LA Hikes: Charlie Turner Trail

Looking for a highly acclaimed, scenic, easy, classic Los Angeles hike? Give the Charlie Turner trail, also known as the Mount Hollywood trail, a go. This 3 mile roundtrip hike gives you 360 degree views that include the Hollywood sign, panoramic views of the city of Los Angeles from the beach past downtown, the San Gabriel mountains and of course the sprawling Santa Monica mountain range that you will be climbing. The 650 foot elevation gain takes you high enough to take in breathtaking views without the effort of a strenuous hike.

The hike starts out on a fairly even path and within 5 minutes you're able to take in beautiful views of Los Angeles. This is a popular trail so be prepared to hike with a lot of people.

The Hollywood sign! I'm not sure if this trail will take you all the way to the Hollywood sign, and either were the 5 other people that asked us that question along our way. Take note that the trailheads and trails themselves are not well marked in this area. There were a couple of instances where we didn't know which path to continue on. A lot of people were asking for directions and we saw some people back-tracking after making a wrong turn. Just keep an eye on the path you take so you can take the same one back.

The Griffith Observatory with downtown Los Angeles in the background. Simply stunning.

The San Gabriel Mountains in the distance

About halfway up there is a nice little lookout and resting spot. It's a great spot to take a picture with the Hollywood sign in the background.

Looks like a scene out of a fairy tale, no?

The last little bit of the hike is a steeper climb to the top, where you are rewarded with...

 

...a ridiculous view of Los Angeles. So pretty! It was a little overcast on this day, but that didn't take away from the view and the fresh air at the top. There were about 10 friendly butterflies at the top that would let you get fairly close to them.

I recommend descending back down along the actual trail. There is a shortcut that we saw some people taking both up and down the mountain. You can catch it at the very beginning of the trail right after you cross the bridge. We tried to take this "shortcut" on the way down and I ended up sliding halfway down in a crouched position, grabbing onto what ever I could get my hands on until two girls came up and said they saw a "huge" snake further below. So, we turned around and climbed back up...and then took the actual trail down. You know what they say about short cuts...

How To Get To The Charlie Turner Trailhead

To get to the Charlie Turner trailhead, follow directions that would take you to the Griffith Observatory. You can park in the Griffith Observatory parking lot, but chances are it will be full, so you'll have to park on one of the other side streets and make your way up the hill toward the Observatory. The trailhead starts at the north end of the Observatory parking lot, there is a sign there that says "Mount Hollywood Trail," with "Charlie Turner Trail" in smaller writing beneath it.

This is such a classic Los Angeles hike that will surely delight.

Capri, Italy

Capri was the third city we visited on our Honeymoon through Italy and France. If you missed them, check out my posts on Rome and Sorrento. We savored the relaxing, laid back atmosphere of this beautiful island, it was much needed and appreciated after the first busy five days of our trip. 

How to get to Capri from Sorrento
From Sorrento, we took a hydrafoil over to Capri. It was such a quick and easy commute. The ferry leaves from Marina Piccola, located about 10 minutes by cab from the heart of Sorrento. At Marina Piccola, you can purchase a hydrafoil or ferry ticket for about 18 euro per person. A quick 30 minute boat ride and we were on the magical little island of Capri.

Where to Stay on Capri
While on Capri we stayed at Casa Morgano. I highly recommend this hotel. The property is immaculate and located off the main road. The service was top-notch, they took care of all of our needs and made our stay at their property truly enjoyable and effortless. Our room was spacious and they kindly upgraded us to a room with a patio overlooking the sea. I just loved how Casa Morgano is nestled into the mountainside among the trees, there was always a slight breeze and the sound of birds chirping and calling as they soared overhead. What I loved the most about Capri was sitting on that patio enjoying the fresh sea breeze and listening to the birds and the wind through the trees.

We spent a lot of time on Capri relaxing. We walked around the town, sat in the little town square, the Piazetta (a great place for people watching) and ate at as many restaurants as we could.

Where to Eat
There were three restaurants in particular that left an impression; Il Geranio, Villa Verde and Michel'angelo.

• Il Geranio is a quaint little French restaurant overlooking the Faraglioni. The food here was absolutely delicious being one of the best in terms of quality that I experienced in Italy. 
• Villa Verde came recommended from the staff at Casa Morgano. We were very impressed by the food (local Italian cuisine), service and atmosphere here; I wish we had discovered it earlier in our stay because this is a place I would have dined at more than once. 
• Michel'angelo...I can't say the food was the best here, though it was a lot better than a lot of the little touristy restaurants located in the Piazetta. And while everything is overpriced on Capri, this restaurant was one of the less expensive ones. What made this restaurant stand out was the service. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive making our experience at Michel'angelo very memorable. 

  // The Faraglioni //

// All pics by Nic (except for a few) //

Ciao, Capri! We'll be back soon!

Sorrento, Italy

After spending four wonderful days in Rome, we headed off to Sorrento, a beautiful little town located on the Amalfi coast, overlooking the Bay of Naples.

How to get from Rome to Sorrento: At Rome's Termini Station we took the EuroRail to Naples Centrale Station, it took about an hour and 10 minutes. From there, you take the Circumvesuviana Line from the Piazza Garibaldi station which is very conveniently located downstairs in the Naples Centrale Station. Basically, it's all in the same building, just go downstairs. You can purchase your EuroRail tickets in advance, but you'll have to purchase your ticket for the Circumvesuviana line upon arrival. The train from Napes to Sorrento is a quick 55 minutes and departs once every half hour.

Take a cab to your hotel if you can: According to Google Maps, the walk from the train station to the hotel was only 10 minutes. So we decided to walk to our hotel. Bad idea. I suggest always taking a cab if you can. We got lost, it was almost 80 degrees and the sound of luggage loudly bumping along the cobblestone streets is the worst. It was definitely a buzzkill. Once we arrived at our beautiful hotel, all was right again.

// Breezy track pants and comfy flats make for a great travel outfit // 

 // Mount Vesuvius //

 // Mount Vesuvius //

Trip Advisor is a great resource for hotels and restaurants in Europe: We stayed at the beautiful Grand Hotel La Favorita. I would go back in a heartbeat. The service at the front desk was just ok, but the bar staff and waitstaff were great. The property was immaculate and has a lovely garden that is perfectly manicured. We found Trip Advisor to be very helpful when planning our trip and choosing hotels and restaurants.

// The pool at Grand Hotel La Favorita //

// The view from the pool at Grand Hotel La Favorita //

// The lounge at Grand Hotel La Favorita //

// From the garden at Grand Hotel La Favorita //

After we relaxed a bit, we enjoyed a nice lunch in the heart of the town at Fauno Bar. Sorrento is the birthplace of Limencello, a sweet lemon digestif. At each restaurant in Sorrento and Capri, we were given a small glass of Limoncello after each meal. At Fauno Bar our waiter was the best and knowing it was our six month anniversary, he gave us a couple of extra.

All photos by yours truly and my talented husband, Nic Camp.