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Continental Airlines Flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Atlanta (ATL)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Continental Airlines, which operates 4 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Atlanta (ATL), departing between 7:30am and 11:50pm, and 12 additional non-stop flights, departing between 12:55am and 10:50pm on select days of the week. The average travel time from Los Angeles, CA to Atlanta, GA is 4 hours and 11 minutes.*
* Some flights must connect with additional service on this airline.
During your Atlanta vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
World of Coca-Cola
An exposition showcasing the world's most popular soft drink, World of Coca-Cola sounds like a huge Coke commercial. And it is. But it's also one of the biggest attractions in the city and a must-see for anybody who's ever had a taste of the Real Thing (and who hasn't?). The vast three-story pavilion houses a massive collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia, along with numerous interactive displays, high-tech exhibits, and video presentations.The self-guided tour begins on the third level, where visitors are greeted by a Rube Goldberg-esque kinetic sculpture called "Bottling Fantasy." Exhibits trace the history of Coca-Cola from its 1886 debut at Jacob's Pharmacy in downtown Atlanta to its current worldwide fame. Highlights include a re-creation of a 1930s soda fountain (a jukebox on the premises plays Coke-themed pop songs of yesteryear like "Sweet Coca-Cola Bush," sung by Shirley Temple); a history of Coke's diverse advertising campaigns (did you know that Maxwell House's "good to the last drop" was originally a Coke slogan?); a video on the making of the "Hilltop Reunion" Coke commercial (it kicked off the "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" campaign); print ads featuring screen stars such as Jean Harlow, Claudette Colbert, Clark Gable, and Cary Grant; and an interactive audio exhibit that lets you listen to Coke commercials sung by pop stars. And there's much, much more; this experience is a total immersion in Coca-Cola.If you've worked up a thirst going through the museum, you can sample unlimited amounts of 40 Coca-Cola Company beverages at Club Coca-Cola, including 20 international drinks that are not sold in the United States (for example, a pineapple/orange/banana beverage marketed only in Kenya). The kids will go wild, but the drinks are on the house, so what the heck. The tour ends in the first-floor gift shop, which sells a mind-boggling array of Coca-Cola logo items -- everything from T-shirts to Coke polar bears. Allow about 90 minutes to drink it all in. Weekdays are the prime time to visit if you want to avoid long lines. This attraction will be moving to a brand new 35,000-square-foot facility in downtown Atlanta, across from Centennial Olympic Park, in late 2006 or early 2007.
Atlanta Botanical Garden
This delightful botanical garden, occupying 30 acres in Piedmont Park, saw the addition of the $4.8 million 25,000-square-foot Fuqua Orchid Center and the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory in 2002. This is part two of a three-part expansion project at the gardens: a children's garden opened in 1999 and the final phase -- a new education center -- is currently being constructed. In the Fuqua Orchid Center, a collection of rare high-elevation orchids, which flourish on cool, wet mountains in South America, are being grown in the warm Southeast. Typically, one would have to go to San Francisco or Seattle to see such plants.Equally exciting is the 16,000-square-foot, glass-walled Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory, housing rare and endangered tropical and desert plants -- and a fascinating exhibit of poison dart frogs (more about them later). With acres of irreplaceable rainforest being bulldozed every minute, the plant species in the conservatory seem all the more special. Approached via an arbored promenade and fronted by a water lily pond, the entrance to the conservatory has a revolving globe showing the many regions of the world where plant life is endangered.The focal point of the conservatory is the misty Tropical Rotunda, housing fern collections, cycads (the most primitive seed-bearing plants known), epiphytes (plants that don't require soil to grow), gorgeous orchids, carnivorous plants, a wide variety of begonias, and towering tropical palms. It's a lush and humid jungle, with brightly hued tropical birds warbling overhead, a splashing waterfall, and winding pathways lined with fragrant hibiscus, ginger, and flowering jasmine vines. Of special interest is a double coconut palm from the Seychelles, growing from the largest and heaviest seed in the plant kingdom. Its first 12-foot leaves have already begun to grow, but it will be 100 years before the tree reaches its full height.In the midst of all this is an intriguing exhibit of Central and South American poison dart frogs -- small, active ground dwellers in unbelievably bright colors (yellow, orange, lime green, cobalt blue) and vivid patterns. About 12 species are exhibited in three large terrariums filled with tropical rain-forest plants and designed to simulate the climates in the frogs' native lands. This exhibit is a big hit with visiting children.Another main section of the garden highlights plants that thrive in North Georgia's extended growing season. Displays in this area include a rock garden, a dwarf conifer garden, an English knot herb garden, a tranquil moon-gated Japanese garden, a rose garden, and annual and perennial displays. The delightful children's garden, with its wonderful climbing structures and whimsical sculptured fountains, has become a hot spot for young families. Lunch is served April through October, Tuesday to Sunday, on Lanier Terrace, overlooking the Rose Garden.Another section of the garden consists of two wooded areas. The 5-acre Upper Woodland features a paved path, a fern glade, camellia and hosta gardens, gurgling streams, beautiful statuary, and a habitat designed to show visitors how to attract wildlife to their own backyards. Still more rustic is Storza Woods, 15 acres of natural woodlands and one of the few remaining hardwood forests in the city. Even though its path is unpaved, it makes for an easy and interesting walk.The arid Desert House displays Madagascan succulents, such as a unique family of spiny plants called Didieriaceae. Here, too, are "living stones" (desert succulents that nature designed to look like pebbles to protect them from predators), tree aloes, caudici-forms (with swollen stems and roots for storing water), and conifers from Africa. Adjoining is an area for special exhibits.The building also houses an orangery of tropical mango, papaya, star fruit, lychee, coffee, and citrus trees. A 1996 addition was an "Olympic" olive tree presented by Greece in honor of the Centennial Olympic Games.There are flower shows throughout the year, along with lectures and other activities. Call to find out what's scheduled during your stay. A marvelous gift shop is on the premises; your purchases help support the garden.
Philips Arena
This spectacular $213 million arena, home to the NHL Atlanta Thrashers and NBA Atlanta Hawks, was built on the site of the old Omni Coliseum. Tours of the arena are available every half-hour daily 9am to 6pm on non-event days and 9am to 5pm on event days. The hour-long tours take in the Hawks' and Thrashers' locker rooms, the press box, and the luxury suites. Tickets are $7 adults, $5 seniors, and $4.50 children age 4 to 12; age 3 and under free. A combination tour of the Philips Arena and the CNN Studio is available for adults only for $11.The Hawk Walk, which connects the CNN Center with Philips Arena, is worth a look if you're a sports fan. It's an indoor street that sells food, beverages, and Atlanta Hawks and Thrashers merchandise, and promotes TBS stations. Huge video screens display live action at the arena or shows from one of the Turner networks, while giant billboards flash ticker information from CNNSI and CNNfn.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Atlanta area, including:
Crowne Plaza Buckhead
This is a great choice for the traveler who wants to be in the heart of the action, with access to the best nightlife in the city, without paying a fortune for a place to rest his or her head. Conveniently located in the heart of Buckhead, near the Lenox Square mall and MARTA, this 11-story former Holiday Inn underwent a $14 million renovation a few years ago. Though the prices did go up, so did the quality of this lovely hotel. All the rooms and public areas were completely transformed with the renovation. Guest rooms were completely overhauled and now feature rich granite countertops, warm cherrywood, and beautiful luxury fabrics and duvets. All rooms are equipped with those cloud-like pillow-topped mattresses that'll make you want to stay in bed all morning. Amenities include complimentary van transport within 3 miles of the hotel, an outdoor pool and sundeck, coin-operated laundry, and a business center.Guests range from those in town to shop at some of the country's finest stores to business travelers who appreciate the business center, 24-hour room service, and other business traveler-friendly amenities.
Holiday Inn Atlanta Downtown
This 11-story property offers appealing rooms and one of the better locations for business accommodations, including full conference facilities and services, at a rate that won't break you or your expense account. The hotel is adjacent to the Gift, Apparel, and Merchandise Marts, and Centennial Olympic Park, and 2 blocks from the CNN Center, Philips Arena, and the Georgia World Congress Center. Bathrooms feature amenities by Bath and Body Works. Sixteen rooms are accessible to travelers with disabilities, eight of them with roll-in shower stalls.Facilities: Restaurant; sports bar; nice-size outdoor pool/sundeck; health club; Jacuzzi; concierge; courtesy car (reserve in advance); conference rooms; small business center w/secretarial services; limited room service (during restaurant hours); dry cleaning and laundry service.
Hilton Atlanta
If you want to stay in one of the downtown megahotels, this is a good choice. One of Atlanta's top convention hotels -- with 104,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space -- the Hilton is surprisingly upscale for a chain hotel. The rooms and bathrooms are very nice and quite large, and the rooms offer coffeemakers, minibars, and hair dryers, plus video checkout and account-review functions. Some of the suites have Murphy beds for extra guests. The Hilton's premier restaurant is Nikolai's Roof, a 30th-floor dining room offering spectacular skyline vistas. Multi-course prix-fixe French and Russian dinners are the specialty. Adjacent to Nikolai's Roof is A Point of View bar. Trader Vic's, a South Seas-Polynesian restaurant found at numerous Hiltons, offers its signature setting of palm trees and tiki torches, plus potent rum drinks. The Garden Terrace, a pretty lobby-level eatery centered around a vast fountain, serves buffet meals at breakfast and lunch and a Sunday champagne brunch. Adjoining it are the Cafe Express Deli (a 24-hr. facility) and Le Café, the Hilton's casual dining facility. Finally, there's the Bogart-and-Bergman-themed Casablanca Bar, whose big-screen TV attracts a sports-minded crowd.
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