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My husband and I celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary in April! Years ago we planned to go to Paris (as we did on our 25th), but now our 17-year-old dog can’t be left alone with a dog sitter for that long. And look, our cat is 15! Any recommendations for a special dinner (we live in the Pasadena/Highland Park area) and maybe a little escapade where we would only be gone for shorter bursts? Hints: We love theater, movies, the beach, laughing and food that is divine, but not so rich you can’t stand up after. I also can’t eat dairy. — Diane Kelber

Looking for things to do in L.A.? Ask us your questions and our expert guides will share highly specific recommendations.

Here’s what we suggest:

First and foremost, congratulations on 40 years of marriage! That’s a milestone definitely worth celebrating. Also, I hear you on not wanting to leave your dog for an extended period of time. Although you won’t be able to make it to Paris this time, hopefully we can bring glimpses of the romantic city to you here in L.A. I’ve compiled a list of spots for you to create your own adventure.

If you look closely enough, you can find slices of Europe in L.A. Or as my colleague Christopher Reynolds once put it, places that aim to “feed travel dreams or remind someone of home.” A prime example of this are the many French restaurants in the city where you can indulge in as many macarons, steak frites and beef bourguignon as you’d like. Two standout spots are Camélia and Pasjoli, both featured on the L.A. Times list of 101 Best Restaurants. Located in the downtown Arts District, Camélia merges French and Japanese cuisines. On the menu is uni pasta, hanger steak au poivre and a dry-aged burger with fries, which restaurant critic Bill Addison says doesn’t require any twists because “it’s simply a fantastic burger.”

Restaurant critic Jenn Harris says the Santa Monica-based Pasjoli “straddles the line between destination dining and the kind of neighborhood restaurant everybody wants to have down the street.” The eatery is best known for its tableside pressed duck, which the chef prepares in a theatrical fashion during dinner service. But if you’re not into duck, there are several other popular dishes on the menu, including French onion soup, steak frites, sole meuniere and what Harris calls “the best grilled cheese sandwich in the known universe” (though this might be a better option for your husband).

If you prefer a more laid-back vibe that makes you feel like you’ve been teleported to Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, check out Figaro Bistrot in Los Feliz. As I wrote in a guide about neighborhood, the restaurant embodies the Parisian way of dining: guests linger over wine and good conversation.

Another L.A. spot that is reminiscent of Europe is the the Getty Center in Brentwood. Designed by architect Richard Meier, the sprawling hilltop complex is gleaming with manicured gardens, breathtaking city views and a museum, making it the perfect backdrop for a romantic date. Bring a blanket, your favorite snacks and have a picnic on the lawn near the central garden. The best part is that it’s free to visit (though reservations are required and parking rates vary depending on the time of day). For a more intimate experience, check out the Getty Villa in Malibu, modeled after the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, Italy.

For a picturesque date that feels like you’ve been plopped onto a movie set, consider the Gondola Getaway in Long Beach. Here, a gondolier takes you on a loop around an enchanting residential Naples Island. Years ago, I went on a date there and I’ve been wanting to go back ever since.

Now for some rapid fire recommendations: Since you’re into theater, my colleague Lisa Boone suggests the Pasadena Playhouse, a Tony Award-winning theater, which is close to home for you. Times outdoors reporter Jaclyn Cosgrove also recommends drinks and dinner on the charming balcony at Checker Hall in Highland Park. Afterward, you can check out a live show next door at the Lodge Room. And because you love laughing, consider checking out Hollywood Improv, which hosts multiple events throughout the week.

Now, I know that these experiences aren’t Paris, but I hope they might help bring you and your husband a bit of what travelers feel when they’re there: excitement, adventure, passion and most importantly love. And when you’re with that special someone, I think you can capture those emotions no matter where you are. Happy anniversary!

NESTLED in the Yorkshire Dales, you will find a camping and glamping site with a twist.

Instead of your usual glamping pods, at Catgill Farm, you can stay in Moroccan and Alpine-themed pods.

For example, the Alpine-themed pod has a converted ski lift cart outside that is now a booth to sit and eat in.

The Moroccan-themed pod features sleek styling, with bold pinks and oranges and sleeps up to four people via a bunk bed and a double bed.

If you are travelling with your four-legged best friend, then there are options for you as well such as The Duck glamping pod, which has an enclosed outdoor area for your pooch to roam in.

Each of the glamping pods comes with its own private, log-fired hot tub as well.

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And for the evenings, you can set light to the fire pit for warmth and barbeques.

Fancy something a little more like camping but still a little refined? Then opt for one of the two luxury bell tents that sleep up to four people.

And of course, they all have views of the rolling Yorkshire Dales.

At night, guests can also make the most of stargazing as the Yorkshire Dales National Park is a designated dark skies area of the UK.

If you do have your own tent, then there is a campsite open between April and October as well, which features 34 electrical hookup pitches.

On-site there are also alpacas known to join morning yoga sessions and a playing field for letting off some steam.

As for facilities, there is everything you could need including modern shower blocks, a washing up area and even a small shop selling essentials such as air beds, coffee, milk and kindling.

If you don’t fancy cooking for yourself, you can grab some food from Cat’s Kitchen which is onsite, serving up hot drinks and wood-fired pizzas.

When it comes to the local area, you’ll be surrounded by amazing walking and cycling routes (even the Tour de France and Tour de Yorkshire routes).

Just a short walk from the campsite itself, you will reach Bolton Abbey Station on the Embsay and Bolton Steam Railway line.

The station is in the style of the original Midland Railway from the 1800s and a ticket to travel to the half way station and back costs £17 per adult.

Not much further from the campsite, you will find the remains of Bolton Abbey which you can explore.

The site often hosts events as well like an Easter trail.

If you walk for 15 minutes from the glamping and campsite, you will reach the Devonshire Arms brasserie-style pub serving dishes such as sirloin steak and roast beef.

When you stay at Catgill Farm, you can also get 10 per cent off of Shipton Canal Boat Trips and also 10 per cent off of entry to Stump Cross Caverns.

Stays cost from £179.99 per night for one of the glamping pods or from £14 a night for a grass tent pitch.

For more inspiration on glamping sites in the UK, here’s the tiny UK glamping site named best in the UK by AA with cosy pods, treehouse and hot tubs.

Plus, UK glamping hotspot where you can enjoy breathtaking views from a vintage cheese vat turned hot tub.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Much has been made of the Dodgers’ exorbitant spending, magnified by a pair of World Series titles for the franchise, as Major League Baseball enters the final year of the current collective bargaining agreement.

The Dodgers open 2026 with a record $381 million payroll, while having over $1 billion in deferrals. As if signing Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernández and Blake Snell, and extending Tyler Glasnow and Will Smith weren’t enough, the club once again opened up its wallet this winter, spending a combined $309 million on four-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker and three-time reliever of the year Edwin Díaz.

Relief pitcher Blake Treinen, one of the longest-tenured players on the Dodgers heading into his seventh season with the team, did not mince words when asked about how outsiders view the organization.

“Perception is built from the media and maybe owners that don’t like what the Dodgers are doing because they would have to do something similar,” Treinen said earlier this week. “And I say to that, ‘Maybe you’re in the wrong business.’”

Treinen thinks more teams should spend the way that the Dodgers do.

“Is it a bad thing that the people who pay our checks and our salaries want a winning product?” Treinen said. “If you’re going to complain about a team willing to do what it takes to win, then I think you’re in the wrong business. And, if you win, to say that you lose money by winning is a wild statement, so I think the perception is more or less if you don’t like what the Dodgers are doing, either take a look in the mirror or look at the people who aren’t putting a product on the field.”

Treinen went on to say that teams don’t necessarily need to be lavish spenders in order to compete, pointing to how the Milwaukee Brewers posted baseball’s best record a season ago, with the 22nd-highest payroll. The Brewers bested the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central by five games, despite having a payroll nearly $100 million lower than their rival, and reached the National League Championship Series.

“You don’t always have to spend money to be great, look at the Brewers,” Treinen said. “But to say that you can’t compete — like they did — is a wild thing, because [they had] the best record in baseball last year. Draft and development is a big deal, a lot of teams have leaned into it. So, if you either invest heavily in one or the other, and the Dodgers have done a great job of doing both and that’s why players sign here. If you don’t like it, then maybe find a new business model.”

How the Dodgers operate has garnered some praise — the Padres’ Manny Machado and the Phillies’ Bryce Harper weighed in on the subject early in spring training — but the front office wasn’t really seeking it out.

“We’re not looking externally for validation,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said earlier this month at Camelback Ranch. “The validation is winning championships and putting out as good a team as we can each and every year, and all we’re trying to do is get a little bit better each and every season, with the goal of winning championships. [Our] coaching staff, our players I think view it as that. Good, bad or indifferent, the external stuff is something we can’t worry about.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, speaking at Cactus League media day earlier this month, said the fixation on the money spent makes people miss the things they do well.

“It does get lost, the things that we do well,” Roberts said. “Scouting and player development, I think we do as well as anybody in baseball … to get superstars to play well every night, to put out a good product every single night, I think we do a good job at that.”

“That’s why the biggest conversation should be that instead of a payroll question,” Roberts added. “Why are we good for baseball? Because our players play the game the right way.”