Like I mentioned in my Playboy Mansion post, in college my friends and I were obsessed with The Girls Next Door. So you better believe I saw the episode where Holly, Bridget and Kendra went horseback riding with some friends up on the ridge of Mt. Hollywood. A simple google search told me that the horse stable in the Hollywood Hills is called Sunset Ranch. A few months of coordination later (my friends are really busy), Marsha, Nicole and I made the trek up Beechwood Dr to the stables.
I had been looking forward to this outing for a few months and had pretty high expectations. I am happy to say that it exceeded all of my expectations, and is something I would highly recommend to locals and tourists alike. The views are amazing, the guides were super nice (both were aspiring actresses who grew up on ranches) and informative, and you get to see a part of Los Angeles that most people never get to see. Griffith Park continues to amaze me and I can't wait to explore another part of it soon (perhaps the LA Zoo?).
If you do decide to take a horseback tour from Sunset Ranch, go in the morning before it gets too hot. You will be sweating like crazy on your ride because you have to wear a helmet, and the horses struggle with the heat too. Wear long pants, because there's nothing grosser than having your legs covered in horse hair and sweat (eewww). Spend $15 extra dollars and do the 2-hour ride instead of just the 1-hour ride. For $30 you get to walk on some paved paths and see bits of downtown, but for $45 you get twice as much time, and get to go all the way up to the top of Mt. Hollywood. You get unparalleled vistas of downtown, the valley, the Griffith Observatory, and the interior of Griffith Park itself. It was well worth the extra time and money. Yet another bucket list item that lived up to the hype and did NOT disappoint!
This is as far as you can go by car up Beechwood Dr. To the right is the Hollywood Sign hike, and a short (yet steep) walk to the left is Sunset Ranch.
Me, Marsha and Nicole geared up in our helmets and waiting to get our horses.
Me with my horse Malcolm and an incredible view.
Marsha with her ironically-named, very large horse Tiny.
Nicole on her horse Kennedy. They named him that because they say he only likes to be ridden by women... hahaha
Walking "nose to tail" on the Old Mulholland Highway.
With views like this, we almost forgot we were actually in the city.
I always claim that "there is no smog in LA.. it's just fog." Unfortunately, this picture proves me very, very wrong :(
Looking down at the Griffith Observatory
A bonding moment with Malcolm, after the ride and a much-needed water break for both of us!
Good times Suz! Glad you ladies had fun!
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