21.09. Griffith Observatory & Hollywood Boulevard

The first night was short. Right next to our apartment complex was one of the trendiest clubs in downtown Los Angeles, which we didn't know about beforehand. Through the walls, we could hear the DJ sets live until around 3 am when finally silence settled in.

The jetlag, however, didn't allow us to sleep long, and so we were all up by half past five. We decided to visit the on-site gym on the rooftop to start the day actively.

After a sweaty workout, we were drawn into the city as our stomachs began to speak. Hungry, we made our way to the nearby supermarket, which surprised us with its neat and inviting atmosphere.

Strengthened by a nutritious breakfast, we set out for our first day trip: the Griffith Observatory and Hollywood Boulevard with the Walk of Fame.

Unfortunately, we couldn't find any free parking spots near the observatory and had to park a bit further away, but this gave us the opportunity to take a little walk through the adjacent park. The park was picturesque and served as our first warm-up for the upcoming hikes in the national parks.

Once at the top, we were rewarded with a breathtaking view, including the famous Hollywood Sign. The observatory itself was impressive; the architecture of the building alone was truly a sight to behold. Inside, we discovered fascinating stations that brought us closer to the different planets. A live image of the sun and exciting explanations about the formation of the universe captivated us for over two hours.

On the way back through the park, the unexpected happened: Suddenly, a snake crossed our path. It seemed to be crawling leisurely from one side to the other. But when we spotted the rattle at the end of its body, we agreed: Caution was necessary here.

Still adrenaline-fueled, we made our way to Hollywood Boulevard.

Once we arrived, our hungry stomachs spoke up again. Naturally, the choice fell on juicy burgers! And since Franci had made the exciting combination of fries and milkshake sound appealing, we took the plunge. Surprisingly, we rated it 8 out of 10 – it tasted much better than we had expected.

Fortified, we continued our way to the Dolby Theatre, where we enthusiastically photographed the stars.

Our encounter with a group of people in Star Wars costumes who gathered in front of the famous Cantina bar was particularly amusing. When we entered the bar, we were greeted by an alien. But we didn't linger long and set off in search of the stars of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher).

After discovering the Dolby Theatre and all the stars that meant something to us, we headed home, as the boulevard was quite crowded.