What we’re about
Unplug and unwind. Bond over shared experiences. Make authentic friendships.
So Cal Explorers Meetup is the antidote to a hyper-mediated, disconnected world. We go on outings to learn, explore, and celebrate Southern California's most historic, iconic, interesting, cool and lesser-known spots, together. It’s through shared experiences that bonds are formed. We are not a dating group. We are not a networking group. We want everyone to have a place where they can connect and form friendships with other adults without any pressure or ulterior motives.
We'll enjoy walking tours, presentations, hiking, kayaking, museums, live music, movies, dining, exploring, and meetin' up. While everyone 18 and older is welcome, we tend to be a group of progressive, slightly irreverent, 40-60 year olds with counter culture sensibilities.
Come explore with other like-minded folks for relaxed, casual, and fun socializing, learning and dining. So Cal Explorers is where awkward encounters turn into epic friendships!
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- MOVIE: COPPOLA'S "THE CONVERSATION"Art Theatre of Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
In between The Godfather I & II, and Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola made this very unusual, under appreciated thriller.
Date: Sunday, July 6, 2025 7:20 pm
Venue: The Art Theater Long Beach, 2025 E 4th St, Long Beach, CA 90814
Note: the theater does NOT have a parking lot. There are some pay lots nearby and there is street parking, but it can be a bit tough. Give yourself time and read the signs.
Tickets: $15.00
https://arttheatre.easy-ware-ticketing.com/generaladmission/3GluIKcMFJ_vvywf9Rj0WQDinner before the movie at 5:45 PM
Lola's Mexican Cuisine- 4th Street (across the street)
2030 E 4th St, Long Beach, CA 90814The Conversation (1974) 50th Anniversary 4K Restoration
Cast: Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield
Release Date: 04/12/1974
Rating: PG
Run Time: 113 minsTrailer: https://youtu.be/iFgiWboUFnw?si=nhIYIIN1hRQkLhwf
Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 94% positive rating
A paranoid, secretive surveillance expert has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that the couple he is spying on will be murdered. In July, we`re celebrating PALME D`OR ICONS with a wide-spanning retrospective screening series featuring stunning 4K restorations of these classic culture-changing films.
Surveillance expert Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) is hired by a mysterious client's brusque aide (Harrison Ford) to tail a young couple, Mark (Frederic Forrest) and Ann (Cindy Williams)
- yes, THAT Cindy Williams! Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!
Tracking the pair through San Francisco's Union Square, Caul and his associate Stan (John Cazale) manage to record a cryptic conversation between them. Tormented by memories of a previous case that ended badly, Caul becomes obsessed with the resulting tape, trying to determine if the couple are in danger. One historical note - this film was made and released during the height of the Watergate scandal of the Nixon Administration. Actor John Cazale had a run of 5 terrific movies from "The Godfather" through "The Deer Hunter" before succumbing to cancer at age 42. The film also features a very young Harrison Ford.
Roger Ebert's contemporary review gave The Conversation four out of four stars and described Hackman's portrayal of Caul as "one of the most affecting and tragic characters in the movies". In 2001, Ebert added The Conversation to his "Great Movies" list, describing Hackman's performance as a "career peak" and writing that the film "comes from another time and place than today's thrillers, which are so often simple-minded"
- JULIE'S BOOK SIGNING: RADIANT BEER NIGHT MARKETRadiant Beer Co., Anaheim, CA
Cross-Posted with LA and OC Weirdo Music and Art Forum
We’re excited to announce that Julie’s new memoir with recipes, Gluten for Punishment: Just Desserts for the Heartbroken, Lovesick, and Jilted, has officially arrived! Now’s your chance to snag a signed copy from our friend and fellow Explorer, Julie — and get the inside scoop.
Radiant Beer Second Friday is a music-filled Night Market featuring live vinyl spins, a limited-edition food & beer pairing, and a marketplace of local small businesses. Come peruse crafts, art, and baked goods while noshing on great food and some of the finest craft beer around.
Bites: The Radiant Kitchen offers pizza, sliders, sandwiches, and salads. The popular food truck Banger Lumpia will be offering their Cali-Filipino fusion food (Lumpia & Tacos) too.
Beer: Radiant offers a large selection of beer, including special summertime frozen beer slushies and soft-serve beer. They also brew a personal favorite: Cherry Hard Cola with Montmorency Tart Cherry and Vanilla.
Beats: DJ & Soul spinning vinyl all night
Buy: Local small businesses will be offering an assortment of arts, crafts, and baked goods for you to peruse. Stop by Julie’s table to grab a signed copy and say hi!
It’s FREE to attend – or you can snag the monthly E.P. (Edible Package) for $25 which includes 3 food items + 1 Pina Colada Cold Brew + Always on My Mind Hazy IPA + limited-edition artwork. This month’s E.P. Menu features pulled pork sliders, buffalo chicken lumpia w/ bleu cheese dip, and dessert from Nom Nom Cupcakes
(otherwise, food and beverages can be purchased separately).
Parking: Radiant’s lot is small, but there’s plenty of parking along the nearby corporate buildings on S. Loara Street.
More Info:
Radiant Beer Company: https://www.radiantbeer.com
Edible Package Purchase: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/first-second-friday-night-market-and-food-beer-pairing-tickets-1411391553129?aff=oddtdtcreator
Banger Lumpia: https://www.bangerlumpia.com/
Julie’s Book, Blog, and Newsletter: https://twobittart.com/gluten-for-punishment/ - TRYST ALTERNATIVE ART FAIR / NOMAD IV 2025 - FREE!Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
I attended this last year, and it was very cool.
Tryst: An Independent, non-commercial, Art Fair for Artist-Run-Spaces and Collectives (Definition of tryst: a rendezvous by lovers at a given time or place, often in secret)
NOMAD IV is a non-commercial exhibition that showcases the diverse and dynamic talents of Southern California artists.
Date: Sunday, July 13: Open 12-6pm
Venue: Torrance Art Museum
Del Amo Crossing ‘Roundhouse’
21615 Hawthorne Blvd, Torrance, CA 90503TAM Website: www.torranceartmuseum.com/upcoming-exhibitions
Free and open to the public.
Photos from last year HEREWhat is TRYST:
www.torranceartmuseum.com/tryst-2025TRYST is an international art fair for artist-run-spaces and collectives as well as an international gathering to address the needs and future of global exchange for artist-run spaces, collectives and organizations, run through the Torrance Art Museum (TAM) and the City of Torrance. This will be the third edition of TRYST.
With the need for opportunities and artistic exchange worldwide between grass-roots artist organizations, this fair aims to facilitate the exposure of international artists to new Los Angeles audiences, and to network with each other, to engage and to provoke further international exchanges and interaction between participants. Talks and performances will included in the program, as well as social events for participants.
NOMAD IV:
www.torranceartmuseum.com/nomad-ivNOMAD IV is a giant artistic get together. It is aimed at letting artists show what they have been making recently to each other as well as to the wider public. It is an opportunity to meet peers, make connections, and arrange for future opportunities. It is a non-commercial exhibition that showcases the diverse and dynamic talents of LA artists.
This year’s exhibition will once again take place at Del Amo Crossing in the heart of the South Bay region of Los Angeles located at 21535 Hawthorne Blvd, Torrance, CA 90503. The space itself features open plan concrete floors where we will present 150+ artists alongside the third edition of TRYST, an art fair for alternative galleries and artist run initiatives.
