The Broad Museum opened in Downtown Los Angeles just a year before I moved to Oregon. I love modern art, and as with any new museum, I was very excited to experience it. Due to first-year crowds, I was not able to visit until our 2018 trip to Downtown Los Angeles.

As it was a top priority during my trip, I made advance reservations for The Broad. Advance reservations are highly recommend and free.

I started my morning with a leisurely walk from The Westin Bonaventure to The Broad, enjoying sculptures and murals. Downtown Los Angeles is best experienced by foot.

One of my favorite places in the entire world is The Music Center. I had enough time to take a quick walk around the center, which is near The Broad. The Music Center has three theaters: The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion ( where my high school graduation was held), The Mark Taper Forum, and the Ahamanson. The Music Center is truly my happy place, even more so than Disneyland. On this morning, a Health Summit with Fran Drescher, from The Nanny, was taking place. Only in LA…

I discovered a cute cafe called Etchea, that was filled with locals and had a European vibe. It is located just around the corner from The Broad. I enjoyed a latte and croissant for breakfast.

At another nearby coffee shop, I found this sandwich board sign. I agree whole-heartedly. I’ve never been accused of being a “morning person,” but with the help of coffee, I can fake it!

When I reached The Broad, I found two queues. The shorter queue was for reservations. The longer queue, stretching around the exterior of the building, was for standby. I found this baffling, as reservations were a breeze to make, and I was visiting on a weekday in fall. Maybe people don’t like to lock down their schedule? I love vacation planning. Lack of concrete plans make me nervous.

Within ten minutes, I was inside the museum, and I walked straight to a second reservation queue. One of the most popular exhibits at The Broad is Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama’s Mirror Infinity Rooms. The installation has a limited capacity, and reservations are only available by first come/first serve on the same day. I was placed into a virtual queue, and notified via text when it was my time to view the exhibit, which was approximately two hours after the museum opened. If you want to see the Mirror Infinity Rooms, you must arrive early to the museum and secure your spot.

The Broad has exhibits on the second and third floors of the museum. My visit lasted about four hours. I took my time and experienced everything. One of my favorite exhibits was Robert Therrien’s Under the Table, an enormous, larger-than-life dining set that museum goers can walk under and feel like they are in Alice in Wonderland.

The Broad has many pieces from some of my favorites like Warhol, Basquiat, and Lichtenstein. The shiny balloon animals and tulips by Koons were marvelous.

Prior to the Mirror Infinity Room, I was able to see another Kusama installation. This one was viewed by looking into a box, rather than entering the mirrored room. In the box, disco lights changed color. It was beautiful. Where the Mirror Infinity Room was celestial, this was more party.

When it came time to experience the Mirror Infinity Room, I joined a small queue outside of the installation. I was prepped on what to expect: the door would close behind me and I would have thirty second to experience the room. It was dazzling and magical. I felt like I was floating among stars.

Within an hour of opening, the museum was fairly crowded. I only took pictures in the Kusama exhibits for a few reasons:

The primary reason is I wanted to be present in the moment and fully experience The Broad, without the pressure of taking pictures.

The second reason is it was too crowded. The Kusama exhibits were the only places where I felt a moment of being alone. A moment of just me and the art.

The third reason is I get sad when I see everyone rushing to take pictures, rather than staying present. I feel like this is a modern problem, especially when visiting places like museums and concerts. It’s almost as if they want to prove they were there and share their pictures on Instagram, rather than have a real connection with the event. I could be wrong, as it is hard to judge the intentions of others, but this is a feeling that I get.

The Broad is a treasure in Los Angeles. Along with The Getty, it is a must-do museum when visiting Southern California.

Have you ever missed something that was right under your nose?

I grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale and just a short, ten-minute drive from my childhood home, a house that I live in for thirty-nine years, is a famous landmark. It took my mother-in-law visiting from England to get me there.

My mother-in-law, Jan, had always dreamed of touring a Frank Lloyd Wright house. We researched and discovered that Wright’s Hollyhock House is located in Barnsdall Art Park in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. During Jan’s autumn 2018 trip (Her last vacation with us, as we lost her in 2019), we were living in Big Bear Lake, but we made a day trip to Los Angeles to visit Hollyhock House.

We arrived early, before Hollyhock House was open. Barnsdall Park has several attractions, including art galleries and a performance space.

The parking lot is free and located at the bottom of Barnsdall Park. There is handicap parking that allows you direct access to the top level, if you need it, otherwise be prepared to climb some stairs.

On our walk, we came across the Hollyhock House Residence A, which is currently under restoration.

And squirrels. Lots of squirrels running around.

We purchased our admission tickets, only seven dollars. As we waited for our entry time, we enjoyed the park and views of Los Angeles. It’s a great place for a Hollywood Sign photo op!

Barnsdall Art Park is named for Aline Barnsdall, an oil heiress and producer of experimental theatre. In 1919, she commissioned Wright to design Hollyhock House, intending the house and surround land to be used for the arts. The project was plagued with problems and Barnsdall fired Wright before he could complete the house. She eventually gifted the land and buildings to the city of Los Angeles. The Hollyhock House is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Our experience at Hollyhock House began with a short guided tour of the exterior. The motif of hollyhocks is carried throughout the house and the house is done in the style of Mayan Revival Architecture.

The interior portion of the house was self-guided with docents in each room available to answer questions. We were not allowed to take pictures and we had to be very careful not to touch the walls or furniture, as everything is very fragile.

I have to confess, that the exteriors of the house did not impress me. I found them cold and sterile. The interiors were quite a bit warmer, with wood floors and furniture to break up the grey concrete. The home had vintage furnishings from when Aline Barnsdall lived there in the 30’s and 40’s. It was like stepping into another era. Jan was thrilled to have visited a Frank Lloyd Wright home and I was happy to experience part of Los Angels history.

On the way home, we stopped for gas on Los Feliz Blvd and the station had very cool murals. I have filled- up at this station in the past, but I had never noticed the art. Maybe they’re new or maybe when you live in a place, you take for granted your surroundings. I miss Los Angeles and when we visit, I try to soak it all in. As we are now living in Colorado, I think this sentiment is going to be even strong for future visits to my home town. I hope that a Los Angeles trip is in my near future!