L.A.'s REAL Stars

So, recently, Bubba and I went for a Saturday afternoon cruise. We've really become taken with tooling around the Hills and such. On a clear day from the top, you can see well into the Pacific on the south side, and about three layers of mountains deep on the north side. Just spectacular. Kind of like L.A.'s version of going to the top of the Empire State Building. Anyway, this particular Saturday, at the suggestion of my friend Emei, we went on up to the Observatory in Griffith Park. Now, the observatory is one of the few genuine landmarks of L.A. It rests high in the hills, neighboring the Hollywood sign, and visible from miles around. Early on in our tenure here, we'd started towards it, only to find it was undergoing massive renovations. Now though, it's back up and running, so we figured we'd check it out.

Back in the Apple, Bubba and I lived a stones throw from the Planeterium. We'd venture there often, seeing as how observing genuine stars was none too easy, given all the smog and light pollution. More than anything, we loved the show. The old, theater in the round, lean back and stare up at the laser generated universe. So when we got to the L.A. version, our New Yorker came out as we smugly anticipated an inferior product. Our snobbery was only intensified when we were less than impressed with the surrounding museum exhibits. Say what you want about your humble narrator, but if nothing else, he can admit when he's wrong. The L.A. version was slamming. The biggest, bestest difference was the fact that they opted not for a James Earl Jones, Morgan Freeman, or Tom Hanks type of narration, but actually that of a a LIVE human being. Our celestial tour guide was an enthusiastic, knowledgeable woman who doled out a fantastic buffet of information. Couple that with some stunning visuals, some of which rivaled an IMAX virtual rollercoaster ride.

Our inner John Glenn's satiated, we strolled around the grounds as well, and were treated to wondrous panoramas of SoCal. I have to say, the views don't get tired around here. I don't know the official elevation, but it feels like being atop any number of the New York skyscrapers, where the wonder of it all is displayed over 360 degrees. Add in the fact that you can the ocean, and via a mere twist of your neck, be treated to snow capped mountains and it adds up to a pretty sweet show that God's put on down here.