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The Westside’s very own architectural landmark is the Richard Meier–designed, travertine-clad Getty Center campus, atop a 110-acre hillside in Brentwood. It’s the home of the J. Paul Getty Trust, which administers the Getty Research and Conservation Institutes, the Getty Foundation, and the J. Paul Getty Museum. Here you’ll see European paintings (including van Gogh’s Irises); selections from a vast photography collection, from Stieglitz and Man Ray to Hockney and Warhol; and inspired period rooms for decorative arts. Not into art? Then just gawk at the marvelous architecture, gardens and view. Dine at the upscale restaurant (by reservation) or the uninspired café. Indagare members can contact our bookings team for a guided tour with an art curator.


Exterior Veiw -  J. Paul Getty Center  , Los Angeles, California

J. Paul Getty Center

Many feel that this Frank Gehry wonder in the heart of downtown is “L.A.’s Bilbao”—a spectacular stainless-steel structure of multiple curving façades, on a par with the architect’s acclaimed Guggenheim Bilbao. The Douglas Fir–paneled interior is also worth seeing; unfortunately, the state-of-the-art auditorium itself is almost always in use, and is usually off-limits to tours. Audio tours of the rest of the concert hall (both self-guided and in groups), narrated by John Lithgow and featuring commentary by Gehry and, Diane Disney Miller (Walt’s daughter), are available every weekday but Tuesday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (Group tours are usually with a guide, but if a group wanted to include an audio tour, it can be arranged.)

The concert hall is also home to the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater, familiarly known as REDCAT (www.redcat.org), dedicated to cutting-edge music, theater, film and video. There are a number of dining options at both Disney Hall and the Music Center’s three theaters across 1st Street. The best, and by far the most expensive in the center, restaurant is Patina (not a Gehry design), situated inside Disney Concert Hall and offering beautifully presented nouvelle cuisine for lunch through late supper.


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Walt Disney Concert Hall

This often-overlooked gem in Pasadena houses Asian, European and American art, including tons of Degas paintings and sculptures. Frank Gehry renovated the interiors from 1996 to 1999, adding the stunning Southeast Asian and Indian galleries of red sandstone. The sculpture garden, designed by L.A. landscaping star Nancy Goslee Power, is a must. Closed Tuesday. Indagare members can contact our bookings team for a guided tour with an art curator.


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Norton Simon Museum

The Groundlings improv theater is a great evening activity for adults and families. A Los Angeles institution, the theater and school has been a training ground for comedians for more than three decades and really provides a look at the dream that brings someone to the city.


Auditorium at The Groundlings  ,  Los Angeles, California

The Groundlings

For active travelers who want to combine sightseeing with a work out, we can arrange for a guide to take you on a four-hour guided hike through some of the city’s iconic destinations such as the Hollywood Hills, Griffith Park, the Santa Monica Stairs and Temescal Canyon with great Pacific Ocean views.


Exterior Veiw - Indagare Tours: Personalized Hikes  ,  Los Angeles, California

Indagare Tours: Personalized Hikes

See & Do

The oceanfront Nobu Ryokan elevates the traditional Japanese ryokan experience with 16 exquisite rooms and suites, Nobu in-room dining and beach access.

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Nobu Ryokan

Shutters on the Beach sports an easy, Vineyard-Nantucket style. The comfortable lobby is the kind of place where you can have a tête-à-tête or, with sand still in your flip-flops, relax with potato chips and a glass of Champagne. The guest rooms and suites feature hardwood floors, Oriental rugs and four-poster beds.

Shutters on the Beach Pool

Shutters on the Beach

The Bel Air, located on posh Stone Canyon Road and just about a mile west of Beverly Hills, is a member of the exclusive Dorchester group. Its elegant Spanish Colonial–style exterior has a rich history, hosting Hollywood legends like Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor in its early days. And in 2011, the interiors underwent a modern transformation while still preserving the property's serene, natural setting and glamorous ambiance. Guests still arrive via a tiny bridge suspended over a lake that is populated by snow-white swans, the hotel’s mascots that immediately welcome one into the serene, natural setting. The lobby, with its massive central fireplace, blond beech-wood floors and stuffed couches resembles a contemporary country hotel.

The 103 rooms (45 of which are suites) are tucked behind perfectly maintained meandering paths, pots bursting with flowering plants, fountains, subtropical and native California plantings (all labeled) and an herb garden. Most coveted are the twelve Canyon Suites, built into a hillside and with massive retractable walls that open onto patios with fireplaces, and the elegant Grace Kelly Suite. Another highlight is the Valmont spa, housed in a separate building that also contains the fitness center and three loft guest rooms. The most radical change to the old Bel-Air are the room interiors, which have turned from floral French into contemporary Art Deco, with a black-and-white color scheme and such touches as light wood floors, high ceilings and heated bathroom floors.

In terms of dining, The Restaurant at Hotel Bel Air offers an elegant escape. For sunny days, there is an al fresco area, along with a cozy, indoor setting on those few occasions when the California weather does not cooperate. The cuisine is modern California with a Mediterranean twist and it certainly takes center stage. While no longer a Wolfgang Puck restaurant, the culinary excellence remains unchanged and you can still expect a crowd that exudes a posh aura, often including celebrities, continuing with the Hollywood glamour that the hotel is known for. And after dinner there is “The Bar”, with plush velvet stools and a sleek lacquered bar. Live music enhances the experience, making it the perfect setting to savor expertly crafted cocktails like classic martinis or the refreshing pepino. The Bar seamlessly carries on the legacy of the Oak Bar, adorned with iconic images by Norman Seeff.

There isn’t a lovelier place to drape yourself on a chaise than next to the elegant and iconic oval swimming pool, and the spa is beautiful and worth seeking out, even if you are staying elsewhere.


Suite at Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles, California

Hotel Bel-Air

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Thanks to a host of activities, stunning landscapes and gorgeous resorts, the area surrounding the Pacific Coast’s Carmel is a wonderful destination that offers activities for all age groups. The oceanfront stretch of road along the dramatic Big Sur coastline is also the setting of one of the great American road trips.

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Carmel & Monterey

With wild terrain, active volcanoes, pristine beaches of red, black and white sands and a unique culture, Hawaii’s allure lies in its spectacular tropical landscapes and welcoming aloha spirit. Each of the five main islands—the Big Island, Maui, Lanai, Oahu and Kauai—offer countless adventures, beautiful vistas and pampering, five-star properties.

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Hawaii

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S.B., Indagare member since 2013  

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