I had it all planned out. I assembled the perfect blood moon charcuterie and paired it with a nice bottle of red. We left the house early since it was a FREE night at Griffith Park Observatory, promising to be the best star party in all of LA featuring the super blood moon. Telescopes were being provided for public use and the LA Phil’s pianist was set to play Beethoven sonatas to boot! 

We knew we were doomed when my car started to slow down to a near stop on the main parkway to the observatory. Too many cars and the lunar eclipse was fast approaching. The park ranger controlling the traffic shared, “If it were me, I wouldn’t drive any further.”  We quickly and disappointedly began to brainstorm where to go. My boyfriend reminded me that I had the keys to Audubon Center at Debs Park. We found a way out of the Hollywood Hills without much trouble and made it over to Debs within 15 minutes. There, we found other super moon enthusiasts hiking up the steep hills to the highest points to catch a glimpse! No one was in our way and we were determined to go higher and further east.  

By 7 pm, we started to see the earth’s shadow appear on the moon through a cloudy sky. As we settled into our spot I could finally focus. I could see and hear trains, car horns and engines revving. I was hearing a new rendition of the moonlight sonata. The best sounds were laughter and “ooooohs and awwwwwws” from the people sitting in between coastal sagebrush, on coast live oaks, and blankets along the trails. The whole evening reminded me of how special this place is for people and wildlife. Later that evening, on our way home, I reflected that we were like the animals living in and around LA. I felt crowded out of Griffith Park and sought refuge in Debs Park. This refuge turned into an outdoor amphitheater last Sunday night and I was so content that my plans had changed last minute. 

Next day, the Los Angeles Times reported that the views from Griffith Park were not as good as all the hype and traffic was jammed for hours.