#26: Drive all of Mulholland Drive

This weekend I found myself in Malibu, needing to go to North Hollywood. I could have driven down PCH to the 10 East to the 405 North for a rather bland commute, but instead realized that the most glorious 50-mile stretch of road in all Los Angeles would directly connect the two places. Mulholland Drive. Bingo.

Literally minutes into my drive, I found out that Mulholland isn't just famous because of the movie named after it, but because it's also pretty much the MOST FUN road to drive on. Ever. It runs all the way from the middle of the Malibu mountains, to the Cahuenga pass in Hollywood. Driving from Malibu (where it's actually called Mulholland Highway) was exhilarating, literally everything you could want in a drive. It was windy, steep, and had the most fantastic vistas, not to mention it was well-paved and easily marked. I passed several groups of motorcyclists and saw plenty of flashy sports cars - obviously this stretch of road is well known to motor enthusiasts. I felt slightly inadequate in my little Ford Focus, but knowing that most of those sports cars were probably automatics (classic LA) made me feel a little better. Speeding up and downshifting for the tight turns was exhilarating, and the views (which I tried my best to enjoy while still paying close attention to the road) were some of the best I had ever seen. And I don't just mean of Los Angeles, I mean of anywhere. Add in the fact that the weather was absolutely perfect (also classic LA) and Ronny had just made me a new mix to blast, and I had the most wonderful time.

The drive started with mountain and ravine views, then led through some exclusive-looking, incredibly wealthy neighborhoods. It kept winding around for about 10 more miles, with mostly vegetation and mountain views, then it became a neighborhood street, and then it became a dirt road. Hmm. I figured I could handle a few miles of dirt road, but it wasn't until mile 2 when I saw the "fire and emergency vehicles only" sign. Oops. Apparently that stretch of Mulholland is for hikers and mountain bikers only. Luckily no one had seen me and I escaped un-embarassed (admitting it here kind of defeats the purpose of escaping un-embarassed, but oh well). I backtracked up to Ventura Blvd for about 7 miles, then caught Mulholland Drive as it started again in Encino.

Once I was on Mulholland again, the road became a bit narrower and more crowded (read: Priuses everywhere, going 20mph. They plague Los Angeles). This stretch of road actually runs along the ridge of the Santa Monica mountains, which splits LA from the San Fernando valley, and at every turn there are amazing city views. On my left was the valley with views of Burbank, North Hollywood and Universal City, and then as soon as I would turn a corner, I would see Hollywood and the downtown skyline on my right. Also along this stretch you can smell the pine and eucalyptus trees, which shocked me. You would hardly think you were in the city, and then turn a corner and bam! The skyline.

There were plenty of vista points where I could have stopped to take pictures, but I promised myself I would just focus on the driving, and enjoy the experience (this was probably best for everyone else on the road, too). Plus, no pictures could do the views justice.

I read on Wikipedia that the Mulholland Highway was built "to take Angelenos from the city to the ocean." But you know that cliche saying that "life is about the journey, not the destination"? That's exactly how I feel about Mulholland Highway. It's not about getting from one place to another, but enjoying the experience while you're driving on it. I was expecting the drive to be fun, but I really had no idea how spectacular it would be. Especially since this activity is completely free, I highly recommend the drive. Just as long as, if you want to go slow, you pull over for the cars behind you to pass! Stupid Priuses.

A road sign towards the very end of the road near North Hollywood.

The entire stretch of road, from start to finish! This does no justice to the amount of twists and turns.