DAY 1 - Pasadena/Glendale/Silverlake We check into the majestic Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa, a peaceful oasis nestled in one of Pasadena’s most prestigious residential neighborhoods. After a welcome gathering and creative writing workshop in the Japanese Garden, we head out on a short invigorating hike in the nearby San Gabriel Mountains. We then experience a centuries-old labyrinth walk at the imaginative Forest Lawn Memorial Park. This unique burial ground celebrates life and those who have their eternal resting places at Forest Lawn include: Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Mary Pickford, Spencer Tracy, W.C. Fields, Sammy Davis Jr., Walt Disney, Nat King Cole, and L. Frank Baum, the creator of the Wizard of Oz. We then head off for a fun-filled evening at a cozy restaurant in the very hip L.A. enclave of Silverlake.

DAY 2 - South Pasadena/Downtown Los Angeles/La Cañada After breakfast at our hotel, we travel south past the fine Craftsmen homes of Pasadena to South Pasadena. Here we participate in a creativity workshop building our own personal shrines, discussing our individual creative processes and savoring a delicious picnic lunch. From there, we enjoy a private tour of artists’ studios in L.A.’s celebrated Brewery District, offering us a unique peek into their creative processes and how their creative space influences their work. To end off our day, we savor a private cooking class and dinner at Chez Cherie in La Cañada at the foot of the Verdugo Mountains. Hotel: Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa.

DAY 3 - Santa Monica/Venice Beach After breakfast at our hotel, we head across town to the spectacular Getty Museum, with its magnificent collection of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present against a backdrop of dramatic architecture, tranquil gardens and breathtaking views. For lunch, we take in Santa Monica’s weekly farmer’s market before setting off to nearby Bergamot Station Arts Center, a historic train station transformed into a dynamic and lively arts complex housing 33 galleries. From there, we check out the quirky art scene at Venice Beach, watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean and then savor dinner at a nearby bistro. Hotel: Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa.

DAY 4 - Pasadena/Los Angeles After breakfast in the hotel, we experience a private tour of the Norton Simon Museum, home to one of the world’s finest collections of European, American and Asian art. Lunch is at a cozy, local cafe, followed by an afternoon of eccentric and quirky local architecture. From 19th century Craftsman Bohemia to mid-century Googie design, L.A. has it all! We return to our hotel for a short journaling workshop and freshen up for our last evening together, dining al fresco in Old Town Pasadena. Hotel: Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa.

DAY 5 - Pasadena After breakfast at the hotel, we enjoy one last writing workshop before bidding each other the very best on our creative paths.