Architecture – Page 10

Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Museums, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The Getty Villa, Malibu CA

February 4, 2015August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

IN LOS ANGELES GETTY IS THE THING

Museum Girl has one word for you in LA: Getty. One word and two locations. Getty Center is a big art museum on a hill in Los Angeles . Getty Villa in Malibu is something else entirely.

THE GETTY CENTER

If you’ve never been to The Getty Center, you have to go there first. The location alone is reason enough. Even if you don’t like art, you really need to see this place to believe it. The view is outstanding and the architecture is amazing. What’s more, there are gardens and fountains that also think they’re the main attraction. Seriously, you have to go.

If you do like art, then this is a feast you will enjoy. All day is not enough. I’ve been several times and it still hasn’t been enough. There are multiple huge buildings. The museum’s holdings are encyclopedic and they get first dibs on the best exhibitions in the US or visiting the US.

What’s more – it’s free! You heard me – free. Not on certain days or after a certain hour, but all the time. Now you have to reserve and pay for parking, but this is LA where you even pay to park in front of your house.

THE GETTY VILLA

When I moved to California, Malibu Getty was being renovated. It was ready the final year I lived there, but it was impossible to get in. On my visits since I moved away from California, I never could work the museum into my schedule for a variety of reasons, which included things which were both my fault and theirs.

Just like I was determined to have an overnight stay on Moonstone Beach, I wasn’t missing the Malibu Getty on this trip. My nieces and nephews are not into museums in a big way, but I warned everyone that with or without them, I was going to the Getty.

INVASION BY SADEK

Two carloads of Sadeks arrived at the Getty Malibu promptly at 10:30 with free timed passes in hand. What an entourage! Toddlers, teenagers, Baby Boomers and more! Just getting everyone to the entrance was quite interesting.

Once inside we showed our timed passes and a volunteer invited us to see the intro video. He also suggested we have a look around the galleries in the immediate area, since there wasn’t anyone waiting to see it. While we were looking around, along came a busload of folks who got in line ahead of us. Helpful hint number one: Ignore the volunteer. Get in line and wait for your turn.

Do watch the video though. It’s very good and helps you understand the villa and the art.

CAN YOU SAY AWESOME?

Remember your world history textbooks? And remember the head shots of statues which stood in for Caesar, Caligula and Cato. Ever wonder where those statues are? They’re at the Getty Malibu!

Perhaps I’ve spent more time than other folks staring at art, history and art history books, but what impressed me most about the Getty Malibu was that all those pictures I’d been staring at were front and center. One right after the other. I couldn’t get over it. I can’t say that the entire entourage felt that way, but I was overwhelmed.

My husband adored the architecture. One grandnephew loved an activity room where you created rubbings off faux pottery shards. One niece was spellbound by a peek of the ocean from a terrace. My grandniece just wanted to run in the gardens.

In other words, there was something for everyone. Truth be told, I wanted to stay a little bit longer and almost everyone else thought we stayed a little too long, but we all had a good time. Some day, when I return for a visit, I’m going to go by myself and stay all day. It’s going to be great.

From the Getty Villa we went to Santa Monica. Come back next week and I’ll tell you all about it.

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, Travel Planning, United States

The Sportsman’s Lodge – Studio City CA

January 28, 2015August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

Maserati, Venice Beach, CA — **And yes, that is a Maserati we’re driving!**

WHERE TO STAY IN LA

Now we’re on our way to LA, the last stop in our 2014 California Adventure. Our accommodations were quite unique. Let me tell you about them.

THE MASERATI

Have I mentioned that we have the coolest nephews in the world? I know I told you all about the one in San Fran – you know Jack’s dad. Well, I have another nephew. Bassem lives in LA, across the street from Hollywood and Highland Shopping Center. At least he did until a few weeks ago. And that Maserati? Well, it’s Bassem’s.

One of the primary reasons we were in LA was because several members of Bill’s family were going to be visiting, including a niece and grand-nephew from Egypt. Usually, we’d just bunk with Bassem, but he already had a houseful. Since he couldn’t offer us a place to stay, he insisted on giving us his car to drive while we were in town. That would be kind under any circumstances – when the car in question is a Maserati, well, it’s more than kind.

BUT WHERE TO STAY?

With Bassem’s home full to capacity, we needed to find a place to stay. Some other family members chose The Standard, but it just wasn’t what we were looking for. Even though we wanted to be close to everyone, we really didn’t want to be in Hollywood. And besides, there was just something about a hotel with an upside down sign that irritated my OCD tendencies.

THE SHORT LIST

You have two choices when it comes to hotels around Hollywood – expensive and bedbug bait. I spent two days on Trip Advisor and other sites trying to come up with realistic options. The Sportsman’s Lodge was very high on my list for several reasons, but I was afraid Bill would think I was nuts. So, I included it on the short list and waited for Bill to give me his favorites.

He came back to me and asked for more information about The Sportsman Lodge, so I knew I hadn’t been crazy at all. It was both geographically and financially desirable, with just enough edge to be interesting. I booked a room and looked forward to our stay.

COOL AND FUNKY

The reason I thought Bill might assume I’d lost my mind, if I suggested this hotel, was that it had (shall we say) unique decor. Sort the Jetsons meet John Wayne. The lobby had odd things like a rack of antlers (painted white BTW) juxtaposed with chrome stools upholstered in orange and glass tables with lime green accessories. We’re usually more into French antiques. The whole thing was sort of upscale meets resale. The parking lot was definitely upscale and our Maserati fit right in.

Everything in LA costs a whole lot more than it should – and The Sportsman’s Lodge is no exception, but once you get past the sticker shock, you can really enjoy yourself. The rooms are sparsely furnished in a minimalistic way, but you have everything you need. The bed was comfortable, but the view was the parking lot. There were rooms which overlooked the pool, but since it was crowded 24/7, I think I was very satisfied with the parking lot vista. And speaking of the pool, I wish I’d gotten brave enough to spend some time there, but everyone seemed so cool that I was a little intimidated.

Still, if I were to need another hotel room near my nephew’s place, I’d probably just return to The Sportsman’s Lodge – and who knows, I might get brave enough to hang out at the pool.

I had a great time with our family in LA, beginning with a trip to the Getty Malibu. Come back next week and I’ll tell you all about it.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL, United States

Revisiting Los Osos

December 31, 2014August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

A NOSTALGIC VISIT TO LOS OSOS, CALIFORNIA

Happy New Year! I hope 2015 holds much happiness for you and yours, as well as lots of travel!

Now onto our journey to the West Coast. We called Los Osos home while our house was built in Pismo Beach. In fact, we almost bought a lot in Los Osos rather than Pismo. I wonder what turn our life together would have taken if we’d gambled on that steep outcropping rather than the more sedate hilltop in Pismo.

Sally and The Great Skin Company

One of the first things I did when I moved to Los Osos was join South Bay Women’s Network. I loved that group of women and had the honor of serving in several offices for them – from Historian to President. It’s through SBWN that I met the lovely Sally Brooks and made my way to The Great Skin Company. In Sally I found a wonderful friend and at her salon I enjoyed some of the best facials I’ve ever had. Should you happen to go to the Central Coast, book something at The Great Skin Company and tell Sally I sent you.

On this particular morning, I didn’t have an appointment for a facial, but Sally had arranged for several of my friends from SBWN to drop by for coffee. I loved that the group is still doing great things for the South Bay area. I have to confess that I was proud that my presidential year still holds some record accomplishments, but I was lucky, I was working with an amazing group of women.

Cabrillo Estates

I hugged a lot of necks and loved catching up at Sally’s, but the road was calling. We had lunch plans in San Luis Obispo and things we wanted to see before that.

First we stopped in Cabrillo Estates, a subdivision of homes at the edge of Los Osos. That’s where we hung our hat for a few years. We particularly liked Cabrillo Estates because the streets were all named after heroes of the Alamo. Not sure of the reason, but when we lived there our house was on Bowie Drive.

When we were looking for lots, there was one we loved in Cabrillo Estates, but we ended up choosing a lot in Pismo Beach. The lot in Cabrillo Estates had the most dramatic view by far, but Los Osos is a sleepy little bedroom community, while Pismo was a happening beach town. We chose the beach town, but lived in Los Osos while the house was built.

Looking back, I was much happier in the Los Osos rental house than I was in the luxurious home we built in Pismo Beach. There are many things which contributed to my season of discontent, but I can’t help but wonder how life would have been different if we’d built in Los Osos instead.

The lot in Los Osos was intimidating – virtually a sheer wall cliff to hang a house on. Some one did eventually build a very contemporary home virtually made of glass and it had nearly a three million dollar price tag. Crazy for a house with less than 2000 square feet, but the view, as you can see, is out of this world.

The top of the hill was also for sale when we were looking for lots, but it was an acreage we knew we couldn’t afford. Here’s what they built up there.

From Cabrillo Estates we went to an old favorite, Montana de Oro State Park. Come back next week and I’ll tell you about it.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The Winchester Mystery House

August 6, 2014August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: IT’S A MYSTERY ALRIGHT

Next stop on our California adventure: The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose.

The Real Mystery

Several years ago, I asked my mother which San Jose attraction was better, the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum or the Winchester Mystery House, because she’d been to both. She didn’t stutter or stall – she was all about the Egyptian Museum. So, on that trip I went to the museum and promised myself I’d see the Winchester House another day.

Well, on this trip to California I carved out some time for the Winchester Mystery House and learned the real mystery is why it’s become so popular. Remember last week when I told you Lotusland was worth every penny of the $45 tour price – and more. Well, the Winchester House, in my opinion, is not worth anywhere near the $33 per person they’ll hit you up for – and that’s just the basic tour. Some people pay more for extended and special tours. Ten dollars? Maybe. Anymore than that? Rip off!

Don’t Judge This Book By It’s Cover

An exterior shot of this rambling edifice leads one to believe visitors will tour a beautiful Victorian mansion. Well, the exterior is very pretty and I do recommend that you at least drive by it on South Winchester Boulevard, but what you can see from the street is really all you need to see. The interior of the house is pretty scary – and I’m not talking about the spirits some people claim they encounter.

We found the house, parked the car and went to the entry booth. We actually discussed getting the more expensive ticket which included a behind the scenes tour, but we were supposed to be in San Francisco by six thirty. We were afraid we wouldn’t have time for more than the basic tour – thank goodness. That’s when things started to get weird.

Right This Way for your Cruise Photo

I’m used to lining up to go on a house tour. At the Winchester House, the tickets are timed. A sign tells you where to wait for the next tour and there’s a velvet rope hanging between stanchions.

However, I am not used to lining up for cruise-type photos at historic homes. (They do the same sort of thing at Hearst Castle, but that’s Hearst Castle.) At the Winchester they put you in front of a green screen and hand you a fake rifle. We were not enchanted. Bill resents having his picture taken on cruises, so this really set him off. “I made an ugly face,” he told me.

Welcome to….the Stables?

After all the people on our tour had their obligatory rifle picture taken, we were allowed in the house. We were herded into a sort of holding pen and given a very canned speech by an eager young guide. In his defense, he was fairly new to his job as a guide, but it came off like, “I am thoroughly bored with this speech, and hahaha you’re stuck listening to it.” It did not improve as the tour continued.

From the holding pen we went to the stables, but it was a little confusing, because it was also a sort of warehouse. I thought to myself, “This isn’t a very engaging place to start.” I didn’t realize then that it wasn’t going to get much better. From the stable we used a very bizarre staircase to get to another floor. I hoped better things were coming.

Most of the House is More of the Same

With very few exceptions, things didn’t get any better. The floors were linoleum. The walls were, for the most part wood, though there were some that were wallpapered. Any room looked pretty much like all the rest of the rooms. They had millions of visitors to the house and it looks like it. It also doesn’t look like they’ve done anything to preserve what people may have come to see.

Part of the problem is that most of the rooms are unfurnished. When the builder/owner died, everything was taken out of the house and sold for cash, per the little old lady’s will. There are a few rooms that have items in them, but the furnishings matched everything else about the house – sad and worn out.

I think one of the reasons the house is so empty and so unfurnished is that they want to impress upon visitors just how nuts Mrs. Winchester was. The story of the house is that she bought it and kept building on to it. Another part of the story is that she was trapped in part of the house after an earthquake and after escaping closed down that part of the house, damaged as it was, and kept on building.

Okay, so I get the part about the lady being nuts and I realize her original belongings were sold, but if you’re going to charge me $33 dollars, I want to see more than an empty house in disrepair.

On to San Fran

On any other tour, we might have tried to sneak away and go on with our business, but in this dreadful rabbit warren of a place, who knows where you might have ended up. We endured the rest of the tour and were relieved when we escaped.

The story of the Winchester Mystery House is well worth your investigation. The owner was the widow of the man who invented the Winchester rifle. Her idiosyncrasies are fascinating. The Winchester Mystery House as it stands today, is not.

Our trip to California gets better though! come back next week.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Santa Barbara’s LotusLand

July 30, 2014September 3, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: LOTUSLAND, BEYOND BEAUTIFUL!

First atraction, first day: Santa Barbara’s Lotusland! Talk about a great way to start a vacation – this was it!

Hanging in SB

So, if our adventure started in Santa Barbara, why did we fly to LAX and stay in Carpenteria? Well, this was a road trip which would end in LA, so it was cheaper to fly into and out of LAX, not to mention avoiding a one-way rental car charge. And Carpenteria is only ten miles away from Santa Barbara and about a hundred dollars cheaper than any accommodations I could book in the more famous city.

The Beach

We left Carpenteria early enough to spend some time in Santa Barbara, because it’s one of our favorite cities. The list of things we would have loved to do would be quite long, but all we had time for was a leisurely visit to the beach. Next was lunch and we had fast food.

Finally, Lotusland!

Lotusland is one of those hidden travel gems people talk about, but it shouldn’t be such a secret. Their website says they’ve been having tours since 1993, so I don’t know why more people aren’t raving about it. I lived on the Central Coast of California for six years and in all that time I heard one person mention it in passing and they made it seem like a cactus farm.

Listen to me – you need to go to Lotusland. Beautiful, serene, amazing – these are the words that come to mind. Yes there are cactus gardens, but that’s only the beginning. There are twenty other gardens there, also. From a Japanese Garden to a Water Garden full of water lilies to a Topiary Garden – and the list goes on!

Here’s a map from our tour. At least, Trip Advisor lists it as the number two attraction in Santa Barbara,behind the famous Courthouse, but I’ve been to the Courthouse and it doesn’t light a candle to Lotusland. Santa Barbara Mission is pretty wonderful, but Trip Advisor rates that as number seven. What’s wrong with these people!

First you need to know Ganna Walska, the lady who planned and planted Lotusland, should have her own mini-series. A famous opera singer with five different husbands, ties to both the Polish and Russian royal families and over thirty acres of gardens in Santa Barbara – what’s not to love? Then there’s the gardens themselves. Breath-taking!

Next, you need to know that you can’t just show up at the address on the internet for a stroll through the garden. All tours are docent-led and there are two each day. To tour the garden you have to go online, make reservations and pay for the tour. Then you will get directions about where to show up for the tour. I have to confess that you might get a little sticker shock. The tours are $45/adult and $20/ child, but I am telling you it is completely worth the price of admission. Trust me on this.

We had quite a tour. About half-way through a sweet little old lady fell INTO a cactus plant, which sort of threw everything off – and certainly slowed us down on the next leg of our trip – but that’s for next week. Lotusland is one of those places that I could wear myself out talking about and still not capture the essence of it, so now I’m going to shut-up and show you some of our pictures. Just be sure and come back next week. There’s more fun to come.

The cactus mishap is just about to occur!

Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Performing Arts, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The Nutcracker – San Antonio’s Majestic Theater

March 12, 2014September 3, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: SAN ANTONIO’S MAJESTIC THEATER EARNS ITS NAME WITH A GLORIOUS NUTCRACKER

Here’s how I know Bill was bending over backwards to accommodate my wishes on our trip to San Antonio; he agreed to go to a ballet at the Majestic Theater. He played it really cool until afterwards, but then he made a post to Facebook that revealed the truth. He hadn’t been looking forward to it at all, but enjoyed it anyway.

Off to a Rough Start

We needed a bite to eat before the show, so we went to The County Line, a BBQ joint on the River, because it was close to our hotel and we were in a hurry. In our opinion, a BBQ joint is supposed to let you get a BBQ sandwich, but that only happens at lunch at The County Line. For dinner it’s a meat and two veggies kind of a place. Bill ordered a sliced brisket plate and I nibbled around the edges, but my mind was not on the brisket. WHERE WERE THE LUMINARIES?

Remember, I came to San Antonio because I wanted to see the River all dressed up for Christmas. Well, the weatherman threatened icy rain and sleet, so no luminaries were installed. The primary thing I came for didn’t happen at all.

And it was cold! And a stupid sign outside our hotel sent us an entire block out of our way. And did I mention it was cold. Bill was smart. He ignored the occasion and dressed warmly. By golly, I’d brought a special outfit for the theater and I was going to wear it, even if it killed me. Well, it didn’t kill me, but there was a danger of frostbite.

Majestic Lobby Warms up the Night

As soon as we hit the lobby, I knew we were someplace special. I had no idea of how gorgeous the theater itself was going to be, but the lobby was a knock-out.

We were on time. Our seats were good. And this had to be the most amazing theater I’d ever walked into. The pictures don’t begin to do it justice, but they’re all I have. Bill was wishing for more than his smartphone to capture the theater’s interior.

San Antonio’s Nutcracker

The Nutcracker was marvelous. I hope San Antonio will forgive me for being a bit of a Dallas snob. I assumed that a ballet by the San Antonio ballet and symphony might not stack up. It was charming with great dancers and great music. The sets and costumes were out of this world – but not quite as far out of this world as the theater. I’ll leave you with a few more shots. Hope you enjoy.

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Omni’s La Mansion de Rio in San Antonio

January 22, 2014August 12, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: OMNI LA MANSION DE RIO

San Antonio Hotel with Historic Significance offers Modern Indulgence on the Riverwalk

I love swanky hotels, but usually I opt for bargains, in order to travel more frequently. Still, there are opulent hotels on my wish list and every once and a while, I get the chance to check them off. That’s what happened on this trip to San Antonio.

Thank you, Expedia

As I planned a trip to see the Riverwalk’s Christmastime luminaries, just for grins, I checked La Mansion‘s pricing on expedia. As if Santa were filling my order a little early, there was a deal I couldn’t resist. I rocketed up the stairs to beg Bill’s indulgence, but he was in a good mood, so he told me to book the deal before I even had the chance to kneel.

I’d wished for La Mansion long before it was part of the Omni chain. Unless I’m completely off, I think it used to be part of the Rosewood chain that has THE Mansion, here in Dallas. Whatever the case, I’d wander around the Riverwalk wishing that hotel was my vacation address. This time it would be.

Parking There Was Not Half the Fun

After a visit to the Witte Museum we drove to La Mansion with little to no trouble (thank you GPS), but upon arrival found a $35 hickey for valet parking. That strained our spartan ways. The staff told us we could park across the street cheaper, but that begged the whole luggage thing and the lot across the street charged for in-and-out. So we bit the bullet, ponied up for the parking and even tipped a bellhop. I think the tip may have actually caused Bill physical pain.

Luxuriating in the Splendor

Once our pocketbook quit bleeding, a look around our room excited us. La Mansion occupies a building which was a university, a long long time ago. Wood beams hold up the ceiling and rod iron balconies are just outside the French doors. Since the hotel is an Omni, the furniture, upholstery and drapes are lush. As we inspected our accommodations and tried on the luxurious robes provided, we decided we weren’t as upset about the price of parking as we thought we were going to be.

Bill whipped open his laptop to check the market and I started to unpack. Next to the TV was a lovely bottle of water and I thought, “What a nice gesture,” but thankfully I checked the hang-tag before opening it. Six bucks! So, I opened the dresser and yes, there it was the minibar and snacks. So many ways to capture extra income! At least there was free shampoo. (They didn’t have a safe in the room, though and I thought that was an oversight.)

I’m poking a little fun at the Omni, but we actually enjoyed our stay there completely. The historical building gave everything a very special touch and we did get top notch service. The bed was beyond comfortable and if the only thing we could see out of our window was the parking lot across the street, that was our fault for not choosing to pay extra for a room with a view.

The True Parking Solution

We also figured out the parking problem. See, overnight valet parking is $35, but they don’t charge you for each in and out. The overnight parking across the street is $10, and I assumed it was $10 every time – and that could get expensive quick. But across the street you aren’t charged the overnight price every time, only when you stay overnight. You can short term park much cheaper. Since short term valet parking at the Omni is only $15, that evening we recovered our car and went to dinner. When we came back, we parked across the street. The good news is the Omni never charged us the $15. Thank you Omni!

I’d Do It Again

The next morning we had breakfast in the hotel’s Las Canarias Restaurant, but I’ve already talked too much for today. The Omni La Mansion De Rio is a lovely hotel and I’m so glad we stayed there. Since the Polar Express hit while we were there, it was a little cold to traipse across the river for the privilege of working out at the Omni spa property, but we did peek in and decided it would be great if the weather was friendlier.

Do I think you should stay at Omni’s La Mansion de Rio? I have to say yes. It was a remarkable experience. The proximity to everything on the Riverwalk and the downtown area was perfect for sightseeing. We were blown away by the service. Just keep your eyes open. Who knows when expedia will have another deal! (And keep coming back, because I’ll eventually tell you about breakfast!)

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