LAX Reports 2010 Passenger Levels Are Up 4.5 Percent Over 2009

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) officials have reported that total passenger volume for 2010 was up 4.5 percent in 2010. Last year, 59,069,409 passengers flew through LAX, a nearly five percent growth over the total passenger number of 2009. There was a 4.1 percent growth in domestic passengers and international traffic grew by 5.5 percent. The number of aircraft operations also increased and last year saw 575,835 take offs and landings, reflecting a 5.6 percent increase over 2009 levels. Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), which owns and operates LAX, attributes the increase to the continued improvement of the global economy, added service on existing routes and services from airlines new to LAX. the seventh busiest airport in the world, LAX offers more than 565 daily flights to 81 destinations in the U.S., and more than 1,000 weekly nonstop flights to 66 international destinations on nearly 65 passenger and 20 all-cargo airlines.

LACMA Hosts Landmark Tim Burton Exhibition

In May, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) will roll out its newest exhibition, Tim Burton, a major retrospective exploring Tim Burton's creative work, both as a director of live-action and animated films, and as an artist, illustrator, photographer, and writer. On view at LACMA from May 29 through Oct. 31, 2011, in the museum's new Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion, the exhibition brings together more than 700 drawings, paintings, photographs, film and video works, storyboards, puppets and costumes, including art from a number of little-known personal projects. Born in Burbank in 1958, Tim Burton studied at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) before working as an animator at the Walt Disney Studios and ultimately breaking out on his own. Burton will collaborate with LACMA exhibition designers in transforming the Resnick Pavilion into a "Burtonesque" environment. Taking advantage of the indoor/outdoor nature of LACMA's campus, Burton will install two large-scale outdoor artworks. Tickets for Tim Burton go on sale on May 2. Exhibition admission is $20.

Discover the Rail Way at National Train Day / Los Angeles Union Station

On May 7, Amtrak celebrates the fourth annual National Train Day, a coast-to-coast celebration of America's love of trains. It also commemorates Amtrak's 40th anniversary this year. Downtown's Union Station is easily accessible by Metro. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., come and enjoy free live entertainment, interactive and educational exhibits, kids' activities, model train displays and tours of railway equipment. Also on display, in Los Angeles only, is a photo exhibit of the 19th century Chinese contribution to the development of the railroad and an exhibit on California missions and their connection to the railroad. Admission is free.
www.NationalTrainDay.com/

Crafters Find Inspiration in Los Angeles

Perusing a good craft and hobby store is like exploring Los Angeles - all the fun is finding the real cool stuff you were never looking for in the first place. Craft in America, for example, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the exploration, preservation and celebration of craft and its impact on the nation's cultural heritage. The nonprofit's study center, located near the Beverly Center, boasts thousands of books, videos and other educational components, not to mention regularly changing exhibits and award-winning documentaries. On display Mar. 3 - May 14 is the exhibition One by One: An Exploration of Book as Medium, which features the works of some of the nation's most influential book artists. Los Angeles also features some of the best craft and hobby stores in the country. Some focus on one theme or product, like Torah Aura Productions in Downtown Los Angeles. The store specializes in Jewish educational products, but features a unique line up of arts and crafts projects. Others, like Culver City's Stamping From the Heart, take the kitchen sink approach and house everything from fabrics and button to pins and rubber stamps. Stampin' from the Heart started out as a rubber stamp collection, but has long since evolved into a local institution for all things craft. To view a list of craft-y locations, visit
www.discoverLosAngeles.com

LA Hotels Suit Golfers to a Tee

Los Angeles' resorts and hotels combine championship play with stunning views and state-of-the-art event facilities. Located just a mile from the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Los Angeles, the historic Rancho Park Golf Club is an 18-hole, par-71 championship course. Rancho has been host to numerous Los Angeles Open, PGA Senior Open, and LPGA tour events. The concierge at the 726-room Hyatt property can help coordinate golf outings for guests. For those short on time, but who still want the experience of championship golf, Terranea Resort encompasses 102 ocean-front acres on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, 30 minutes from Downtown. The Links at Terranea features breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island and a championship-caliber, 9-hole course that was listed as one of the "Best New Courses of 2009" from "Links Magazine." Perched on its own private hilltop, the 650-acre Pacific Palms Hotel & Conference Center in Industry Hills, 25 minutes from Downtown, has a 36-hole championship golf course voted 2010 "Best Golf Course in the USA" by NGCOA. Golfers enjoy 360-degree views of LA and the San Gabriel Mountains. Beach boys and girls can tee off at the Manhattan Beach Marriott Golf Club on 26 landscaped acres just a mile from the ocean in surf-centric Manhattan Beach. Its premier executive 9-hole course challenges players with gently rolling greens, water features and swaying palms. In Downtown, the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles can arrange play at any of LA's numerous golf courses. Two of the most popular include the Malibu Country Club, a scenic 18-hole championship course carved from the Santa Monica Mountains in the celebrity enclave of Malibu, 45 minutes away; and the Brookside Golf Club, a 36-hole championship course (it's hosted the Los Angeles Open), adjacent to the world famous Rose Bowl in Pasadena, 15 minutes away.