South of Zuma Beach, houses begin popping up along Hwy-1 to block the oceanfront views, and more-elaborate multimillion-dollar homes dot the canyons above as well, forming the sprawling exurbia and movie-star playground of Malibu, which stretches along Hwy-1 for the next 27 miles into Santa Monica and metropolitan Los Angeles. It’s hard to get more than a glimpse of the garage doors or wrought-iron gates of these palaces, but this is the address of choice for the movers and shakers of the entertainment world: If you can name them, they probably own property here. Most of the truly huge estates are hidden away on ranches high up in the mountains.
One of the few accessible hideaways has been evolving since 1993, when Barbra Streisand donated her 22-acre ranch for use as a botanical preserve. Called Ramirez Canyon Park, and located at 5750 Ramirez Canyon Road, it’s managed by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and is open to visitors only on a weekly guided tour (Wed. at 1 pm; $35; 310/589-2850) of the delightful gardens, finishing with an afternoon tea.
From Hwy-1, the most prominent sight is the Pepperdine University campus, which was described by the late, great architect Charles Moore as “an overscaled motel set in obscenely vivid emerald lawns.” (Pepperdine is also the place Clinton-chasing Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr agreed to be Dean of the Law School, only to quit in continuing pursuit of Monica Lewinsky a few days later.) Below the bluff-top campus, the legendary Malibu Colony of celebrity homes stretches along the coast in high-security splendor.
About the only place in Malibu where it’s fun (and legal) to explore is the area around the landmark Malibu Pier, which juts into the ocean at the heart of Malibu’s short and rather scruffy commercial strip. North of the pier, which was used most famously in TV’s The Rockford Files, stretches Surfrider Beach, site of most of those Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello beach blanket babylon movies made during the 1950s. The pier and the beach are part of Malibu Lagoon State Park, which also protects the historic Adamson House (Wed.–Sat. 11 am–2 pm; $3; 310/456-8432) at 23200 Pacific Coast Highway, a lovely old circa-1929 Spanish Revival courtyard home, right on the beach and full of gorgeous tile work and other architectural features. Tours of the house are given throughout the day, and fascinating exhibits portray Malibu history and the Rindge family, who once owned the entire region.
Between Malibu and Santa Monica, Topanga Canyon is home to an alternative community of hippies and New Agers. South of Topanga, and once again open to the public after 10 years of remodeling, are the world-famous antiquities of the J. Paul Getty Museum (daily; free). Over 1,200 priceless classics are displayed in the Getty Villa, where the oil magnate’s art collection was housed prior to the construction of the massive Getty Center complex above Brentwood. To reach the new Getty Center from the shore, follow winding Sunset Boulevard 10 miles east to the San Diego Freeway (I-405), but call first for parking reservations (310/440-7300), which are essential. From Sunset Boulevard south to Santa Monica, the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy-1) runs along the wide-open sands of Will Rogers State Beach, gifted to the public by the Depression-era humorist.
Santa Monica marks the western start of legendary Route 66, which winds between Southern California and Chicago.
