A Midwinter Getaway in Los Angeles

A mini vacation, even just a couple of days, to a warm climate is a good way to get rid of the midwinter blahs — stimulating new things to see, to hear, to eat and waking up in a hotel bed can do wonders for the spirit. With that in mind, my son, daughter-in-law and I decided to spend two days in Los Angeles soaking up some museums along with the sun.

"A mini vacation, even just a couple of days, to a warm climate is a good way to get rid of the midwinter blahs — stimulating new things to see, to hear, to eat and waking up in a hotel bed can do wonders for the spirit."

Since our time was limited, we wanted to make the most of it. After dropping off our bags, we took the hotel shuttle to the nearby Getty Center. The Getty Center, built in December 1997 and designed by architect Richard Meier, is situated on the top of a hill off Getty Center Drive. With white squares of travertine marble glistening in the bright sunshine, it looks like a modern version of a medieval castle. But the center is also a LEED building (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — the most widely recognized green building rating system in the United States) and is notable for its "green" features.

Once up the hill our first stop was lunch at The Cafe. We all had extraordinary salads — chicken and greens — all farm fresh and organic. The Cafe serves cafeteria style and offers a variety of soups, salads, sandwiches, burritos and pizza. The full-service Restaurant offers a view of Los Angeles and a menu that chances seasonally. Reservations are often required. A small Garden Terrace Cafe and coffee carts are available, as is a picnic area.

But what we had really come for was to wander the modern ramparts of the amazing building. The first welcoming art piece we saw was "Boy With Frog," Charles Ray's 2005 white sculpture of a nude boy, on the steps leading into the museum's main entrance.

Our first gallery visit was to view some of the medieval illuminated manuscripts. The Getty's manuscript collection spans the eighth to the 16th centuries. Elaborately decorated books with calligraphy and gold leaf fill the darkened room. Next we were in a room of ancient glass wondering how these delicate hand-blown vases and goblets could have survived the centuries.

And then, as though by some kind of time travel, we were suddenly in a room with De Wain Valentine's "Gray Column," part of the large exhibit titled "Pacific Standard Time," a collaboration of more than 60 cultural institutions coming together to tell the story of the birth of the LA art scene. Towering at 12 feet high and weighing 5,000 pounds, the 1970 piece, is made of polyester resin. Valentine was one of several artists exploring materials developed for industrial use after World War II.

And then there was the room of self portraits — Edgar Degas' from 1857 and Kathe Kollwitz's from 1934 in dark, bold strokes were two I admired. Yet another prize to revel in at the Getty is van Gogh's beautiful "Irises,"

which the artist painted while at the asylum in Saint Remy in the south of France. The passion, beauty and torment are all there in the purple and green and the single white iris.

But with so much yet to see we were drawn to the garden designed by artist Robert Irwin with 500 varieties of plants. Irwin says it is "a sculpture in the form of a garden, which aims to be art." As we walked down the steps to the garden, we passed orange-blooming bushes a-flurry with hummingbirds whose high-pitched chirping seeming to urge us on.

I was particularly interested in the Cornus stolenifera and Salix Flame, bare twig branches planted to give color in the winter that came in bright shades such as mustard and maroon. Full, dark-red fruit hung from nearby pomegranate trees. The sound of water was ever present as it flowed down all the stairs and emptied into the azalea pool in the center of the garden.

The building, the art and the garden create a triumvirate of beauty that complement one another perfectly, so it was hard to leave. After a walk around the plaza to enjoy the 180-degree view of the city and a quick visit to the gift store, however, we took the short ride via tram down the hill to where our van was waiting.

That evening we had dinner atop our hotel. With the Stargazer app on my phone I was able to see what was happening in the nighttime sky while traffic snaked below us.

The next day our plan was to visit LA's LIVE area — a sports and entertainment district that includes the Staples Center and the Nokia Theatre along with restaurants and hotels that include the Ritz Carlton and the J.W. Marriott. We wanted to see The Grammy Museum and specifically the "George Harrison: Living in the Material World" exhibit, which begins with his spiritual journey and features a large photo of him sitting on a bench and holding an umbrella as streams of real water cascade down.

In this exhibit Harrison's widow, Olivia, has allowed many personal possessions to be on view — the white suit with the "Om" symbol on the lapels that her husband wore at the Concert for Bangladesh and numerous handwritten lyrics that include "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Here Comes the Sun."

Other floors at The Grammy Museum offer a look at Jennifer Lopez's famous green chiffon dress, an outfit Katy Perry wore to the Grammy awards and a black dress worn by Amy Winehouse. A special area highlights Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.

An interactive area offers a chance to play keyboard, guitar or drums. There's even a drawing by Woody Guthrie and an early booklet written by Pete Seeger titled "How to Play the 5 String Banjo, 1948." Leaving the museum, we walked across some of the stars on the pavement that represent past Grammy winners, ranging from Wayne Newton to Taylor Swift.

Our two-day holiday was over, but heading back home the images I had seen continued to occupy my mind — the labyrinth-like walk through the circular garden at the Getty with its surprising plants, the white suit worn by George Harrison, the red neck scarf worn by Andrea Bocelli in "La Boheme." Still, none could surpass sitting high above Los Angeles, perched between a milky way of cars below and the firmament of stars above.

WHEN YOU GO

The Getty Center: www.getty.edu

Pacific Standard Time: www.pacificstandardtime.org

The Grammy Museum: www.grammymuseum.org. The George Harrison exhibit will close on March 25.

Hotel Angeleno: www.jdvhotels.com/angeleno

Ritz Carlton: www.lalive.com/stay/the-ritz-carlton-los-angeles

LA LIVE: www.LALIVE.com

-Karen Kenyon

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