June/July 2019 Trip Report: Day 6-8 Jasper National Park (Alberta, Canada)

November 3, 2019

BANFF VS. JASPER

So, you’re planning a trip to Banff. Should you make it up to Jasper, too? I think an extra day or so to visit Jasper is worth it. We were there for 3 full days, and drove back from Jasper to Calgary on the 4th day. It rained most of the time we were in Jasper, so we spent one day really just hanging out and enjoying the expensive but beautiful log cabin we rented.

Jasper is further north of Banff (about a 4 hour drive from Calgary, 2-3 hours from Banff depending on if you stop along the way or drive straight through). Compared to Banff, Jasper is much more rugged and wild. We spotted animals every day (bears, elk, moose) and the town is more community-like and spread out, rather than touristy, concentrated, and compact the way Banff is. In terms of highlights, I like Banff much more in terms of things to see and the gorgeous lakes and landscape. Jasper was pretty as well, but different. And because of the weather and plethora of more rugged trails, we didn’t do as much. I thought Banff had more concentration of accessible beauty compared to Jasper.

In my opinion, the main thing to see in Jasper was going up the Jasper Gondola to hike up to the summit above the clouds and going down to Maligne Lake. Apparently, there are bears that love to walk around the road that leads you into Maligne Lake! So if you have an extra day or two, it’s worth stopping by Jasper.

JASPER SKYTRAM

Jasper Skytram is so worth going on! On the morning we went, it was really overcast and cloudy so I was doubtful we would enjoy it at all. When we arrived very early in the morning to get on the gondola (around 8:15 am), the operator said we didn’t have to worry because it was clear at the top above the clouds. If you plan to do this, come as early as you can in the morning! By the time we left/went back down around 12:15 pm, the line to go up was packed. But another plus of coming early when it opens at 8 am is that you get free breakfast included at the restaurant at the top! Free breakfast is served before 10 am.

Toasty hot chocolate for breakfast with a glorious view.

Breakfast was actually quite good and it came with a complimentary drink as well and glorious views. After finishing breakfast, we started the hike to the summit at 9:30 am and didn’t reach the top until 11 am. The path was pretty steep and the altitude is high so you’ll want to take your time. It’s not impossible to do at all, but not easy either. And there are multiple paths you can take to the top to see different viewpoints and overlooks.

I really loved hiking up this summit. It took us about 30 minutes to get back down and as I said earlier, the mountain got much busier as the morning drifted away.

MALIGNE LAKE

After a quick lunch in town, we left at 1:30 pm to catch the “premium” Maligne Lake Cruise. There are two cruise choices, one regular, and one premium. The premium basically allows you to walk onto Spirit Island for about 30 minutes, which is more than enough as the area you’re around to walk on is very small and short! You’re only allowed to walk within the outskirts of the island, in one direction. This is a constructed path to protect the island respect the natives who worship its history. This lake cruise was much better than the one we did in Banff (Minnewaska), but also skippable as well if you’re short on time.

You will definitely see bears driving back and forth from Maligne Lake! We drove on this road multiple times and we always saw a bear or two (from the safety of the car, please don’t get out like we saw multiple dumb people do!) over the course of three days.

MALIGNE CANYON

Another thing to do in Jasper is go for a walk/hike along Maligne Canyon. This was nice to see and something to do but not a must do. Twenty minutes was enough to see views of the canyon from the first and second bridges. I think there are like 6 bridges but I read somewhere that the best views were from the first two. So if you’re short on time, just do that, but if you have more time, you can do all of it. The first bridge starts by the restaurant near the parking lot and then it loops to the second bridge.

Misc. Jasper Notes

Pyramid Lake is skippable. If you have time, you can drive and have a look but compared to all the other amazing lakes in Banff, Pyramid was just ok!
Valley of the the Five Lakes was also skippable. It’s rugged trails and again, compared to other things to see/do in Banff, wasn’t as interesting to us. I hiked for about 30-45 minutes and never even made it to see a lake because of the rain, muddy trails, and generally didn’t look as interesting as to the other scenery we saw earlier in the trip.
Medicine Lake is an easy viewpoint to stop and take pictures at, but also skippable compared to Lake Louise or Moraine Lake

Overall, although we didn’t do much in Jasper as we did in Banff, it was nice to kick back, relax, and just chill in the cabin most of the time and cook. Since all the other days were so jam packed with sight seeing, it was nice to slow down and just do whatever we wanted and not rush around as much to beat the crowds. We also saw way more animals in the wild in Jasper than in Banff which was cool. The weather when we were there at the end of June/beginning of July was on the chillier side (like ranging from 40s to 60s in Fahrenheit) but I heard the year before it was much warmer, and I think two weeks after we left, it was really hot and there were wildfires! I’m glad it was chilly though because we hardly had any bugs/mosquitoes (heard that they’re humongous in Lake Louise). I did see a few monster mosquitoes but definitely not as many had it been warmer.

A visit to both parks is worth all the planning though! I feel very spoiled after visiting the beauty of Banff, Jasper, and Patagonia (in South America) over the past 12 months, I am not sure if I’ll ever find any other parks as appealing for a long while (especially those close to where I live in NYC!). I do want to go to Yosemite and Zion National Parks someday and open to suggestions and comments to any other places I should check out in the future! :)

June/July 2019 Trip Report: Day 5 of Banff National Park (Alberta, Canada)

October 30, 2019

The morning of Day 5 of our trip was spent on the last segment of our Ultimate Explorer Banff tour. We booked an 11 am tour for the Columbia Icefield Adventure & Skywalk visit, but arrived to the parking lot by 10:20 am. It’s about a 2 hour drive from Lake Louise.

If you have never seen a glacier before, this is worth doing. If you have, you could probably skip it though! The Skywalk is part of the tour as well, and you do this after visiting the glacier. The cool part of the tour is riding the big icefield trucks out to the glaciers—there are like 12 in the world and 9 of them are on this tour while the others are used around the world for scientific reasons. The entire tour lasts about 2.5 hours. The walk on the glacier itself is about 30 min. long (which is more than enough as the space for walking isn’t that big).

For the Skywalk part, you can stay as long as you’d like and then take one of the many buses that circle around back. We finished the tour close to 1:30 pm and had lunch there at the Visitor Center since there is nothing else around but the food was decent (but pricey). The Skywalk was ok, I thought it would be more exciting since the floor is see-through glass but it’s also really thick and not as scary as you think since you can see your reflection and things like that, obscuring the true view.

As we were driving up to Jasper National Park, we stopped along a couple of other stops along the way but the weather was crappy (rainy) so we didn’t stay very long.

After leaving the Columbia Icefield Visitors Center at 2:30 pm we went to Sunwapta Falls, arriving at about 3:20 pm. It wasn’t that impressive as the others so this is skippable unless you want to kill some time!

Then we headed to Athabaska Falls, arriving at 3:45 pm but due to the rain, we didn’t stay long here either and left to check into the cutest log cabin in all the land, Alpine Village Jasper. We stayed in the Whistler One Bedroom Cabin, and it was expensive but SO worth it! Built in 2018, these cabins still felt so spanking new and was so cozy and comfortable to stay in. I loved it and would definitely stay here again! It had a full kitchen and it was nice to cook our own meals and have a cup of tea out on the patio. The entire area reminds me of being in a Disney fairy tale village. It’s about a ten minute drive into Jasper but it was so lovely to stay here out in nature with modern amenities. I’m also glad we stayed here because for the most part, it was raining most of our time in Jasper so to have a nice place to chill and relax indoors was quite nice. This place also has an outdoor hot tub (by reception) but we didn’t use it.

June/July 2019 Trip Report: Day 4 of Banff National Park (Alberta, Canada)

October 27, 2019

Day 4: Moraine Lake

This was probably my favorite day of the trip. I was so tired from the past few days that I almost skipped out on getting up 4:45 am for the sunrise at Moraine Lake and I’m SO glad I didn’t. It was absolutely breathtaking!

We left Mountaineer Lodge by 5:15 am and drove over into the parking lot, arriving by 5:40 am. I thought we would be the earliest of early birds but oh how wrong I was! We got one of the very last parking spots and by the time we left at 7 am, the parking lot was definitely closed. My suggestion to come at the this time of the year (end of June) is probably shoot for between 5 and 5:30 am arrival.

With renewed energy, I found the path to the overlook above the lake, which I didn’t trek up the evening before. It’s easy to find and it’s not a hard path. It’s a basically a short trail and staircases and probably takes about ten minutes to get to the top of the overlook from the parking lot. There are numerous spots on the hill to get amazing views. My favorite spot was a quiet one off to the left when you arrive up the hill from the staircase, as most people rush up to the top/middle of the hill. I stayed at the overlook for about an hour, watching in awe at the majestic reflection of the mountains in the still lake. There were a few people paddling out on the lake in canoes as well. It was beautiful to see the light, shadows, and sky change as the sun lit up.

YOHO NATIONAL PARK

Yoho National Park is very close to Lake Louise and an easy day trip. By car, it’s about 20 minutes away. After having breakfast, we left the hotel at 9:30 am and made a brief stop at the Spiral Tunnels. This place was skippable, unless you’re really into trains. We stayed here for like 5-10 minutes, and unless a train is pulling in, I am not sure it’s worth it. It’s famous because the engineers had to be creative back in the day with getting trains up and down steep hills.

We then drove onto one of the highlights of the park, Emerald Lake. It was sooo crowded when we arrived; I wish we came a bit earlier! We ended up parking down the road away from the parking lot, which was full. Emerald Lake is very pretty but not as magnificent as Lake Louise or Moraine. However, it is more relaxed here and you can go for an easy walk around the lake.

Another lake you can see in Yoho National Park is Lake O’Hara. You need to make online reservations in advance (like WEEKS in advance) and I hadn’t done it so we didn’t go. I think after a while though, all the lakes start to look the same but I think the best ones were Moraine, Lake Louise, and Peyto.

We headed over to Takakkaw Falls and got there by 12:30 pm. Parking was crowded but larger and we were able to get a spot. It’s the highest falls in the park and very nice to visit. You can hike up pretty close to the falls (we didn’t do this). I think by this point we were feeling tired from the jam packed past few days! We then headed back to the hotel to rest a bit.

Later in the afternoon, around 4 pm, we headed back out to Lake Louise again to have a walk around the perimeter of the lake and just to relax and take the scene in. From the hotel out to the other side of the lake and back, it’s about a two mile roundtrip walk.

From the other side of Lake Louise, looking out at the Fairmount Hotel

Given the lack of dining options in the area, we ended up back at Peyto Cafe for dinner again and called it an evening!

June/July 2019 Trip Report: Day 3 of Banff National Park (Alberta, Canada)

October 25, 2019

LAKE LOUISE

Lake Louise is a highlight of Banff National Park. We planned to spend two nights at Lake Louise, which I highly recommend so that you can see everything you want in this area (Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, nearby Yoho National Park). We left Banff downtown at 8 am and an hour later, arrived and there was already traffic getting to the lake! It is no joke to come here ASAP in order to get prime parking. Otherwise, you need to park further away and shuttle over. We were lucky and were able to park in a lot close to the Fairmont Lake Louise hotel.

As a quick summary, this was what we did on Day 3 of the trip at Lake Louise:

Hike to Fairmont Lookout
Perimeter walk around Lake Louise by the hotel (FYI the hotel seemed more strict than the one in Banff in terms of access; the public can use it if they plan to shop/eat there though)
Attempted to visit Bow Glacier Falls
Visited Peyto Lake
Visited Mistaya Canyon

Day 3

We did the hike up to the Fairmont Lookout. It was a bit steep, but not terrible. Definitely knew there were animals in the area due to ‘evidence’ on the trails (meaning animal droppings, lol) but it felt safe. It’s about a mile and change one way up. When the trail flattens out and dips down a bit, you know you’re near the end of the hike and you’ll see a platform which allows you to see the lake in all its turquoise blue glory with the hotel in the back. The platform has a bench and a snack is recommended if you don’t have time for breakfast in the morning! It took us about 45 minutes to get to the top, starting at 9:45 am and we were back down by 11 am.

I also had the Lake Agnes Teahouse on my list as a possible trail to do but we ended up skipping it due to our later morning start (seriously, need to get here at like 6 am if you want to do this in peace without the hordes of tourists!). They actually ended up closing it that day too due to a nearby bear sighting! I’ve heard the teahouse hike is also long and steep so didn’t mind skipping it.

From 11 am - noon, we walked around the perimeter of Lake Louise which was gorgeous. It’s still so incredible to me that there are SO many people who come here to photograph it, yet it’s still possible to take a picture as if there is no one else here (definitely was not the case!).

For lunch, we had amazing sandwiches from this casual take out place at the nearby shopping center called Trailhead Cafe. The food was fresh, big portions, and so good we came back the next day to eat again!

The downtown area of Lake Louise is very small and you should definitely book a hotel way in advance as soon as you know you want to come here! I was very lucky to find room at Mountaineer Lodge back in January when I was looking. Initially almost all moderately priced rooms were sold out, but the lodge just renovated and released rooms back when I booked it. It’s going to be expensive in Banff/Jasper no matter what and I TOTALLY think it’s worth spending the money staying in the areas you want to stay in to limit all the driving back and forth. I’m so glad we stayed here due to it’s super close proximity to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, both of which are overloaded with tourists. Anyway, Mountaineer Lodge was great, very stylish and comfortable and they also have an indoor hot tub. Actually all the places we stayed at had a hot tub but we never had a chance to use them! They also include free breakfast, which was great. Another word of advice though: do your supermarket shopping in Banff before coming to Lake Louise! Their supermarket options were more expensive and tiny compared to Banff’s.

Another tip: If you need to use the restroom but can’t find a good public one, just head over to Lake Louise Gondola. This is a ski resort with another chairlift to the top of the mountain. It’s less than a 10 minute drive from downtown Lake Louise. We contemplated taking the gondola up, but the weather was cloudy and you can see the sky cam from the top broadcasted next to the ticket desk to determine if you feel like it’s worth going to or not. To us, it wasn’t so we skipped it and headed over to Bow Glacier Falls.

Bow Lake

So we never really made it to Bow Glacier Falls. I wanted to, but it’s considered bear territory and it wasn’t swarming with tourists like other trails were so didn’t feel comfortable going without any defense. However, the lake around here was GORGEOUS and reminded me very much of the mountains and lakes I saw in Patagonia! It’s great to just walk around the perimeter towards the Bow Glacier Falls trail. There is a path and you can walk as far as you want. It was also very windy here though on the day we came. We arrived here at 1:45 pm and left about an hour later.

PEYTO LAKE

Peyto Lake is about 15 minutes drive north of Bow Lake and SOOO worth pulling over to see! Not much of a hike here, you go straight to the platforms overlooking this beautiful cyan blue lake. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a purely bright hued lake like this before.

MISTAYA CANYON

After the brief stop at Peyto, we then drove 30 min. north to Mistaya Canyon. The hike down to the canyon is less than a mile roundtrip and an easy walk but a semi-rocky trail. Canyon was cool to see but skippable if you don’t have the time for it. Also the fact I’m too lazy to find a picture of it to upload reminds me it was skippable, lol.

MORAINE LAKE - In the evening

By the time we returned back to the hotel and took a bit of a break, it was almost 6 pm. We decided to try our luck to get into Moraine Lake since traffic seemed to have lightened up. From Mountaineer Lodge, Moraine Lake was actually a bit closer to drive to than Lake Louise. We arrived at 6:30 pm to the parking lot and waited about 10 minutes before being able to park. But we were lucky! Pretty sure everyone after us had the same idea to come later in the day and the line to get into the park (by the time we left at 7 pm) was longer than when we came in. The problem though is that the parking lot is one way and circular, and people can’t see there are spots on the other side unless they risk going down that one way route and around towards the exit.

Anyway, getting a glimpse of Moraine Lake was pretty, but I didn’t get the hype. Why did everyone rave about this place? When we entered, I saw a ton of people to the left on a pile of rocks on a hill, but by then we were SO tired and I didn’t want to do another hike to see the lake from above. Also, in order to get up to the left side, it looked like you had to take this long path up and around. So we kept to the right side of the lake, which was also nice. I learned my lesson the next day though when I came back to see it at sunrise!

For dinner, we went to Peyto Cafe. The food was decent, just had burgers and fish and chips. We ate here twice as well since otherwise dining options were a bit limited in Lake Louise! It’s located inside a hostel but the service and ambience was very nice and laid back. Would recommend for an easy, relaxing dinner.

June/July 2019 Trip Report: Day 2 of Banff National Park (Alberta, Canada)

October 20, 2019

I realize I am super behind in writing about my Banff/Jasper trip! After my last post, the WiFi service was really spotty and the summer flew by in a snap. Was too busy living it then sit at home and write content! Good thing I kept meticulous notes on my iPhone during the trip though :)

DAY 2: Banff

The schedule on this day, which I mapped out in advance and we kept for the most part, was as follows:

Morning, 6-9 am : Visit Johnson Canyon
9-10 am: Drive back to Banff town and grab quick breakfast
10-10:45 am: Drive to Sunshine Village to take the gondola up
11:30 am - 1 pm: Hike at the top around Sunshine Meadows
3-4 pm: Returned to Banff, grab lunch and rest at hotel.
4 pm: Leave to drive to Lake Minnewasaka
5-6 pm: Lake Cruise
6-7 pm: Drive over to Tunnel Mt. just to have a look
7-8 pm: Check out Fairmont Banff but also end up at Bow Falls
After 8 pm: Dinner and sleep

So we crammed A LOT in on the second day, see below for notes and observations.

Johnson Canyon

Our second day in Banff started off with waking up before the crack of dawn to beat the crowd at Johnson Canyon. Very happy we made this effort as by the time we left, we noticed a plethora of more people and it wouldn’t have been as relaxing or nice since the pathways are a bit narrow.

We left the hotel (Mount Royal) at 6 am to get to the canyon, which was about 45 minutes away from town. Upon arrival, there was plenty of parking but was completely full by the time we returned to the lot at 9 am. There are clean bathroom facilities here next to the parking lot. As you can see from the map below, it should take about 30 minutes to walk to the Lower Falls and from there, another hour to the Upper Halls.

The trail is easy to follow. Most of the walk to the Lower Falls will be right along the canyon on these ramps. It’s pretty scenic, cool, and a bit misty down here. The walkway is a bit narrow (can fit two people comfortably side by side but probably not much more than that) which is why starting the trail early with the mass amounts of tourists is well worth it.

We made the (not fatal) mistake of bypassing stopping at the Lower Falls first and went straight to the Upper Falls. The walk to the Upper Falls is longer and more inland, not along the canyon. The path isn’t too difficult, but it is longer and has more ups/downs than the Lower Falls trail. Once you get near the end path to the bottom of the Upper Falls, you can take another path upwards to the top for an overlook of the Upper Falls. We skipped that portion since we were tired and had a busy itinerary for the day. If you plan to go further up, plan for another 30-45 minutes.

Upper Falls was very nice to see though. You get to stand on a platform above the river rushing below down to Lower Falls. When we reached here it was still pretty empty but on the walk back down to Lower Falls, we started to see more and more people coming up the route. By the time we reached Lower Falls, I really regretted not stopping there first!

The view of watching the water rush down from Upper Falls downstream

Lower Falls - you can get more up and personal to it via a small hole in a cave.

When we reached Lower Falls, there were more people arriving. I had failed to notice that you can get up and close to the Lower Falls via a small tunnel in a cave, which holds about maybe 4-5 people at a time on a small standing area. It wasn’t terribly crowded, but compared to the fact that there was NO ONE here when we first arrived, I regretted not stopping to see this first and breezing on by on the way back. If it’s super crowded and you’re unable to get into the cave, it’s not the end of the world. The view is not going to be that much better or anything, but knowing that we could have seen it crowd-free earlier pained me, lol. By the time we returned to the parking lot, it was about 9 am. We were starving and decided to head back into town for a quick breakfast at McDonald’s before shooting back out to Sunshine Village.

OVERALL: Johnson Canyon is worth seeing, it’s an easy/medium level hike and enjoyable for all. Definitely try to start this as early as you can in the day, and bring a snack/water.

SUNSHINE VILLAGE

Next up in the jam packed day was a visit up to Sunshine Village. The weather forecast for Banff the time we were here at the end of June was mostly rainy. Sunshine Village is a ski resort about 20 minutes from Banff, but the attractions all sit at the very top of Sunshine Mt. We booked our gondola tickets in advance and I am very glad that we planned to come during the start of peak season as otherwise, the gondola/access up here is closed. So the day we went was the very first day of gondola operation (the last Friday in June).

As we drove from Banff to Sunshine, the rain and mist did NOT let up. I was very sad since the prior day we could not see anything at the top of the gondola in Banff. However, as we neared closed to Sunshine Village, it suddenly cleared up and the area lived up to its name!

We arrived by 10:45 am (I had booked for 11 am) and off we went! This gondola ride was LONG because this mountain is HIGH. Also, be sure to dress warmly—it was much colder and windier at the summit. The gondola was a nice leisurely 20 minutes long but once we got off, we still had to head over to another ski lift to get to the very top! This ski lift takes you up to Sunshine Meadows, where you can see a few lakes and go for a hike. Before you get on the second lift though, there is a nice lodge where you can have lunch/grab a Starbucks coffee, use facilities, etc. You also have the option to walk up to Sunshine Meadows but that walk is not short. From what we saw on the second chairlift, it’s quite steep and long.

If you plan to come to Sunshine Village, it’s better to go on a day where you don’t have anything else to do in the morning. There is so much to see up in Sunshine Meadows and the last gondola ride down is at 5 pm. If you can start earlier in the day here, you’d be able to see more. However, what we saw was sufficient for us (since it was cold and early in peak season). On a warmer day you’d probably want to spend more time here.

By the time we reached Sunshine Meadows, it was about 11:30 am and we walked around and down to the Rock Isle lookout and back and finished by 1 pm. By time we took the two lifts down the mountain, it was about 3 pm in the parking lot. So yes, start early if you can!

After we finished with Sunshine Mountain, we headed back to the hotel to rest up and have some late lunch. The town of Banff is very cute with lots of restaurants but also pricey. Think I just ended up getting a Subway sandwich because I wanted something quick and take a break on my bed!

LAKE MINNEWASAKA CRUISE

Since we were going all out on this trip, we bought the Ultimate Explorer Banff pass, which allows you to do three activities, such as the Banff Gondola, the Columbia Icefield Adventure and Skywalk, and the Lake Minnewasaka Cruise. While Banff Gondola and the Columbia Icefield activities were great, this cruise is SKIPPABLE! Only do it if you if you’re taking little kids and want an hour of boat cruising time without having to do any physical exertion. Our boat cruise was far from being relaxing, as there were tons of kids/families on the boat and the boat is not really that nice, nor there is not really a platform to stand outside or take pics in. There is a small area in the back of the boat, but it’s not really a ‘must do.’ Going down to the lake is recommended as it is beautiful, but to go out on the lake is not necessary. Plus the windows on the boat don’t make it optimal for good picture taking.

We took the 5 pm cruise, which is the last cruise of the day. They also offer a booze cruise but I think renting a canoe would be more interesting.

After returning to shore by 6 pm, we drove over Tunnel Mt. trailhead to check it out since it was nearby (the lake is about 15-20 min. from town). It was getting dark at this time so we didn’t try to do the trail, but wish we had time! This trailhead overlooks the town of Banff and there is limited parking, though you could walk from town to do it.

BOW FALLS

At around 7 pm, we decided to head over to Fairmont Banff to check it out. It’s open to the public and we parked nearby on the street. We ended up wandering around the grounds and finding a path in the back of the hotel (near the German restaurant!) to Bow Falls. Since we missed this the day before due to the wandering elk, we took the opportunity to check out Bow Falls and so glad we did! It was very pretty and lots of public parking next to it. The sun was starting to set lower so the lighting for pictures around this time was great, too.

This was the last thing we saw before heading to dinner and much needed night of sleep! A great packed day 2 of the trip though!

November 2018: El Chalten Recap

December 18, 2018

El Chalten

Everyone I spoke with prior to the trip said I HAD to visit El Chalten, Argentina too, which is about two hours northwest of El Calafate. Most people either start with El Chalten before going to Torres del Paine or vice versa. I’m glad we did Torres del Paine first!

Quite a few people feel El Chalten is similar/more beautiful than Torres del Paine. I think it really depends on what weather you’re having as I think both are very similar to each other! Mt. Fitz Roy at El Chalten is the inspiration for the Patagonia logo, by the way, but to me, it looks very similar to the Blue Towers except the jagged mountain is on the left overlooking a beautiful lake while the Towers are on the right.

Anyway at this point of our trip we were so exhausted from hiking that we did not attempt to hike to Mt. Fitz Roy. Instead we opted for the easier hike, going to Cerro Torre.

However, let me backtrack first and discuss how we got from Puerto Natales to El Chalten.

Getting from Puerto Natales to El Chalten via El Calafate

We took the same bus back from the way we came, hopping on with Cootra. I had a small mishap before we got on the bus though—we were in the taxi going from our hotel to the bus terminal in Puerto Natales (a very short ride) when I realized I forgot an important bag (it was my daypack with some personal effects) at the hotel! Thankfully I realized this before I got out of the cab and so the driver took me back but he definitely overcharged me for the ride (should’ve been like 2000 pesos but he asked for 5000! But honestly this is like a $3 difference, but still). Had I not realized it before we got out of the taxi, I may have been screwed as the bus terminal was really busy and there were no free taxis.

Anyway, the bus left at 7:30 am on a Wednesday morning and it was nice to get the border crossing over with at the beginning of the ride. We arrived in El Calafate at 1:30 pm and waited for our private transfer to pick us up. I had booked us lodging at Aires del Fitz, which is family owned and has just 4 rooms. The guy who owns/operates it lives on the property and built out other units for rent. He also offers transfer services for reasonable prices so we just booked with him to pick us up from El Calafate to El Chalten. The roundtrip price for 4 of us $300 USD, so about $75 pp. I don’t think this was significantly more than the bus, but also the bus schedule is limited so this made sense for us to do. We found the roads to be quite paved (prior to going I heard there were a lot of potholes but maybe they fixed the roads?) and it took us about 2 hours and 15 minutes to get in between the two towns.

El Chalten is tinier than El Calafate but has as similar vibe—laid back, lots of bars and restaurants. A couple of friends did laundry in town here as well (very cheap) and the weather here was incredibly fickle. About 15 minutes after the above picture was taken, it hailed for half an hour!

Cerro Torre Hike

The day after we got into El Chalten, we decided to do the Cerro Torre hike, which brings you to a lake, Laguna Torre. It is an 18 km hour round trip hike (you go back in the way you came, it’s not a loop) and there are markers along the way (first I’d seen anywhere during our hikes). The markets were extremely helpful. The hiking trail starts at the edge of the town (easy to find, follow the signs!).

We had pretty good weather for this hike. We left at 9:30 am and I’m glad I brought my trekking poles on this trip as the first 2 km are steep to go up and then km 3 + 4 is a mixture of uphill and downhill. I also didn’t wear my knee brace for this hike and I really felt the difference—I’m really glad I had it for Torres del Paine as my knees were a bit sore from this hike. After km 4 though it’s pretty much flat to the end of the trail, which is pretty well marked and a lot of people along the way.

There’s also a couple of bathrooms on this hike (ok, more like port-a-potties with the hole in the ground) but bring your own paper/cleansers!

As we got closer to Laguna Torre, it got cloudier and windier. At times along the trail we could see the top of Mt. Fitz Roy (the highest points of the mountain to the right below) but not much.

We at least got to taste the freshness of glacier water one more time on this trek.

By the time we reached the end though it was really gusting and we took shelter behind some short wall fortresses to rest and have lunch. The clouds covered the money shot for us but it was still lovely.

We spent a lot of time taking pictures here and left at 1:15 pm, getting back to town by 4:30 pm. Although for me it wasn’t as scenic as Torres del Paine (though it was pretty!) it was a much easier hike than any of the trails we did on the 5 day trek. This was the last hike we did on our trip and a nice way to close out.

December 2017 Trip Report: The Coast of San Francisco

January 18, 2018

In case it's not clear, I love getting out of town and traveling. It's hard though, since I have a full-time corporate job and limited amount of vacation days, which is why I tend to travel on holiday weekends to maximize my time. I knew I didn't want to stick around NYC for the last week of December so I started planning my get away back in Sept. I was in California the year before and LOVED it so wanted to go back and explore more parts. Left on a Wednesday and came back on a Monday, New Years Day. We also traveled with a dog, and note NO dogs are allowed at Point Lobos, Ano Nuevo, or Muir Woods. This time around I went to:

Day 1 (Thursday): Carmel by the Sea/Monterey: Coastal towns only 15-20 minutes apart by driving. Visited Point Lobos State Park.
Day 2 (Friday): Stopped over in Santa Cruz and went to Ano Nuevo Park to check out the elephant seal breeding.
Day 3 (Saturday): Drove into San Francisco, met up with friends and went to Land's End.
Day 4: (Sunday) Visited Muir Woods, the redwood forest about 30 minutes north of the city

Getting to San Francisco

I love my Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Most of my trips are paid with reward points I've accumulated on this card and this trip was the same. AND it was 'cheaper' (less points) to buy two one-way tickets from NYC to SFO than it was to get a roundtrip ticket. I think I only used about 40,000 points to fly from JFK to SFO, and then from SFO to EWR (Newark) whereas a roundtrip would have taken about 55,000 points.

Anyway, I left early on a clear morning in NYC but right before we were about to take off, the pilot announced we had to return to the gate to fix a maintenance issue! Argh. They never told us what the issue was, but my 7:30 am flight became a 10 am flight out (Virgin America). In addition, once we got closer to SFO, there was too much fog circling the airport and too much traffic and our plane was running out of fuel so we were forced to land at Oakland Airport (across the bay) instead! So frustrating. But, I'm glad we arrived safely. However, this is an example of why I hate connecting flights. Though I didn't have one, I felt so bad for all the people on my flight who were late to their connecting flights, nor were they even at the right airport!

My friend was waiting for me at SFO, arriving from a different city, so I rented a car from the Oakland airport and after about 40 minutes of driving (over San Mateo Bridge, which is a gorgeous bridge over water), we met up and then drove 2.5 hours down to our Air BnB in Monterey. By the time we arrived, it was 6 pm PST (and 9 pm EST--I was up since 4 am!). There was generally no traffic down the southern drive and it was an easy trip. However, it also meant that our 1st day was shot, so Day 1 of our trip didn't really start until Thursday.

Day 1

We were up bright and early and headed over to Point Lobos State Natural Park. This place is gorgeous and great for easy walks/hikes along the shore. Download and print the map before you go, as they charge for it otherwise. Also, be sure to get there early (like between 8 am and 10 am)--there is limited parking ($10) and if it gets full, you'll have to park outside on the main road and walk in (which would a lot more walking). I think we arrived here around 9 am and had no issues with parking. We parked near the Sea Lion trail (bathrooms are clean but bring hand sanitizer and maybe your own paper!) and walked all the way down from there to China Cove. I think that was about a 2 mile walk one way. Then when we returned, we walked up Allan Memorial Grove and from there, you can hear seals out in the ocean and if you're lucky, blowholes from whales! Very scenic and pretty. None of the paths were strenuous though there as some areas with stairs. Great for any age/fitness level.

After hitting up Point Lobos, you can continue driving south to the Bixby Bridge, one of the most photographed bridges in the U.S. It's about 15-20 minutes away and just pay attention to pull out to a small parking area right before the bridge. The roads are only two lanes (coming and going) but it's not a scary drive in my opinion. The picture above is right from the parking lot. If you're a fan of the HBO show Big Little Lies, this is featured on the show and I'm pretty sure both Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman filmed driving around here!

Afterwards, we headed over to Pebble Beach and the 17-Mile Drive. This is basically a gated community but they allow the public to come through and wander around the beach areas. It costs $10.25 to drive through and the directions are marked on the road where to turn, etc. They give you a map with points of interests to go to, so it's easy to follow along. It was very pretty but I think if you've already done Point Lobos, you don't really need to do Pebble Beach. It's nice, but not as rugged and you have to drive from spot to spot. You can get out and walk around anywhere, but because of the traffic and crowds, I'd recommend going here earlier in the day or not at all because the scenery is pretty much the same. There are golf resorts in the community and a cute shopping area but not 'must-sees' unless you're just looking to kill some time.

Then we drove over to nearby Asilomar Beach, which is 15 minutes north of Pebble Beach, and watched the sunset. There is no formal parking, just come right before sunset and find off the highway parking if you can!

To eat around Monterey, both Schooners and Hula Island Grill were great. In particular, the clam chowder at Schooners was amazing and probably one of the best chowders I've ever had. Something about the creamy broth is different than the standard chowders I've had. Hula Island is more casual and doesn't take rsvps but they have a ton of seafood variety and non-seafood items to choose from. There's another location in Santa Cruz (though we did not go again).

Day 2

In the morning we checked out Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey. It's similar to a lot of other California wharfs, catered to tourists and where you can take whale sight seeing tours. However, we really came by to see the coffee shop featured in Big Little Lies (yes, that show inspired this trip with its amazing Pacific Coast views!) and we were SHOCKED to find out the coffee shop is actually an Italian restaurant called Paluca Trattoria. I'm sure Hollywood has pulled this scheme many times but I really expected to find a real coffee shop here. It wasn't open when we came in the morning (opens at noon) but I totally would've gotten a coffee here just because!

Around 9:30 am we left Monterey and headed over to Santa Cruz, which is about 40 minutes north. We checked into our Air BnB, grabbed a salad to go from a local place called the Picnic Basket (wow it was so good and fresh) and then headed straight to Ano Nuevo Park, as we had 1 pm tickets to the Elephant Seal Breeding tour. I had heard about the tour while researching for this trip and so glad I came across it. Apparently thousands of elephant seals, which are only found on the Pacific Coast, come up to Ano Nuevo Park for breeding every Dec-March. The park does guided walks that you need to book in advance (I think the rsvp system opens up more than 30 days in advance) and for less than $15, you get to be amongst these amazing mammals (parking is another $10 though).

After arriving at the park, you check into the Marina Education Center, which is where the barn is. Everyone gets a wristband, and then is told to walk one mile out to the meeting point at the shed above. There, you're greeted by a park volunteer who takes you down to the beach to see these massive beasts. End of December was still early for breeding season, there were only 20 newborn pups so far and maybe less than a 100 seals. The ranger said in a few more weeks the beach will be stacked with seals. The tour lasts about 2-2.5 hours, they take you to 3 points to see the seals and most of the time you're behind some sand dune/cliff/ridge and you are advised to keep at least 25 feet away. It was really interesting to hear the history and life cycle of the seals, great activity for anyone except anyone who has mobility issues. Hiking through the sand was a bit tough (also, wear hiking shoes to keep your feet sand free!) as there were a few slopes up and down and the ranger doesn't really wait that long for everyone so if you're really slow and have mobility issues, this may not be for you. Also, poisonous oak is everywhere (there are signs though) but as long as you stick to the marked paths you're fine.

Day 3

On Saturday we drove into San Francisco and went up to Land's End, which is right at the northern end of the city. Parking lot was full when we arrived at 11 am, but we were able to find free street parking in the residential areas nearby. It's a great place to go for a few hours to walk off a meal and get some good nature viewing in! There are multiple paths to take and we just went for a stroll to see the bridge but we didn't go to the end (Eagle's Point). In any case, this place is free and full of locals and tourists and awesome views of the Golden Gate Bridge (first pic of this post!)

In the evening we met up with friends for dinner and drinks (recommend going to Bellota and China Live's speakeasy).

Day 4

By Sunday we were exhausted with all the hiking, driving, and running around for the past few days but we managed to get up and get to Muir Woods pretty early. Starting on Jan. 16, 2018, you can no longer just show up though. Reservations are needed due to limited parking. We got there before 9 am and was able to get parking.

Anyway we were tired so we only did a 2 mile loop round but the forest was nice and has a lot of trails. Definitely print out a map and get ready to be inspired! The first United Nations peace conference took place here in 1945 to honor Franklin Roosevelt, who made it a point to create national parks during his tenure. There's a plaque marking the spot of the assembly and the redwood trees were cool to see. Wish I had more energy to enjoy it but overall this trip was a great getaway from city life and highly recommend it for anyone who wants some nature in their life!

April 2017 Trip Report Part II: Sedona, AZ

May 11, 2017

The drive to Sedona from Page was pretty scenic. Coming down on US Route 89S (rather than from the Coppermine Road that I took the way up) was gorgeous. And then the windy road from Flagstaff to Sedona was a fun and interesting drive as well (you don't pass Sedona on the way from Phoenix to Page--you could but you would driving extra distances). I'm glad I stayed here during the week (Thursday and Friday night) as it's a small town and I can see how traffic/crowded it can get on the weekends and in prime tourist time.

Sedona is a pricey place to stay though. I stayed at Poco Diablo Resort, which was nice but kind of pricey for what it was. But it was the cheapest of the nice hotels that I could find (got it for just under $200/night). I could've stayed somewhere cheaper but I didn't want to be too far from the center of town and I did want a nice room to come back to after hiking all day. Poco Diablo is very clean and comfortable with a pool, tennis court, and golf course, none of which I used! Sedona is at a high elevation so it was kind of colder especially at night. In April the temp. ranged from 40 degrees in the morning to 60-70s midday. Poco Diablo is also about a 5-8 min. drive from the center of town which was nice as it was quiet and not as much traffic near the hotel.

What to Do

There is tons to see in Sedona! I saw all the major highlights. I've ranked them in terms of my favorites:

Devil's Bridge Trail Hike
Cathedral Rock
Bell Rock
Chapel in the Rock

Devil's Bridge Trail Hike

I'm really glad I did this hike. I was nervous to go solo as I'm not an experienced hiker but it felt safe and was fine. The hike is about 3.4 miles roundtrip from the main parking lot. It's best to do this hike as early as you can because there is no shade and could get really hot later in the day. Also, you don't have to worry about parking or people since it's less crowded earlier in the day. By the time I returned to the lot at 9:30 am (I got there at 7:30 am) the lot was full.

Anyway, there is a parking area you can drive to but the road is quite rocky and jagged. I would not want to risk damage to my rental car! The mile walk up the road to the actual trail isn't hard, it's just a bit sandy and rocky. Once you get to the 2nd parking area (which is strictly for 4x4 SUVs), it's less than a mile to the actual bridge but there is some rock scrambling involved, meaning you have to pull yourself up some rocks to get up. It's not too difficult though (normally I hate stuff like that but it was enjoyable and I also had gloves on). The views on the way to the bridge are also amazing and the best from my time in Sedona. Really loved it and this was my favorite hike.

Yes you can walk onto the bridge but I was too chicken to!

I did walk to the BASE of the bridge that extends out, but didn't want to go the most narrow part.

Cathedral Rock

I was pretty tired after Devil's Bridge but went on to Cathedral Rock after. This hike is definitely more of a scramble to the top, but it was super windy and kind of steeper than I liked so I only made it up 80% of the way. I enjoyed the views and visiting, but definitely not for me to get to the top!

This is where I stopped--I think this is called the 'vortex' and it's sooo narrow and it was super windy and since I was solo, I just didn't feel comfortable going up alone.

Bell Rock

Bell Rock is similar to Cathedral but higher up and even more steep. I was quite tired from the first two hikes so I didn't really do much of this one. You can also walk around the base of Bell Rock but it didn't seem that interesting to me after an awesome hike like Devil's Bridge.

Chapel in the Rock

Chapel in the Rock is an actual church built into a rock. I'm not particularly religious but I thought it was cool to see and experience. In general, there's some sort of 'energy' in Sedona driven by the 'vortex' and each major sight seeing visit has the 'vortex' pulsing thru. Chapel in the Rock is one of the way (and I believe all the other sites I visited have it too).

Boynton Canyon

On my last morning, I wanted to do a short hike into Boynton Canyon. I parked, got out, started walking into the trail, and then saw a sign warning about bears! So since I was solo I decided not to go, especially because the trail didn't look as 'obvious' to me. The parking lot was full but I didn't want to tag along someone else's hike so I decided to leave and head down to Scottsdale for my work conference.

However, as I walking out of the trail, a random older man walked up to me, handed me a heart-shaped stone, said it was full of the energy of the "vortex" and wished me a great day. It was a lovely way to end my time in Red Rock country!

Food in Sedona

Sad to say, I didn't have an AMAZING meals in Sedona. The food wasn't bad, but I found most restaurants to be a bit pricey for the food you're getting (ie like tacos). Granted Sedona caters to a more upper middle class crowd, and I'm sure there are cheaper places too, but I just didn't find any place really that worth recommending (though I did not have a bad meal).

I did love this Acai bowl place called Berry Divine though that was near Devil's Bridge. I've never really eaten these before and I loved it so much I found another one in Scottsdale and went back to get it!

Sedona is beautiful and relaxing and has something for everyone. Hope to return again someday!

Los Angeles 2016/2017 Trip Report Part III (Other Hikes)

January 9, 2017

Runyon Canyon

When I planned my trip to L.A., I was most excited about Runyon Canyon. Always talked about by celebrities and mentioned in magazines, I was so curious to check it out. Compared to the Hollywood hike, I was kind of disappointed. This was my best picture on the hike because otherwise I found the scenery not to be as interesting (since I did this two days after the Hollywood one). However, I would say it's still worth checking out and getting a good workout in.

After being scarred by the amount of people at Griffith Park, I resolved to get here as early as possible which paid off! I came here on a Tuesday morning, arriving around 7:15 am. I had read that there is a small parking lot (fits about 20 cars) at the intersection of Mulholland Drive and Pyramid Place so that is where I came and I easily pulled into an empty parking spot. By the time I left at 8:30 am, there was quite a line of cars waiting for a spot in the lot. There is street parking available too (somewhere below this area) but I didn't want to worry about figuring out the street signs/rules.

If you start from this parking lot, you should allot about an hour or less to do the loop from the top. Also, there are NO bathroom facilities here so take care of business before coming! When you park, you'll walk over to the entrance to the park and see two entrances--the left one goes into the park and will bring you to a mid-level area of trails overlooking L.A. The right one (which is a steep trail) goes all the way to the top and probably is the best views of the city from this park. I would recommend starting from the left side.

I didn't take as many pics (since the views were not as nice) but as you walk into the park from the left entrance, you will walk around the canyon (stay to the right up the trail path) and come upon a big house. It's like the only huge mansion in the area so you'll know. Anyway, next to/behind the house are stairs/trails to an overlook. You will have to walk down the trails/steps to get to the overlook. I initially thought this was highest point of the canyon but it is not! I also thought that if I passed by the house, I would be come back to the other side to the trail that leads back to the lot on the right side but it does not! If you pass this house, you'll just end up on a residential street. Anyway, I took the trail/steps down towards the overlook but didn't make it all the way to the overlook. I just wasn't as interested. On the way back to the lot from the direction I came, I saw another trail go up the canyon and realized that must be the trail into the loop at the very top and it was. It's very steep but this trail leads you up to the view in the pic above. I liked the trail/overlook up here much better than at the mid-level range. I only stayed briefly and then figured out the path that takes you back to the lot, where the entrance starts on the right side. All in all I spent exactly an hour at Runyon Canyon but compared to the Hollywood Hike, I wasn't as impressed but was glad to get another workout in.

Culver City Steps/Baldwin Scenic Overlook

The other park I liked better than Runyon Canyon was the Culver City Steps! Another name for this area is the Baldwin Scenic Overlook. I think I liked this one a lot because climbing up the stairs (282!) was challenging, and the people here were soooo into fitness! I honestly thought I was pretty fit/active until I came to L.A. Here at the steps, people were trekking it up/down multiple times. In addition, once they got to top platform/overlook, they were doing more exercises, like crunches, squats, etc.! Various people! I also saw a few people jogging up and down the hill multiple times as well. If you decide not to climb the steps, you can also take the slopey trails.

I am only 5'2" and there were some parts of the stairs that, if I was any shorter, I don't know how I would've gotten up! It only took me 15 minutes to get to the top but I definitely needed to stop, pant, and breathe a few times.

The view at the top was nicer than Runyon Canyon, in my opinion. But I just also loved the energy of all the people here. I forgot to mention that I came here on a Wednesday morning around 7:30 am and there was plenty of (free) street parking near the entrance on Hetzler Road (when I went, the road to the lot was closed for construction). The signs say you can park max two hours and you will probably spend an hour here.

After a bit of people watching, I took the trail back down to the street level and just enjoyed the views along the way. My legs were very sore but another good workout to get in!

Zuma Beach

The last thing I'll mention in this post is Zuma Beach. I didn't do any hiking here but it was a nice place to kill time in Malibu. It's a popular beach and when I pulled into the area, I parked at the parking meters (to the left when you enter) since I was staying for a short time. Otherwise it's $6 to park in the lot.I love that in LA all the parking meters take credit card! Very convenient. It was like $1 for an hour or something.

Anyway, I took a stroll on the beach and just enjoyed the serenity of it all since no one else was around on a Tuesday morning. I can imagine in the summer it must be packed and even more gorgeous!

So right before I left, I took one last look at the ocean and I could not believe my eyes. A huge whale head popped out of the water right near the shoreline! I was stunned! Then I saw a few dolphins pop up too! It was so cool. I hung out a few more minutes to watch the animals swim along. I couldn't get any pics but it was so cool. I had read that this is a good place to spot whales/dolphins in Dec-Jan. but I really did not expect to see anything! So, I really recommend checking this spot out since you never know what you might come across! I was here for just 45 minutes (10:15-11 am).

Los Angeles 2016/2017 Trip Report Part II (Hollywood Sign Hike)

January 7, 2017

Griffith Observatory/Hollywood Sign Hike

Hollywood hike from Griffith Observatory

The highlight of my L.A. trip was hiking from the Griffith Observatory to the Hollywood sign on New Years Day. I initially had planned to go the day before but the weather was gloomy. I'm glad I didn't try to do this Saturday because I had lunch plans with a friend. If you do this hike, allot 4-6 hours!!!

I had done a bunch of research online but some of the information is confusing until you get there yourself. The number one thing to know is that there are multiple ways to hike up to the sign. Though I haven't explored all the other ways, I feel like starting from the Observatory makes the most sense due to parking and facilities and the views are just breathtaking all the way!

The Observatory opens at 10 am and is closed on Mondays. I thought if I got there a little before 10 am I would have no problem grabbing a parking spot in the lot. I could not been more wrong! I arrived around 9:45 am and the lot was completely full. However, you can also park on the road up/out of the Observatory. I highly recommend you eat breakfast before coming--there are no food facilities and if you're gonna trek 8-10 miles roundtrip, you are gonna be hungry and thirsty!

I had ended up grabbing Burger King breakfast on the way which I am so glad I did. Below is the view of all the trails going up to the mountain from where I parked my car. I have no idea if these trails lead up to the Observatory but some probably do. I ended up parking on the road out of the Observatory, off to the side. A ton of cars were parked this way, up on the curb of the road. Basically, if you see a spot on the way to or from the Observatory, just take it! I ended up having to park in a way that my car was on a slant. Californians are super friendly. I was nervous with squeezing into the space and this random guy behind my car helped guide me into the space, and even lifted a big rock from the ground so I wouldn't hit it! And he disappeared before I could say thank you! Trust me, that type of kindness and thoughtfulness is rare in NYC!

I then went to the Observatory to use the bathroom before I started the hike. Although there are bathroom facilities right by the parking lot, there was a long line for them. At the Observatory (which is about a 5 min. walk from the lot), there were no lines and it's free to go in and the facilities are clean.

At 10:30 am, I finally started my hike. The trail starts right to the north of the parking lot (easy to spot). Even though there were a lot of people on the trail, it was never overwhelming. By the time I came back in the afternoon though, the Observatory was SWARMING. The lines for the bathroom were like 10x longer than in the morning, and it felt more suffocating as people milled around the grounds of the Observatory. I think people who arrive in the afternoon just come for the views from this area and maybe do a short walk on the trail. Morning is definitely best to enjoy this place without hordes. I think getting here by 10 am is safe, but any later it might feel frustrating.

Anyway, at the very start of the trail, there is a sign and map. Definitely have a look!

As you can see above, there are MULTIPLE trails. If you don't want to hike all the way to the Hollywood sign, you don't have to. You can just go up to Mt. Hollywood summit, which is about 1.5 miles from the parking lot one way.

This little box on the bottom informs you how to get to the sign, which is 4 miles away, one way! To get there, you basically have to hike all the way to the top of Mt. Hollywood, then go down all the way behind it on another trail (there is only one). You'll come into concrete road (but there are no cars), make a right, and walk a bit further where you will see a gate. Make that left entrance to get back on the trail towards the sign. If you stay on the concrete road, you end up somewhere else. Basically, just follow all the signs you see! They are clearly marked and look like this:

Just keep following the signs to Hollywood Sign. Even though it's listed three times, it just means there are certain overlooks. Just keep going until you get to it. And when in doubt, ask someone coming from the opposite direction if you're going the right way! It's good to check, because like I said there are multiple trails in this area. Following the signs will take you to the sign but it's easy to miss if you're not paying attention. On the way back, I ignored a sign, thinking I knew the way to go. I ended up going down the trail to Canyon Drive and had to climb up a steep hill to get back on track. My quads or appetite were NOT happy with this detour!!

As gorgeous as this hike was, it was definitely a quad kicker. I consider myself pretty active and fit and I was tired after 1.5 miles!! The walk from the parking lot is steep but manageable. So if you're not as active/fit, allot more time. All in all, it took me two hours to get to the top, and a bit over two hours to get back (due to the detour). My legs were so exhausted by the end of the hike and I knew if I sat down, I was not getting back up! There's not too many places to rest on the hike either. You can sit at the top (on the ground) but there are no benches or anything on the way up (well, there was a bench on the Canyon Drive trail detour, which is how I realized I went the wrong way because I did not remember seeing it on the way there!).

The view of La La Land from the top of the Hollywood sign is breathtaking. I got here around 12:30 pm. Thank goodness I had a huge bottle of water. This hike definitely dehydrated me!I What better way to spend the very first day of 2017!

I forgot to mention, the night before on NYE, some pranksters changed the sign to say "Hollyweed." Lol. I only caught the sign when it said "Hollywoed", the authorities were quick to change it back. By the time I reached the sign the letters were back to normal.

On my way back to the Observatory, I stopped by the top of Mt. Hollywood summit (I bypassed it earlier). You can also go to another viewpoint called Captain's Roost nearby but I skipped that since I was so tired and just wanted to eat. Below is the view from Mt. Hollywood summit.

By the time I got back to the Observatory, it was 3 pm. I wanted to check it out but like I said earlier, this place was swarming with tourists! So I ended up just leaving. Another reason to start your day here as early as possible: it took me over an hour to get out!!!!!! Because there ar a ton of people here as well as at the park down below at the base, there was so much traffic. I think I got into my car around 3:45 and didn't get out of the Griffith Park area until close to 5:30. I did put my time to good use though--I ended up calling a bunch of restaurants because so many were closed on New Years Day! I ended up eating pizza at Gjelina Take Away, which was thankfully open (and so delicious--will do a food post too).

I really enjoyed this hike though and it's one of the best ones I've been on. I'm not a huge hiker, and this one was challenging, beautiful, and very safe, which is very important to me as a female solo traveler. I'll also post my thoughts on two other hikes I did (Runyon Canyon and Culver City Steps) but of the three this was my fave for sure!