Griffith Observatory
Last Tuesday while I was in LA on a business trip I finished up work at seven pm. Since I am not one to go to my hotel without some sightseeing fun I decided to visit Griffith Observatory on Mount Hollywood. I had been there a few times before over the years and it is a great place to go for a view over the city.
It was a beautiful evening and it seemed that quite a few other people had the same brilliant idea as I did which meant that I ended up having to park a mile away from Griffith Observatory on Western Canyon Road. Unfortunately, I had just come from work so I was sporting a dress and heels which was not prime attire for hiking up a curving mountain road. I am not known for being deterred by inappropriate footwear (Exhibit A: Hiking up Mount Warning in broken flip flops) so of course I headed off toward the Observatory anyway.
Along the way I had a lovely view of the Hollywood sign as the sun was low in the sky.
Twenty minutes (and quite a few pictures) later I was at Griffith Observatory. Construction on the beautiful Art Deco building began in 1933 and was opened to the public in 1935.
I headed up the stairs to the observation terraces to check out the view. One of the telescopes was open to the public, but the line was incredibly long so I settled for looking out at the horizon instead of peering up into the sky.
I watched as the daylight faded and the city streets below lit up. The view was really quite beautiful.
After the sun set I headed inside to check out the exhibits. There were so many neat displays relating to astronomy and our universe. One of my favorites was a periodic table with actual samples of the elements. I honestly could have wandered around forever but it was getting late and I needed to get to my hotel.
At this point it was pitch black outside. Other sensible people had flashlights with them however I was not so well prepared. Be advised that walking a mile back to your car in the dark with no flashlight wearing four inch wedge heels is not a good idea nor for the faint of heart.
In the end I got back to my rental car safe and sound with no twisted ankles. Was my unprepared visit a smart thing to do? Decidedly not. Was is worth it? Absolutely.
Griffith Observatory is located at 2800 East Observatory Road in Los Angeles. Admission to the building is free, however there is a fee for planetarium shows. Griffith Observatory is open 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. from Tuesday through Friday and closed on Mondays.
Monday, July 7, 2014 at 7:24AM | Posted by Lisa | 4 Comments | Share Article | Email Article | Print Article 
Reader Comments (4)
Some really great photos. When I saw the photo of the elements I started to sing (what parts I know) the elements song as sung by Daniel Radcliffe (aka Harry Potter) and Sheldon from Big Bang Theory. What's the catch phrase a photo is worth 1000 words, well in this case it was so true because I could not remember all the lyrics! I like your photo of the moon rock - I have seen up close a actual piece of moon rock when it was sent to the University of Toronto. Nice selfie. I think my favourite photo of this lot is the one of the Hollywood sign.
Lisa, you are making me homesick with this series of photos! We just moved to Arizona from SoCal last month.... Beautiful photos as always. I can't believe I haven't been to the observatory since I was a child. Everytime we drove past it, I would think of going there and taking my children but we never did. Thanks for the walk down memory lane. Vicki
Mary-Lou- Thank you! I'm glad that you liked the pictures!
Vicki- Thank you! Best wishes with your move. I hope you are enjoying Arizona!
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