In addition to exploring the sites within SAMO, we also enjoyed venturing a little farther afield on our days off. We became friends with Beth, who was also at SAMO for a short-time detail, and together we visited the Getty Center, the Huntington Library, and Santa Barbara. Tim and I also made a trip to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on our own.
The Getty Center was first on our agenda. Perched high above Los Angeles, the Getty offers an impressive art collection as well as expansive views of the city. We decided to take a tour of the architecture and the unusual gardens, which are a living work of art, and it was well worth it.
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| Getty Center |
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| Sarah and Tim in the Central Garden at the Getty Center |
The Huntington Library encompasses not only an immense research library, but also an art museum and botanical garden. Tim especially loves to visit libraries, so this was a perfect destination for us. I could have spent hours wandering through the gardens and admiring the flowering trees.
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| The Huntington |
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| The Huntington Botanical Gardens |
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| Tim at The Huntington |
Santa Barbara was a bit farther afield, but we all wanted to visit the city. Tops on our list was Mission Santa Barbara, often referred to as the “Queen of the Missions.” We also visited two other historic sites in town, El Presidio de Santa Barbara and Casa de la Guerra, but we made time as well to explore the waterfront.
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| Mission Santa Barbara |
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| Exploring Sites in Santa Barbara |
Tim and I try to visit presidential libraries whenever we can, and Ronald Reagan’s was nearby. Although the libraries we’ve visited play up the importance and contributions of the featured president, this one seemed to be particularly over-the-top. Still, I’m glad we came.
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| Ronald Reagan Presidential Library |
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