Secret Walks #7: Elysian Park's Freeway Flyer, 2.5 miles. 

Back to the city and a hike through 250+ years of L.A. urban history. Barbara and I began at the 1769 Elysian Park site where Don Gaspar de Portola and crew camped above the L.A. River at the start of the Spanish conquest of SoCal. From the park to Solano Avenue, once a good address, now, well not quite, then on to the real meat of our hike—a weird path along the Arroyo Seco Parkway (the 110), the first freeway in Western U.S., circa 1940. With cars and trucks speeding by at 60mph+ on one side and green woods with clues of homeless camps on the other, we walked along the sidewalk, crept through one of the last "subway" tunnels under the 110, climbed through breaks in chainlink fences, and then down a circular staircase at the merging of the Arroyo Seco Parkway and Golden State Freeway (I5). Descending that staircase while facing cars flying from a freeway tunnel was exciting and a bit bizarre. Another staircase—a literal urban graffiti gallery littered with empty spray cans and tops—led us down to San Fernando Rd for a short trek along historic Route 99 (est. 1928). On to Pasadena Ave and finally to North Broadway's classic (1909) Buena Vista Street Viaduct over the L.A. River, with a clear view of contemporary downtown L.A. This hike, with its bridges, tunnels, graffiti, industrial surroundings, and cars blasting by, took me back to childhood adventures on viaduct rails and rickety streetcar bridges above the Milwaukee railroad yards. Daring!