I GO: Hey, Hollywood!

After the biting cold English weather, I couldn't have been more excited to fly to LA for some sun and family bonding. Since I can remember, LA has felt like a home away from home. My parents met in college there and, despite moving away after graduation, boomeranged back every chance they could, kids and all. I grew up snoozing in the backseat while we flew down freeways, eating at hole-in-the-wall Asian eateries, and watching the 9 PM fireworks at Disneyland. But since studying abroad and moving to New York, I hadn't ventured back to Southern California.

So during my first visit to LA in nearly 2 years, I decided to head up to the Hollywood Bowl Overlook off Mulholland Drive. In Manhattan, the best view is from the top of a skyscraper (Top of the Rock > Empire State, in my opinion). In LA, the best view is from the top of a tall, weedy hill, at the apex of a steep but lovely hike. Fitting. Yes, from the Hollywood Bowl Overlook the Hollywood sign is irritatingly far (though clearly visible), but there's no better vantage point for marveling at the way LA seems to sprawl infinitely in every direction. A jumbling mess as wide as the blue above it.

Enjoy the pictures after the jump!