At Pomona, we encourage students to use their four years in Southern California to their full advantage. Our list of 47 Things Every Sagehen Should Do Before Leaving Pomona gives you a simple checklist. Some items are local to Claremont and our surrounding cities and mountains; others require a drive across Los Angeles or the desert.
Finish this list and you’ll have explored more of Southern California than many locals.
To assist students, the Smith Campus Center offers several subsidized trips with transportation each semester, including many that are free (but require a $5 deposit that is returned). If you want to explore on your own, hire a Zipcar with friends or consider public transportation.
From cultural experiences to theme park thrills, sporting events to nature excursions, foodie tips to historic sites, these 47 Things have something to interest everyone.
1. Watch the sun set at Joshua Tree National Park. (For 47 bonus points, stand on the San Andreas Fault on the way.)
2. Experience these iconic LA restaurants: Pink’s Hot Dogs, Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles and Handel’s Ice Cream.
3. Visit a major L.A. art museum: The Getty, LACMA, MOCA, Norton Simon.
4. Take a break from the dining hall at one of these historic neighborhoods: Olvera Street, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Korea Town, Little India.
5. Plug into some great music at Disney Concert Hall or the Hollywood Bowl.
6. Attend live theater.
7. Join the live audience for a TV show taping.
8. Listen to some live music at an L.A. club.
9. Visit Old Town Pasadena…don’t forget to check out Vroman’s Bookstore.
10. Order from the secret menu at In-N-Out.
11. Amuse yourself at a theme park.
12. Hit the slopes at a local ski resort.
13. Catch a wave at a nearby beach.
14. Watch a gray whale breach.
15. Tour a California Mission.
16. Laugh till you drop at a comedy show.
17. See one of L.A.’s 10 professional sports teams play.
18. Ride the Ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier.
19. Shop at a farmers market.
20. Explore the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden.
21. Wake with the sun bears at the San Diego Zoo.
22. Go back in time at the La Brea Tar Pits.
23. Check out Griffith Park: hike to the Hollywood sign or visit the observatory.
24. Learn about the history of L.A. through the murals of the Great Wall of Los Angeles.
25. See the Watts Towers.
26. Check out a presidential library — or two…
27. Visit Hollywood's famous movie palace Grauman’s Chinese Theater.
28. Find the Pomona stars in the Walk of Fame.
29. Window shop along Rodeo Drive or Melrose Avenue.
30. Stroll around the Pomona Arts Colony.
31. Climb Mount Baldy.
32. Take time to give back — join a community engagement project through the Draper Center.
33. Eat a deep-fried Twinkie at the L.A. County Fair.
34. Join the Sustainability Office on a Toxic Tour.
35. Check out the muscles, musicians and performers at Venice Beach.
36. Hike the Claremont Wilderness Park.
37. Take a dip at Deep Creek Hot Springs.
38. Touch a shark at the Aquarium of the Pacific.
39. Escape for a road trip to Las Vegas, San Francisco or the Grand Canyon.
40. Rise above it all on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
41. Stop and smell the flowers at the The Huntington Library and Gardens.
42. Play a game of broomball.
43. Spend a day or two at the Coachella Music Festival.
44. Join an On the Loose trip to the Channel Islands or Catalina Island.
45. Grab some friends for a midnight run to Donut Man on historic Route 66.
46. Visit a quirky museum. (Ex: Museum of Neon Art, Museum of Jurassic Technology)
47. Don’t forget your own backyard: the Claremont Village.