Eterno Dia PhotographyFrom Sea to Stars: A Weekend In The City of Angels
Posted on May 10, 2020
Back in September, we spent a whirlwind three days in California. Shawn turned 40 and as part of his gift I got him tickets to a double bill concert of Ben Folds and Cake, two of his favorite artists, playing at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. I wanted him to have a very special memory of his 40th year, so I booked the Los Angeles part of be bands’ tour. We took a long weekend and flew down to Southern California, a favorite destination of mine, despite the smog, traffic and general discord happening in America at the time.
Our concert didn’t start until the evening on our first full day, so we had the morning and afternoon free. As a landlocked Canadian, my priority was to get to a beach and Santa Monica seemed like a good option, if a bit touristy. I’d never been there but of course I knew of the iconic pier and carnival located there. We headed out from Glendale with our rented Kia Soul and her trusty GPS with WiFi. With traffic, it took about an hour to drive and we found parking just off the pacific coast highway. The famous Santa Monica pier was fairly far off in the distance from our parking spot, but we found bathrooms and water stations right away, which was great. As we made our way to the pier, we admired the cute beach houses and pretty landscaping and watched the bikers and joggers passing us by. The pier was busy; we’d passed some kind of street festival up on Ocean Avenue on our way down to the beach, so lots of people were filtering down over the pedestrian bridge. The day was so smoggy that for a while it was hard to tell if it was just overcast, but the smog did keep the heat down a bit and there was a nice ocean breeze to keep us comfortable.
At the start of the pier, there’s a small aquarium that we didn’t go into just due to time constraints. It’s dedicated to education about the bay and how to conserve and protect it. I sort of wish I’d stopped in, as it was a very reasonable entrance fee as well, so if you have time, stop to check it out. We made our way along the pier, looking at potential spots for lunch, checked out the amusement park and some of the souvenir shops.
A smoggy morning at Santa Monica Pier
There were lots of musicians and painters busking along the pier and a number of people were fishing off the side. Below us, beach goers splashed in the waves. We found some historical markers, artifacts and information about the pier and Route 66, which I was unaware we were on, at the far end of the pier. We found a cute, three-story restaurant with a rooftop patio for lunch and people watched and just took in being by the ocean. After lunch, we headed over the pedestrian bridge up to Ocean Avenue to check out what the festival was and have a quick look around. We checked out some of the cool architecture along the ave and made our way back to the car once we’d had our fill.
With time on our side, I was itching to check out the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and Hollywood, where my husband had never been before. We headed from Santa Monica to Hollywood. We parked and just started walking Hollywood Blvd down the Walk of Fame. 
We passed all of the hundreds of tour operators, the Hollywood Church of Scientology, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, and we investigated the stars on the sidewalks. We kept our sightseeing efficient as we got to the TCL Chinese theatre to look at all the hand and footprints of celebrities. If we’d had more time, we could have entertained ourselves for the entire day. There are private tours, group tours and self directed tours, if you enjoy ogling celebrities homes. I’m not sure how many of the tour groups are legit though, and a lot of the information we saw advertised was for celebrities that were big 20 years ago – maybe more fun for mom and dad than the kids….
After a whirlwind tour of Hollywood, we saved enough time to make it to Griffith Observatory. I hadn’t really done any research on it- I only knew that it had great views, and a telescope, which unfortunately I wouldn’t be able to look through, as we had the concert to go to that evening. We drove back to LA and navigated our route to the observatory. Parking was a bit nightmarish; the only parking left was parallel parking up along the winding, desert hillsides headed up to the observatory. It is metered pay parking for $10/hr. We decided two hours was about all the time we had to look before heading back to Glendale to get ready for the concert.
We hurried hiked from the car up to the observatory. It looked a hundred miles away but was probably about a kilometre from where we parked, which I definitely felt, hiking uphill in the afternoon California heat. The smog from the morning was dissipating, so it was starting to get warm (keep your sunscreen handy and bring some bottled water).
We explored Griffith Observatory (admission is free!), which was quite remarkable with numerous space exhibits, huge planetary displays, and of course a theatre named in Leonard Nimoy’s honor. We could have spent hours learning about the Tesla Coil, tides, moon phases, seasons, spectroscopy and looking through the camera obscura that peers over the city, but we only had time for a brief walk through.
We headed outside to the garden and outdoor area to take in some stunning landscapes of the city before leaving to head to the concert. This is a place I could have spent a full day (and evening) at. There is so much to learn here; they have star parties, theatre presentations and educational events and the outdoor views are stunning. I can only imagine they’re also stunning at night. Griffith Observatory is a must see when in LA and I was sad to have not had enough time to take it all in.
The Greek Theatre. I’d seen it in movies and I knew it had been designed in the style of an ancient Greek theatre. This was one of the most magical nights. The sun began to set as we got to our seats but the air was still pleasant and warm. As it got darker and the opening band was playing, I was actually pretty overcome with how gorgeous the venue was; crickets were chirping, the forest and hills around us were lit beautifully. Off in the distance where the moon was rising, the city lights were twinkling in the dusk and planes were landing and taking off at the distant airport. The whole atmosphere was just beautiful and I had a few moments of being taken aback at how perfect everything was in that moment. The bands were phenomenal and only added to how great the experience was. At the end of the concert, we did have to walk a ways down from the venue to find a taxi (I know, I know, but we don’t UBER) to get back to our little motel in Glendale…
Ben Folds at The Greek Theatre
On our final morning, we went for breakfast at Foxy’s in Glendale, which had a lot of greasy breakfasts to choose from (so much cheese) but a super gorgeous little patio. After breakfast we walked across the street to find The Americana at Brand, a shopping complex we’d heard was nearby, but hadn’t seen yet. We walked down a little alleyway, and a bit like walking through Diagon Alley in Harry Potter, we emerged in a gorgeous shopping plaza with stunning garden areas, cobblestone streets and adorable boutique shops. Only a few coffee places were open this early, but there were gardeners and maintenance workers cleaning the streets, stringing up lights and busying themselves with tasks. It was so quiet, peaceful and fresh.
Breakfast at Foxy’s
We’d scheduled in just enough time to head to Playa del Rey on the way to the airport before flying home. We parked and found a little lagoon, and then made our way to the beach. While we were headed through the burning sand to get to the ocean, I head distinct “borking”. I looked towards a rough concrete pier in the water where the “bork” had come from and watched a sea lion dive under the water! I was thrilled, as was my husband. He’d read that sea lions could often be spotted here, which I didn’t know. He didn’t tell me in advance, as he was afraid I’d be disappointed if I didn’t see one, so he was happy that I’d been surprised by the treat of seeing a sea lion in the wild. We continued to hear them bark as we made our way to a cute cafe, Playa Provisions, for lunch. We had a nice, healthy meal here before finally having to make our way to the airport and head home.
Three days wasn’t nearly enough time to spend in Cali, but we certainly did make the most of our time. At the time, we couldn’t have foreseen the coming pandemic events and this was our last trip, at least internationally for the time being. Even though LA is crowded and has issues with homelessness, poverty and pollution, there’s just something about it that I love. We made great memories in the City of Angels for Shawn’s milestone birthday and California will always have my heart. TTFN. ‘Til we meet again.
– L
Staycation Alberta: The Lake Louise Teahouse Hikes
Posted on June 16, 2018
I love the beach. But I love the mountains nearly as much. In Alberta we are lucky to have the Rocky Mountain range to the west of the province that travels all the way down to the southern border. Mountains are majestic, mysterious and untamed wilderness. I imagine the creatures living out in the dense forests and hidden up in mountain caves; all there but unseen. The air is so fresh, everything is so much more peaceful but also more grand than I find life in the city. For years I’d been wanting to do the tea house hikes near Lake Louise in Banff National Park. In addition to being an avid tea drinker and enthusiast, I like to stay active, try new things and confront fears. I have a fear that keeps me from hiking. I admit it. I have an irrational fear of bears. I say irrational because I know my odds of being attacked or killed by a bear is extraordinarily low. I have better odds of winning the lottery. Based on the number of actual bear attacks vs. other things that can kill you, you’re approximately one million times more likely to die of something other than a bear attack. It was a personal goal of mine to actually do this hike to confront my bear fear and have a great cup of tea on a mountain. We had a few days in August and decided to finally do the hike.
There are two tea houses to chose from in this area. I had it in mind that if I could make it to the closer, Lake Agnes tea house, it would be a success. The Lake Agnes tea house sits at an elevation of 2135 meters (7005 feet) and was built in 1901 by the Canadian Pacific Railway as a shelter for hikers. They began serving tea in 1905 and it has since been expanded from its original size.
Looking down at the tiny looking canoes on Lake Louise
We started out from the Chateau Lake Louise parking lot at about nine o’clock in the morning. We packed sunscreen, bug spray, BEAR SPRAY, water, hats and a ton of snacks. I don’t have proper hiking boots, but my cross trainers did the trick. We layered our clothes as temperatures in the mountains can go from one extreme to another very quickly, even in August, but fortunately it was a warm day with a nice breeze.
Mirror Lake and the little beehive
The path up to Lake Agnes is wide and well groomed and for most people, considered fairly easy. It’s definitely a steady uphill climb of about 3.6 kilometers (2.2 miles). I struggled with the elevation and stopped to huff and puff and attempt to regain my composure every 5 or so minutes. My husband was barely out of breath. Don’t take my progress as indication of the trail’s difficulty though; there were young children, and parents toting young children on their backs, passing me at an astonishing rate. While I found the uphill part quite strenuous, the views were amazing with lots of lookout stops. The path is very well traveled and is especially busy during peak season (June-August) so I found I really wasn’t concerned about bears. We stopped at Mirror Lake for a rest and took in the amazing views of the big beehive and the waterfall that runs from Lake Agnes.
Lake Agnes
It took about two hours for us to reach Lake Agnes where we stopped for lunch at the tea house. It was crowed with a long wait for tea, but the views were absolutely stunning.
Some hikers decided to take a cold dip in the lake
After a rest, some lunch and a delicious cup of tea, my husband and a staff member suggested we do “the loop”; a trail that connects the Lake Agnes tea house with the trail to the more remote Plains of the Six Glaciers tea house. Now I was thinking about bears. This Plains Of The Six Glaciers tea house is the lesser traveled of the two (and much farther from civilization). I was thrilled with how much I’d already accomplished but I was already tired. The staff member assured me that the rest of the hike (now a one kilometer hike to the Highline Trail that connects to trails, and then another five kilometers to The Plains of The Six Glaciers tea house) was mostly downhill, as the latter tea house is at a lower elevation. I reluctantly agreed. I still felt daunted by the amount of ground left to cover and slightly concerned if we’d make it back before dark but husband convinced me I could do it.
For the first ten or so minutes we were mostly alone. I started to panic about the possibility of bears and if this trail really would be this quiet all the way to the second tea house. The first set of hikers we ran into on the way to the Highline Trail were less than thrilled when I asked if we could “hike near them” due to my bear fear. They agreed with a certain lack of enthusiasm, assuring me that it was a busy trail, especially at this time of year. They all but guaranteed me I wouldn’t see any bears. 
Within about 20 minutes it became clear that they were right. There were plenty of people on the trail, and in some spots it was so busy, we had to wait for people to pass on the narrow paths before we could go. The hike to the “Six Glaciers” while, not as strenuous at the start, was a long hike. However, I was constantly distracted by the ever changing mountain vistas, valleys and glaciers ahead of us, and how small the Chateau Lake Louise seemed to be getting behind us. There were amazing flowers, stunning rock walls and gorgeous mountain meadows.
Lake Louise and the chateau getting smaller
Headed to the Plains Of The Six Glaciers tea house
The busy trail to the second tea house
As we got closer to our goal, the uphill portion began again and I was starting to tire. We had hikers on their way back from the tea house give us words of encouragement: “keep going!” “You’re almost there!” “Just around the corner!” That last push was really challenging for me. I was breathing pretty hard and a few swear words escaped me. Just as we were about to make the last corner, a loud mechanical whir interrupted the nature sounds as a medical helicopter swooped up from the valley below and up to our destination, just a bit out of sight.
My morbid curiosity peaked (I’ve worked in medicine for nearly a decade now) and finding out what the medical emergency was gave me the energy for the final push. The rumor mill at the tea house was strong and it seemed that a young girl who’d made it up to the top was feeling too unwell to make to 5 km trek back down. Luckily it didn’t seem to be a life threatening emergency, however I imagine it was an expensive helicopter trip…
Mt. Victoria and the Upper Victoria Glacier
Once the excitement subsided I was actually able to take in the INCREDIBLE scenery before me. Towering mountain cliffs that were so high, yet seemed so close. Stunning glaciers, huge moraines and even though there were many people there, still a sense of peaceful isolation being in such a remote place.
The Mitre
We had sandwiches and local tea at the two story, wooden building built in 1924 by Swiss mountain guides. It originally served as a rest stop for climbers on their way to the Abbot Pass. Both the Lake Agnes tea house and the Six Glaciers tea house to this day have no electricity or running water. Supplies are flown in by helicopter in the spring, and additional supplies are packed in (and waste packed back out) by staff. Baked goods are made in wood stoves fresh each day. We learned in chatting with staff members at both tea houses that they usually work a week at a time at the and live and sleep there for the week. At the end of their week they hike out and take supplies down with them. As I recall, even the outhouse waste gets shipped back down the mountain at the end of the season.
Plains Of The Six Glaciers tea house
We explored around the area after our meal and watched across the valley as huge chunks of ice sporadically detached from the mountain sides and caused avalanches below; a delayed, low, rumbling noise that sounded like thunder and explosions in the distance. We didn’t do the additional one kilometer hike from the tea house to the Abott Pass viewpoint as I was concerned about the five kilometers hike back and it was getting a bit later in the day. If you leave time to do this, most people we spoke to recommended the view.
Once of many avalanches we witnessed high up on the glacier
I hoped the hike down would be easier, but alas, the leg muscles you use to walk down (instead of up) were also fatigued by this point. It was at least a change from the uphill climb, and a gradual downhill hike to get back to lake Louise, but my knees were getting pretty wobbly by the time we hit flat ground again.
Lake Louise and the chateau in the distance
I never thought about a bear the entire way back, and again, the scenery was just stunning. We made it back to our car by about five o’clock and had logged 18 kilometers, 29,803 steps and the equivalent of 95 flights of stairs. It was an amazing day and an exhausting one. I was definitely hurting going up and down stairs and getting in and out of the car the next day but I can honestly say it was worth it to get out there and do something that scared me, physically challenged me and allowed me to experience such stunning beauty. The photos could never do this hike the proper justice it deserves. 
I highly recommend you get out there and do one or both of these hikes. If you live in Alberta, go explore our beautiful rocky mountains.If you don’t live here, you really should visit. As usual feel free to comment or ask any questions. Have you done this hike? What did you think? Other hikes to recommend?
Until next time, happy travelling!
Eterno Dia Photography 