Tag: Malibu CA

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Duke’s on Malibu

Jane Sadek

MEMORY KEEPING: DAY TWO OF LA SIGHTSEEING

Family Business Before Monkey Business

Being a tourist and visiting family are two different things. I get that, so I cooled my jets, played with my new grandnephew and did the family things. However, when it was decided we were heading to Malibu, I was very happy to put on my tourist cap and jump in the car.

We took the route through Topanga Canyon and Nephew drove us to a favorite pier for some sightseeing. It was lovely. We enjoyed strolling along and taking in the beauty all around us. We took lots of photos. Here are a few.

Then nephew drove us by several of their favorite restaurants and though I can’t remember the reasoning behind the choice, if there was any reasoning behind the choice, we ended up at Duke’s.

Duke’s Malibu

Having been told by my husband that Nephew had our sightseeing all mapped out, I’d optimistically neglected my usual research. I knew nothing about beach bars on Malibu. When Duke’s got a strong recommendation from Nephew and Niece, we went with it.

I did not realize at the time Duke’s Malibu was an offshoot of Duke’s Waikiki. I wanted a true Malibu experience and Duke’s was more like the Pipeline meets Hollywood – very kitschy in a schizophrenic sort of way. There’s a storyline that justifies a Duke’s in Malibu. After making surfing popular with the tourists in Waikiki Duke did come to Hollywood. That doesn’t explain why there is a Duke’s Canton in East Texas that has nothing to do with surfing, but maybe I’ll go one day and see if I can figure it out.

Anyway, in true Egyptian fashion, we’d shown up in the middle of the afternoon during that lull between lunch and dinner. It’s a constant dissonance I feel when I’m around my beloved Egyptians. I love them to death, but after 31 years of marriage, I still don’t understand their eating habits. Their meals rarely coincide with my appetite. Usually, because I have given up and snacked heartily out of desperation right before they decide to eat.

Duke’s was open, but it wasn’t really ready for us. They recommended we have a Lava Flow while the staff got ready for the dinner hour. We complied and enjoyed the view. I do not recommend the Lava Flow. For me, it was like drinking medicine, but Niece and Nephew swear by it – so it’s up to you.

We had a variety of appetizers and then a meal – all of which they loved. None of which thrilled me or Bill for that matter, but then we are picky.

So, beach & pier – marvelous. Duke’s, not so much. Next week I’ll tell you about LACMOA! Enjoy Memory Preservation and Memory Sharing for the rest of the week.

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

The Getty Villa, Malibu CA

Jane Sadek

Getty Villa, Malibu CA
Malibu’s Getty Villa

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.