Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Varig, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Portland (PDX) to Los Angeles (LAX) regularly scheduled to depart at 6:30am and arrive at 8:43am. Usually a Boeing 757-200 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Portland, OR to Los Angeles, CA is 2 hours and 13 minutes.*
* Some flights must connect with international service on this airline.
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During your Los Angeles vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Griffith Park
Mining tycoon Col. Griffith J. Griffith donated these 4,107 acres to the city in 1896 as a Christmas gift. Today Griffith Park is the largest urban park in America. There's a lot to do here, including 53 miles of hiking trails (the prettiest is the Fern Dell trail near the Western Ave. entrance, a shady hideaway cooled by waterfalls and ferns), horseback riding, golfing, swimming, biking, and picnicking (see "Golf, Hiking & Other Fun in the Warm California Sun," later in this chapter). For a general overview of the park, drive the mountainous loop road that winds from the top of Western Avenue, past Griffith Observatory, and down to Vermont Avenue. For a more extensive foray, turn north at the loop road's midsection, onto Mt. Hollywood Drive. To reach the golf courses, the Museum of the American West, or Los Angeles Zoo, take Los Feliz Boulevard to Riverside Drive, which runs along the park's western edge.Near the zoo, in a particularly dusty corner of the park, you can find the Travel Town Transportation Museum, 5200 Zoo Dr. (tel. 323/662-5874), a little-known outdoor museum with a small collection of vintage locomotives and old airplanes. Kids love the miniature train ride that circles the perimeter of the museum. The museum is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm; admission is free. Griffith Park entrances are along Los Feliz Boulevard, at Riverside Drive, Vermont Avenue, and Western Avenue (Hollywood; tel. 323/913-4688; www.laparks.org/grifmet/griffith.htm). Park admission is free.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The strikingly beautiful Walt Disney Concert Hall isn't just the new home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; it's a key element in an urban revitalization effort now underway Downtown. The Walt Disney family insisted on the best and, with an initial gift of $50 million to build a world-class performance venue, that's what they got: A masterpiece of design by world-renown architect Frank Gehry, and an acoustical quality that equals or surpasses the best concert halls in the world. Similar to Gehry's most famous architectural masterpiece, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the concert hall's dramatic stainless-steel exterior consists of a series of undulating curved surfaces that partially envelop the entire building, presenting multiple glimmering facades to the surrounding neighborhood. Within is a dazzling 2,273-seat auditorium replete with curved woods and a dazzling array of organ pipes (also designed by Gehry), as well as a Joachim Splichal's Patina restaurant, the hip Concert Hall Cafe, a bookstore, and a gift shop.The 3 1/2-acre Concert Hall is open to the public for viewing, but to witness it in its full glory, do whatever it takes to attend a concert by the world-class Los Angeles Philharmonic. Also highly recommended are the $10 audio tours, which lead visitors through the Concert Hall's history from conception to creation. The 45-minute self-guided tour is narrated by actor John Lithgow and includes interviews with Frank Gehry, Los Angeles Philharmonic music director Esa-Pekka Salonen, and acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, among others. One big caveat is that you see just about everything except the auditorium: There's almost always a rehearsal in progress and the acoustics are so good that there's no discreet way to sneak a peak. The audio tours are available on nonmatinee days from 9am to 3pm and matinee days from 9am to 10:30am.
Church of the Good Shepherd
Built in 1924, this is Beverly Hills's oldest house of worship. In 1950, Elizabeth Taylor and her first husband, Nicky Hilton, were married here. The funerals of Alfred Hitchcock, Gary Cooper, Eva Gabor, and Frank Sinatra were all held here as well.
Hotel Bel-Air
Spread over 12 luxuriant garden acres, this stunning Mission-style hotel is one of the most beautiful, romantic, exclusive, and all-around impressive hotels not just in L.A., but in all of California. This opulent early-20th-century castle wins a never-ending stream of praise for its faultless service, luxurious accommodations, and magical ambience. The parklike grounds -- rich with ancient trees, fragrant flowers, bubbling fountains, playful statuary, and swan-dotted ponds -- are enchanting, and the welcoming, richly traditional public rooms are filled with fine antiques. Rooms, villas, and garden suites are individually decorated but equally stunning; some have Jacuzzis, many have private patios and wood-burning fireplaces, but all feature romantic country French decor.The hotel is a natural for honeymooners and other celebrants, but families might be put off by the Bel-Air's relative formality, which is geared to the jet set, CEO types, and ladies who lunch. Even if you don't stay here, you might consider brunch, lunch, or dinner at the highly regarded and ultraromantic restaurant or on the woodsy outdoor terrace, or drinks at the cozy bar.
Magic Castle Hotel
Located a stone's throw from Hollywood Boulevard's attractions, this garden-style hotel/motel at the base of the Hollywood Hills offers L.A.'s best cheap sleeps. You won't see the Magic Castle Hotel in a shelter mag spread -- the rooms are done in high Levitz style -- but the newly refurbished units are spacious, comfortable, and well kept. Named for the Magic Castle, the illusionist club just uphill, the hotel was once an apartment building; it still feels private and insulated from Franklin Avenue's constant stream of traffic. The units are situated around a swimming-pool courtyard ensconced with trees. Most are full, extralarge apartments, with fully equipped kitchens with a microwave and coffeemaker (grocery shopping service is available as well). Several units have balconies overlooking the large heated pool. Ideal for wallet-watching families or long-term stays.
Carlyle Inn
Tucked away on an uneventful stretch of Robertson Boulevard just south of Beverly Hills, this four-story inn is one of L.A.'s best midpriced finds. Making the most of a small lot, architects have created an attractive interior courtyard, which almost every room faces, that gives the property a feeling of openness and serenity that most others in this price range lack -- not to mention good outdoor space for enjoying the free breakfast or afternoon munchies at umbrella-covered cafe tables on nice days. The well-planned, contemporary guest rooms are fitted with recessed lighting, Art Deco-inspired furnishings, firm bedding, well-framed architectural monoprints, plus nice extras like VCRs and bathrobes. Suites have pullout sofas but are only slightly larger than standard rooms, so families may be better off in a double/double or connecting rooms. The conscientious manager keeps everything in racing form. The hotel's primary drawback is that it lacks views; curtains must remain drawn at all times to maintain any sense of privacy. Still, it doesn't seem to bother the 90% repeat visitors, who know good value when they find it.
