Our trip has started very actively and we had no intention of stopping - we can do that when we are old, can't we? This is the third part of my travel blog in which I will share what happened to us on out fourth day in North America.

Day 4

On the fourth day of our trip to the USA, we have decided to go on a little hike and visit the Griffith observatory. We took a bus to the bottom of the hill, on which the observatory is located and began our hike.

The first part of it was walking under amazingly big trees, which gave us shelter from the burning sun. The air was fresh and I had a feeling that this was going to be a great day.

After a couple of hundred meters we arrived to the Griffith park.

The day was quite hot and it came as no surprise that the fire danger was high that day.

After a bit of wondering about where to go, I saw this path upwards with the sign for the observatory. And it was called the Boy Scout Trailhead! I'm a boy scout myself and it has certainly felt like a blessing.

The path was quite steep at the beginning and everything was extremely dry. I would not want to be a plant living there.

A random scene that I caught along the way.

As we were nearing our final destination it became clear, why this is such a popular spot among tourists (and locals). The views are just breathtaking!

Being able to see the city from such perspective gives you an idea about how big it really is. It indeed makes you feel quite small.

One can quickly spot the discrepancy among the social classes. There are bit mansions in the foreground and smaller houses of the middle class in the background.

As we continued our hike, we realised that the observatory is quite close and we caught a glimpse of it.

And I was able to see the Hollywood sign much better this time! It was still smaller than I have first thought it would be, though.

A chopper above LA - a scene that you can see quite often.

In a couple of minutes, we came to the top and saw the majestic observatory in all its beauty.

All the people around the observatory seemed very satisfied and the mood was jovial.

Going around the observatory reveals some awesome spots for viewing the city. It is so big that it is quite hard to comprehend. It continues in every possible direction and you can't possibly get it in one picture. I created a panorama to give you an idea.

A good way to see the city is by using this "viewing machine".

As we were there before the observatory has opened, we had to wait a bit. There were quite a lot of people waiting to get in and we were all excited to see what's inside.

When you enter, you are greeted by this amazing room with an even more amazing ceiling.

Hanging from the ceiling is this huge pendulum. By letting it oscillate freely, we can prove that the Earth is indeed rotating. The pendulum slowly, but surely, describes a pattern that indicates that and does not oscillate in the same line all the time.

Then, there is a bit of a museum, showcasing some instruments and explaining stuff.

They even have a Tesla coil!

This one was my favorite: The periodic table with examples of each element in the corresponding compartments. Mind blowing!

Going downstairs reveals another level of scientific awesomeness.

Even Einstein was there.

After the tour, we got to go to the roof of the observatory.

The morning has ended and we said our goodbyes to the place. I was starving, so we stopped on our way and had a burger in a great little Trucker-stop-style restaurant.

Then, we wanted to finally see the Pacific ocean! We took a bus to Santa Monica and were not expecting much. However, we were amazed!

The streets were so alive and everyone was there, having fun or just walking around an enjoying the sunny day.

As we were walking towards the beach, the excitement was rising to extreme levels...

And there it was: the Pacific ocean and the famous Santa Monica pier!

We had to get there, and get there fast! We crossed the road and walked to the beach.

The beach was amazing. It felt like being in a movie, to be honest.

We had an enjoyable stroll along the coast and arrived to the pier.

The Route 66 ends here - another thing on my bucket list.

The pier itself was quite photogenic and I just had to take a lot of pictures.

The people on it and on the beach were all having a lot of fun.

Then, we left the pier and had a walk along the streets of Santa Monica for one more time. This young performer was very entertaining and was genuinely enjoying all the attention he drew.

After dinner, night fell and it was time to say goodbye to this beautiful city.

It was a day well spent. Both places have left a positive impression on me and would love to visit them again, when I get the chance.

To be continued...

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You can find the previous parts of the series on this links:
Part 1
Part 2

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