Scouting the best airfares, hotels, cruises and vacation packages

Disney’s California Adventure preview center sprinkles pixie dust before construction dust

October 10, 2008 5:42pm

A new preview center opening Oct. 20 at Disney’s California Adventure aims to tempt visitors with a sneak peek at coming attractions just as the Anaheim theme park prepares to undergo a massive $1.1-billion makeover.

Designed to look like the interior of an artist’s studio, Blue Sky Cellar will feature Walt Disney Imagineering models, sketches, concept art and videos of a nighttime water show, Little Mermaid dark ride, Cars Land themed area and overall 1920s Los Angeles retheming planned for the under-performing park.

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Yosemite rock slide area off-limits for two weeks

October 10, 2008 4:01pm

The site of a rock slide in Yosemite National Park earlier this week will remain off-limits for two weeks while geologists determine why 1,800 cubic yards of rock tumbled into Curry Village, injuring three people and destroying several cabins.

Although slides are normal in Yosemite, the section of Glacier Point that broke loose Wednesday morning had never produced a slide before, causing concern among geologists at the park.

The area where the slide occured, between Glacier Point and Curry Village, will remain off-limits while geologists determine if there is a danger of further slides, said park spokeswoman Kari Cobb.

About one-third of the 500 cabins in Curry Village have been closed due to damage and potential for more slides, she said. No roads or trails have been closed due to the incident.

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Watch free Halloween movies at Mandalay Bay’s beach all month in Las Vegas

October 10, 2008 2:37pm

There’s no need to wait until the end of the month to start celebrating Halloween in Vegas. Mandalay Bay is kicking off the spooky fun early by showing horror-flick classics at Mandalay Beach this month.  You might remember the “Dive-In” movies that they’ve been showing all summer long.

Here’s the lineup:

Oct. 10, 2008 — “Friday the 13th”
Oct. 17, 2008 — “The Ring”
Oct. 24, 2008 — “The Shining”
Oct. 31, 2008 — “Saw”

Details: All the movies are rated R and start at 9 p.m. “Dive-In” movie events are only for ages 21 and older. They are free, and if you think the weather is warm enough you’re welcome to float in the pool while watching.

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New Mexico: 1 person dies in Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

October 10, 2008 11:01am

We know that some of our readers were looking forward to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, running Oct. 4-12, 2008. Sadly, one person died Friday when a basket caught on fire and crashed.

From the Associated Press, “Balloon Gondola Crashes in Flames at N.M. Hot-Air Balloon Fiesta; 1 Dead”

“Two people — a pilot and a passenger — were aboard the Wings of Wind balloon when it crashed north of Albuquerque, said Kathie Leyendecker, a spokeswoman for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, held each October.

She did not know whether it was the pilot or the passenger who was killed, and had no immediate word on the condition of the second person.

Were you at the festival? Did you ride in one of the balloons? Tell us about your experience in your own words.

– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger

[Photo: Ron Lustig]

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Roundup: Are airline stocks up or down? Red flag fire warning in mountain areas; Clear airport pass price going up

October 10, 2008 9:23am

Good morning, travelers. Aloha Friday as we say around here. If you are in a mountain area in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara or Ventura counties please be careful—these areas have been issued a red flag warning for high fire danger.

Airline news | Are you following the stock market as it pertains to the airline industry? The Associated Press released an interesting article yesterday afternoon that revealed most of the familiar airlines such as United Airlines and Delta Airlines had minor changes that were a mere few cents in either direction.

However, U.S. Airways lost 12.1% or 50 cents to close at $3.63. Meanwhile Southwest Airlines gained 16 cents to end at $11.75. Which airline do you think was left completely unchanged yesterday? The answer is Continental Airlines at $10.95. Read: Some airlines’ shares climb above Dow’s storm [Business Week]

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Air France to end LAX-Heathrow flights

October 9, 2008 5:37pm

Air France next month will stop flying between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)  and London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR), a route it added less than seven months ago. With less competition, Britain-bound fliers may get socked with higher fares.

In a news release from France on Wednesday, the airline said “the present economic and financial crisis”  prompted its decision to end the service Nov.  6. It added that it will reassign the aircraft to the Heathrow route from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), increasing the frequency from two to three flights per day next summer. Two flights will be operated by Delta Air Lines and one by Air France.

The release did not say what Air France will do for LAX-Heathrow customers holding tickets for flights after Nov. 6.

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Some Curry Village lodging still closed after Yosemite National Park rockslide

October 9, 2008 3:37pm

About one-third of the 500 or so cabins at Curry Village in Yosemite National Park remained off-limits Thursday after a rockslide that injured three park visitors and destroyed more than half a dozen cabins, park officials said.

Guests who had been staying in the evacuated cabins have been moved temporarily to nearby empty cabins and to staff housing while park workers assess the damage from the 1,800-cubic-yard slab of rock that broke off from Glacier Point and rolled into the village. Park officials say lodging may be limited at the park temporarily due to the partial evacuation.

Still, park officials say all roads and trails remain open. Read the rest of this entry »

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Cheapflights.com uses airport info to predict an Obama win

October 9, 2008 1:05pm

Obama, McCain, McCain, Obama — who will win the presidential election when the debate results are so close to a tie? There are actually 11 swing states that may hold the future of the rest of the presidential race. Cheapflights.com has culled clues from airports in these swing states to determine that Barack Obama will become our next president. Sure, this isn’t exactly scientific, but let’s see what these folks have to say and monitor if their prediction comes true. Read the rest of this entry »

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Haunted hotel? Stay in a ghostly room at Paso Robles Inn for Halloween

October 9, 2008 11:09am

There’s something mysterious in the air at the historic Paso Robles Inn. You see, once upon a time — on Dec. 19, 1940, to be exact — hotel guest J.H. Emsley, who was staying in Room 1007, discovered a fire on the second floor of the hotel. He quickly sounded the fire alarm and then immediately keeled over from a heart attack. Because of his quick-thinking heroism, however, all of the other guests made it safely out of the hotel.

Though the incident occurred almost 70 years ago now, the hotel’s front desk still receives inexplicable calls from Room 1007. A recent release by Historic Hotels of America said: “At first the inn’s management wrote the calls off as a glitch in the system. However, when a member of the maintenance staff inspected the phone line, he witnessed it light up and call the front desk on its own. When he tried calling the front desk himself, the phone, which has two lines, cut him off and called the front desk from the second line. The spirit has even gone so far as to place a call to 911. When police responded to the call, they found the room unoccupied.”

Don’t believe in ghosts? Read the rest of this entry »

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Roundup: Yom Kippur photos; L.A. area pumpkin patches; will Hurricane Norbert hit Cabo San Lucas?

October 9, 2008 9:57am

Good morning, travelers.

World | Are you observing Yom Kippur today? The Babylon & Beyond blog tells us more about the holiest of the Jewish calendar. Here is a photo gallery of moments during Yom Kippur from around the world.

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