When they say there’s no place like home, it’s true. Since I’ve been home, I’ve noticed more than ever that there is NO place like Louisiana. Last night, I threw on my cowboy boots and went out for cajun and zydeco dancing….this was something that I missed SOO much being in California this summer. I love that when I’m home, the amount of time gone by isn’t an issue. Most people are just happy to catch up, to hang out, and to enjoy a good time. But when I was flipping through a few of my images from our 6 week trip to California, I was reminded of Venice.
There is also no place like Venice. Obviously, I’m biased to my home, but there are things that I loved about this place as well. Like, the fact that I could shop in the street shops, overhear a hippie-go-green-rap band, and observe the skate park. And WOW…that place was incredible. Literally, right next to the graffiti area (purposely built to allow graffiti artists to experiment) is the skate park. It was PACKED. Brad and I must have hung out there for at least an hour or two just amazed at the talent.
When I was growing up, we loved to pull a skateboard behind a bike, a wakeboard behind a boat, and anything else we could think of to go fast. Trust me, I have the scars to prove it. 🙂
But there’s NO WAY I would have stepped foot into this arena. Nope…not even if you paid me. These guys were intense and having the time of their lives. Of all the things I saw in Venice, this was my favorite.
The Getty, designed by Architect Richard Meier, blew Brad out the water. Like….when we pulled up, I knew we were going to be there all day! Now, I love architecture, but Brad L.O.V.E.SSSSSSSSS architecture. He loves to sketch architecture, talk about the details, and obsess over the conceptual being of a building. 🙂
So needless to say, when we pulled up, he was like a little kid in a candy store. We took the architectural and the landscape tours, and spend so much time exploring the grounds, we didn’t even view the art. lol….We were there for over 5 hours just looking at the building. And WOW….it really was amazing.
Richard Meier did an amazing job of framing the beautiful view of the city, and modernizing the grounds while still being considerate of the vistors. His integration of stone and metal panels were seamless and created a nice merge between his design style and the requests of the Getty Family.
Robert Irwin was the landscape designer, but coincidentally is not a landscape architect. He’s an artist, a painter actually, who was hired as the designer due to his ability to create a natural and whimsical environment.
You see, there was much debate when the decision was made to hire Irwin, because Meier was originally hired to do both. But after the earthquake that really revolutionized the building codes there, Meier was given the responsibility of overseeing the repairs of the structure.
I’m not Brad agreed with me, but I loved the contract. I loved the whimsical and natural feel of the gardens that played a very hard contrast again the straight-lined and modern feel of the structure. When you stepped into Irwin’s garden, it was as though you were in another place. And as much as I LOVE modern architecture, I also like the play between contrasting things.
At the end of the day, there is no place like home. I was born and raised in Louisiana and I love it here. I especially love the music and being able to share good quality food and fun with my friends/family. However, I did enjoy traveling. I know this was a random post, but I love being able to share in others travel experiences, so I only feel it’s fair to share mine. I hope you enjoyed being a part of my experience, and if you ever have the chance to make it out to California, make sure to eat at least one in-and-out burger and enjoy at least one sunset on the beach. 🙂
