Can you believe that I had never took advantage of the fact that the beautiful J.Paul Getty Museum in L.A., CA and the Getty Villa in Malibu, CA are such a short drive from home? So I decided to get my act together and I told my husband that I wanted to go for our anniversary. We went in February and the weather was just as perfect as you see! One of the perks of Southern California living. This view is of the Getty museum in L.A. It not only has fabulous art and curiosities but breathtaking gardens and admission is free (besides parking). As soon as you park at the bottom of the hill you take a tram to the top. I was already loving it, so I don’t get out much!! One of my biggest questions was whether you could pack a picnic…

You could!! So we did!! We sat in the grass overlooking the water feature above, I highly recommend it. There is a cafe with views of LA if you prefer!
Doesn’t every blogger get a good shoe pic in somewhere? Especially when you were wearing matchy boat shoes and the walkway was this cool!! Of course the art was amazing and I wanted pictures of my favorites. But in my true dorky fashion I got too close, I couldn’t believe that there were no visible brushstrokes on this one painting. So the security guard stopped me and said “step away ma’am you are too close to the painting!!” Oops!! Needless to say my husband turned red. He can’t take me anywhere!

Time willing, you cannot pass up the spectacular sunset on a clear evening!!

Within just a few miles we had burgers at The Plan Check on Sawtelle Blvd. Hands down the best burger and Portobello fries that I’ve ever had!! I’m still not sure how they made bread, meat and potatoes taste like that!!! Their drinks are pretty awesome too. It’s a perfect date day complete with a picnic and dinner destination that is easy to get to. You’re welcome!!So find a sitter, or enjoy the fact that you don’t need one, pack a picnic, bring your camera and enjoy!! Do you want to make a weekend of it like we did? Then the Getty Villa will be on your itinerary for sure!! How tempting is this? You’re not supposed to pick favorites, but the Villa is my favorite!!! The ocean is just down the hill and the ocean breeze is so pleasant.

Due to the drought these water features were empty!! It was still beautiful, but I can imagine how fantastic it looks all full and in it’s happy state!

After driving through Malibu and taking in the ocean views, you follow a cobblestone drive to the Villa on the hill. It was built like an ancient Roman Country House. Admission is also free except for the cost of parking. It is filled with Greek and Roman statues and artifacts. I felt transported to another place and time. There is a cafe and a beautiful patio where we enjoyed lunch before we took in the sights. Like this courtyard and these colorful mosaic floors constructed out of ancient reclaimed marble. 

…and statues galore!! This one of Venus is outside and you can touch it and feel the marble. Good to know in case your sitter bailed out at the last minute and you had to strap your children’s hands to their sides!! Children would love the experience too, I know that I did.

Make the time to take advantage of these museums, you won’t be disappointed!

Do you have a question? Please feel free to ask, I hope that I will be able to help.

This is not a sponsored post, and I did not receive reimbursement. All opinions are my own.