Southern California dreamin’

If you’re looking for a vacation spot that keeps all ages happy, put Los Angeles on your list.

Whether you’re looking for a family trip, a romantic getaway or a girls’ escape, Los Angeles offers appealing attractions for all ages. You can enjoy sightseeing, beaches and more — with many options

for a range of budgets.

Big attractions with reasonable costs

Some of the best activities in Los Angeles are free! If you plan ahead and get tickets, you can see a live taping of a TV show. Game shows, sitcoms, late-night shows and special events offer opportunities to be in the studio audience. Note that there are age restrictions for each show, and you have

to arrive early and stay for a few hours.

The Getty Center is an architectural wonder located on a hilltop in Brentwood overlooking the city. It cost over $1 billion to create this complex of museums and gardens but you can see it for free. Parking is $20, and you take a tram ride up to explore the amazing galleries and sculpture gardens. They have activities for children as well as concerts and special events.

The beaches of Southern California are legendary, and visiting them is free. Santa Monica is only 4 miles from the LAX airport and has so much to offer. The boardwalk with the big Ferris Wheel and roller coaster are iconic symbols of California. The beach scene is active with volleyball, playgrounds and people practicing all sorts of acrobatic feats. You can rent a bike or skates to explore Venice Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa and Redondo. In Venice, you can take a stroll along the canals and check out the beautiful and unique homes.

If you’ve never seen the sights of Hollywood, you need to add it to your next trip to Los Angeles. It’s free to walk along the Hollywood Walk of Fame and see the hand and footprints at TCL Chinese Theatre along with an interesting array of street performers. This area is experiencing a renaissance, although some surrounding neighborhoods are sketchy.

You can drive around Beverly Hills and ogle the beautiful homes, then window shop on Rodeo Drive. If you want to go beyond the free sightseeing, you can take a Starline Tours Open-Top Double Decker Bus (about $47) that stops at The Grove/Farmers Market, Kodak Theatre, Route 66, Rodeo Drive, Beverly Center, Melrose Ave., Sunset Strip, La Brea Tar Pits and much more. The Hop-On, Hop-Off tour allows you to stay as long as you like at each stop and catch the next bus, or stay onboard for the whole two-hour tour.

Where to stay

For a visit to Hollywood, the Loews Hollywood Hotel is the ideal location. It’s part of the Hollywood & Highland Center which is home to the Academy Awards and numerous movie premiers. The hotel features an outdoor pool, spa, fitness center and views of the Hollywood Hills.

If you want to be close to the beach, there are great hotels in Santa Monica. Of course, the closer to the beach, the higher the rates. The beach at Santa Monica is huge with lots of activities. You can use Santa Monica as a home base to explore the surrounding areas.

There really is something for everyone in the City of Angels, and now it’s easier than ever to get there. Contact a travel agent and get ready for a great vacation.

Getting there: EUG to LA

From Eugene, Alaska Airlines has daily nonstop flights to LAX and begins nonstop to Burbank in late October. Allegiant flies to Orange County twice a week (Sunday/Thursday).

NEW: Breeze Airways from Eugene to Burbank/Hollywood airport will start in March with twice a week flights (Sunday/Thursday).

You can take connecting flights to the Los Angeles area on Southwest, Delta, United and American Airlines. Note that you will also want a rental car with navigation to explore this exciting area.

Airlines serving the Eugene Airport

Alaska Airlines: AlaskaAir.com

Allegiant: Allegiantair.com

American Airlines: AA.com

Breeze Airways: FlyBreeze.com

Delta: Delta.com

Southwest: Southwest.com

United: United.com

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Meet Vacation MOM

Vacation MOM is brought to you in partnership with Eugene Airport

Donnita Bassinger is a mom of three and lives in Eugene. During her 30+ years as a travel agent, she has been to the Los Angeles area many times. Her recent trips there include travel with children, a romantic weekend and a girls’ getaway. She is the owner of VIP Vacations, Inc and would be happy to chat with you about travel plans.

Contact Donnita at 541-913-5272 or on facebook@VacationMOM