Spending a week in LA is a tough assignment, but someone’s got to do it.  Between walking around the lovely grounds at the hotel and sunning by the pool, I managed to fit it time for lunch at the Ivy and dinner with a friend I haven’t seen for 19 years!

My friend, who has lived in LA all of this time, suggested a trip to the Getty.  I was already thinking about heading over to Santa Monica for a day, so I decided to take his advice and hit the Getty first.

Wow!

I should’ve just planned to spend the entire day at the Getty.  If you don’t have time, make some:  the Getty is worth it.  Kids will love it just for the tram ride!  After you park your car ($15 to park, but admission to the museum is free), a tram takes you to the tip top of the hill where the Getty is perched.  There’s so much to see, inside and out, that you should plan to spend as much time as you can here.  The architecture is stunning, the gardens are beautiful, and the art..the art!  My favorite, if I had to choose, was probably the Photography section, which had photographs from Cuba so poignant, so beautiful, it was hard to pull away.  I’m also a sucker for Impressionists, so imagine my joy with the Monets and Renoirs!  How about this beautiful Sisley?

They have old books so intricate that I was at once amazed by the intricacy of the work and the perseverance of the people who created them, the people who kept stories alive through the written word.  At the same time, as I looked at those treasures and wondered if I would have ever owned a book in those days, I felt immensely grateful for the Guttenberg Press and the far-reaching impact it had on literature and the people of the world and my life in particular.  

In addition to the paintings, photographs, and books, they have furniture and clothing on display that is so ornate that it’s hard to believe people lived like that, real people, not just characters in a scene on a stage.  Incredible. 

Keep going and you’ll see pottery so embellished and adorned it will humble you to gaze upon it.

It’s worth the traffic, it’s worth any hassle, it’s worth the $15 parking fee.  If you’re near LA, go to the Getty!