Griffith Observatory Hike: The Best Views in LA
We're into the third week of my Kickstarter campaign - halfway through! Since we were having beautiful 80 degree weather in Los Angeles over the weekend, I decided to try a new hike for my #fitnessexperimenter #5 activity. I've always heard that the Griffith Observatory had the best views of LA so my friend Meredith and I decided to head east for a Sunday afternoon hike.
- Hike Experience: We started the Griffith Observatory hike at the famous Trails Cafe located at the bottom of the hike. There are two routes up to the observatory and we chose the steeper one for more of a challenge. The trek was a steady incline up clear, wide paths with looking points and increasingly stunning views of LA and the Hollywood sign all the way to the top. One particular lookout point gave 360 degree views of the beautiful city.
- The Griffith Observatory: Once we arrived at the very top, we were met with the grand Griffith Observatory and plenty of picture perfect opportunities. Since it was Sunday, the exhibits were very busy so while we didn't go in, plenty of other visitors did. Instead, we opted to stay on the platforms overlooking the city to enjoy the breathtaking views.
- Conclusion: The views of the city this hike provides is well worth the trip! The hike itself is quite easy and not very strenuous, with our tracker calculating 2.9 miles for our total round-trip. The nice break at the top is another plus! I am definitely going to do this hike again because I loved the lookout points, and I want to try eating at Trails Cafe next time! :)
-
Additional Details:
- Pricing: Free!
- Location: 2333 Fern Dell Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90068 (this is the address of Trails Cafe which is right near the base of the hike)
- Parking: Free parking outside of 9pm-6am I believe! Plenty of cars parking along the side of the road all the way to the base of the hike plus parking spots near Trails Cafe
220 Fitness: Strongboard HIIT
While researching some of the most interesting fitness classes in LA, for #fitnessexperimenter, I came across 220 Fitness from an article on Greatist. Located on Main Street in Santa Monica, this boutique gym had a long and eclectic list of workout classes. After reading all the descriptions and coordinating with my friend Jessica, we decided to give Strongboard HIIT a shot after work.
- Class Set-Up: Located on the second floor of the gym, Strongboard HIIT was led by Scott in a fairly small room with one mirrored wall, and nice ceiling to floor windows in the back. Each person was given a Strongboard and light weights to use for this interval training class. According to the trainer, Strongboard was created by a couple in Marina Del Rey and recently introduced into 220 Fitness so the class is fairly new to their schedule. The Strongboard is essentially two boards with springs in between them.
- Class Style: 30-second to 1 minute intervals of a variety of exercises using the Strongboard. The different exercises we did included push-ups, mountain climbers, and planks - all with our arms propped on the board. We also stood on the board to do variations of squats while holding weights and doing bicep curls and arm raises. This HIIT class opens and closes with ab exercises that have us sitting on the board.
- Conclusion: Doing exercises on the Strongboard reminded me of the same feeling of performing workouts on the half Bosu balance ball except the Strongboard was a lot easier to do because of its design. I liked that the exercises with the Strongboard seemed to work a lot of your small stabilizing muscles. Overall, the class and product was interesting and while I may or may not go back, it was a cool class to try.
-
Additional Details:
- Pricing: Members only, pricing varies
- Location: 3002 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405
- Parking: Limited free parking behind the gym plus public and street parking