SeeCalifornia.com

If you’re the average California traveler, chances are pretty good that you have flown into or out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at least once in your life.  California’s busiest airport (and 6th busiest in the world) welcomed, frisked, fed and transported close to 62 million passengers in 2011–the population of the state is only 38 million!

My dad worked at LAX for many years but was amazed when we picked him up from the airport today that it has become so busy and there is so much security. Just to enter the road that circles  arrival & departure pick-up or drop-off areas, cars were being stopped and trunks were checked. With a checkpoint right next to the friendly LAX welcome sign, the message rang out loud & clear–this place isn’t lax–its operations are geared toward sending the opposite message.

And though LAX isn’t the best place to  “re-lax”, on the edge of the airport is the Flight Path Museum (right photo) where former employees and retirees of major airlines like to reminisce about the airport’s once slower pace. Just beyond the airport and museum, you’ll discover Dockweiler State Beach, a relaxing sand paradise where you can look up and watch the jets fly overhead. A trip to the beach from LAX is only about 10 minutes. Check it out the next time you have time to kill between flights. Be sure to factor ample time to get through security at the airport so you don’t miss a flight–happy travels!