My First Time in Los Angeles: The Getty Center and Santa Monica

Today Kat and I decided to make a day trip into L.A. because I have never been to Los Angeles EVER!  We booked noon reservations at the Restaurant at the Getty Center for brunch, my favorite meal of the day!  We arrived about an hour before our reservation to tour the beautiful gardens and see the panoramic views of L.A./Santa Monica.  Kat and I took a tram to the top of the mountain to get to the museum; it literally felt like we were on the edge of the world looking down at all the residents of L.A.  We toured the gardens; it was so nice to finally see flowers and greenery in California.  They even have a desert garden, as if I don't see enough cacti and sand in Tehachapi.

According to the internet, the restaurant at the Getty is supposed to be phenomenal.  Now, I am a huge fan of brunch because it means that you can drink alcohol before 5 P.M. and you can basically eat whatever you want, there are no rules to eating at brunch.  I helped myself to a delicious peach bellini and a pancetta, mushroom, and shrimp frittata for brunch... delicious.  Kat and I splurged on a peach and honey ice cream dessert that we shared.  The restaurant overlooked the city: great food and views!  

Kat and I then hit the art.  Viewing art with a buzz is SO MUCH FUN!  There was an amazing Gérôme exhibit at the Getty that featured a lot of his oriental works of Egypt and North Africa.  This guy was the coolest, he owned a pet lion, traveled the world, and basically reinvented the orientalism style of painting.  His art had color, texture, and emotion.  To be honest, I had never heard of this guy before my visit to the Getty today and now I am a big fan: frenchie can paint!  For those of you who know me very well, you know that I LOVE impressionist and post-impressionist artists and art work.  The Getty has several Monet pieces, including his Japanese footbridge at Giverny and Vincent Van Gogh's Irises painting.  My favorite painting however was this one:

"Christ's Entry into Brussels" painted by James Ensor.  In real life this painting is HUGE.  It took up an entire wall at the Getty.  There are so many faces and so many bright colors. 

After a few hours at the Getty and after my bellini buzz wore off, Kat and I headed into downtown Santa Monica for some sight seeing and shopping!  We strolled the promenade and window shopped.  Because I am a poor, unemployed, recent college grad, I did not buy anything even though I was definitely tempted at Sur La Table.  Kat took me to the famous Santa Monica pier to see the boardwalk.  We strolled along Ocean Avenue and I got to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time in my entire life.  I am ashamed to admit that I almost shed a small happy tear at the sight of the ocean.  Pretty cool to see it after 22 year on the East Coast.  

After a Starbucks stop and some L.A. traffic I safely arrived at my house on Fig Court.  The poor hounds were stuck at home in their crates all day while I explored the big city so we took a sunset walk around the neighborhood.  We made it home just as the last of the sun dipped behind the mountains.  The silhouette of the mountains against the setting sun was so beautiful and the weather was so nice tonight here in Tehachapi, it was really the perfect ending to such a long day.  

xoxo

Em