The Getty Center, Los Angeles

Upon arrival to the Getty's parking stucture, you board a tram that travels up a steep hillside to reach the the Getty Center atop the summit of a ridge. According to Getty literature, this tram ride is designed to give visitors the feeling of “being elevated out of their day-to-day experience.” When you exit the tram, you really feel like you have been transported beyond the mundane.

The grounds and gardens compete in beauty with the collections. To be fair, I only had time really to view a small number of works in the museums, because there was much to see outdoors as well. All white marble and natural stone, rising above the surrounding hillsides, the complex gives you the sensation of floating. The buildings have a modern aesthetic, but they also feel very old at the same time, almost ancient, as if the structures could also be centuries-old ruins.

It was a typically sunny day in Los Angeles, and very hot. The bright blue skies contrasted with the pale stone of the complex. On clear days the views are astounding, and stretch all the way to the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island, with downtown in the other direction.
We are in the middle of fire season, and right now the hills in the Angeles National Forest, from Acton to Altadena, are on fire. The mushroom cloud of smoke rises above Los Angeles.
We took a one-hour guided tour inside the museum, and we looked carefully at four different works, within the theme of classical art. The pieces we viewed included Joseph Nollekens' "Three Goddesses", and our tour guide's knowledge of classical history and the background of the works was both engaging and enlightening. She brought the narrative and the sculptures framed by it to life.

The Getty remains free for visitors, but there is a $15 fee per carload. The grounds house four main pavilions that contain the museum's collections, several gardens and sculpture gardens, as well as the Getty Research Institute and the Conservation Institute/Foundation. There is so much to see and do while there; multiple visits are required. I am looking forward to going back.