Destination L.A. : Griffith Observatory / Hollywood Sign Adventure - Day 5 Travel Blog

In front of the Griffith Observatory

"Mesmerizing" is the word I would use to describe the California sunset. In that particular afternoon, as I stood on top of Griffith Observatory, situated on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood, watching the sunset slowly turned into shades of pastel pink with a mixture of blue and orange. It was as if the entire sky was a canvas for the great artist that is Mother Nature. Gradually the fuchsia and coral hues in the sky became blood orange with a tint of crimson before the night finally set in, and now the sky is in pure indigo blue. Little did everyone know the fun part had only just begun......

Today, allow me to take you on an inspiring journey as I share my traveling experience with the one and only Griffith Observatory.

The Hollywood Sign view from Griffith Observatory

The first time I visited LA, I totally missed out on the opportunity to go to Griffith Observatory. To be completely honest I didn't think it would be much fun and exciting. What's so special about a boring observatory, anyway? Little did I know I couldn't be more wrong. Now my second chance has arrived and I can tell you that Griffith Observatory is one of my best experiences in the city of angels. You can spend your entire day inside the observatory and see all their current exhibition, get a good look at the Hollywood sign and the Los Angeles city view outside, or like many others, wait and watch the breath-taking and ever-so-famous California sunset outside.

• Directions - How to get there? My tips and advice

Street view of  Vermont / Sunset Station Metro Red Line

Now how exactly to get to Griffith Observatory? If you are driving, you can easily just type in the address and let GPS do its magic. But if you're like me who doesn't have a driver license, no worries! I am here to show you what public transport I took to get to the Observatory and you can use this time to get familiar with the city!

I lived in Hollywood/Highland area. So easy enough, you can simply take the Metro Red Line to Vermont / Sunset Station. When you are there you should be able to catch the DASH Observatory Shuttle all the way to Griffith Observatory. Now do keep in mind that the DASH Observatory shuttle is only in service during the weekend. If you plan on visiting the Observatory during weekdays this info might not be as helpful but I thought I would let you guys know since it is a super convenient way to get around using the DASH bus service.

DASH observatory shuttle sign

DASH offers many different shuttles that can pretty much take you to anywhere you wish to go in LA such as Hollywood, DTLA and Studio City. It's really quite convenient, you just gotta check out when the shuttles are in service. I will link the DASH shuttle bus info right here: DASH shuttle service website.

Griffith Observatory Map

Directions:
Griffith Observatory
2800 East Observatory Road
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(213) 473-0800

Use the Griffith Observatory map on the right to help you with directions.

See the Griffith Observatory website for more detailed information on directions, opening hours and more!

• Griffith Observatory, we are here!

Mount Hollywood and the Hollywood Sign

Overlooking the City

West Terrace, Griffith Observatory

I arrived at Griffith Observatory at around 4pm in the afternoon, just in time to witness the sunset, look around, explore, take pictures and stuff. Everything surrounding the observatory takes my breath away. Whether it's the clear view of Mount Hollywood, the LA city view or the wide-opened lawn in front of the Observatory. All of it is so picturesque. And not to mention the observatory architect itself. On the visitor's guide, it describes the style of the architect is under the architectural influence of Art Deco, Moderne, Greek Revival and Beaux Arts.

The only downside of my visit was that there wasn't enough time for me to actually see their current exhibitions. The observatory is so big and I had to catch the sunset before it disappeared. If there's a next time, I would definitely advise everyone to save the entire day just to spend it at Griffith Observatory. In my case, it was due to the fact that I actually went to the Warner Bros Studio on the same day before going to the observatory.

The west terrace of Griffith Observatory

• The Sunset & Los Angeles city view at night

Watching the sunset upon Griffith Observatory is an experience beyond special. To the local residents of California, it might not seem to be that big of a deal. Sunrise, sunset. It's just another daily routine. But for the travelers, it's beyond any words could describe. It's just like the northern lights, you don't get to see such magnificent work of art created by Mother Nature in some other countries or continent. There's just something so beautiful and memorable about a bunch of people from all over the world gathered here, at Griffith Observatory, watching the sunset altogether. Everyone was speaking in different languages, either taking pictures, recording or simply just trying to enjoy this moment. And when the night finally set in, all of the problems and whatever negative emotions we had seemed to just disappear. and what was left was just pure silence, tranquility, and happiness.

Los Angeles night view from Griffith Observatory

 Taking photos of the LA city view

When the sky became pitch-black, the city of Los Angeles seems to come alive. The blinding lights and neon shop signs took over this town. When looking down from Griffith Observatory, it was as if the streets of LA is built by a billion stars. Each one shining so bright, much like the residents of this city - vibrant, vigorous and determined. It is truly one of those things that you have to see it to believe it. In that very moment, it sort of put me into the perspective of how big this world is and how little we all are. The things that usually bother us seem so trivial and insignificant.

.....And yeah! That pretty much concluded my entire experience to Griffith Observatory. I strongly recommend you pay a visit there once in your lifetime. I hope this helped those who are planning a trip to LA. If you currently don't have a travel plan, I hope this blog post and the aesthetically pleasing photos that came with it have entertained or inspired you in some ways. Please look forward to my next LA travel journal! Until then, stay beautiful!

LA City lights