California, here we come, episode 8. In which we get to the Getty.

As I approach the end of my revisit to Los Angeles, I'm leaving mementos, monuments, and memories behind left and right.  I've been trying to leave my behind in the past for most of my adult life, but I certainly don't like to leave the past and any untold stories behind.  On our first full day I had planned to take a leisurely stroll with Mari down to the Santa Monica Pier, a scenic two-mile southerly walk from The Channel Road Inn.  A hotter-than-expected sunny day, a bustlingly-busy Pacific Coast Highway, and (let's face it, the real reason) a little bit of travel (laziness) lethargy left my 50-year-old self with no choice, but to drop the top on the rental car.  I know it was just two miles along the beach, but I was starting to feel my age, I suppose.

Here we are at the pier with the sunny Saturday multitudes.  A festively fun and colorful family experience whether you are with kids or, in my case, your best friend.  Although Mari was tempted by the ferris wheel, one of her favorite thrill rides, the "thrilling" combination of heights coupled with my vertigo kept temptation at bay.  Besides, the twistingly tangled and tight maneuvering I'd just experienced in the densely packed, paid ($15!) parking lot had more than fulfilled any daredevil desires I had been suppressing.

You can easily spend an enjoyable morning or afternoon at the pier. Lots of amusing activities, convivial vendors, fast food, and vividly vibrant views for you to enjoy.  Visit the official site for extensive visitor information including (far too many) details about that parking lot.

santamonicapier.org

The overflowingly-peopled pier, along with our previously savored dinner at Nobu, made up most of our Saturday.  In between, however, we were able to cross another item off the travel list.


The Getty Center had not only been personally recommended by a trustworthy fellow traveler, the Top 10 Los Angeles guide also featured the sprawlingly colorful museum complex as a "must see" and I'm always about a "must see."  The gardens alone are worth a sunny afternoon, but an afternoon alone is not enough to do justice to the incredibly vast and important art collections housed at the Getty.  Mari and I amused ourselves mostly with the beautifully lush gardens, a welcome site to those of us living in arid (and often colorless) climes everywhere.  My photos do not do justice to the meticulously groomed grounds and luxuriously lush central garden we so enjoyed on that beautiful Saturday afternoon, but I wanted to share as many inviting images as I could.

Be sure to thoroughly investigate the informative site before planning a visit.  You'll be thrilled to learn that admission is free as is the scenic tram ride up the hill from the parking garage (not free, but discounted to $10 from $15 after 3:00 PM).  

getty.edu/visit/center

For those of you who keep track of such things, that's $30 in parking for the day and we are thousands of miles from New York City!

We enjoyed a refreshing nosh at the Garden Terrace Cafe overlooking the central garden, but there is another cafe and a restaurant with gorgeous mountain views as well.

Mari and I were markedly mesmerized by the clever brilliance of these bright bougainvillea arbors.  Almost otherworldly, like something spotted from the Griffith Observatory, these lushly colorful creations pepper the paths between the museum complex and the central garden.

I realize I'm putting off our final two stops again, but I'm going to savor the memory of those Pink's hot dogs just a little longer and wrap up our California, here we come visit next time (maybe).