los angeles Travel Guide
Tags: Celeb Travel / Kanye West / LAX / Airplane Etiquette / Full Body Scanners / → All Tags
Did Kanye Really Throw A Fit On a Plane at LAX?
Even though Kanye West hasn't been making many public appearances lately, that doesn't mean he's been keeping quiet. He has been taking to his blog, defending himself against the haters and setting the record straight.
According to the NY Post, West freaked out in LAX Monday night on his way back to NYC from the Grammys because he and his assistant were seated in business class, not first class.
Tags: Airport Lounges / LAX / Lounges / Airport News / Airports / → All Tags
The reLAX Airport Lounge Welcomes All Flyers...For A Price
We’ve been hot and heavy over airport lounges lately. Unfortunately most of them require first-class tickets or loads of cash to gain access, and this makes us a little sad. One company is looking to bring the comfort and conveniences of the airline lounge to the masses, and they’re starting with a pay-per-access lounge at Los Angeles' LAX Airport.
The reLAX lounge—clever—is located in the Tom Bradley Terminal, welcoming passengers to swing by for a little visit. The place is located next to the Daily Grill on the departure level, so think about stopping by on your next trip out of the area. Once inside the lounge you’ll be enjoying complimentary coffee, tea, juice, and soda. There will be cookies and fresh fruit as well, and you'll be enjoying it all while listening to the best mix of easy listening music—their words, not ours. Of course there will be free WiFi as well, so you can get some work done while watching airplanes come and go through the lounge's large windows.
Tags: Celeb Travel / Virgin Blue / Airlines / Sam Worthington / James Cameron / → All Tags
Rumors of an 'Avatar II' Follow Avatar's Star Back to Australia
Australian hottie Sam Worthington and his girlfriend Natalie Mark were spotted checking quite a bit of luggage at the Virgin Atlantic counter in LAX Tuesday. The couple was heading back home after attending the Golden Globes on Sunday. It was a good night for Sam and his director, James Cameron, as their film, Avatar, took home the Globe for Best Motion Picture Drama.
Its rumored Worthington has already signed on for the Avatar II, an idea Cameron has always been open to. “I’ve had a storyline in mind from the start – there are even scenes in Avatar that I kept in because they lead to the sequel ,” Cameron said. “It just makes sense to think of it as a two-or-three film arc, in terms of the business plan. The plants and trees, etc, all takes an enormous amount of time to create . It’d be a waste not to use it again,” he added.
Tags: Jersey Shore Travel / Celebrity Travel / TSA / Snooki / Diana Ross / American Airlines / → All Tags
Jersey Shore Cast Pulls a 'Robbery' On TSA Checkpoint

We fear we could get in trouble with the TSA for that headline above so lest you jump to conclusions, we want to clarify that a "robbery" in Jersey Shore-speak is a term for stealing another dude's girl. Examples: Vinny pulled a robbery on their boss Danny, by hooking up with the girl that Danny had taken out to dinner just hours earlier. Down in Atlantic City, The Situation pulled a robbery on Vinny's girl in the night club.
So robbery is really just a more macho way of saying "sloppy seconds." Except when it applies to airports. Then it means clogging up the security checkpoints and setting off the metal scanners with your Prince Albert piercings. Which is exactly what the Jersey Shore kids did at LAX on Sunday.
Tags: Celeb Travel / Pet Travel / Airplane Travel / David Beckham / PetAir / Animals / Dog Travel / → All Tags
David Beckham's New Puppy Dines with Gordan Ramsay, Flies First Class
David Beckham won't trust just any old airline to fly his new bulldog puppy. Becks reportedly spent £2,000 ($3,267) to fly his new pooch back to Los Angeles on Pet Airways. The bulldog puppy, who was a Christmas gift from his wife Victoria, flew from London to L.A. in luxury. PetAir's Gold Standard service includes a custom-made wooden travel container with bedding and water, a pre-travel health examination and one night in the care of a vet. A source close to the soccer star said: "It's one lucky animal, but David only wants the best."
But a first class flight isn't the only perk the dog has enjoyed since becoming part of the Beckham clan. The dog also stayed with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay at his Wandsworth home in London and enjoyed specially prepared meals, while the Beckhams returned to Los Angeles. Another source added: '"In its very short life, David's dog has already seen the kind of luxury it will be treated to. It's been fed top-notch food by the UK's leading star chef, and has now been flown in total comfort to LA."
Tags: Celeb Travel / Airport Photo Shoot / Pet Travel / Virgin America / → All Tags
Chihuahuas Take Flight, Thanks to Virgin America and Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff was spotted pushing some precious cargo through LAX on Tuesdayher pet Chihuahua Lola. The actress, who was heading back home to Los Angeles after a holiday break, also remembered to have some in-flight fashion by wearing a Burberry scarf, which she sported yesterday too while doing some grocery shopping in Los Angeles.
Lola wasn't the only lucky jet-setting Chihuahua in the skies this week. Virgin America gave 15 homeless Chihuahuas free flights from San Francisco to New York, where there is a greater demand for small dogs.
Tags: Neighborhoods To Know And Go / Los Angeles Travel / Shopping Travel / → All Tags
Off Rodeo Drive: Where To Swipe Your Plastic In Silverlake's Sunset Junction

Just six more friggin' shopping days 'till Christmas. Sorry to be the bearers of bad news, folks, but if your tree isn't yet surrounded by metallic-wrapped gifts, you're going to have to hop to it. In Los Angeles, we're steering clear of malls, especially after a psychotic trip to The Grove last night saw us almost being run over by the circling trolley.
This weekend, we're heading East to a neighborhood popular among Ray Ban and gourmet coffee aficionados: Silverlake. We've heard many a disgruntled Westside friend criticize the area for being impossibly hip, and that it is, but it's also charmingly eclectic, laid-back, and there's never a dearth of activity to speak of. On the stretch of Sunset Boulevard known as Sunset Junction, there are a healthy handful of stores to shop at for the vintage lover, barfly, and comic book fan in your life. Here's our Off-Rodeo Guide to shopping 'tha Junction, after the jump.
Tags: Holiday Travel / Los Angeles Travel / Music Travel / Music Venues / → All Tags
Find Holiday Cheer in LA With the Help of Sing-Alongs, Jimmy Stewart

A holiday sing-along at Walt Disney Concert Hall—it doesn't get more cheery than that.
Dreaming of a "White Christmas"? Longing to feel "Jack Frost nipping on your nose"? Then Los Angeles definitely isn't where you'll be booking a stay over the upcoming holiday weekend. What us Angelenos lack in snowfall we more than make up for in peppermint lattes, designer scarves (for "chilly" days when temps drop below 65 degrees), and hybrid ice rinks.
Believe us, it's possible to find that elusive Christmas spirit in the City of Angels, provided you steer clear of rabid shoppers at The Grove. Oh, you're a skeptic? For a maximum dose of the warm-fuzzies, we're suggesting a few weekend events worth checking out. Even the most thoroughgoing Grinch won't be able to resist their cheery zeal.
Get our Top Three picks after the jump!
Tags: Travel Snapshot / Holiday Travel / Road Trips / Los Angeles Travel / → All Tags
Live From The 405: Traffic Is So Far, So Good
Making your way out of Los Angeles is never easy, not even on a Monday and especially not on Friday. And driving out of town before the holidays starts to fill us with anxiety the night before. But so far, so good on the 405.
We snapped this shot from the on-ramp from the 10 leading to the 405 and we're happy to report that we're all the way out in the valley with no problems. (Yes, we're using our Verizon Wireless card to file this story from the passenger seat.) Things may change when we hit the 5, which we'll then be cruising for most of the way up to Oakland.
The 5 is a crappy drive namely because its two lanes and it's just flat nothingness unless you get excited by driving by the massive cow patch and inhaling its smell. If we had more time, we'd take the scenic 101 which goes along the ocean. But sorry, turkey awaits. Oh and we just jinxed ourselves. Dammit we knew that would happen! Traffic is stop and go now. Argh!
Got your own holiday travel snapshot? Send it to us! Or drop it into the Jaunted Flickr Pool.
Related Stories: · All Holiday Travel coverage [Jaunted]
Tags: Shopping Travel / Los Angeles Travel / Events / → All Tags
Score 'Steaktionary' and Other Quirky Holiday Gifts at UNIQUE LA

An example of the quirky goods you'll find at UNIQUE LA
Shopping for presents at malls and chain stores will do if you're pressed for time, but with a solid few weeks before holiday delirium fully sets in, we suggest turning elsewhere for your gift-giving needs. In Los Angeles, one option is hitting up the UNIQUE independent design sale, set to return to the city on December 5th and 6th.
UNIQUE has enjoyed considerable success and garnered buzz among L.A.'s cool kid contingent, who head downtown to support their artistic friends, or sell wares of their own. The selection of artwork, beauty products, jewelry, handbags, home goods, and creative miscellany is vast, and it's guaranteed that you won't find items like these at your local Wal-Mart. Plush, California-shaped pillows by Love, California, "Steaktionery" by Pamela Barsky (steak-themed paper goods, just as the name suggests), and hammered jewelry by A Stone's Throw are just a few of the awe-inspiring finds at UNIQUE. Attending is essentially like walking through the real, live version of Etsy.
Tags: Museum Travel / Los Angeles Travel / Art Travel / Events / → All Tags
Los Angeles' MOCA Celebrates 30 Years With a Behemoth of a Retrospective

MOCA's First Thirty Years is a retrospective that covers 30 years of the Los Angeles museum's artistic contributions to the public. Since opening its doors in 1979, MOCA has prided itself on making the best of contemporary art available to the masses, and this behemoth of a collection—featuring more than 500 pieces by over 200 artists from 1940 to today—is a reflection of this cultural richness.
Novice art connoisseurs, or even those who don't know Mondrian from Michelangelo, will inarguably be impressed by this compendium of some of the 20th Century's most impressive pieces. Diane Arbus? Check. Jackson Pollock? Check. Mark Rothko? You get the idea. The list goes on and on, and the exhibition will enjoy a long run at the downtown location—through May 3rd of next year, to be exact.
Tags: Smuggling / Lizards / Crime / U.S. Customs / LAX / Weird Travel / Animal Smuggling / Money Belts / → All Tags
Leapin' Lizards! Cali Man Busted Smuggling Aussie Reptiles in Money Belt
Things travelers should put in a money belt: Passport, tickets, cash, emergency contact information. Things travelers should not put in a money belt: lizards. It may seem rather obvious to most readers of this blog, but there's one guy in California who somehow never picked up this basic tenet of travel wisdom. As the LA Times points out, 40-year-old Michael Plank was arrested by U.S. Customs agents at Los Angeles International Airport this week when he was found to have 15 lizards stuffed in a money belt. Plank was on his way back from Australia and apparently decided to bring 11 skinks, two monitor lizards, and two geckos with him to his LA home, where they'd be worth around $8,500.
