The Great Los Angeles Walk 2008 Happens Tomorrow!

The Great Los Angeles Walk 2008 takes place tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.! For those of you walking, a reminder: You that you should make sure you have a transportation plan in place, so you're not stranded after walking all day!

I've heard from several of you, and it seems like a consensus is brewing that the best option for those of you without anyone picking you up is to PARK IN THE MORNING in Santa Monica, and take the bus all the way to Union Station BEFORE the walk. (That way, your car is waiting for you when it's all done.)

Veteran walker Joni was the first to give this tip:

For those choosing to leave their cars at the end of the walk route (or for those who live in Santa Monica like I do), the Big Blue Bus #10 is a freeway flyer that goes from Santa Monica and 4th (near the Britannia Pub, our after party location) to Downtown's Union Station.

It runs less often than the 704, but it gets there much faster:

http://bigbluebus.com/busroutes/schedule.asp?bus_route=10&dayofweek=saturday.

The 7:17 am bus arrives at 8 am, 7:47 am at 8:30 am, and 8:17 am at 9:03 am; one-way fare is $1.75. (I would strongly suggest taking that 7:17 am bus so you're not late... if you arrive early, you can always have breakfast while waiting for the walk to begin.)

The #10 makes a number of stops along Santa Monica Blvd before it hops on the freeway at bundy, so you don't have to drive all the way to the Promenade to catch it (and you can always catch the big blue #1 to get back to where you left your car from the after-walk party).

GOOD ADVICE, JONI! Thanks.

For those of you who nonetheless decide to park at Union Station, that Big Blue Bus #10 heads back to Union Station from 4th & Santa Monica at 5:44 pm, 6:15 pm, and 7:16 pm (the last trip of the evening), each scheduled to take about 55 minutes.

ESCAPE ROUTE: Along the route, if you're exhausted and want to take the bus either to Santa Monica or Union Station, you've got a couple of bus or rail options (thanks to David for this info):

http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/bus_overview/images/704.pdf
The 704 Metro Rapid line runs eastbound from 2nd & SM Blvd in Santa Monica to Union Station but last Saturday bus leaves at 7:01pm and takes 80 minutes.

http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/bus_overview/images/004.pdf
The #4 regular line runs eastbound every 15-20 minutes from 2nd & SM Blvd in Santa Monica to Metro Rail stations at Vermont and Civic Center downtown. The Red Line subway terminates at Union Station.


I'll be updating mile by mile, as well as when we stop and start, take breaks, etc. at www.twitter.com/greatlawalk.

Here are a few more people who plan to Twitter:

twitter.com/justin_canada
twitter.com/meekorouse
twitter.com/la_oc_foodie
twitter.com/maxually
twitter.com/drtiki
twitter.com/neverlost
twitter.com/anotorias
twitter.com/nay63
twitter.com/melanieo
twitter.com/zentertainment
twitter.com/jc_losangeles
twitter.com/Carolineoncrack
twitter.com/wildbell


If you plan to, let me know, so I can compile a master list.

Meanwhile, we'll see you on Saturday! The crowd will be gathering in the courtyard outside (on the right of the main hall, if you're facing the entrance) of Union Station. We'll then head through Olvera Street and make our way to Cesar Chavez... and we're off!

Two Days Until the Great Los Angeles Walk 2008!

We're just two days away from our annual urban hike! If you haven't yet, please take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions, located here.

A few notes:

-- Several of you have inquired about transportation back to Union Station. Unfortunately, we didn't get enough interest early on in renting a bus, so everyone's pretty much on their own to find a way back home -- either via the Metro Rapid bus (which heads back to Union Station straight back on Santa Monica Blvd.) or via a friend or family member. Here's a piece of advice: Last year, several walkers parked in Santa Monica at around 7 a.m. and then took the bus EAST in order to get to the starting line. Traffic's light that time of morning, so the bus ride is relatively quick. And that way, when you arrive in Santa Monica, your car is waiting for you.

-- The Great Los Angeles Walk is open to everyone, and people can do as much or as little walking as they want, at the pace they choose. If you're interested in joining along the way, you can keep up with our progress via Twitter. I'll be updating, and I'm sure others will be too. Be sure to check updates throughout the day at

www.twitter.com/greatlawalk.

I'll be updating our progress at every mile. ALSO, if you're on the walk, you'll be able to keep up with where everyone is (just in case you fall behind, or somehow pace far ahead of us). You'll especially want to keep track of when we're stopping for lunch, etc.

BTW, if you plan on Twittering the walk, let me know -- I'll include your Twitter address in our final email, so others can follow your progress as well.

-- We'll be making a handful of stops on the walk: Once at the intersection of Santa Monica and Sunset, once in West Hollywood for lunch, and potentially a few others. That way we'll be able to bunch back up and eventually arrive at the end of the walk as close together as possible.

-- Speaking of lunch: When we do break, walkers will choose where they want to eat on their own (we'll make sure to break close to several eating options, at the west end of West Hollywood). We'll break for at least an hour, then pick up the walk where we left off.

-- In case you haven't seen, the afterparty will be held at Britannia Pub in Santa Monica. They're expecting us around 6 p.m.

-- Don't forget the basics: Water, sunglasses, hats, sunscreen, cell phone, and of course, a camera to document your walk! If you don't have a Great LA Walk T-shirt, no worries; but try to wear a white T-shirt -- if we're all in white shirts, it will more easily identify us.

Any more questions, feel free to email. We'll see you Saturday morning at 9!

Great Los Angeles Walk's Afterparty to Be Held At Santa Monica's Britannia Pub

(Pic via the Los Angeles Times.)

Thanks to the fine people at Yelp, we've found a spot to celebrate on Saturday!

After our 18 mile hike down Santa Monica Blvd. (and more), we'll be heading over to Britannia Pub for our afterparty.

We'll probably make it to the ocean by 6 p.m., and then we'll head to the Britannia, where we've reserved the upper floor.

See you all on Saturday!

Great Los Angeles 2008 FAQ

Last chance to get your Great Los Angeles Walk T-shirt in order to wear it while hiking on Nov. 22! Several different T-shirt styles available, all with the cool logo designed by Maria. We're not making a dime off these things; the prices you see are exactly what Cafe Press charges. Check out our Cafe Press site to order.

Now, the Walk FAQ:

1. WHEN/WHERE? Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008 -- the Saturday before Thanksgiving. We're meeting at Union Station; people will start to gather in the front of the historic train station in the 8 a.m. hour. Just look for the crowd of people who look like they're about to embark on an urban hike. We leave at 9 a.m. sharp.

2. WHO? We're expecting over 100 hikers this year. We're still taking RSVPs at franklin_avenue(at)yahoo(dot)com... but we'll take anyone who shows up too!

3. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? C'mon, it's completely free! But you're on your own when it comes to lunch, dinner, water, etc. So don't forget to plan accordingly.

4. WHAT'S THE PATH? From Union Station, we'll hike down Cesar Chavez, which turns into Sunset. Near Sunset Junction, we'll switch over to Santa Monica Blvd. After that, it's Santa Monica all the way to the ocean.

5. WHAT IF I CAN'T GET THERE THAT EARLY, OR DON'T WANT TO START THAT FAR EAST? Just wait for us somewhere on the path and join in once we pass by. Several hikers will likely be Twittering as well; if you're interested in sending Tweets throughout the day, let us know.

6. HOW LONG IS THE HIKE? 18 miles. That's two miles more than last year's; but we're also hiking down a much more lively (and, dare I say, pedestrian-friendly) route this year.

7. WHEN WILL WE GET TO THE END? With so many hikers, people will eventually start to space out. Faster walkers will get to the end sometime after 5; others will get there closer to 6. We'll stop midway for lunch, likely in West Hollywood.

8. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WALK IS DONE? We'll take a group photo at the ocean... and then celebrate at Britannia Pub in Santa Monica. The fine folks at Yelp are helping us throw the party; you'll want to at least stop by for a special souvenir that's being planned.

9. HOW DO I GET HOME? Last year, we arranged for a bus to take stranded walkers back downtown -- but didn't get enough takers. We'll throw it out again this year: The bus costs $300 -- and we need to hear from enough people to make it worthwhile (and make sense cost-wise). I figure we'd need at least 10 people (at $30 a pop) to make it reasonable. If you want to join in, email franklin_avenue(at)yahoo(dot)com by Friday.

But as Great Los Angeles Walk vet Will Campbell notes, MTA's No. 704 line runs regularly from 2nd and Santa Monica Blvd all the way to Vignes and Cesar Chavez beside Union Station. That obviously would be a lot cheaper... and would also make your return a little more flexible (allowing you the chance to stay longer at the after party).

10. WHAT SHOULD I WEAR/BRING? Loose, comfy clothing. I'd wear shorts, a t-shirt and then bring a jacket -- it gets chilly in Santa Monica. Also, tennis shoes... sunglasses... a hat... sunscreen... extra socks... a blister kit (optional, of course -- I haven't brought one, although Band-Aids are a good idea)... and most importantly, a camera! We'll all be documenting it and posting pics later.

11. HOW SHOULD I TRAIN FOR THIS? It's not a marathon, so training isn't really necessary. I suppose you should walk around your neighborhood in the days before hand... but I'd avoid any big gym routine the day before, so you're not sore the day you're hiking. But other than that... I didn't train at all for the last two walks, and came out just fine.

12. WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? Why not? There's no special reason, no charity, no protest, no issue we're promoting -- other than a passion for Los Angeles. In 2006, I organized our walk down Wilshire to mark my 10th anniversary in Los Angeles. But it was so much fun, and it was a chance to meet so many new people, that we did it again last year, down Pico. It's the Saturday before Thanksgiving as well, so somehow I don't feel as bad gorging on sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie a few days later. And hey, it'll be a cool conversation piece at your holiday party.

Update: Shirts, Facebook and Lunch/Afterparty Recommendations

The response has been great so far -- I'm expecting the biggest turn out yet for our third annual Great Los Angeles Walk. There's still plenty of time to join in -- just email us to let us know you're coming!

To answer the two most frequently asked questions: Is it free? Of course. And is this a fundraiser of some sorts? Nope. The only cause here is "just 'cause." We walk because we love Los Angeles, and there's no better way to see the city up close than on foot, along with other fellow Angelenos.

Now, two notes:

-- Time's running out to order a shirt, if you want to wear it during the walk. According to Cafe Press, it takes 7-9 business days for the shirts to arrive via the cheapest shipping method. Check out our Franklin Avenue Cafe Press store to order. Again, we don't make any money off these; as a matter of fact, we're doing this through Cafe Press so that we don't have to deal with money, period.

-- Our Facebook event page is up. Feel free to head over there and join the list.

-- We're taking recommendations (or even better, looking for eateries that might be willing to partner with us) on where to hold the after party in Santa Monica, and where to gather for lunch in West Hollywood. Suggestions? Email or comment below.

THE GREAT LOS ANGELES WALK: Hike Santa Monica Blvd. With Us on Nov. 22

It's official: For our third annual Great Los Angeles Walk, we'll be pounding the pavement from Union Station to the ocean.

All told, that's 18.3 miles -- including portions of Cesar Chavez and Sunset, before marching down Santa Monica Blvd. in its entirety.

This year's Great Los Angeles Walk takes place on Saturday, Nov. 22 -- we'll meet at Union Station and leave at 9 a.m. sharp. We'll spend the day walking, before celebrating over food and drink in Santa Monica. (Details for the after party still to come.)


In 2006, we walked the length of Wilshire Boulevard. Last year, we walked -- and ate -- our way through Pico Boulevard.

This time out, we're sticking with our downtown-to-the-ocean theme (that ocean breeze helps pick us up in the afternoon as we inch closer to the water), and sticking with the Saturday before Thanksgiving (there's something about walking this much a few days before stuffing your face that makes you feel better about that Thanksgiving gluttony).

This time out, Sunset and Santa Monica promise plenty of interesting sights -- and we'll even hop off the path once or twice to check out sights like the Angelino Heights Victorians.

Santa Monica Blvd. also cuts through four cities -- L.A., West Hollywood, Beverly Hills (then L.A. again) and Santa Monica.



Above, in a pic from Will Campbell, Great Los Angeles Walkers kick things off at the start of the 2007 walk.

Wanna take part? Simply email us at franklin_avenue@yahoo.com. Leave us your name and email address... and we'll keep you informed of details.

Meanwhile, we've already got several different Great Los Angeles Walk 2008 shirts ready for purchase via Cafe Press. (We don't make a dime on these, we only uploaded the image just in case you wanna show off your feat.) Check out our Franklin Avenue shop here. You've got a week or so to order if you want to wear the shirt to the walk.

SAVE THE DATE: The Great Los Angeles Walk 2008 Is Saturday, November 22

I'm starting to hear from a lot of you, wondering if the Great Los Angeles Walk will return for a third year. The answer, of course, is YES.

As usual, we're throwing it the Saturday before Thanksgiving -- it's a great way to get some exercise in before gorging on turkey or other fixings the next week -- so clear the day now. It's Saturday, November 22, 2009.

We're still hammering out which street to hike this year, following up on Wilshire (year one) and Pico (year two). But like past years, it will be an all-day event, leading to an afterparty at (or near) the beach.

Stay tuned for details!