California Dreamin' Continued: Hike to the Hollywood Sign

This dream trip had just turned into a turbo-powered dream. Meeting all the contestants from American Idol as an added plus but we didn't forget our original goal insight, to hike the Hollywood hill.   I did some research before we came on our trip to see exactly how to get there and what the distance of the hike was.  From the blogs I read, the hike was only about a mile each way. We knew the hikes at The Biggest Loser Resort, Fitness Ridge were going to much more extensive than that so we needed to do a little more.

When arriving close to the Hollywood Sign we parked in a neighborhood a half a mile away from the entrance so we could add another mile round trip to the hike, making it 3 mile hike.  We felt good about that amount of distance and knew it was going to be challenging since it was already 2pm and in high temperatures.  We grabbed our water bottles, our phones so we could take pictures and use the Cardio App and headed up this neighborhood (which was up hill).

As we hiked, the views were breathe taking!  I had really missed beautiful scenic views like this (having moved from scenic Utah to desert Arizona 2 yrs prior) I kept just looking at how gorgeous it was! 

Joni, who is ALWAYS willing to push her body to the next level (and also has a death wish) decided about a mile into the hike that she was going to try some running up the straight mountain...I went ahead and let her!!

Yes, I did say a mile into it.  That's right.  From where we started the hike, we would end up having a 6 mile round trip Hollywood Sign experience.  We were hot, and exhausted.  (Maybe we shouldn't have splurged in that Tommy Burger before hitting the hills)

My calves were burning on fire when we arrived to our destination, the Hollywood sign, but my soul was singing!  I was so proud to have done it!  To have crossed something off my bucket list.  To be  on a hike with my Battle Buddy and start this continued journey in California together!  It was an AWESOME feeling, a high like I rarely feel!

I don't know how many of my readers are hikers, but for me the worst part of the hike on my body is the DOWNHILL.  Seriously I feel it uses every ounce of your body to go down...ouchy mama!

We had such an awesome day together!  It was a blast to enjoy the hype of American Idol and the Hollywood sign together.  So thankful for this prize and blessing I had been given. 

On our way back to a friends to sleep that night, we found our most FAVORITE BARGAIN STORE from AZ in California, and it was a SUPER CENTER!!  Let's just say as sweaty and nasty as were were, we had fun shopping :)

In life it always makes it brighter when you have someone that "understands" the pains you have felt, the challenges you have undergone, the things you have missed out on in life to such a degree that they can finish your sentences.  I have people in my life that have been this for me, Joni is one of them.  Having her on this journey with me, even when normally she is a WHOLE state away, just makes it all that more comforting!  We may have our ups and downs through this journey with the scale, but knowing that someone has been there, that they have your back and won't let you fall to off that saddle, make the journey even more rewarding!

Tomorrow will be an UP day for sure!  We get to go to lunch with the VP's at Wholly Guacamole, go to the finale and after party, and Jen and Ghetto are flying in to join us at the after party as well as do some more fun things in California with us for the rest of the week!  Can it get any better than that?! Not for tomorrow at least! I will enjoy every last second!