I received a complimentary copy of 10,000 Steps A Day in L.A., by Paul Haddad, from the publisher, Santa Monica Press. All opinions are entirely honest and my own.
I’ve been fortunate to have had several opportunities lately to get out and experience my city in a way that most people don’t have. Los Angeles is a tourist destination, but those of us who live here don’t often make a point of visiting the spots that make this city so amazing. We don’t get to play tourist and therefore, miss out on quite a lot. In the past few weeks I’ve been to Hollywood Boulevard, taken a bus tour of movie locations, eaten at two Hard Rock Cafes, and saw several TV shows being filmed. What I never seem to get over is how historic this town is. It’s not always the first thing that comes to mind when you are walking in L.A.
In his book, 10,000 Steps a Day in L.A., Paul Haddad does something pretty special: he gives you 52 walking adventures AND he introduces you to hidden Los Angeles – those places that you drive by, fly over, and otherwise don’t even realize they are there. You can strap on your FitBit (or other apparatus of choice) and get out and explore. I love this because we’ve been on a kick lately to get the family out and about… and do more hiking. Going through the different tours, I found a few that I put on the top of my list of family outings.
#16 – A Backstage Pass
This walking tour takes you up to the Hollywood Sign and gives you amazing views of Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley. Although I’ve seen the sign a million times, I’ve never seen it up close. Not that you can actually get too close to it, but this trail takes you to the back of the letters.
#28 – Way Out West
I’ve been wanting to go this route for a long time. This path takes you through Hollywood’s hilly backlots (or at least, the ones that were used for some pretty familiar movies). You pass a Western town, an old amusement park, and a mountain that is said to have inspired the logo for Paramount Pictures.
The book is divided into sections of Los Angeles so you can go directly to the areas you are interested in (but really, check them all out because there are some hidden gems I had no idea even existed).
Central L.A. and the Eastside
Hollywood and Mid-City
West San Gabriel Valley
San Fernando Valley
Westside
South Bay
What’s great about this particular guide book is that it gives you a map, tells you how difficult the walk is and what type of terrain you’ll find, and it lets you know if it’s a good place to bring your dog. That is huge for us since we like to bring our dogs as often as possible.
So tell me, what are you favorite places in L.A. to hike/walk/tour… or just explore?
Leave a Reply