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Griffith Observatory
Looking for sweeping views of Los Angeles? Griffith Observatory is your spot. Built as the country’s third planetarium in 1935, the gorgeous Art Deco structure offers unrivaled vistas that stretch from Downtown, to Hollywood, all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
Astronomy for the people
When the Griffith Observatory was built in the 1930s, it became the country’s third-ever planetarium. In the 1920s, a German company invented a projector that could cast the night sky onto the ceiling of a dome. Thus, the modern planetarium was invented. And people went crazy for it. In the five days after Griffith Observatory opened, over 13,000 came to visit. Its construction was part of the Works Progress Administration, meaning that it created both jobs and opportunities for wonder.
Take in the view
Aside from sprawling vistas of the city itself, Griffith Observatory also offers an A-list view of one of Los Angeles’ most iconic landmarks. The Hollywood Sign – made from telephone poles, corrugated sheet metal, and chicken wire in 1923 – once read HOLLYWOODLAND, a real estate advertisement for the burgeoning neighborhood that lay below it. By 1978, it was falling down. Luckily, Hugh Hefner dedicated himself to restoring the sign, throwing a lavish fundraiser and collecting enough money to revitalize it.
At home in LA’s largest park
The observatory is the crown jewel of Griffith Park, which covers 4,210 acres along the eastern edge of the Santa Monica mountains. At the border of Los Feliz and the Hollywood Hills, it’s home to a rich array of wildlife, from (harmless) snakes to the elegant grey fox. It’s an important stopover point for migrating birds, and over 200 species have been found in the park. In 2012, it became the first known location of P-22, the late mountain lion that became something of a beloved celebrity among Angelenos.
Stargaze in the city
Griffith Observatory offers some of Los Angeles’ best (and most accessible) stargazing. While the city is close at hand, light pollution is no issue here, thanks to the telescopes that are available to the public every night when the skies are clear. Each week, the observatory publishes a “sky report", pointing potential astronomers towards the visible planets and stars. The original Zeiss telescope—in use since 1935—has been looked through by more people than any other telescope on earth. And once a month, you can find “star parties” here, where the lawn fills with telescopes brought by local hobbyists.
Griffith Observatory
Looking for sweeping views of Los Angeles? Griffith Observatory is your spot. Built as the country’s third planetarium in 1935, the gorgeous Art Deco structure offers unrivaled vistas that stretch from Downtown, to Hollywood, all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
Astronomy for the people
When the Griffith Observatory was built in the 1930s, it became the country’s third-ever planetarium. In the 1920s, a German company invented a projector that could cast the night sky onto the ceiling of a dome.
%20(1).jpg)
Thus, the modern planetarium was invented. And people went crazy for it. In the five days after Griffith Observatory opened, over 13,000 came to visit. Its construction was part of the Works Progress Administration, meaning that it created both jobs and opportunities for wonder.
Take in the view
Aside from sprawling vistas of the city itself, Griffith Observatory also offers an A-list view of one of Los Angeles’ most iconic landmarks.
.jpg)
The Hollywood Sign – made from telephone poles, corrugated sheet metal, and chicken wire in 1923 – once read HOLLYWOODLAND, a real estate advertisement for the burgeoning neighborhood that lay below it. By 1978, it was falling down. Luckily, Hugh Hefner dedicated himself to restoring the sign, throwing a lavish fundraiser and collecting enough money to revitalize it.
.jpg)
At home in LA’s largest park
The observatory is the crown jewel of Griffith Park, which covers 4,210 acres along the eastern edge of the Santa Monica mountains.
At the border of Los Feliz and the Hollywood Hills, it’s home to a rich array of wildlife, from (harmless) snakes to the elegant grey fox. It’s an important stopover point for migrating birds, and over 200 species have been found in the park. In 2012, it became the first known location of P-22, the late mountain lion that became something of a beloved celebrity among Angelenos.
Stargaze in the city
Griffith Observatory offers some of Los Angeles’ best (and most accessible) stargazing. While the city is close at hand, light pollution is no issue here, thanks to the telescopes that are available to the public every night when the skies are clear.
Each week, the observatory publishes a “sky report", pointing potential astronomers towards the visible planets and stars. The original Zeiss telescope—in use since 1935—has been looked through by more people than any other telescope on earth. And once a month, you can find “star parties” here, where the lawn fills with telescopes brought by local hobbyists.
Armstrong Redwoods
In the forest of Northern California, you’ll find a tranquil grove of Coastal Redwoods, planet earth’s tallest living organisms. Thanks to the area’s high annual rainfall, the Armstrong Redwood Reserve is often shrouded in a mystical fog.
What is a goosepen?
Many trees in the Armstrong Redwoods Reserve have “goosepens”, which are hollow areas in the trees’ trunks. This name comes from early settlers on the West coast, who would store their geese there. In fact, if the pen was big enough, they would store goats or even horses inside. There are a few ways that these openings can appear. Falling trees and disease can both create a “wound” in a tree’s bark. Some goosepens come from a series of fires. A single fire can create a hole in a redwood’s bark; a second (or third) will create something that looks like a cave.
Clover cover and deep roots
Among the Redwoods you’ll often find Redwood Clover, a perennial herb native to the area. Redwood Clovers thrive in low light, so they don’t have to fight their skyscraper-like neighbors for fuel. Below them hide Redwoods’ shallow but vast root systems, which tangle themselves into the roots of other trees to keep their trunks supported. These roots can also sprout new trees: Sometimes you’ll see a circle of Redwoods, called a “fairy ring”, which have grown from the roots of a parent tree. And if one tree gets sick, nearby trees can send it nutrients through this complex system of roots.
A glimpse of history
The trees in this park aren’t just enormous, they’re also some of the planet’s oldest living things: California’s coastal redwoods can survive for up to 2,000 years. The oldest tree here is the Colonel Armstrong Tree, which is over 1,400 years old. The tree—and the park—are named after a lumberman who decided to preserve the area, rather than harvest its wood, in the 1870s. One of the reasons that Redwoods can live so long is their bark, which protects them from fire, fungus, and disease.
What we almost lost
Today, California Redwoods are heavily protected, but that wasn’t always the case. During the California Gold Rush, 95% of the local redwood population was chopped down before the earliest preservation efforts began. This hunger for lumber turned a lush, expansive forest into a potential site of extinction. Luckily, lumberman Colonel James Armstrong set aside the area that now carries his name as a recreation area in the 1870s, after experiencing the beauty of the redwood forest. After his death, the city of Sonoma purchased the land; when California took over its management in 1936, it became a State Park.
Armstrong Redwoods
In the forest of Northern California, you’ll find a tranquil grove of Coastal Redwoods, planet earth’s tallest living organisms. Thanks to the area’s high annual rainfall, the Armstrong Redwood Reserve is often shrouded in a mystical fog.
What is a goosepen?
Many trees in the Armstrong Redwoods Reserve have “goosepens”, which are hollow areas in the trees’ trunks.
.jpg)
This name comes from early settlers on the West coast, who would store their geese there. In fact, if the pen was big enough, they would store goats or even horses inside. There are a few ways that these openings can appear. Falling trees and disease can both create a “wound” in a tree’s bark. Some goosepens come from a series of fires. A single fire can create a hole in a redwood’s bark; a second (or third) will create something that looks like a cave.
Clover cover and deep roots
Among the Redwoods you’ll often find Redwood Clover, a perennial herb native to the area. Redwood Clovers thrive in low light, so they don’t have to fight their skyscraper-like neighbors for fuel.
.jpg)
Below them hide Redwoods’ shallow but vast root systems, which tangle themselves into the roots of other trees to keep their trunks supported. These roots can also sprout new trees: Sometimes you’ll see a circle of Redwoods, called a “fairy ring”, which have grown from the roots of a parent tree. And if one tree gets sick, nearby trees can send it nutrients through this complex system of roots.
A glimpse of history
The trees in this park aren’t just enormous, they’re also some of the planet’s oldest living things: California’s coastal redwoods can survive for up to 2,000 years.
The oldest tree here is the Colonel Armstrong Tree, which is over 1,400 years old. The tree—and the park—are named after a lumberman who decided to preserve the area, rather than harvest its wood, in the 1870s. One of the reasons that Redwoods can live so long is their bark, which protects them from fire, fungus, and disease.
What we almost lost
Today, California Redwoods are heavily protected, but that wasn’t always the case. During the California Gold Rush, 95% of the local redwood population was chopped down before the earliest preservation efforts began.
.jpg)
This hunger for lumber turned a lush, expansive forest into a potential site of extinction. Luckily, lumberman Colonel James Armstrong set aside the area that now carries his name as a recreation area in the 1870s, after experiencing the beauty of the redwood forest. After his death, the city of Sonoma purchased the land; when California took over its management in 1936, it became a State Park.
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Mono Lake
Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Mono Lake is a truly unique body of water. With alkaline water that gives way to craggy limestone formations, it will make you feel like you’re on another planet.
Salty water and pink skies
Mono Lake is three times as salty as the Pacific Ocean. This is thanks to the geology of the area – the lake is surrounded by mountains on all sides, water can flow into it, but not out. The only way for water to escape is via evaporation. This leaves the trace minerals that have arrived through freshwater sources over eons, and concentrates them into a salty mix. Just as striking as that salinity are the famous pink sunsets over the lake, which happily soften the blow of un-swimmable water.
Tufa towers are nature’s architecture
Mono Lake is perhaps best known for its “tufa towers”, which stick out above the water’s surface like long-abandoned cities of rock. The towers form when calcium-rich freshwater bubbles up through natural springs and volcanic vents into the more alkaline lake water. This combination forms limestone, which has formed craggy towers over hundreds or thousands of years. Once hidden by higher water levels, the modern skyline of tufa towers appeared when an aqueduct began diverting the lake’s water to Los Angeles in 1941.
Among the wildflowers
In high summer, Mono Lake blooms. While the lake is known for its colorful sunsets, the area becomes downright kaleidoscopic around July, as wildflowers appear in nearly every color. While some are more subtle, with their dusty tones blending into the landscape, others are much louder. Near the lake you’ll find flame-colored Red Paintbrushes, butter-yellow Primroses, lavender sprays of Spreading Phlox, and the striking purple petals of the aptly named Showy Penstemon. The lake is considered a “wildflower hotspot” of the Eastern Sierras—try to see how many different types you can spot.
Feasting phalaropes
During the summer at Mono Lake, atop the tufa towers or swooping along the horizon, you’re likely to see some phalaropes. These shorebirds arrive by the tens of thousands en route to South America, and stop at Mono Lake to do some very important eating. Each year, phalaropes stop here to feed on the larvae of alkali flies that abound along the shoreline. During this stopover, the birds—many of which have striking red flashes along their necks—will double in weight, making them strong for their journey south. In the meantime, their elegant flight patterns offer visitors a beautiful show.
Mono Lake
Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Mono Lake is a truly unique body of water. With alkaline water that gives way to craggy limestone formations, it will make you feel like you’re on another planet.
Salty water and pink skies
Mono Lake is three times as salty as the Pacific Ocean. This is thanks to the geology of the area – the lake is surrounded by mountains on all sides, water can flow into it, but not out.
The only way for water to escape is via evaporation. This leaves the trace minerals that have arrived through freshwater sources over eons, and concentrates them into a salty mix. Just as striking as that salinity are the famous pink sunsets over the lake, which happily soften the blow of un-swimmable water.
Tufa towers are nature’s architecture
Mono Lake is perhaps best known for its “tufa towers”, which stick out above the water’s surface like long-abandoned cities of rock.
The towers form when calcium-rich freshwater bubbles up through natural springs and volcanic vents into the more alkaline lake water. This combination forms limestone, which has formed craggy towers over hundreds or thousands of years. Once hidden by higher water levels, the modern skyline of tufa towers appeared when an aqueduct began diverting the lake’s water to Los Angeles in 1941.
Among the wildflowers
In high summer, Mono Lake blooms. While the lake is known for its colorful sunsets, the area becomes downright kaleidoscopic around July, as wildflowers appear in nearly every color.
While some are more subtle, with their dusty tones blending into the landscape, others are much louder. Near the lake you’ll find flame-colored Red Paintbrushes, butter-yellow Primroses, lavender sprays of Spreading Phlox, and the striking purple petals of the aptly named Showy Penstemon. The lake is considered a “wildflower hotspot” of the Eastern Sierras—try to see how many different types you can spot.
Feasting phalaropes
During the summer at Mono Lake, atop the tufa towers or swooping along the horizon, you’re likely to see some phalaropes.
These shorebirds arrive by the tens of thousands en route to South America, and stop at Mono Lake to do some very important eating. Each year, phalaropes stop here to feed on the larvae of alkali flies that abound along the shoreline. During this stopover, the birds—many of which have striking red flashes along their necks—will double in weight, making them strong for their journey south. In the meantime, their elegant flight patterns offer visitors a beautiful show.
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