Don't spend your weekend longing to be at the TED Conference! Meghan McCarty is back with great suggestions to make this weekend better than ever. Riffing off of the title of the kooky 80s comedy, "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," is the BIL conference. Held on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, BIL is a weekend of panels bringing together creative thinkers. Its not super-exclusive and instead of costing $6,000 like TED, BIL is run on donations. It's a DIY-esque conference, and that means BYOC (bring your own chair).
It's also a good weekend for whale watching. Join the 41st annual Dana Point Festival of Whales and watch hundreds of whales migrate down the California coast. In celebration, there will be a parade, live music, a sand sculpture contest and a series of wildlife lectures.
Experience the wealth of L.A.'s food scene under the direction of Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold this Sunday. It's the 4th annual L.A. Weekly "Gold Standard" Food and Wine event, with eateries ranging from Thai gem Jitalda to the esoteric meats of the West-side restaurant Animal.
BIL Conference
Where:The Queen Mary in Long Beach
When: Saturday, March 3 - Sunday, March 4, 2012
Admission: by donation
Website
Dana Point Festival of Whales
Where: Dana Point Harbor
When: Saturday, March 3 - Sunday, March 4, 2012 and March 10 - 11
Admission: whale watching cruise prices vary
Website
Gold Standard
Where: Petersen Auto Museum
When: Sunday, March 4, 2012
Admission: General Admission $75
Website
