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American Airlines Flights from Washington (IAD) to Los Angeles (LAX)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on American Airlines, which operates 3 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from Washington (IAD) to Los Angeles (LAX), departing between 8:15am and 5:20pm. Usually a Boeing 757 or Boeing 737-800 is flown for this route, with in-seat power sources available. Generally, a movie is offered on this route, as well as audio programming. The average travel time from Washington, DC to Los Angeles, CA is 5 hours and 36 minutes.
During your Los Angeles vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Petersen Automotive Museum
When the Petersen opened in 1994, many locals were surprised that it had taken this long for the city of freeways to salute its most important shaper. Indeed, this museum says more about the city than probably any other in L.A. Named for Robert Petersen, the publisher responsible for Hot Rod and Motor Trend magazines, the four-story museum displays more than 200 cars and motorcycles, from the historic to the futuristic. Cars on the first floor are exhibited chronologically in period settings. Other floors are devoted to frequently changing shows of race cars, early motorcycles, famous movie vehicles, and celebrity wheels such as Jack Benny's old Chrysler Imperial. On the third floor is the Discovery Center, a 6,500-square-foot interactive "hands-on" learning center that teaches kids and women the basic scientific principles of how a car works. Past shows have included a comprehensive exhibit of "woodies" and surf culture, Hollywood "star cars," and the world's fastest and most valuable cars.
L.A. Central Library
This is one of L.A.'s early architectural achievements and the third-largest library in the United States. The city rallied to save the library when arson nearly destroyed it in 1986; the triumphant restoration has returned much of its original splendor. Working in the early 1920s, architect Bertram G. Goodhue employed the Egyptian motifs and materials popularized by the discovery of King Tut's tomb, and combined them with a more modern use of concrete block to great effect. Walking tours are the best way to explore this old beauty; they're led Monday through Friday at 12:30pm, Saturday at 11am and 2pm, and Sunday at 2pm. Warning: Parking in this area can involve a heroic effort. Try visiting on the weekend and using the Flower Street parking entrance; the library will validate your ticket, and you can escape for only $2.
Sunset Boulevard & The Sunset Strip
Unless you were raised in a cave, you've undoubtedly heard of L.A.'s Sunset Boulevard. The most famous of the city's many legendary boulevards, it winds dozens of miles over prime real estate as it travels from Downtown to the beach, taking its travelers on both a historic and microcosmic journey that defines Los Angeles as a whole -- from tacky strip malls and historic movie studios to infamous strip clubs and some of the most coveted zip codes on earth. In fact, driving the stretch from U.S. 101 to the Pacific should be a prerequisite for all first-time visitors because it provides so perfectly what L.A. is all about: instant gratification.Bam! From the start, you'll see the original CBS Studios, where The Jack Benny Show emanated; the Hollywood Palladium, where Lawrence Welk and the Dorsey Brothers performed; the Sahara Hotel, of many a movie shoot; the Guitar Center's Hollywood RockWalk, where superstars like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Santana, and the Van Halen brothers left handprints or signatures; the "Riot Hyatt," where The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and Guns N' Roses crashed and smashed from the '60s through the '80s; and Chateau Marmont, where Greta Garbo lived and John Belushi died.Phew! And you've barely even started. Once you pass the Chateau Marmont, you're officially cruising the Sunset Strip -- a 1 3/4-mile stretch of Sunset Boulevard from Crescent Heights Boulevard to Doheny Drive. The tour continues with The Comedy Store, where Rosanne, Robin Williams, and David Letterman rose to stardom; Dan Aykroyd's ramshackle House of Blues, where the rock stars still show up for an impromptu show; Tower Records, the largest record store in the world; the Argyle Hotel, where Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and John Wayne once lived; the ultra-exclusive Skybar within the Mondrian hotel; Johnny Depp's Viper Room, where River Phoenix overdosed in 1993; Whisky A Go-Go, where The Doors were once a house band; and the Rainbow Bar & Grill, where Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Marley became legends.Once you emerge from the strip, things calm down considerably as you drive through the tony neighborhoods of Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, and Pacific Palisades. By the time you've reached the ocean you'll have seen a vivid cross-section of the city and a pretty good idea of what L.A. is all about.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Los Angeles area, including:
Hotel Stillwell
The Stillwell is far from fancy, but its modestly priced rooms are a good option in a generally pricey neighborhood. Built in 1906, this once-elegant 250-room hotel is conveniently located near the STAPLES Center, the Civic Center, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Rooms are clean, basic, and simply decorated with decent furnishings; much-needed new paint and carpeting were installed in 2000. The hotel is quiet, though, and hallways feature East Indian artwork. That said, I much prefer the Hotel Figueroa, but this is a less eccentric and perfectly reasonable choice. The lobby-level Indian restaurant is a popular lunch spot for Downtown office workers; other options include a casual Mexican restaurant and the so-old-it's-retro Hanks Cocktail Lounge.
Bissell House Bed & Breakfast
If you enjoy the true B&B experience, you'll love the Bissell House. Hidden behind hedges that carefully isolate it from busy Orange Grove Avenue, this antiques-filled 1887 gingerbread Victorian -- the former home of the vacuum heiress and now owned by hosts Russell and Leonore Butcher -- offers a unique taste of life on what was once Pasadena's "Millionaire's Row." Outfitted in a traditional chintz-and-cabbage-roses style, all individually decorated rooms have private bathrooms (one with an antique claw-foot, one with a whirlpool tub, two with showers only), individual heating and air-conditioning (a B&B rarity), Internet access, and very comfortable beds. If you don't mind stairs, request one of the more spacious top-floor rooms. The modern world doesn't interfere with the mood in these romantic sanctuaries, but the downstairs library features a TV with VCR and a telephone/fax machine for guests' use. The beautifully landscaped grounds boast an inviting pool, Jacuzzi, and deck with lounge chairs. Included in the room rate is an elaborately prepared breakfast served in the large dining room, as well as an afternoon tea, cookie, and wine service.
Mondrian
Theatrical, coveted, sophisticated -- this is the kind of place superhotelier Ian Schrager has created from a once-drab apartment building. Working with his regular partner, enfant terrible French designer Philippe Starck (as he successfully did at Miami's Delano and Manhattan properties like the Royalton and Hudson), Schrager used the Mondrian's breathtaking views (from every room) as the starting point for his vision of a "hotel in the clouds." Purposely underlit hallways lead to bright, clean rooms done in shades of white, beige, and pale gray and outfitted with simple furniture casually slipcovered in white; about three-quarters of the rooms and suites have fully outfitted kitchenettes. Truthfully, the accommodations themselves are only secondary -- stay here if you want to be part of a superhip, star-studded scene. Set poolside and in a magical treehouse, Skybar is still one of L.A.'s hottest watering holes, and booking a room guarantees admission. (Soundproof windows on the entire south side of the building have already dealt with a troublesome noise problem in rooms overlooking the raucous late-night scene.) In addition to its terrific -- and ultrahip -- Asian-Latin fusion restaurant Asia de Cuba, light meals and sushi are served at a quirky communal table in the lobby. The beautiful-people staff isn't strong on service, but so what? They look great.Facilities: Asia de Cuba restaurant; Seabar for sushi in lobby; Skybar alfresco bar; outdoor pool; exercise room w/sauna and Jacuzzi; Agua Spa; concierge; business center; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; laundry service; dry-cleaning service; video, DVD, and CD libraries.
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