
What we’re about
Are you New to Los Angeles? Or, have you been here your whole life and still wants to explore? This the meetup for you! Join Explore LA Like We Don't Live Here and make new friends at the various events!
All are welcome! Single or married. Boys or girls. Creative type or corporate exec. Just be curious on all the events happening in the City of Angels and be ready to explore and meet new friends!
If you would like to host meetup exploring LA, please share with Anna! :)
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Bicycle Ride from Carpinteria to Santa Barbara with Lunch on the PierCarpinteria Amtrak Parking Lot, Carpinteria, CA
YOUR CHOICE:
Join us riding your bicycle from Carpinteria to Santa Barbara (22 miles round trip) OR Carpinteria to the University of California in Goleta (50 miles round trip.)
E-bikes are welcome too!
We will make a quick stop at an orchid farm on the way to Santa Barbara and have lunch on the Santa Barbara Pier on the way back. Bring some snacks in case you get hungry.
The 50 mile roundtrip bike ride from Carpinteria to the University of California in Goleta is on costal and inland roads through Hope Ranch with some hills on Cliff Drive descending to Santa Barbara.
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QUALIFICATIONS:
This bicycle ride is for bike riders who are experienced riding on roads at a speed of 12 miles per hour. You must be able to keep up with our group.
You are required to wear a bicycle helmet to ride with our group.
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BIKE ROUTES:
Carpinteria to Goleta
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34438992Goleta to Carpinteria through Hope Ranch
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34439677***
FREE PARKING:
There is free parking at the Carpinteria Amtrak Station. There is a bathroom in the parking lot, electric car charger and a small store across the street.
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PLEASE FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES:
RSVP: If you can't come please change your RSVP to "No" so we are not waiting for you.
BICYCLE: Make sure your bicycle is in good working condition with the tires properly inflated and the chain lubricated prior to the ride.
RULES OF THE ROAD: Safety is always our first concern. Use standard hand signals for group rides and obey all traffic stops and signals.
SPARE TIRE TUBES: You need to know how to change your own bicycle tire tubes if you get a flat tire. Please bring 2 spare tire tubes, levers, a small bicycle pump or CO2 cartridges to fill your tires with air once you change the bicycle tire tube. If you don't have spare tire tubes you might have to call a taxi to take you and your bicycle back to your car!
MONEY: Please bring money for your lunch and taxi if necessary.
WATER and FOOD: Please bring water to drink so you don't get dehydrated and food to eat, such as a protein bar, in case you get hungry.
WAIVER OF LIABILITY:
Please read this important disclaimer: This Meetup group, it's organizers and members take no responsibility for any injuries nor accidents that may occur during events. By joining this ride you take full responsibility for your own safety. Please ensure that you are in good health before participating and understand that there is risk involved in your participation. This Meetup group does not certify the qualifications of any of it's organizers or trip leaders, and they are not responsible for your safety. We are all just participants.
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Everybody must sign up for this event through Meetup individually.
This bike ride is crossposted in other Meetup groups.
The main group coordinating this bike ride is Southern California Cycling Group at http://meetup.com/cyclegroup
- Portugal & Spain with Running of the Bulls! Gaudi, Paella, Sintra and more!LAX, Los Angeles, CA
Dine at the oldest restaurant in the world, visit iconic museums such as Prado and Guggenheim, be amazed at Gaudi's architecture, taste pinxtos, sip good Spanish wine and view the Running of the Bulls from your own private balcony! To top this off...visit Portugal with its rich history, vibrant culture and breathtaking views!
This is just a little taste of what awaits us on this awesome culinary and cultural adventure!
Spain is truly a magical and fascinating country - full of history, culture and oh...so much good food and fun time!!! Portugal's history is intertwined with Spain's, so it makes perfect sense to combine these two destinations and be amazed at the similarities and the differences.
We get to travel as locals, mostly by trains between the cities AND at the best time of year to be able to experience in person The Running Of The Bulls in Pamplona.CLICK HERE to see the photos from our 2022/2023 amazing adventures!
We visit:
- Lisbon (with Sintra an Unesco World Heritage)
- Porto
- Madrid
- Bilbao
- Pamplona RUNNING OF THE BULLS
- Barcelona
Guided tours in each city, breakfast daily and several dinners, museum entrances, tasting menus, Running of the Bulls w/balcony view, transportation throughout the trip and much more!
We travel as a group, and also have the flexibility of hop-on, hop-off tours and museum passes with "skip the line" so you enjoy a complete independence. You can take our organized tours or do your own thing, cater to your special interests, visit other sites and locations in the cities, while still being guided and aided with arrangements. You can do it independently, or you can join new friends traveling with you, and do it together. The idea is come alone, meet new like-minded people and make lifelong memories, without the "one size fits all" tour formula.
Price per person, double occupancy: $4850
(we match roommates for those wishing to share)
Price for single room: $6450Included:
- 13 nights in first class hotels with central locations
- Breakfast daily
- Dinner at Casa Botín in Madrid, founded in 1725, is the oldest restaurant in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records https://botin.es/
- Authentic Basque Foodie Tour in Bilbao
- Transportation between the 6 cities
- Arrival and departure transfers from airport to hotels and train stations
- City Sightseeing tours in Lisbon, Madrid and Barcelona
- Entrance tickets and guided tours at Sintra, Prado and Guggenheim museums, La Sagrada Familia, Park Guell and more
- Front Row Private Balcony to view (safely from above) the Running Of The Bulls in Pamplona
In addition to the services listed above, what's included mostly comes down to creating an awesome trip at a great value and balanced logistics, making new friends and lifelong memories.
Not Included:
x Transatlantic Airfare (we can help you arrange that)
x Meals not listed above
x Tips and any personal and accidental expensesThe only way to secure your spot is a $500 deposit
Click Here for Secure Deposit Link
Deposit is refundable up to 90 days before the departure (less PayPal fees).
Click Here and Fill out this Form if you are making a Deposit
Click Here to fill out our google info request form and receive detailed itinerary and inclusions.
Limited capacity of 24 total. This trip will fill up extremely quickly.We have designed this to include all the "must see" locations.
Click Here to Message Direct to Anna with any questions.
She can help you arrange the airfare and answer any logistics questions.
Click Here to see all our other fun eventsSOT 2000318-10
- Strangers On A Train - - A Murder Mystery Train Adventure from LA to San Diego_-Union Station Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
(event update 5/4/2025
The short digest is the date needs to move to Saturday July 19th.
Your RSVP is moved to that date OR you can get a refund if that date does not work for you.
If you are a paid attendee . . you have been sent an email with longer info. Reply to that. You can also Meetup Message me at https://secure.meetup.com/messages/?new_convo=true&member_id=273063881&_ga=2.191436962.929442188.1735060618-506003524.1733355531(what follows below is now the event info)
This was a rare event that has now become even more rare because Covid stopped it for 6 years!!This is a murder mystery train ride from LA to San Diego and back.
And for those wondering . . . TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY FROM THE Valentines Strangers On A Train Murder Mystery Event.
Those who sign up for the Strangers on a Train Murder Mystery will be an active sleuths in solving the mystery.
A unique drama will unfold in, among and around us. Different scenes will happen in two or three separate train cars simultaneously.
So you will only see the part of the plot that unfolds in front of you in your train car.It will ALSO be a full and fun day where we will:
- Go Round Trip from LA to San Diego
- Including TWO Hours in San Diego
- One Hour in Oceanside
- AND
- A Murder Mystery on the way down to SD IN THE AISLES OF THE MOVING TRAIN.
All this for $86 per person CLICK HERE for secure Payment Link https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/YALSVSJT3537A
If you are X2 or have +1 . . . . just do the link a 2nd or third time.
(note: you do not need a paypal account to use the link. Just click the "use any credit or debit card" button on the 2nd or 3rd screen and continue as guest)
I
We will start out as Strangers on a Train.
And end as some new and old friends.
And have quite a ride of a Murder Mystery along the way.You will interact with the other participants in the other coaches in San Diego and on the return, and piece together the other parts to figure out your guess of Whodunnit And Whydunnit.
If you guess BOTH correct you will win a FREE ticket to the next mystery train
Let me say this again: Vignettes will occur simultaneously in multiple cars. It is possible to comprehend the whole story only if you communicate with other participants and collaborate info.
After all, . . . it's a meetup!!! So of course there is a way to meet the other people. And THIS is the vehicle to do it.
This has been done several times on group before (in 2020, 2019, etc) and it sold out!!.
Here is the itinerary:
- 8:40am-10:48am is LA to Oceanside. First Acts. (2 hr)
- 10:48am-12:16pm is Intermission ( and change trains)
- 12:16pm-1:17pm is Oceanside to SD Final scenes/vignettes (1 hr)
- 1:17pm-3:20pm is Lunch and fun in San Diego (2 hr)
- 3:20pm-4:22pm Return towards LA (1 hr)
- 4:22pm-5:23pm Stop in Oceanside (1 hr)
- 5:23pm-7:38pm Oceanside to LA (2 hr)
How much is all this fabulousness?
All this for $86 per person CLICK HERE for secure Payment Link https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/YALSVSJT3537A
INCLUDED IN THE COST:
- Your train tickets.
- Fantastic Murder Mystery
- Breakfast pastries and coffee served on LA to San Diego portion.
- 2 hrs to roam and explore Downtown San Diego
- 1 hr in Oceanside at the pier/Beach/Sunset (Sunset is at 5:33 PM)
- More fun than you can shake a stick at.
Not Included:
- Whatever you do in San Diego is for you to decide to spend. Drinks, lunch, drinks, food, drinks, museum entries, drinks, baubles etc.
- Whatever you buy in Oceanside for the 1 hour we are there.
Refunds given if notice is 1 week prior to departure. Less than 1 week notice and a credit can be given for future events.
There will be NO tickets sold Day Of Event.
Want to be in the cast? This is an immersive experience. Message about being in the cast. https://secure.meetup.com/messages/?new_convo=true&member_id=273063881
Cast members still fully participate and guess who did it, you will still only know your portion of the plot. There is NO rehearsal time needed.
YES!!! YOU can be in the cast. Just message me!!Last notes for ALL attendees:
- This will be a Western Americana tale.
- Come dressed to theme. Cowboy Hats, Straw Hats, Plaid, Gingham, Boots, Worn Jeans, Chaps, Ranchers, Daisy Duke, Ma & Pa Kettle, . . . Think Yellowstone (the TV show) without all the stuff that makes Yellowstone Yellowstone.
- Come on your own and leave with friends.
Some questions people ask:
Question: When do I need to decide by or when is the last day to pay?
Answer: This event is limited in numbers due to space. AND the event will fill. When it fills payment links are disabled. So there is no set last day. When it fills . . . . that's the last day. Don't want too long. When you circle back links may be disabled.Question: I see 100 people signed up. Is there still space?
AND
I don't see anybody else signed up. Is anybody going? Is the event happening?
Answer: When was the last time you saw 100 RSVP'd and that is how many are at the event? If the payment link is active there is still space. The event is cross posted to several groups. Some groups have many RSVP's, others with fewer. The number of RSVP's is not important. The number of folks who take the time and effort to make a payment are important. When it fills the payment link is disabled. And our events do always fill!!
AND
Answer: The event is cross posted to several groups. The event will fill . . . it always does . . . with many folks upset and saying "but I was jus about to send payment." The event is happening. We will have a wild ride to San Diego and back with even more fun and good decent social.Refunds given if notice is 1 week or more prior to departure. So it's OK to commit now and if plans change
Come join us!!
Message me with any questions: https://secure.meetup.com/messages/?new_convo=true&member_id=273063881
Main Event Link https://www.meetup.com/sevenarts/events/306042366/
Saturday Payment Link
https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/YALSVSJT3537AA note to everybody . . . come. It will be a blast.
- Fall Colors . . . Eastern Sierra AND Hot Springs Hop. Let's soak it in . . . .Needs location
Fall Colors . . . Eastern Sierra AND Hot Springs Soaks (Yosemite optional too!!)
This event is: Fall Colors extravaganza AND Hot Springs Soaks.
Autumn and Fall Colors is really an east coast thing . . . EXCEPT for the Eastern Sierra. Nowhere else in California does the foliage explode in color like this.
The Quaking Aspens and the Cottonwoods turn and it is glorious.Take a look at pix from past times we have gone https://photos.app.goo.gl/4H8pH2uSezGKoH1h8
For the Fall Colors portion we will be driving to all the best spots (and short short photo hikes. OR you can choose to hike up Lundy Canyon (Easy Hike) and have a more intimate exploration.
On the way to the prime fall colors spots we will be making our way to the local natural mineral hot springs. The autumn temps will make it perfect for a series of Hot Springs dips.
FALL COLORS
&
HOT SPRINGS HOPOne event and we get TWO amazing adventures.
Likely Saturday:
(for Fall Colors)- Lundy Lake
- Virginia Lake
- Green Creek
- Twin Lakes
- Lobdell Lake
(for Hot Springs and other sites)
- Buckeye Hot Springs
- Travertine Hot Springs
- The Hot Spring
- Bodie
- Mono Tufa or Mono Fissures more Mono
Likely Sunday:
(for Fall Colors)- June Lake Loop
- Convict Lake
- McGee Creek
- Round Valley
- Lake Sabrina
( For Hot Springs and other sites)
- Layton Springs
- Hot Creek
- Shepherd
- Rock Hot Tub
- Crab Cooker
- Hilltop Hot Tub (aka Pulky's Pool)
- Wild Willys and more Willy's
- Crowley Columns and more Crowley
- Keogh Hot Ditch (the free one)
- Keogh Hot Springs
Bonuses if time:
- Benton Hot Springs
- Red Canyon Petroglyphs
(The Yosemite Option)
If you are leaving Sunday or on Monday)
Drive home via 120 to thru Tuolumne Meadows to Valley Floor then down the 41 (if to SoCal) or 140 (if to Bay Area).
Sure . . . . It adds a few hours. But you get to see Yosemite High Country and Valley Floor.We have done the Hot Springs Hop AND the Fall Colors before on the group as SEPRATE events. We are combining for more fun and adventure and value.
To Attend This Event:
- RSVP with the red RSVP button
- Make a payment https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/RV9WNP8VGUDN2 Cost is Per Person. Kids under 18 are 1/2. Dogs are free.
- Click and fill out our Attendees OR Interest Form https://forms.gle/7LktppE3Uqo67XSs5
RSVP alone does not save your spot. Our events always fill. Don't wait.
Includes:
- Three nights camping / Four Days
- Firewood or charcoal or propane fire pits.
- Flush restrooms
- Hot Showers available
- Fresh Made Lattes or Americanos at our site
- Perfect for the beginner and first timers.
- Most come solo - - - Come alone and leave with friends.
Gear: The only specialized gear you need is Tent, Sleeping bag, Sleeping Pad (yoga mat). Everything else is household items you already have.
This is Tent camping. No RV. No Trailers. No giant campervans.Food: You bring your own food. This way you know your allergies or diet needs. You are also able to prepare and eat at times convenient to you.
There will be communal fire pits to use for cooking in the evening. Bring any cooking gear or stoves you wish.
Restaurant, grocery store, and convenience store are short walking distance. So you can make it super civilized camping.
Location? Exact info goes out only to confirmed attendees. It goes out with all the finalized event info. We don't want crashers, ex's or stalkers "just showing up." Also . . . this event will fill. People "just showing up" hoping there is an extra space will result in them being in your place. That's a big bummer.
If you wish to attend . . . do these three things:
- RSVP here.
- Make a payment https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/RV9WNP8VGUDN2
- Fill out Attendees Form https://forms.gle/7LktppE3Uqo67XSs5
Refunds or Cancel?
- Refunds given if cancel is made more than two weeks in advance of the event start date/time.
- IF less than two weeks notice of cancel 100% credit is given towards a future event. Credits do not expire.
- General Policies
Questions?
CLICK HERE to send a Direct MessageMore Questions?
CLICK HERE for our monthly Q & A CAMPING Zoom.Q: I'm a first-timer or newbie? Is this event a good first event or good for inexperienced?
A: Yes. Perfect if less experienced. It's easy camping and easy hikes.What do I need?
Newbie Camping Advice All things GEAR
Newbie Camping Advice All things FOODCarpools?
Yes there are carpools. They are encouraged but not required. Save gas and money and emissions.
Carpool Matrix available to confirmed attendees only.
Our Carpool infoElectric Cars?
There is a charge station across the street.Dogs?
Dogs OK on trail and in campsite. Must be on leash.Kids?
Kids ok on trail and in campsite. Leash is optional.Kids under 18 are 1/2 cost. (message for a separate link)
Dogs are free no matter what age.Fun? No matter your age or species . . . you will have fun. Adults of all ages are welcome too!!
Click Here for the main group where posted.
CLICK HERE to join in on the other fun events planned.Notice: We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, age, disability, gender, gender preference, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, national identity, marital status, familial status, religion, political beliefs or even for belly button lint.
We welcome all, . . . and that includes you!!