ALONG COMES MARY

If you know me at all you might know this tidbit: I love museums. I may not be someone you can have a deep talk regarding eras or analyzing every paint stroke on the canvas, but I feel very at home within a museum. Some of my favorites are LACMA, MoMa of New York, the Huntington Library, and the Walt Disney Family Museum.

I share this with you because would you believe that until this past weekend, I had never been to The J. Paul Getty Center?! It was certainly worth the wait. The Getty is the Louvre of LA. Our answer to the Met. You get the idea.

Nestled atop beautiful hills overlooking Los Angeles and the 405 Freeway, the Getty somehow has the magic to make you feel like you’ve been transformed to a wonderland of beauty and majestic wonder. Even the walls and stairs are works of art. We began at their gardens filled with plants, succulents, cactus and gorgeous roses. Overhearing a nearby tour guide, she mentioned that the center’s gardeners want you to feel apart of their work. When my friend, half jokingly, asked if I do feel apart of the garden, I sincerely said I did. I also love that something you see today, you may not on your next trip as there is always something new being planted.

I was really impressed that there was such a at-home vibe at the Getty. While seeing their art is a must, you can also be content simply laying on one of their patches of grass, reading a book, maybe sketching, or enjoying a picnic. While admission is free, parking is $20 but you can also be dropped off or ride your bike at no cost.

Inside their many levels were pieces of beauty to boggle the mind. Goblets and dining ware from the 1400s, paintings from the Renaissance to the Nineteenth Century. my personal favorite was At the Window: the Photographer’s View. This center truly reminds you at how far we have come in the world, and that times have changed.

I already cannot wait to return. With the holidays here, this is the perfect place to take your out-of-town guests or the kids during school break. For more info on the Getty Center, visit their web-site. xo