The Getty Villa and Santa Monica Mountains

LA is a big place, so it’s hard to find a central location to stay in. After our day in DTLA, we headed over to Santa Monica to spend the night to be closer to our activities for the next day. I had a hard time settling on a place to stay in Santa Monica, but finally decided on the Best Western and although it’s not near the beach, it was one of the nicer Best Westerns I’ve been to.

The next morning, we were well located to head over to Gjusta for breakfast. It was really unclear and kind of confusing how things were supposed to work when we walked in, as there were lots of people milling around, but once we figured it out (take a number) we were able to order and then sit in the pleasant courtyard waiting for our breakfast to arrive. The croissants were flaky and crisp and I had the shakshuka along with a cappuccino.

After breakfast we headed a few miles north up the coast to the Getty Villa Museum. The Getty Villa was built to house J. Paul Getty’s extensive collection of European antiquities. Along with the collections and grand buildings, there are also beautiful gardens. The Getty Villa is free to visit, but it’s a good idea to book tickets in advance, however, there is a fee for parking.

Our destination for the end of the day was Ventura, so after the Getty Villa, we drove up the coast a bit further and took a detour into Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. We stopped by the visitor’s center at King Gillette Ranch and then hiked Zuma Canyon before going on to Ventura.