Hollywood Sign again

I went back to the Hollywood sign again on Sunday. I love that I can do that. It's a nice, easy "hike" with enough people to take away the murder mystery thought (see Temescal), but not super touristy crowded.  It probably took me an hour and a half round-trip, including some time spent at the very top—there's a little dirt hill next to the tower that I had never climbed up before.

I love this hike, and I love living by Hollywood.

Surviving Temescal Canyon

Today was a great day for summer weather to finally return (seriously, 65°F last week was dumb), because today was also a day off from work.  I've been meaning to go "hiking" (AKA walking on a canyon path) for awhile, so I looked up Runyon Canyon.

Yeah, no.  Runyon is known for being dog-friendly, and I am not.  Not going to hike at an off-leash dog place.  What other canyon have I heard of?...Temescal is the winner!

After lathering on sunscreen (I don't mind getting sun, but I do not want bad tan lines from my shirt) and driving all the way out there, I arrived just after noon.  I tweeted my location and choice of path, because maaaybe I watch too many 48 Hours Mystery about women who go missing as they go for a solo run, and are found months later all murdered and buried.  This way, they would know exactly where to send a search party in a few hours.

ANYWAY.

I'm kind of new at this whole "canyon trail" thing, and even though I read suggestions on Yelp, I didn't exactly know where to go when I got into the park.  I just kept walking straight, until the paved roads turned into a dirt path option.  There were a few signs for different paths, but I didn't know what they meant.  I just followed the arrow to the waterfall path.

The rest is best told through photos...

Hollywood explorations

I basically decided to move to Los Angeles when I was about twelve years old.  I knew I'd go away to college, and if school wasn't in L.A., then I'd move here after graduation.  So I did.  I graduated from a college in Chicago in spring 2008, then packed up and took a one-way flight to Los Angeles three months later.  Despite knowing this was my plan (rather than an unthoughtout move), sometimes I don't fully realize how close I am to all things Hollywood and iconic and awesome.

Some of it probably has to do with the fact that my first two years here were sans car.  I was limited to the (limited) public transportation, and the system is enough to make Chicago's CTA look glorious.  Going anywhere was a chore, especially with some bus lines only running once an hour...and stopping service sometimes before 10:00pm.  But now I have a car!  And I can go places more easily!  And I can go on my own schedule!

Last weekend, dad was back in town again for the last few days of a work project, so we went "hiking" on Sunday.  I add the quotation marks because it wasn't a major hike through the wilderness—more like a long walk up an incline, and about half of it was a paved road.  So why was it great? We went to the Hollywood sign.

That's right.  The Hollywood sign.  There's a chain link fence and signs warning of arrest and a small fine if you attempt to cross and move closer, but you can follow the utility road all the way up there and look out from behind it.

A few days later, I went to Hollywood/Highland to do a little shopping on my day off.  You exit the parking structure via elevators that drop you right by the staircase to the Kodak Theatre, where they host the Academy Awards.  Oh, no big deal, just walking by the columns of Best Picture winners!  Out front: Walk of Fame stars.  Next door: Grauman's Chinese Theatre.  This is what tourists come to see...and I live about ten minutes from it all.

I never know how to end posts well.

So that's my story.  Bye!