Secret Walks #18, Silver Lake Meadow, 3.2 miles.

The century-spanning water wars of Los Angeles provide more intrigue than a Chandler novel and more politics than...well...now. From 1886 to 1928, the main character in the LA water drama was William Mulholland (of Mulholland Drive fame), the chief engineer of the Bureau of Water Works. Today Barbara and I hiked the circumference of two of his designs, the 4-million square foot Silver Lake and Ivanhoe reservoirs built in 1908. Decommissioned as a public water source and drained in 2008, local controversy still exists (to refill or not to refill?) But politics and droughts aside, you can't beat the serenity of our leisurely, 2.2 mile stroll around the shoreline with stunning hillside homes to our left, water and wildlife on our right, and blue skies peeking through storm clouds in the distance. LADWP and a gang of coyotes control a portion of the east shoreline leading to Silver Lake Meadow, a public area with native grasses and trees. Dogs have their own park at the southern tip of the SL reservoir, and the heavenly-scented eucalyptus grove on the west side is home to a Great Blue Heron Rookery. Nowhere near the reservoirs but a highlight on the hike—the front yard of a house with a huge tree with electrified crystal chandeliers clamped to the boughs. Impossible to photograph, it's at the corner of Silver Lake Blvd. West and Shadowlane Avenue if you're curious. It felt good to hike on city streets again, learning LA from the sidewalk up.