As the thousands of people uplifted by his Hands On! Drumming team-building programs know, Jim Greiner’s soul pulsates with the rhythms of coastal California. Bay Area-born and a Santa Cruz fixture ever since stopping by one day in the ‘70s and never leaving, Greiner heralds "the internalized, unspoken drive of Californians to engage in life completely."
Following are some other enlightening stops along California’s culturally engaging path:
- East Bay-bound planners have a class act in UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science (www.lhs.berkeley.edu). There are exhibits galore, and oh, those Bay Area panoramas from its hilltop event space.
- San Diego’s 1,200-acre Balboa Park (www.balboapark.org) is a cultural Eden without compare. Home to 15 major museums—the Model Railroad Museum is among the must-sees—and performance venues such as the Tony Award-winning Old Globe Theatre, this urban oasis comes with 18 of its own event spaces.
- Declared the official State Theatre of California in 1937, the Pasadena Playhouse (www.pasadenaplayhouse.org) was founded in 1917. From backstage tours to events on the Spanish-style Engemann patio to its many exciting productions, the venue steals the show.
- Movie buffs have a superb event option in the vast soundstages at the historic Culver Studios (www.theculverstudios.com) in Culver City, itself featured in countless productions. Gone with the Wind was filmed here, and the facility’s landmark mansion provides the backdrop for Tara-themed events.