Trip on a Deal

#10 City Walk

City Walk is part of Universal Studios Hollywood. It’s a dazzling open-air street setting, featuring an array of historic LA neon signs and architectural eye-candy.

Universal Studios Hollywood

Take LA’s new Red Line subway system, and catch the free shuttle up the Universal Hill. Otherwise it’s ten bucks to park, free to get in.

If you want to spend a little, there’s live music, live comedy, and plenty of restaurants. And mostly, it’s what Hollywood is all about, a fun, safe, sanitized and artificial version of reality. Soak it up.

For more information, go to citywalkhollywood.com

#9 Jazz at the LA County Art Museum

On Friday evenings from April to November, you can’t beat the free concerts in the Los Angeles Times Central Court. This is the 18th year they’ve been bringing stellar jazz to the museum free every Friday night. The concerts end at 8 O Clock, and the museum closes at nine, so you can get jazzed to see the exhibits afterwards! Go to LACMA.org for the schedule.

#8 Griffith Park!

This is the country’s largest municipal park … over 4100 acres.
Not only is it a gorgeous setting for hiking, picniking and horseback riding … it’s home to the Hollywood Sign as well as a ton of attractions … the Greek Theater, the Gene Autry Museum, the LA Zoo, The Travel Town Museum and many others.

Griffith Observatory

It’s best attraction? The Griffith Park Observatory … an LA icon you’ve seen in a ton of movies: Rebel Without A Cause, Bowfinger, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, GoldenEye, The Rocketeer and The Terminator to name a few.  It just underwent a 93 million dollar renovation, partially funded by Star Trek legend Leonard Nimoy … it’s a great visit and completely free. Go to http://www.griffithobs.org/ for all the deets.

#7 Mulholland Drive!

Take your convertible or your bike up through this mountain drive - 55 miles of scenic hairpin curves!
You’ll get the best first hand view of just how big the city really is … from Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, to Hollywood, Downtown and the San Fernando valley.

#6 The La Brea Tar Pits

One of the best collections of Ice Age fossils in the world is Smack in the middle of LA! Over a million fossils were recovered from the La Brea tar pits, dating back 30,000 years. Countless wooly mammoths found themselves trapped in the sticky, gooey asphalt that still bubbles up off Wilshire Blvd. You may recognize the pits from the movie Volcano or 1941. A visit to the pits costs you nothing. If you want to go into the Page Museum that shows off the fossils, it’s seven dollars … or free the first Tuesday of every month. We like the saber toothed tigers. Go to TarPits.org for more info.

And if you go there, you should also check out the campy, cool Petersen Automotive Museum right across the street. 10 bucks well spent … okay, 3 for kids under 12.

#5 & 4 Shopping!LA Shopping

Ok, it’s a bit of a cheat, but there’s a lot of great window shopping in LA.  Melrose Avenue is a collection of stylish shops and restaurants that stretches from Beverly Hills westward.  Vintage clothes, unique trinkets, designer furniture, stylish fashions and dining hot spots … a whole lifestyle on one street!

Other great window shopping strolls of the city: La Brea, Beverly Blvd, Third Street, Robertson Blvd, Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade and, of course, Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

Grauman's Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd

#3 Hollywood Blvd

Up until just a few years ago, Hollywood Blvd was …not so nice, and not so safe. Today, it’s cleaned up and worth a stroll. We all know about the famous stars along the blvd, and the kitschy chinese theater with star footprints in cement. Do yourself a favor and see a movie in the main theater of the chinese theater … it’s truly grand.

Recently, the Academy Awards returned to Hollywood, to the Kodak Theater. You can take one fo the daily tours for 15 bucks - check out kodaktheater.com  One warning, if you go expecting to see stars or any evidence of the real Hollywood, you’ll be disappointed. It’s a fun tourist trap … and not much more.

#2 Venice Beach

It’s a classic LA destination. Bikini babes on blades … Rock wannabees stumming a guitar … ex-hippies selling incense.  Plus, you can watch the future mr and ms universe train at muscle beach.  Basically, a people watching smorgasbord. All that and sandy beaches and you’ve got one great stroll.

#1 The Getty Museum

Getty Museum

This museum is all about the location … 750 acres on a breathtaking lookout point in the Santa Monica mountains …  The collection itself used to be owned by oil baron J. Paul Getty … an impressive array of European paintings and arts.

But the real star here is the facility itself … nine stirring buildings with lovely gardens and remarkable views … with a fabulous admission price … free.  Go the getty.edu for more information.

The legendary travel writer/publisher Arthur Frommer’s people called us asking to appear on “Trip on a Deal.” We were delighted to welcome him as a co-host, sharing his top ten tips for budget travel you probably don’t know about. He was a gentleman and a pro. In fact, when we asked if he wanted to go over any of the websites we were planning to talk about he replied, “Hit me with whatever you’ve got. I’ll be ready.” And he was! Here’s a man who’s not just a figurehead … he knows his stuff!! Thank you Arthur for your visit and for your complements on our show.

Check out his new book, “Ask Arthur Frommer” … it’s a wealth of tips that’ll you’ll actually use on your next trip to save money and enjoy your trip more!

Our travel show “Trip on a Deal” has named the “Best Family Travel Sites” on the web. The Trip on a Deal team has scoured the internet looking for the best online resources you need to consult before you and your kids hit the road!

TOP FAMILY VACATION PLANNING SITES
The Best Places to plan your Family Trip

Whether you’re looking to travel to one of the United State’s big cities, a kid friendly foreign country, or just looking for a unique vacation idea for the whole family we felt any of these sites would point you in the best direction and help you plan along the way!

1. Disney’s Family Travel Site
Great ideas for all the big U.S. cities
2. Travel With Your Kids
Destinations and advice
3. We Just Got Back
News from families and current deals
4. Away.com’s Family Travel Area
International travel ideas and destinations
5. Travel with Kids on About.Com
Advice, ideas, tips, and accessories!

MOM KNOWS BEST
Top 4 Travel Blogs created by Moms
When you’re looking for travel advice, you can’t beat some mom-to-mom guidance.  Our top four mommy powered travel blogs offer everything from packing tips to parent tested advice from the women who’ve been there.

1. Delicious Baby
Great places and what to do when there!
2. Travel Savvy Mom
Great tips for traveling with kids!
3. Rookie Moms 
Creative activities to do with your kids at home and abroad!
4. Travelling Mamas
Family trip ideas and girlfriend getaways!

ADVENTUROUS FAMILIES
Top 2 Family Travel Blogs
 The best way to get great ideas for your family is to follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before you!  These two families know a lot about taking an exciting vacation, which is why we picked their sites as our top two family travel blogs! 
1. Soul Travelers 3
A couple who set out with their 5 year old daughter Mozart in 2006 to travel the ENTIRE world.  They have amazing videos and even more stunning photos of their adventures!   
2. Family on Bikes  
This couple and their two boys hope to set the record for the youngest person to cycle the pan-american highway!  They’re half way through their six month trip from Alaska to Argentina on two single bikes and one tandem!

UNIQUE VACATIONS
Two of our favorite one-of-a-kind family vacation ideas!

The Dude Ranchers association offers over 100 dude ranches in the West.  Sixty-five of them have specific children’s programs.  The Windwalker Guest Ranch in Utah offers horeseback riding, archeological digs, and nature walks for kids of every age!  Many ranches are slashing prices to encourage recession travel!

Gorp.com brings you a great list of the top 10 best kid tested rivers with easy flowing waters and low-risk adventure!  At the Colorado Yampa River you’ll paddle along pastel “badland” walls that slope thousands of feet into the water.  And in Wisconsin on the Namekagon river you’ll see eagles, herons, and take on some mild rapids!

What do you think?  Have any other recommendations?  We wanna hear!

To serve the growing viewership of our weekly travel show “Trip on a Deal,” we offer this comprehensive list of romantic travel idea links for Valentine’s Day … and beyond!

BEST ROMANTIC DESTINATIONS

Travel & Leisure’s 50 best romantic getaways
10 most romantic places to visit
10 more romantic places to visit
Top 10 romantic island inns
Top 10 small romantic inns and resorts
Top 10 most romantically named places
Top 5 Romantic tropical getaways
Top 5 Valentine’s Day Getaways
14 Romantic Hotels
14 Romantic Destinations around the World
Best Affordable Romantic Hotels
Most romantic B&Bs
Romantic ecotourism destinations
Find Romance in London and outside London
Canadian valentine trips
Romantic Retreats
Sexy lodges

VIDEOS AND SLIDESHOWS

Frommer’s Romantic Destination Guide
Best Romantic Getaways
Plan a Romantic Getaway
Slideshow: Romantic Waterfront Escapes
Romantic Carribean Sunsets
World’s Sexiest Cruises
CNN: Valentine’s Day for less
Budget Travel: Romantic Hotels
Today Show: Peter Greenberg: Great Getaways for Valentine’s
Early Show: Romantic Getaways
Bargain Romantic Getaways
Best Valentine Trip Films

ROMANTIC DEALS

United Vacations Coupon: Save $150 on a Romantic Package
Valentine’s Day Travel Deals
Romantic Tahiti for cheap!

ROMANTIC IDEAS

Peter Greenberg on unusual Valentine’s Day Experiences
Top 10 destinations for chocolate lovers
10 more destinations for chocolate lovers
10 inexpensive Valentine’s Day Dates
Valentines Day Escapes
Top spots for popping the question
8 spots for an all American romance
16 tips for a romantic getaway

ROMANCE EXTRA

Romantic Travel “True Stories”
Top 100 Romantic Albums
10 Romantic Songs
12 swoon worthy movies
Valentine’s Day Wallpapers for your PC
Say “I love you” in 100 languages

ROMANTIC DUDS

Least romantic valentines day celebrations
Top 5 least Romantic Destinations
For more unromantic destinations

Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day!

- The “Trip on a Deal” and And Now Production Team

This week on Trip on a Deal: Top hotels for celebrity hookups. Jaw dropping cruise deals. You may qualify for the best travel job or travel internship in the world. Plus, the first underwater restaurant … and more!
Get all the links at http://triponadeal.com

This week we offer some hints for the half million people heading to Tampa Bay for the Superbowl. Plus, we answer the question: Will the Statue of Liberty’s crown reopen to tourists? Also, how to live like a local. And more!

http://triponadeal.com

This week we rounded up all the top hot spot lists for 2009, and reveal our pick for the best destination of the year. Get your travel horoscope. And bizarre travel gadgets. Plus more vacation ideas and travel deals. Get all the links at www.triponadeal.com

Our current episode of Trip on a Deal features the inspired website airbedandbreakfast.com.
They have in turn featured our show and our hosts on their off shoot site crashtheinauguration.com.
Check it out!

On this week’s show: Your guide to traveling to DC for the inauguration … the secret to still finding a room! Plus, a scavenger vacation for Amazing Race fans, and an amazing Eurail deal.

Although the website is still under construction, we have finally debuted our weekly travel web series, Trip on a Deal. The show is hosted by Luz Montez and John Palacio. We will debut a new episode every Tuesday. The idea is to make all the content incredibly timely … up to the minute vacation ideas and travel deals … to encourage appointment viewing each week.

This week we highlight 8 great trips that will help you follow through with your resolutions. Want to lose weight? Try Fat Packing! Want to learn something new? How about learning to tango in Buenos Aires. Other trips featured include a tour of Barak Obama’s Chicago, a trapeze school in Miami and a cooking school in Torino, Italy. And many more vacation ideas and travel deals!