Day Trip

John was on spring break last week and being the gem he is he went into school everyday so we could carpool. Needless to say it was not his ideal way to spend his week off school so on Saturday we decided to hike around Griffith Park and go the observatory. Our hike started out along this beautiful stream covered with 26 different kinds of ferns. It was nice and cool because of the tree coverage but that didn't last for long. Soon we were hiking up a steep hill with a ton of switchbacks in 90 degree weather and no foliage for shade. It was at that moment that I came to realize even more so than before of what horrible shape I am in. I was huffing and puffing like no body's business having to stop to catch my breath and get a drink way more often than I care to admit. I normally will persevere through or say to myself, "If John stops then I'll stop." But John didn't stop so I had to stop him. It was pathetic! We FINALLY reached the top of the hill where I practically ran into the observatory knowing that the AC in there was waiting for me.

Once inside we looked at the new exhibits ( it just opened after being closed for improvements for 6 years). They were really cool and user friendly and one of the best parts is the observatory is FREE! It's a beautiful place with amazing architecture. We hope to go back at night sometime soon.

Here is one of the really cool telescopes they use

And the two of us with the Hollywood sign in the background. It's not a flattering picture but whatcha gonna do?

It was a nice day with not so nice air quality...that must have been the cause for the huffing and puffing right? We had a blast and I'm determined to get in better shape so we can take advantage of all the amazing hikes GP has to offer. You know LA gets a bad name often but there really are a lot of things to do that are free, outdoors, educating, and enjoyable right around the corner, you just have to look.