So many choices in Los Angeles...what to do?

Feel like a picnic, with ocean views, high on a hillside, but without traveling out of the city? Go to The Getty.

Feel like surrounding yourself with masterpieces from antiquity or from just last century, but still want to experience L.A.'s great outdoor lifestyle? Go to the Getty.

Feel like being astounded by one of the 20th Century's most unique architectural accomplishments? Go to the Getty.

Feel like fine dining...in one of L.A.'s gourmet restaurants, this one with walls of glass looking out over the Pacific? Go to the Getty.

Feel like exploring beautiful gardens in the Santa Monica Mountains with the Pacific spread before you? Go to the Getty.

And, best of all...admission is FREE, yep, that's right....FREE. (well, there is a $10 fee to park a car, but with two people...that's $5 each...how budget-friendly is that!?

Another, 'best of all'...if you go on a weekday...you won't find crowds! Heavenly, just you the architecture, the masterpieces, the gardens, the ocean...and a great meal...peaceful, invigorating, restorative, fascinating....how many sights have this much to offer? NOT VERY MANY ! !

The Getty is one of my favorite spots in the entire USA...which is saying A LOT ! I'm pretty particular about my likes and dislikes, AND I've gotten to see quite a bit of the 'major' sights that this country has to offer.

I love museums in general, I'm kind of a history geek who just really enjoys interacting with paintings, sculpture, and other artifacts of the near or ancient past. It's fascinating to see a portrait of George Washington...to feel like I'm looking into the face of 'the father of our country.' But I'm similarly fascinated by looking into the face of France's Louis XIV, especially if I don't have to fly all the way to France to do it! And one of Louis' most famous portraits is hanging right smack in the middle of Los Angeles, CA, at The Getty.

But to call The Getty a 'museum' really confines it's appeal. A day at The Getty is not a stuffy-closed-off-no-sunshine- all-indoors trek from one gallery of paintings to another...the exhibits are in several buildings, all linked with plazas or second floor exterior passageways. The sense of the ocean, the outdoors, the Santa Monica mountains is with you every minute.

That sense of the outdoors makes The Getty a fantastic place to visit even if you have no desire whatsoever to look at a painting or sculpture or any ancient doo-dad at all! It IS one of the nicest places in the city of L.A. to enjoy being surrounded by great contemporary architecture, lovely gardens, outdoor cafes. Take a book, buy some wine, buy some fruit, a croissonant, and bask in the ocean-scented air, the mellow coastal sunshine! It's totally relaxing! There are small patios tucked in EVERYWHERE for a private moment, most with ocean views or views of L.A. itself. There are large patios as well connected to cafes or the restaurant (more about restaurant later).

The foundation responsible for spending J. Paul Getty's money to create this museum did a magnificent job...from sight location, choice of architect, guest logistics, food service, etc.

One of the first issues is 'guest logistics.' Just getting to this hilltop museum -- 881 feet above sea level -- is an engineering and eco-sensitive wonder. Guest arrive at a rather mundane looking parking underground garage, but once parked, guests are directed to a little tram. It takes visitors up the hill at an amazingly steep incline, but remaining level...Not at all like a trolley car ride in San Francisco with people all leaning into each other as the trolleys climb UP or DOWN the steep hills. Hillside views are all around during the very brief three-quarter mile trip uphill...and then the Getty's front facade is before you! Crisp,white, with a swooping roof profile that I can only imagine is to mirror an ocean's wave swooping across the Pacific beach sand.

And since the sensation of outdoors/indoors is so prevalent here, there is no sense of a single door way through which one enters into this facade, it's more like the very breezy open air lobby areas of many hotels in Hawaii. Very sweeping, very beautiful, quite contemporary...you know you're in for a wonderful experience before you've seen a thing!

Fantastic Architecture !!! It's truly stunning for the senses to be at The Getty...the buildings, the plazas, the gardens, the views...but inside the gallery 'pavilions,' as The Getty refers to its exhibit buildings, are more stunners...two and three dimensional works of fine and decorative arts from antiquity to contemporary photography. Each of four buildings houses different eras. For Example, the Van Gogh shown here is included in the West Pavilion, "Art after 1800," building.

I've had the pleasure of eating at some of the best restaurants in San Francisco, L.A., NYC, Dallas and Chicago ... and within those ranks I'd have to include the Restaurant at The Getty. Not a place to quickly grab a bite between galleries...this is a true opportunity to savor an exquisite meal. Adding to the cuisine pleasure are the walls of glass taking in the beautiful views. But, be warned, this wonderful spot no secret to L.A. locals...even if the crowds are small, you'll rarely get in without a reservation (and appropriate dress -- no shorts, tank tops -- required).

In addition to the restaurant, is also a cafeteria with a very extensive variety. It's laid out a bit oddly with stations along the way, one for salads, one for pizza, one for hot entrees, one for cold sandwiches. Plus, fresh fruite, fruit cups, PB&Js ready-made, beverages (including beer and wine) along other wall. Wonderful food quality here, just 'typical' cafeteria decor -- although with walls of glass, the views more than make-up for any mundaneness of decor. Dining outside on the patio surrounded by lush bougainvilla would be my recommendation. Beyond the cafeteria, which closes at 3PM, are several kiosks on the patios ready to serve snacks, beverages, sandwiches until closing time (5:30PM most days).

The Getty Museum is located just north of the intersection of Interstate Highway 405 (North and South) and Interstate Highway 10 (East and West). The phone: 310-440-7300. Hours are Tuesday-Friday 10AM - 5:30PM, Saturday 10AM - 9PM, Sunday 10AM - 5:30PM. Closed Mondays and New Year's Day, July Fourth, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The website: http://www.getty.edu/

An exhibit on the Italian Baroque master, Bernini, ends October 26, 2008...the largest tribute to Bernini ever exhibited in USA. Next will be an exhibition dedicated to seventeenth-century painting in Bologna, Italy. Featuring artists Guido Reni, the Carracci siblings and Guercino. December 16, 2008 through May 3, 2009.

Also coming, June 9 through August 16, 2009...The Psalms Illuminated. Here is The Getty's description...The 150 psalms of the Bible played a central role in Christian religious life throughout the Middle Ages, their elusive poetry attracting both written interpretation and painted decoration. Medieval artists illustrated the psalms in a variety of ways, at times concentrating on the literal meaning of single verses, and at other times addressing broader themes, such as the role of the Psalms in preparing the Christian faithful for the Last Judgment. This exhibition celebrates the importance of the Psalms in medieval devotion and reveals the splendor and variety of the illumination developed to accompany them.

The Getty does not charge extra for its temporary exhibits...another PLUS !