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Alaska Airlines Flights from Kahului (OGG) to Los Angeles (LAX)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Alaska Airlines, which operates 2 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from Kahului (OGG) to Los Angeles (LAX), departing between 3:20pm and 10:15pm. Usually a Boeing 767-300 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Kahului, HI to Los Angeles, CA is 5 hours and 5 minutes.
During your Los Angeles vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Santa Monica Pier
Piers have been a tradition in Southern California since the area's 19th-century seaside resort days. Many have long since disappeared (like Pacific Ocean Park, an entire amusement park perched on offshore pilings), and others have been shortened by battering storms and are now mere shadows (or stumps) of their former selves, but you can still get a chance to experience those halcyon days of yesteryear at world-famous Santa Monica Pier.Built in 1908 for passenger and cargo ships, the Santa Monica Pier does a pretty good job of recapturing the glory days of Southern California. The wooden wharf is now home to seafood restaurants and snack shacks, a touristy Mexican cantina, and a gaily colored turn-of-the-20th-century indoor wooden carousel (which Paul Newman operated in The Sting). Summer evening concerts, which are free and range from big band to Miami-style Latin, draw crowds, as does the small amusement area perched halfway down. Its name, Pacific Park (tel. 310/260-8744; www.pacpark.com), hearkens back to the granddaddy pier amusement park in California, Pacific Ocean Park; this updated version has a Ferris wheel, a mild-mannered roller coaster, and other rides, plus a high-tech arcade shoot-out. But anglers still head to the end to fish, and nostalgia buffs to view the photographic display of the pier's history. This is the last of the great pleasure piers, offering rides, romance, and perfect panoramic views of the bay and mountains.The pier is about a mile up Ocean Front Walk from Venice; it's a great round-trip stroll. Parking is available for $6 to $8 on both the pier deck and the beachfront nearby. Limited short-term parking is also available. For information on twilight concerts (generally held Thurs between mid-June and the end of Aug), call tel. 310/458-8900 or visit www.santamonicapier.org.
Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
The Huntington Library is the jewel in Pasadena's crown. The 207-acre hilltop estate was once home to industrialist and railroad magnate Henry E. Huntington (1850-1927), who bought books on the same massive scale on which he acquired businesses. The continually expanding collection includes dozens of Shakespeare's first editions, Benjamin Franklin's handwritten autobiography, a Gutenberg Bible from the 1450s, and the earliest known manuscript of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Although some rare works are available only to visiting scholars, the library has a regularly changing (and always excellent) exhibit showcasing different items in the collection.If you prefer canvas to parchment, Huntington also put together a terrific 18th-century British and French art collection. The most celebrated paintings are Gainsborough's The Blue Boy and Pinkie, a companion piece by Sir Thomas Lawrence depicting the youthful aunt of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. These and other works are displayed in the stately Italianate mansion on the crest of this hillside estate, so you can also get a glimpse of its splendid furnishings. American art and Renaissance paintings are exhibited in two additional galleries.But it's the botanical gardens that draw most locals to the Huntington. The Japanese Garden comes complete with a traditional open-air Japanese house, koi-filled stream, and serene Zen garden. The cactus garden is exotic, the jungle garden is intriguing, the lily ponds are soothing -- and there are many benches scattered about so you can sit and enjoy the surroundings.Because the Huntington surprises many with its size and wealth of activities to choose from, first-timers might want to start with a tour. One-hour garden tours are offered daily; no reservations or additional fees are required. Times vary, so check at the information desk upon arrival. I also recommend that you tailor your visit to include the popular English high tea served Tuesday through Friday from noon to 4:30pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 10:45am to 4:30pm (last seating at 3:30pm). The tearoom overlooks the Rose Garden (home to 1,000 varieties displayed in chronological order of their breeding), and since the finger sandwiches and desserts are served buffet style, it's a genteel bargain even for hearty appetites at $15 per person (please note that museum admission is a separate required cost). Phone tel. 626/683-8131 for tearoom reservations, which are required and should be made at least 2 weeks in advance.
The Southwest Museum
This is the city's oldest museum, considered by some a "best-kept secret" that suffers from lack of recognition and space for its superlative collection. Originally opened in 1907 by amateur historian and Native American expert Charles F. Lummis (who also designed Downtown's landmark "castle," El Alisal), this privately funded anthropological museum contains the finest examples of Native American art and artifacts found anywhere, including rare paintings, weapons, and a Cheyenne summer tepee. The largest exhibition chronicles 10,000 years of history of the people of the American Southwest. The California Hall focuses on the lifestyles of the first Californians; a separate two-level hall is dedicated to the culture of cold-climate tribes. The museum has a particularly active events calendar that includes a Native American Film Festival, regular lectures, and special children's programs (log onto the website for more info). In the shop, you'll find authentic Native American drums, kachina dolls, pottery, and sterling-silver jewelry by Native American artist Vernon Begaye. Tours are available by request. Tip: You can purchase a $12 two-site ticket that also includes entry into the excellent Museum of the American West; it's valid for 3 months.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Los Angeles area, including:
Cal Mar Hotel Suites
Tucked away in a residential neighborhood just 2 blocks from the ocean, this garden apartment complex delivers a lot of bang for your vacation buck. Each unit is an apartment-style suite with a living room and pullout sofa, a full-size kitchen with utensils, and a separate bedroom; most are spacious enough to accommodate four in comfort. The building was constructed in the 1950s with an eye for quality (attractive tile work, large closets). While the furnishings aren't luxurious, they're all quite modern and very clean, and everything is well kept. It's easy to be comfortable here for stays of a week or more, especially since it's so well located -- a mere bock from the Third Street shopping promenade and a short walk to the beach -- and covered parking is free. The staff is attentive and courteous, which helps account for the high rate of repeat guests. The garden courtyard has an inviting swimming pool and plenty of chaises for lounging. Tip: Request a room on the second floor to avoid the sound of stomping feet.
Travelodge Hotel at LAX
The lobby is nondescript and the rooms are standard, but there's a beautiful tropical garden surrounding the pool area, and amenities extend beyond the budget-motel standard, such as courtesy airport/car-rental shuttle service and a free morning paper. Some units have terraces; about two-thirds of the rooms have showers only, so request a tub if you require one. A 24-hour Denny's adjoins the hotel. If you've brought the kids along, request the Sleepy Bear Den, a separate sleeping room designed for children.
Le Merigot
If you're accustomed to hotels that are roomier and more contemporary than the historic Georgian, yet not as pricey and prestigious as the Shutters or Casa del Mar properties, the porridge that's just right is Le Merigot, a low-key luxury hotel and spa that doesn't try to be anything other than a comfortable place to spend your seaside vacation. Ideally situated on the sandy side of Ocean Avenue in the heart of Santa Monica's beach scene, the 175-room property is essentially a business hotel that doubles as a resort, complete with a well-regarded French-California restaurant, Cézanne, and the 5,500-square-foot SPA Merigot, which offers a full range of services along with an outdoor pool and a state-of-the-art fitness center. Most of the contemporary-style guest rooms offer ocean views, and all are plushly furnished with thick carpeting, marble-tiled baths, oversize lounge chairs, and "Cloud Nine" beds topped with Frette linens, down comforters, and feather pillows. What I really like about this hotel, however, are the clever package deals, such as the "California Dreamin'," which includes your choice of a convertible Porsche Boxster or a BMW Z4 Roadster rental car, and the "California Surfin' Safari," a deluxe package that includes a full breakfast for two, a 2-hour surf lesson, a rejuvenating full-session Swedish massage, and celebratory Blue Crush graduation martinis (how very L.A.).
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