After returning to Los Angeles from Palm Springs, I decided to drive up to the Griffith Observatory, which sits at a high point offering spectacular views of the Los Angeles Basin, and do some hiking nearby. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that the observatory is closed to the public on Mondays; however, you can still walk around the building and admire the views.  An upside of visiting on a Monday was that I probably avoided the crowds that may be there when the observatory is actually open.

The Griffith Observatory was a Works Progress Administration project, completed in 1935.  It is a beautiful, imposing art deco structure, stunningly white with curves, arches, domes and decoration.

While waiting for the sun to set, I decided to take a hike up to the top of Mount Hollywood.  I was able to get some great pictures of the Hollywood sign as well as the vistas from above.  The network of trails in Griffith Park is quite extensive, so you could spend an entire day hiking around the mountains.  Hiking the trails, you really feel like you’re in a wilderness area despite being surrounded by the sprawling urban jungle of Los Angeles.  Unfortunately, there was a great deal of smog that day, but the views were amazing nevertheless.

After descending Mount Hollywood, I returned to the balcony of the observatory and took several photos using the light of the sunset.