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AirTran Airways Flights from Atlanta (ATL) to Los Angeles (LAX)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on AirTran Airways, which operates 4 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from Atlanta (ATL) to Los Angeles (LAX), departing between 9:30am and 9:25pm. Usually a Boeing 737-700 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Atlanta, GA to Los Angeles, CA is 5 hours.
During your Los Angeles vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Mission San Fernando
In the late 18th century, Franciscan missionaries established 21 missions up the California coast, from San Diego to Sonoma. Each uniquely beautiful mission was built 1 day's trek from the next, along a path known as El Camino Real ("the Royal Road"), remnants of which still exist. The missions' construction marked the beginning of European settlement of California and the displacement of the Native American population. The two L.A.-area missions are located in the valleys that took their names: the San Fernando Valley and the San Gabriel Valley. A third mission, San Juan Capistrano, is located in Orange County (see chapter 11).Established in 1797, Mission San Fernando once controlled more than 1 1/2 million acres, employed 1,500 Native Americans, and boasted more than 22,000 head of cattle and extensive orchards. The fragile adobe mission complex was destroyed several times but was always faithfully rebuilt with low buildings surrounding grassy courtyards. The aging church was replaced in the 1940s and again in the 1970s after an earthquake. The Convento, a 250-foot-long colonnaded structure dating from 1810, is the compound's oldest remaining building. Some of the mission's rooms, including the old library and the private salon of the first bishop of California, have been restored to their late-18th-century appearance. A half-dozen padres and many hundreds of Shoshone Indians are buried in the adjacent cemetery.
Museum of the American West
Located north of Downtown in Griffith Park, this is one of the country's finest and most comprehensive museums of the American West. More than 78,000 artifacts showcasing the history of the region west of the Mississippi River are intelligently displayed. Evocative exhibits illustrate the everyday lives of early pioneers, not only with antique firearms, tools, saddles, and the like, but with many hands-on displays that successfully stir the imagination and the heart. You'll find footage from Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, movie clips from the silent days, contemporary films, the works of Wild West artists, and plenty of memorabilia from Gene "The Singing Cowboy" Autry's film and TV projects. The Hall of Merchandising displays Roy Rogers bedspreads, Hopalong Cassidy radios, and other items from the collective consciousness -- and material collections -- of baby boomers. Provocative visiting exhibits (whose banners are visible from I-5) usually focus on cultural or domestic regional history. Docent-led tours are generally scheduled on Saturdays at 11am and noon. Tip: You can purchase a $12 two-site ticket that also includes entry into the Southwest Museum; it's valid for 3 months.
Watts Towers & Art Center
Watts became notorious as the site of riots in the summer of 1965, during which 34 people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured. Today, a visit to Watts is a lesson in inner-city life. It's a high-density land of gray strip malls, well-guarded check-cashing shops, and fast-food restaurants; but it's also a neighborhood of hardworking families struggling to survive in the midst of gangland. Although there's not much for the casual tourist here, the Watts Towers are truly a unique attraction, and the adjoining art gallery illustrates the fierce determination of area residents to maintain cultural integrity.The Towers -- the largest piece of folk art created by a single person -- are colorful, 99-foot-tall cement and steel sculptures ornamented with mosaics of bottles, seashells, cups, plates, pottery, and ceramic tiles. They were completed in 1955 by folk artist Simon Rodia, an immigrant Italian tile-setter who worked on them for 33 years in his spare time. True fans of decorative ceramics will enjoy the fact that Rodia's day job was at the legendary Malibu Potteries (are those fragments of valuable Malibu tile encrusting the Towers?). Closed since 1994 due to earthquake damage, the towers were triumphantly reopened in 2001 and now attract 20,000 visitors annually. Tours are offered every half-hour on a first-come, first-served basis.Note: Next to these designated Cultural Landmarks is the Art Center, which has an interesting collection of ethnic musical instruments as well as several visiting art exhibits throughout the year.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Los Angeles area, including:
Wilshire Grand Los Angeles
This former Omni hotel is now independently operated and dedicated to business travelers, but weekend rates can be stellar for bargain-hunting vacationers. The taupe-toned rooms are business hotel average; the best ones have city views or overlook the swimming pool. The executive-level rooms and suites feature extras like a fax machine, plush bathrobes, extra towels, and top-floor views -- plus access to the Executive Lounge, which offers free continental breakfast, all-day beverages, and hors d'oeuvres at cocktail hour. The 16-story hotel is centrally located in the heart of Downtown shopping, theater, and dining. Five restaurants and bars on-site include an American grill, an upscale Korean barbecue, an Italian trattoria, a tropical lounge in the Trader Vic's vein, and a coffee bar featuring Starbucks brew. I prefer the Omni, but this is a fine choice if you can snare a good rate.Facilities: 4 restaurants; bar; large outdoor heated pool and hydrotherapy pool; 24-hr. fitness room; concierge; Enterprise car-rental desk; courtesy car; business center w/secretarial services; salon; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; laundry service; dry-cleaning service; executive-level rooms.
Beverly Garland's Holiday Inn
The "Beverly Garland" in this 258-room hotel's name is the actress who played Fred MacMurray's wife on My Three Sons. Grassy areas and greenery abound at this North Hollywood Holiday Inn, a virtual oasis in the concrete jungle. The Mission-influenced buildings are a bit dated, but if you grew up with Brady Bunch reruns, this only adds to the charm -- the spread looks like something Mike Brady would have designed. Southwestern-themed fabrics complement the natural-pine furnishings in the spacious guest rooms, attracting your attention away from the somewhat unfortunate painted cinder-block walls. On the upside, all of the well-outfitted rooms have balconies overlooking the pleasant grounds, which include a pool and two lighted tennis courts. With Universal Studios just down the street and a free shuttle to the park, the location can't be beat for families. Since proximity to the 101 and 134 freeways also means the constant buzz of traffic, ask for a room facing Vineland Avenue for maximum quiet. Tip: If you're bringing the kids along, be sure to inquire about the "KidSuites," an adjoining room designed just for kids.
Casa Malibu
Sitting right on its very own beach, this leftover jewel from Malibu's golden age doesn't try to play the sleek resort game (and what a refreshing exception). Instead, the modest, low-rise inn has a traditional California-beach-cottage look that's cozy and timeless.Wrapped around a palm-studded inner courtyard brightened with well-tended flower beds and climbing cuppa d'oro vines, the 21 rooms are comfortable and thoughtfully outfitted. Many have been upgraded with tile bathrooms, air-conditioning (almost never needed on the coast), and VCRs or DVDs, but even the older ones are in great shape and boast top-quality bedding and bathrobes. Depending on which you choose, you might also find a fireplace, a kitchenette (in a half-dozen or so), a CD player (in suites), a tub (instead of shower only), and/or a private deck over the sand. The upstairs Catalina Suite (Lana Turner's old hideout) has the best view, while the gorgeous Malibu Suite -- the best room in the house and, like the beachfront rooms, located right on the beach -- offers state-of-the-art pampering. More than half have ocean views, but even those facing the courtyard are quiet and offer easy beach access via wooden stairs to the private stretch of beach, which is raked smooth each morning. There's also a handsome, wind-shielded brick sun deck, which extends directly over the sand, allowing everyone to enjoy the blue Pacific even in cool months. Book well ahead for summer -- this one's a favorite of locals and visitors alike.
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