As Sunday began, I didn't have a damn clue as to what I was going to do with myself. Sundays are like that.

So, eventually this idea creeped into my head about hitting Mulholland again. There are a few points I've seen out there that are always closed at night and I was curious what they looked like in the daytime. I probably wouldn't have thought about this too much if it hadn't been for my recent foray into Griffith Park a few weeks back with The Girl. In addition to just checking out the park, I dragged her off to the Observatory, 'cause I'd been dying to see what was accessible since they started construction. While there, we took a look at the view and hiked up a nearby hill. Despite the haze, it was pretty cool and I cannot wait for them to finish all this stuff so I can go back. I've always loved the Observatory, even though there was never a whole lot to do there. It was always just cool. How I managed to maintain this attitude and never go to a single Laserium show, I can't really explain, but I really don't care. My exposure to Pink Floyd is little better than that of my three year-old neice and I've never been the rabid U2 fan that everyone else was (Joshua Tree is not their best album; Achtung Baby is).

Anyway, I decided to hit Mulholland before dinner. 5 o'clock hits and I'm outta there in all my blue Altima glory. Omni Trio comes along for the ride and I've got Music for the Next Millennium blasting all the way from Silver Lake to the 5, the 134, the 101 and eventually the Laurel Canyon exit. I know I can take the Hollywood route (or Sunset & Crescent Heights), but I'm not feeling Hollywood at the moment and it doesn't occur to me to head directly to the 101 through any of the various entrances that are on the way to Hollywood (and definitely not the ones that are in the opposite direction to where I'm headed).

Laurel Canyon in the daytime is nicer than I remember it being and it's a nice drift up to Mulholland. Renegade Snares keep me from barking at other drivers too much while still keeping my attention focused on the road. I barely reconize the landscape as I cruise the drive because I'm not used to being able to see anything. Still, a few things come back as I head on and I eventually hit my first destination: The Universal City Overlook. Looking at it, I feel kind of stupid for having never actually gone onto or sat at the damn thing. Sure, it says no stopping after 9pm and it's closed from sunset to sunrise, but there's no walls or anything and I've parked on the cul-de-sac that's right next to it a number of times. Guess I was content to stand by the side of the road and just look at the lights. Eh, it's not like I could have read the signs or seen the pictures of the San Fernando valley that they have posted up there. There's one that tells you what all the builds are in your field of vision and another that shows you what the area looked like back when it was all citrus groves. S'kinda cool.

I soaked in what I could and moved on.

About 1.1 miles east is Runyon Canyon park. This is where I spent the most time, because the fucking thing's actually kinda large. I barely recall ever seeing it at night, but it has a very small dirt parking lot, so I wandered in and checked it out. They specifically call it a dog park, so I watched my step pretty carefully and successfully avoided stepping in dogshit or falling off the damn mountain. I wasn't really dressed for hiking, but I did it anyway. Up the trail, all the way to the summit, passing joggers and dogs who were supposed to be on leashes but weren't. I also passed a couple people speaking French and there's always the everpresent Brit (which doesn't surprise me anymore, but it does still get my attention).

The top of the hill is where I first saw the Hollywood Sign that day and the first time I'd ever seen it from the west. Every time I've seen the Sign, it's either from the east (like at Thea's or the Observatory) or dead-on (like you do from just about anywhere in Hollywood). All in all, it was pretty cool, but I doubt I'll go back unless someone tells me they want to go...or if it's just rained and the sky will be clear enough to see the ocean. This is also the place where I discovered that someone has invented biodegradable dogshit bags. I suppose people are using them, since the number of turds (steaming or otherwise) I had to dodge was surprisingly low.

Last up was the Hollywood Bowl Overlook. This one might be my favorite. I remember passing this one several times at night and seeing the bars preventing anyone from parking or going in. This time, it was open and I was more than happy to check it out. There were a few people here (though not as many as Runyon Canyon, for obvious reasons), but not a whole lot. The sprinklers were going and the wind was blowing mist back towards everyone, which was a welcome treat considering how warm it was (and how warm I'd gotten with all the walking and hiking). There was a water fountain, a few benches, and several $0.50 telescopes pointing outwards, including one that stood in a stone/concrete circle at the top of the area along with (if I remember correctly) a sign that briefly talked about the overlook. I gave myself points for recognizing the Hollywood Bowl before anything else told me. I walked further outward and it looked as though there was a trail going a ways out, but I'd had enough hiking for the day and I was sure the cholos weren't going to do me any favors if I slipped and broke my ankle, even if they did seem like a slightly nicer bunch than the hoods I went to school with.

And off I went down the mountain.

As usual, I spilled out onto Highland, but for some reason instead of making the left turn onto Franklin like a sensible person, I went with Hollywood and sat there for what must have been a half hour. I don't know what the fuck I was thinking. Ultimately, I made it home, though it was a full hour later than I'd intended. Still, at least there was food.