People save all year, or sometimes years at a time, in order to plan the perfect vacation. And while Disneyland is sure to be a memorable experience, for a family of four you could be looking at anywhere from $1500 - $5000 for those memories. The happiest place on Earth is not the cheapest. Yet there are alternatives for those who know where to look. If you want Disney, go Disney, but here are a few suggestions that will provide plenty of entertainment without having to take out a loan:
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Downtown Los Angeles as seen from the air: This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. Commons is a freely licensed media file repository.
Shuttle Endeavour via Wikimedia Commons. Commons is a freely licensed media file repository.
The California Science Center Prepares for Takeoff
With NASA retiring the current generation of space shuttles, the question was: what to do with the four main shuttles that allowed for years of discovery and exploration in space? The answer is allow some of the nation's most prestigious museums to display the shuttles for all to see and, in the latter part of 2012, the California Science Center will join an elite club who have been allowed to do just that.
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What's On Your Hollywood Bucket List?
Everyone should have their own bucket list. A list of things to do or places to see before you die. This can be anything from globe-trotting adventures to something a bit more local. Hollywood is the perfect place to find that sense of adventure without having to deplete your entire life savings.
This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. Commons is a freely licensed media file repository.
Boyz II Men Walk of Fame Star Ceremony Kicks Off 2012 Season
The silky-smooth vocals of R&B group Boyz II Men, aka Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris, notable for hits “End of the Road,” “I’ll Make Love to You” and “On Bended Knee,” received the first Hollywood Walk of Fame Star in 2012 when they were honored on Jan. 05, 2012.
This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. Commons is a freely licensed media file repository.
Hollywood - A Sign of All Times
There exist some icons that transcend simply being well-known or popular. Some become so beloved and so, well, iconic, that it doesn't just become a part of history and culture, but takes on its own personality.
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Image courtesy http://myhollywoodvacation.com
The One Place You Can Find the Stars Every Day
If you think you have to get in to an exclusive night club or sneak into a movie studio in order to find popular stars, you would be wrong. You could be lucky and run into one walking around Hollywood, but there is another way. Not only can you find the stars, but they will be more than happy to pose for pictures and they never complain.
The JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton tower photo worldarchitecturenews.com
L.A. Live Venue Kick-Starts Downtown Renovation Boom
It wasn’t long after the $1 billion JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton tower opened up in 2010 that other hotels in the downtown area took notice. Now, a little over a year after it debuted, there have been a slew of renovations with even more planned for the future.
Hannibal Lecters' actual cell from Silence of the Lambs. Photo Hollywood Museum.
The Hollywood Museum: Costumes and Memorabilia of Hollywood
The Hollywood Museum, located in the historic Max Factor Building on the corner of Hollywood & Highland, has the most extensive collection of Hollywood Memorabilia in the World. One of a Kind Costumes, Props, Photographs, Scripts and Vintage Collectibles from your favorite movies and TV shows including: Glee, Dancing With the Stars, Twilight, High School Musical, Moulin Rouge, Rocky, Indiana Jones, Star Trek, Baywatch, I Love Lucy, and more.
Le Parc Suites Hotel Lobby. Photo courtesy of Le Parc Suites Hotel.
Sunset Strip Music Festival Rocks West Hollywood
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Third Annual Sunset Strip Music Festival (SSMF) will rock West Hollywood August 26-28, 2010, featuring headlining act The Smashing Pumpkins.
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Hollywood Blvd. and the Walk of Fame.
Hollywood Walk of Fame Celebrates 50 Years!
The Walk of Fame celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2010 and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is planning numerous events to mark this important anniversary.
Hollywood Blvd. and the Walk of Fame. Photo courtesy of Starline.
2011 Hollywood Walk of Fame Recipients Announced
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced its new Walk of Fame Star Recipients for 2011. Chosen among hundreds of nominations, these stars have five years from the date of nomination to plan and implement their star ceremonies. The Walk of Fame recipients for the year 2011 are:
MOTION PICTURES: Penelope Cruz, Bruce Dern, Laura Dern, Diane Ladd, Ed Harris, The Muppets, Kenny Ortega, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ridley Scott, Sissy Spacek, Donald Sutherland and Reese Witherspoon.
Fringe Festival Invades Hollywood
It’s a big week for Hollywood and the art scene in particular. The Hollywood Fringe Festival begins this week, on Thursday, June 17th and runs through Sunday, June 27th.
The Shangri-La Hotel in Santa Monica, home to the fabulous event. Courtesy of Shangri-La.
Get Ready for a Little Sex and the City Los Angeles Style
Fashionistas start your engines! The frenzy around Sex and the City 2 has taken hold worldwide and unless you've been living in an uninhabited Atol in the middle of the South Pacific where your IPAD doesn't connect to the outside world, you have no doubt seen the advertising and slew of promotions for one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Millions of women and men are counting the days until Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda strut their stuff across the big screen in one of entertainments biggest runway shows. And a blockbuster opening is all but assured.
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Rendering of the Natural History Museum's Master Plan. Photo Natural History Museum.
Museum to Begin Outdoor Programming with New Urban Nature Experiences in Heart of Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County has announced a $30 million plan to create an expansive North Campus on the Museum site in Exposition Park: 3.5 acres of urban wilderness experiences and exhibits, serving as a new front yard for the Museum, and a new nature destination in the heart of Los Angeles.
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Starline's Topless Mini-Bus. Photo courtesy of Starline Tours.
Starline Tours Turns 75 This Year!
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Movie Stars’ Homes Tour – the must-do tour for people wanting to see the location of celebrity homes in and around Beverly Hills. Originally developed out of a passing comment from the creator of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, today Starline Tours shows thousands of people annually a glimpse of the homes of the stars, and when lucky, the homeowner.
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Where the Stars Made an Impression.
Grauman's Chinese Theatre...Where the Stars Made an Impression
Grauman’s Chinese Theatre is one of Hollywood’s most visited landmarks. Located on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame visitors come upon the enormous Chinese Pagoda including a huge Chinese Dragon across the front and two authentic Chinese Ming Heaven Dogs that guard the entrance of the theatre.
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Santa Monica by Air. Photo courtesy of Jeff Elson.
Touring L.A. by Helicopter
For visitors who are looking to see Los Angeles from a different angle, there’s no better way to see the City of Lights than by helicopter. I had the opportunity to sit down with Los Angeles Helicopter Tours, chief pilot, Mike, to ask him a few questions.
L: What is your favorite kind of flight…I know you take up a lot of different people but who are some of the more memorable?
Getty Center By Air, Courtesy of Jeff Elson
Five Inexpensive (and Fabulous) ways to Spend a Romantic Day in Los Angeles
Los Angeles has loads of free, or low cost activities all year long. Here are a few that we thought were extra special…even on a tight budget:
Tortas at an authentic Mexican cafe. Photo courtesy of Melting Pot Food Tours.
Culinary Adventures in and around Los Angeles
Walking tours are a convenient way for tourists to learn about the history and architecture of a city. Why not take advantage of these tours to learn about your own town? Los Angeles hosts a variety of walking tours, but one of our favorites is one of the newest. And only partly because they give you Chinese food and cake.
Tide Pools on an L.A. Active Adventure. Photo courtesy of L.A. Active Adventures.
Come Explore the Natural Side of L.A. with L.A. Active Adventures!
LA Active Adventures is a tour unlike any other. When people think of Los Angeles, images of a sprawling city or a concrete jungle may come to mind. Although the city has a lot to offer, including theme parks, shopping for the latest trends, and celebrity sightings, there is a different side of LA that many visitors and even some locals have not had the chance to experience.
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A Nightmare on Elm Street Movie Location. Photo courtesy of Dearly Departed Tours.
Dearly Departed Movie Tours, for Halloween or all year long
There are hundreds of tours available in Hollywood – most run a “standard” route – starting somewhere near the Chinese Theater and heading straight out west to Beverly Hills. They’ll show you an amazing array of celebrity homes; some stars may actually live there. Frankly, tours are only as good as the guides that give them.
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The Hollyhock House. Photo courtesy of Architecture Tours L.A.
A Hollywood Vacation with Architecture Tours L.A.
Stars on the sidewalk, the Chinese Theater, the Egyptian Theater, movie premieres and stars homes. All familiar sites in Hollywood, but did you know that there is also a monastery where a cloistered order of Dominican nuns live?
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Got it! Photo courtesy of Amazing L.A. Race
A Competitive Sightseeing Tour?! Only in L.A.
It’s a sightseeing tour… It’s a game… It’s a scavenger hunt. It’s an immersive experience. It’s, well, it’s all of the above – and more! It is the Amazing Los Angeles Race, a brand new concept in sightseeing, and an utterly unique entry into the things-one-must-do while in Los Angeles.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery, photo Krista Kahl
Historic Walking Tours of Hollywood Forever Cemetery Reveal Forgotten Scandals and Beloved Stars
LOS ANGELES-Hollywood Forever Cemetery is one of the most celebrated and intriguing locales in Los Angeles. For the past seven years, historic tour guide Karie Bible has been giving official walking tours of the property. This tour has been one of the city’s best kept secrets--until now.
The two-hour tour evokes the storied past and navigates the labyrinth of the present as it highlights the various historic tales, scandals and mysteries that remain a part of Hollywood lore.
Photo courtesy of Original Farmers Market
Original Farmers Market Celebrates 75 Years!
The Original Farmers Market at Third & Fairfax may be the city’s most beloved and entertaining institution. Created in 1934 as an open air venue for fresh produce, Farmers Market grew to be a perfect place: great shopping, an amazing array of restaurants and the city’s best grocery store, all in an authentic atmosphere which offers family fun, frequent star spotting, living history and a charming experience locals and tourists alike truly cherish.
