After more than eight years of living in Los Angeles I dread nothing more than the unavoidable Hollywood-trip with visitors to the most famous sidewalk of the world and a nice view to the most famous sign of the world. Even though I try to prepare my guests for the imminent let-down these trips are destined to end in huge disappointment about the lack of glamour and the absence of movie stars.

So I was very happy to find a way to join excitement, exercise and the desired close-up with the most famous hallmark of our city. Working on a story about the fight of Hollywoodland residents against smoking tourists who clog their streets, block their drive ways and hit the breaks in the middle of narrow turns in their picturesque neighborhood only to get a picture with the HOLLYWOOD sign I learned about a great hike that takes you within arm’s length of the legendary white letters on top of the hill.

If you like excitement talk to one of the angry neighbors on your way up. “I’ve lived in my house for over fifty years and I am sick and tired of hearing - ‚oh you shouldn’t have moved there! You knew the sign was up.’ The sign was a wreck and we hoped it would stay that way!“ shouted the otherwise amicable looking Henry Pinczower at a city council meeting and his neighbor Sarajane Schwartz painted a grim picture of smoking tourists causing major brushfires and other kinds of life threatening emergencies.

I did not meet any of these furious residents on my hike but instead was welcomed with helpful advice on how to get up to the sign in the blistering midday heat. You need sunscreen, a hat and lots of water as the path can get quite steep and there is no shade. My bottle was almost empty when I saw the white letters within my grasp, maybe twenty feet away. They were higher than I expected and somehow less impressive. Maybe because they were surrounded by dry scrub or because I could only see them from behind and felt like being in a high security zone with cameras zooming in on me and barbed wire blocking me from touching the sign. There was even a police helicopter circling above - which made for great radio-sound. 

From a backyard between the nice houses in the hills down below different bright white letters were glistening in the sun: GO AWAY TOURISTS was the unapologetic message I ignored with my last sips of water and a great view across the city.

I might not take the next visitors to the Walk of Fame but I will  show them my new favorite Hollywood close-up!