Snapshots

 Snapshots and highlights from our vacation...

A great start...

We arrived in Westwood Village (UCLA) just in time to meet up with our son and watch our SF Giants sweep the Detroit Tigers to win the World Series for the 2nd time in 3 years!

Checked in late that night at The Marriott Newport Coast Villas...

  and awoke to this view from our balcony!

We started the day with a delicious breakfast at our favorite spot, Pacific Whey,

 

which is across the Pacific Coast highway from Crystal Cove State Beach.

One morning we met up with Mary Ann of Classic Casual Home who took us on her favorite walk in Corona Del Mar. I was so excited to finally meet her and she is as delightful as you would imagine! Love her!!! 

We did a little window shopping at Juxtaposition Home.

I always drool over their one of a kind pillows

and stunning displays!

 Next we headed over to Roger's Gardens in Corona Del Mar.

One of the things I love most about visiting southern California is the gorgeous landscaping I see everywhere.

One of my favorite things to do while I'm here is to drive around and discover hidden neighborhoods where many of the homes and gardens have been renovated and showcase some truly incredible design ideas!

I always wondered where all that creativity was coming from! 

 Now I know...
Roger's Gardens is a full service landscaping company that has been serving Orange County of 40 years!
 

The day we visited they had just opened their holiday boutique.  I will share more photos of Rogers Gardens in a future post.

One day our son came down from UCLA and we spent the day getting educated and then buying him his first suit.

He is part of an investment banking workshop on campus that preps them for interviews and conducts networking events with various banks.

 

He ended up getting a classic solid navy blue suit in a modern cut at Brooks Brothers which will serve him well.

Another day we hit Manhattan Beach.

I have heard of this beach my entire life but had never seen it so we exited the freeway and made our way down to the Manhattan Beach pier.

We found the beach all to ourselves!

I could have

stood under

this pier

all day

long!

As we made our way onto the pier we noticed that  class was being held at the beach that morning.

Must be nice to grow up in Manhattan Beach and use the beach as your classroom!

These plaques were embedded up and down the pier. What an honor to have your name memorialized on the pier!

The pier even provides a place to clean your fish!

Another unique thing about southern California beaches is the access to them through neighborhoods like this one where they decorated it for Halloween.

I love the more modern beach houses too!

After leaving Manhattan Beach we found ourselves on Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach where after passing this cute couple on the street we made our way inside to take a look around...

It is called Bountiful.

 
Bountiful is the embodiment of creator Sue Balmforth's talented eye and charismatic nature.

Recognized as the source of the best and most unique blend of American country charm  and European elegance,

Bountiful attracts a wide range of clients from designers and film studios,
 

to collectors and celebrities,
 

all of whom faithfully turn to Sue for her knowledge,
 

style,
 

and enormous inventory
 

an

of antiques,
 

and more recently cake stands!!! 

A few doors down we found this great spot where we shared a delicious squash blossom pizza.

 and amazing side salad.

It was the best meal of the trip!

We passed by this art installation of a bus stop on our way back to the car and headed to the Getty Villa in Malibu.

The Getty Villa is one of two locations of the J. Paul Getty Museum.

It is an educational center and museum dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria. 
 

In 1954, oil tycoon J. Paul Getty opened a gallery adjacent to his home in Pacific Palisades.
 

Quickly running out of room, he built a second museum, the Getty Villa, on the property down the hill from the original gallery.

 The villa design was inspired by the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum and incorporated additional details from several other ancient sites.

The 64 acre museum complex sits on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, which is about 100 feet from the entrance to the property.

It's pretty amazing and you should definitely put it on your list of places to see when visiting the Los Angeles area.

I left with this quote which I plan on writing on my chalkboard in my kitchen! 
 

We spent our last day driving down to Palm Springs to have lunch with my Dad and his wife who moved there in July.

 Good times and great memories!

  

Goodbye L.A.

We'll be back soon...