Last Week for the Vehicle-Free DWP Festival of Lights

This year, the DWP wisely extended the car-free portion of its annual Festival of Lights in Griffith Park through Dec. 7 — hopefully a prelude to an inevitable decision to keep the cars out all together.

Maria and Evan met up with his cousin this weekend to walk the route (I had to pass — I tore something in my foot during the Great Los Angeles Walk, and am currently limping), and all agree that it’s the way to go. It’s better exercise, you’re not breathing in car fumes, and you’re actually outside, experiencing the lights and the whole community vibe. (You don’t get any of that while in the car, waiting 3-plus hours to drive through what’s ultimately a pretty mediocre collection of lights.)

The cars return on Dec. 8, but you can still walk on the pathways after that. Parking for walkers can be found at the L.A. Zoo, or at the parking lots near the Merry-Go-Round. The route is a full mile (about 30 minutes).

The Festival of Lights continues until Dec. 30. Meanwhile, the DWP will hold a mini-fair on Dec. 5, 6 and 7, “featuring information on family activities, healthy nutrition, as well as some tasty treats.”

Walking in L.A.: Plenty of Opportunities in the Coming Months

Looking for some practice before this year’s Great Los Angeles Walk?

Several other bloggers are planning big walks over the next few weeks:

– MetBlogs L.A.’s Will Campbell and Julia Frey are planning to march down all 26 miles of Western Ave. this Saturday. Check out details here.

They’ll be meeting at Fern Dell Park (at Fern Dell Drive, the first street east of the Western/Los Feliz bend), and end at Friendship and Bogdanovich Park.)

– Franklin Avenue reader Scott Trimble is heading up the Location Managers Guild of America’s Route 66 Project, which begins Nov. 9 with a stroll down a chunk of Santa Monica Blvd.

Event will begin at 8 a.m. at the Santa Monica Pier and wind up at Barney’s Beanery. The walk will be followed up by five more, and then a nationwide roadtrip to Chicago. “These events are open to Location Managers, other members of the film industry, and the general public — really, to anybody who has an interest in Route 66 and its history,” he writes.

– And then, don’t forget to reserve all-day Saturday, Nov. 22 — the Saturday before Thanksgiving — for our third annual Great Los Angeles Walk! Details to come.

Take A Walk on the Franklin Hills Side

(Pic by the Militant Angeleno.)

Several years ago, back when we lived on Franklin Avenue, Maria and I used to frequent the steps of Franklin Hills — specifically, Radio Walk and Prospect Walk.

The Militant Angeleno recently found this map of the Franklin Hills staircases, and checked them out for himself:

Some of these 1920s-era steps get very little use in the early 21st century, as some of them were covered in fallen leaves and cast-off tree bark. And those that do use them probably only use them to walk their dogs, as random dog droppings can be found on the steps. But looking back, the Militant treated himself to an awe-inspiring view of the hils of western Silver Lake, accented by the sight of the moon and the swirling reddish-colored stratus clouds of the dusk hour.

The Militant deems the Franklin Hills another “hidden gem” of L.A. — and notes the “cute ladies” walking their dogs around the ‘hood.