my distant husband: Hollywood. Sign.

Early. Early. Liz and I woke early in the morning, knowing we had a hike to take. A hike to the famous HOLLYWOOD sign.

The majority of visitors simply want to climb a small hill to get a view of the sign, then use a zoom lens to capture the memory forever, to share with friends and family.

Liz and I came prepared to walk. Comfortable workout gear and cushioned athletic shoes; plus a backpack full of water bottles. Let the hike begin!

What an awesome feeling being part of the serenity of the Hollywood Hills. No voices. No shouts of amazement. Just us, walking. Walking up towards our destination.

As we rounded a curve, I remembered from our last trek here that I had seen some hikers veer off the main road, onto a beaten path, climbing along a ridge of rising land. "Let's take a different route. Really hike our way to the top," I said to Liz. With an 'Are you sure?' smirk she followed me up a slim, cut into the mountain, trail.

Eventually, the trail came to an end, joining the paved road.

All we had to do was walk, maybe half of a mile, to the fenced in no one is allowed beyond this point HOLLYWOOD sign

Liz and I paid little attention to the Tourists Go Away sign that someone in the neighborhood below painted in the dirt. It is meant for real tourists, not us. We consider ourselves locals; I mean, seriously, we only live about 40 minutes down the busy, congested freeway.

As we headed back down the paved road, Liz and I stopped for a moment to enjoy the breathtaking view.

Down we continued, at some point leaving the paved road; pacing our steps as we descended a dirt and gravel people only walkway.

Liz said she wanted to take the Hollywood sign home with her; being the good mother that I am I told her to put it back, that she shouldn't deprive others of a well-known must see creation.