Located right off the 405, between Santa Monica and Bel Air, high up above the smog, sits the Paul J. Getty Museum. The air is clean and refreshing, the views spectacular, the architecture breathtaking and...it's free aside from the $15 parking fee! The Getty "houses European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European and American photographs."
We arrived around noon and took the tram from the parking lot up to the museum. It was like taking a spaceship to another land. You get in, and watch the massive freeway and city of Los Angeles shrink away beneath you. The doors open and you walk out into this futuristic space with blue skies, clean air and beautiful views each and every way you turn. We spent two hours exploring the inside of the museum, then went outside to have lunch at the Cafe. I was pleasantly surprised at the healthy and diverse choices that were available: Bahn Mi Sandwiches, Cheese Plates, Butternut Squash and Quinoa salad and White Bean, Sausage and Kale soup were just some of the items on the menu that caught my eye. We spent another hour or so walking around the gardens, taking in the view, then went back inside for another hour to admire some more of the Getty's treasures.
I decided not to post any images of the art from with inside, the camera doesn't pay them enough justice, but please do enjoy these shots from the outside.
