Snowstorm? What Snowstorm?

Alright, alright. I am only going to rub this in for a few seconds. I did not see one drop of snow this past week. The reason: I was spending my days in sunny California. Big shoutout to Virgin America for allowing us to leave a day early and avoid the 30+ inches of snow the Lehigh Valley got hammered with. 

Here are a few highlights from the trip:
1. So, as I awoke after a decent nights rest, I tune in to the television and see three violent convicts escaped from prison. I said, "Wow, that's crazy. Where is this prison?" Our host replied, "about 15 minutes away". Fortunately for us, outside of seeing some shady looking character hitchhiking, we did not encounter these three convicts on the run!

2.   Crystal Cove State Park was a beautiful place for a walk along the beach. Don't believe me? Just take a look at the photo below! We took this wonderful trail down towards Laguna Beach. It felt great to get a little Vitamin D under the California sun!
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3.   Hiking the trails at Griffith Park. I have to admit, seeing mountain lion and rattlesnake warnings put me a bit on edge, as did the 1500+ feet of elevation, but once I got over that, it was quite enjoyable. The weather was beautiful. The scenery was amazing and there were no rattlesnake sightings. It was a win for all involved. 

This park is where the Hollywood sign is located. There are a few peaks on this hike and we checked out Mount Chapel, Mount Bell, and Mount Hollywood. If you are ever out there, click here for the hike information!

4.   Visiting Muscle Beach in Venice. This is the birthplace of the bodybuilding movement in the 70s where Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbo became household names. Not only were these guys incredibly successful bodybuilders, but they were also freakishly strong. Venice Beach was a place for more than pumping iron. Alongside the weight area is a place for gymnastics. Ropes, rings, balance beams, pullup bars, etc., this area has it all.

I grew up hearing names like Arnold, Franco, Ferrigno, and Zane. There were posters of some of these guys in the gym that my father created in the basement. To see the place where these legendary men once trained was pretty cool. It was definitely one of my favorite parts of the trip!

Least Favorite Thing about Leaving Town:
COMING HOME TO SHOVELING!

Hope you finish the week strong and have a great weekend!
Chris Fluck

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