester) - On the pricier side, no food, but free tea and coffee according to Yelp reviews (Great Yelp Rating)

15. Escape Rooms

You’re trapped in a maze with clues and under a time limit on how to get out of each room. It’s a fun thing to do with friends as an alternative to the usual bar hopping or clubbing. I’ve seen Groupons popping up for this in LA. With a Groupon you’re probably averaging around $20/person, groups ranging from of 4-6 people.

16. Sensory Deprivation Rooms 

Definitely more of a solo-thing, Sensory Deprivation Rooms aka float tanks are popping up all over LA now. I’d check Groupon first to find a deal - it’s also listed as “float therapy”. Essentially you will be floating in purified water/epsom salt in a capsule absent of light, sound and context of time, thus depriving your senses and starving the brain of any audio, spatial, or durational context (think, meditative and health benefits). It’s just you and your wild thoughts, baby.

17. Themed Runs 

Color Run, Mud Run, Bubble Run - all these various runs make running seem like a fun thing to do! I’m not a runner but could definitely see myself participating in one of these themed runs as a great way to be social with friends, exercise and try something new. Three birds, one stone. I’ve seen various race participation fees discounted on Groupon.

18. Energy Healing at MOA (West LA) 

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the Mokichi Okada Association has their energy healers on-staff. It’s an hour of a healing practitioner lightly touching you at different trigger points, which may seem insignificant but proven to make a huge difference in your body the next day. Make an appointment ahead of time. It’s $30 for a session, but with an added bonus of being able to use it as a tax write-off since it’s classified as medical research.

19. Learn about Ayurveda or the latest trends in wellness

Use Conscious City Guide to search for different workshops that incorporate an element of health and wellness (Ayurveda, Reiki, meditation, Feng Shui, you name it). Ticket prices for different workshops will vary, but it’s a great way to meet like-minded people, not to mention learn something new.

20. "Hang Ten" with a surf lesson (venice) 

Not to be biased because I’m friends with the owner, but Aloha Brothers Surf Lessons is the premiere surf school operating out of Venice. They cater to speakers of many different languages and all surf levels. Mention me for some booking perks...?

21. visit the oue skyspace in dtla 

Tickets to ride the slide is $28/person, but they’ve recently been featuring $5 off tickets. It’s quite the view! 1,000 above the city to be exact! Click this link for the promo code. 

*April 2018 update: The cheapest so far is to use Rush49.com - skyslide combos come out to $25/person after fees.

Also check Goldstar for discounted tickets.

22. tuesday trivia nights at brewport taphouse (el segundo)  

Every Tuesday night, Brewport hosts trivia night starting at 7 pm. Bring a group of friends (they encourage teams up to 6 people) and put your pop culture knowledge to the test! As a bonus, the top 3 teams receive prizes! (Come early and grab a spot - it gets super crowded).

**For you DTLA-er’s, another trivia night that just popped up in your neck of the woods is at Kaffebaren. Tuesday Trivia Nights start at 7 pm following a 5 - 7 pm Happy Hour. Prize info and other details on their Facebook page. (They also just started on open mic night too!)

23. Tour the Westside on a Bird Scooter

Created by none other than Travis VanderZander of Uber, Bird scooters have made their way into the LA westside scene with scooters popping up for rental on sidewalks, (the latest I've seen is Sawtelle) a sign of its continued rapid expansion.

Download the app, rent a scooter, ride and find a place to park it (or even take it home to charge for account credit).

Pricing is: $1/ride + 15 cents/minute used. (About $5 for 30 minutes).

Charging it at night time earns you $5/scooter.

You will need to supply your own helmet!

Additional Resources for Unique Experiences

Air BnB is no longer just for finding a temporary place to stay. The latest pillar of this company now allows you book unique experiences, whether you’re staying local or traveling abroad. Anything from “Paris Best Kept Secret” history walking tours to meditation hikes, Air BnB gives you access to over 2,000 unique experience packages that you can search for by location and type of experience.

Have fun!!