Diana Nyad Helps Open The Great Los Angeles Walk -- Watch

Thanks to Diana Nyad for helping us kick off this year's The Great Los Angeles Walk with some very kind words. Check out the website for her new initiative, Ever Walk, here.

The Great Los Angeles Walk 2017 Recap: 17 Miles Of Exploration, As We Explored Beverly Boulevard and Much More

Beverly, you're beautiful!

The Great Los Angeles Walk hit Beverly Boulevard for its 12th edition, and hundreds of passionate Angelenos -- fueled by love of city and community and eager to walk across the city -- hiked from downtown's Japanese American National Museum (in Little Tokyo) to the ocean on Saturday, Nov. 18.

Together, we kicked things off in the morning with a welcome from the museum's CEO, Ann Burroughs, who noted that we were standing on historic ground — the spot where hundreds of Japanese Americans were rounded up and sent to internment camps, during a dark moment in United States history. (Given the events of the past year, it was worth a reflection on the dangers of losing democracy.) Then, back for another year, author and legendary endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, who brought along members from her organization, EverWalk, gave the crowd a pep talk and reminded everyone why it's so important to explore the world on foot.

From there, the crowd walked past the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA and the west on Temple, navigating around a completely separate downtown walk that had been organized by the United Way. We passed the Music Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall, then headed west of downtown, through Historic Filipinotown. As 1st Street turned into Beverly, we navigated the bridge next to the Bob Baker Marionette Theatre, then made our way to Valerie Confections for morning pastries (although no hot chocolate as had been promised!). Then it was on to East Hollywood; Koreatown; Larchmont; Hancock Park; La Brea; Fairfax; and Beverly Hills. After a lunch stop at Bristol Farms in Beverly Hills (the old Chasen's Restaurant!), we turned down Santa Monica Boulevard. In Beverly Hills, we encountered loads of construction — forcing us to take a detour through a nearby alley, which proved to be serendipitous as we saw some truly interesting and (in the case of one Gaudi-inspired building) unconventional homes. As we marched toward Santa Monica, we felt the cool ocean breeze, and then celebrated at the Santa Monica outpost of Plan Check.

All told, it was more than 17 miles, and nearly 50,000 steps.

Here are some highlights from the day:

Selfies before the walk

Just part of the crowd at the Japanese American National Museum

CEO Ann Burroughs speaks

And they're off!

"Go For Broke" monument

Marching uphill on Temple

At the music center

On Hope Street, next to the DWP

More, passing the DWP building

Disney Hall!

Heading down 1st

Tricky bridge where 1st turns into Beverly. Some went up, some went left, some went right.

Bob Baker Marionette Theater

L.A. mural

Historic Filipinotown mural

Jeepney

Original Tommy's

Above and below: Murals near the Gabba Gallery

Snack break at Valerie Confections

Still can't figure out what this means.

Walkers, as seen from a Hancock Park garage sale

Active Coyotes in Area

Larchmont

New Beverly Cinema

El Coyote

Message on Beverly

Pan Pacific Park

CBS Television City

Doggie daycare

They're installing this ugly metallic frame on the Beverly Center

Sideshow Bob tree

Bristol Farms Beverly Hills

Formerly Chasen's

Chasen's booth

Beverly Hills

Intriguing, Gaudi-inspired home

Slow down for Walkers!

So true.

Ube donuts!

Santa Monica celebrates

Just some of the finishers at the end! (Others were already at Plan Check, while some hadn't made it yet)

Thanks again to Diana Nyad (above, at the end point in Santa Monica.) Send us links to your photos! And we'll add some roundups below.

Great LA Walk Photos by David Rock Tanaka

See you next year -- Saturday, November 17, 2018, for lucky walk #13!