"Classic Wilshire Walk" goes virtual for its 25th year

Getting cabin fever? Why not go on the "Classic Wilshire Walk"? For its 25th year, organizers have decided to go virtual, but with safety and public health policies in mind..

 

That means you can do all 16 miles at your own pace. Complete it in one day and you'll get a certificate. Pick your day, between 11/14 and 12/31. Details below.

 

Sierra Club Angeles Chapter has hosted this annual November walk for more than 25 years. The pandemic and Club policies bar us from meeting in person but we invite you to walk the walk.  Wilderness Adventures will award a certificate to anyone who completes the entire 16 miles.

 

This vintage postcard from 1941 features General Douglas MacArthur Park showing Wilshire Boulevard and the Westlake shopping district.

• It's still 16 miles on city streets from L.A. to Santa Monica, but we can't gather in a group. Instead, grab a member of your household or "pod" if you want company and support. L.A. County asks everyone to limit outdoor gatherings. Please see the latest LA County restrictions..
•  We challenge you IN ONE DAY to complete 16 miles from 1 Wilshire Boulevard to the Santa Monica statue on Ocean Boulevard in Santa Monica. You really can't get lost on this route -- just stay on Wilshire the whole way. Qualifying walks must happen between Nov. 14 and December 31, 2020.
• Bring a backpack with water, snacks, sunscreen, layered clothing and face covering. Remember to wear your mask and social distance from others you pass on the street.
• Check in with Wilderness Adventure Section Facebook page for tips on all the historical things you can see along the way. Post your photos and/or videos there to show you completed the course in a day. Send us your name and address, and we'll send you a Wilshire Walker 2020 certificate.
• Email the leaders for inspiration, tips on where to take breaks, how long it should take and any other questions you may have. Join a Wilshire Walk Zoom call for more information. 

 

The Wilshire Walk will be featured in THE WILD, an outdoors newsletter by Mary Forgione for the LA TIMES that comes out every Thursday. 

 

Questions? Email the leaders.

 

Los Angeles magazine recently declared Wilshire Walk as one of the top 10 walks in L.A. Some of the sites you'll see: MacArthur Park and nearby early 20th century luxury apartments. The onetime Bullocks Wilshire, a turquoise zig-zag moderne building. The La Brea Tar Pits. LACMA's "Levitated Mass" sculpture. "Urban Light" sculpture by Chris Burden at LACMA, and pieces of the Berlin Wall. Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Santa Monica statue in Santa Monica.

 

Here's how the L.A. Conservancy describes one of L.A.'s iconic boulevards: "It crosses three cities, includes the most dense and ethnically diverse neighborhoods in Los Angeles, reflects nearly every major architectural style of the twentieth century, and embodies the role of the automobile in the growth of Southern California." Join us!

 

Leaders: Mary Forgione, Joan Schipper, Jane Simpson

 

Contact information: Mary: hiker.mary@gmail.com (562) 618-1129 Jane: outdoorjsimpson@gmail.com (310) 994-1989

 

Bring: A backpack with water, snacks, sunscreen, layered clothing and face covering. Remember to wear your mask and social distance from others you pass on the street.