A Walk in the Park...A LONG Walk in the Part

I took the opportunity Saturday to explore Griffith Park. Griffith Park is located on the North East side of Los Angeles and is the largest municipal park in the country (many times larger than Central Park). Here was my plan: drive there, walk around, walk up to the "Hollywood" sign, take a picture and then go home and that's exactly what I did. The problem, again, was the rain.
No, it wasn't raining while I was at the park, but as you know dear reader, it has been raining in LA for some time now and our little friend got the best of this wonderful adventure land.
If I had to describe said park in two words I would choose "very big," but if I had to describe it in only one word it would be. "hilly." Pretty much the entire park is a bunch of walking paths and roads carved into a mountain. It's quite scenic, but what happens when it rains? The roads get covered in mud. What happens when the roads get covered in mud? The roads get closed. And what happens when the roads close? Jeff can't park where he wants and ends up walking for 4 hours...4 hours! 4 hours of walking uphill both ways in the sticky gooey mud and the blistering 50 degree winter weather. 2 hours of wandering around trying to go in the general direction of those gigantic white letters on the gigantic hill. Did I make it? Yes. Did I snap a few photos? Yes, but by that time the sun was starting to go down. So I spent the next 2 hours wandering around trying to go in the general direction of my car (I didn't want to go back the way I came for it was most certainly the LEAST direct way). My physical prowess was tested like it had never been tested before. My legs felt like they could cramp at any moment, my throat was on the verge of being dry, and my sense of direction was fleeting as I spiraled into delirium. So many times I just wanted to lie down, or puke, or both and then ask a stranger to drag me a little ways, but I didn't. I persevered and made it back to civilization just so I could tell the tale. Yes, it was you dear reader who gave me the will to make it out of...GRIFFITH PARK!
Seriously though, I was in bad shape by the end of the day. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Til next time.

P.S. People also ride horses in Griffith Park so take the above tale and add horse manure...charming I know.