Stairway to (exercise) heaven
You could climb Mt. Whitney -- or, like writer Dan Koeppel, get exercise (and more vertical ascent) on a 16.2-mile 'walking tour' of Los Angeles' outdoor stairs. Janet Cromwell reports:
One . . . more . . . step. Almost there. Top of the hill. Don't step on the smashed guavas. Step over the giant philodendron. Ignore the snapping dog.
More than 75 years ago, Laurel and Hardy struggled to maneuver a piano up these 131 Silver Lake steps in the classic comedy "The Music Box," cementing the staircase in cinematic history.
Hauling an oversized load up the oxygen-depleting ascent hasn't gotten any easier, but it's worth the trip.Huff. Puff.
Wheeze a little while sucking a deep breath of eucalyptus into bursting lungs -- and then, there it is: a dazzling string of vintage, eclectic homes at the top of the longest outdoor staircase you've ever scaled.
Where? How? Answers in Janet's full story here.
Photo: Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times
