The J. Paul Getty Museum, according to its own website, “seeks to further knowledge of the visual arts and to nurture critical seeing by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting works of art of the highest quality.”

That means it has neat stuff for you to look at.

The museum is located in Los Angeles at the Getty Center, atop a hill overlooking the parking lot that is the 405 freeway (museum access is via Sepulveda Blvd). Drive by during rush hour and you’ll have plenty of time to stare at its wonder and watch the tram shuttle people up its steep hill.

Inside the museum you will find paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and photographs from Europe and America.

There is a smaller J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa in Malibu, just off the Pacific Coast Highway and directly across from the beach. This one wins the battle of location.

However, the real winner is you, the art-loving public, because admission to both Getty Museums is free (however, the Getty Villa requires an advance, timed ticket for occupancy reasons).

Visit L.A., and add a free day of culture to your vacation. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

This post is part of the UpTake Monday Museums & Monuments Series.

Photo: Allan Ferguson via Flickr

Apparently there are dinosaur caves at Pismo Beach, CA, but it’s not what you think — unless you are thinking of a giant cement dinosaur that you could walk inside to enter some cliff-side caves via said dinosaur’s belly. If that is the case then it is what you think. Or it was.

However, the dinosaur was never completed and then there was a fire and now it’s just a bunch of ruins and caves below a crumbling wall of sheer rock. Also, a playground.

The kids will love it. So will the dogs. Read More »

Highway One in Northern California

One of the best things about living in the California is the weekend driving.  My family grew up with the Sunday Drive, where we all piled into the back of the Mercury station wagon after church and drove somewhere. If we didn’t fight too much we would get an ice cream.

A wonderful day for a big family like mine or just you and your dog, is a drive north from San Francisco along the misty Highway 1 coast. A favorite destination of ours is Sonoma Coast State Beach, which you can reach from the town of Stinson heading north on Highway 1 or if you drive west from Highway 101 and Sebastopol. Did you know that Sonoma Coast State Beach is actually many beaches rolled together along thirteen miles of coastline stretching from the Russian River to Bodega Bay? Read More »

Look, I – as well as most guys – can understand the need to run things by our significant others before acting on them. Yes, a call from Blockbuster before renting True Romance and Bladerunner for ‘date night’ would be nice. No, not everyone appreciates bourbon being on sale when told to run out and grab some wine for the dinner party. Michael Jordan posters do not make for a proper engagement gift, etc.

I understand. We all should.

Which is what makes this quirky little story even better. Read More »