Journalist Pedro Moura and a group of his friends walked all 25-miles of Sunset Boulevard in 2023. This year, in 2024, they wanted to up their game.
On April 28th, 2024, Moura and a large group of his friends walked over 28 miles down Los Angeles’s longest continuous street: Western Avenue.
But… Why?
This trek down Western Avenue was the group’s third annual attempt to hike the entire length of one of LA’s most winding roads. In 2022, they walked all 16 miles of Wilshire Boulevard. Last year, they conquered all 25 miles of Sunset Boulevard.
Beyond Western Avenue being a challenge just because of its length, Moura described it as “represent[ing] unheralded parts of Los Angeles that make this city what it is.” The members of the group regularly traveled on Wilshire and Sunset… before this walk, Western Avenue was widely uncharted territory for them.
What’s With Western Avenue?
Despite being longer, Western Avenue may be comparatively easy to follow; Sunset Boulevard, for example, zigs and zags through the city. Western Avenue is relatively straight and heads towards the ocean. Like many long LA roads, Western technically meanders in and out of Los Angeles city limits as it passes through Gardena, Torrance, Lomita and Rancho Palos Verdes.
Maps reliably show that Western Avenue is at least 28 miles long without interruption. The group actually surpassed 30 miles walked on April 28th, due to bathroom breaks, crossing the street in search of shade, and what Moura described as “side quests.”
Why April 28th?
Pedro Moura and the group decided to plan their walk on April 28th. They wanted to walk in daylight, so they couldn’t possibly do it in winter—the sun sets too early.
Also, LA gets very hot very quickly. If they had done it closer to summer, it would have almost certainly been unbearably hot. Winter and early Spring were also very rainy, so they landed on a day that was likely to have nice weather.
Starting the Walk
In order to take advantage of all of the available daylight, the walkers had to start early. They began their walk down Western Avenue at 7:30 AM.
Everyone met at the Fern Dell Western Stairs beneath Griffith Park. Their goal was to land at San Pedro’s White Point Park, 28+ miles south.
Encountering a Bus Driver
About a half-hour into their walk, the group encountered a bus driver. He was heading southbound on Metro route 207. He asked about their destination.
Upon hearing their answer, he asked if they wanted a ride. They politely declined, but when he spotted them once again two hours later, he joked, “I see you’re hanging in there!”
The Man Outside Think Prime Steak House
Throughout their walk, the group was stopped several times and asked about their origin and destination. Pedro Moura’s favorite one of these encounters occurred in Rancho Palos Verdes, when a man who was walking outside Think Prime Steak House questioned where they were coming from.
Pedro Moura responded that they were coming from Los Feliz, near Griffith Park. The man had no idea where that was. After all, by that point they were 25 miles away from their starting position and LA is a sprawling city.
Restaurants and Food
On their walk, Moura and his friends encountered many types of eateries, including some famous restaurants. One particularly notable landmark was El Cholo Cafe. This 100-year-old restaurant is often incorrectly credited with introducing both the burrito and nachos to the U.S.
They stopped to eat at many places. At Dulan’s, they indulged in their speciality: soul food. In Gardena, they tried Sakura-ya’s soft and squishy mochi. A couple of miles later, they stopped at Monkish, which Moura described as “maybe our region’s best brewery.”
California Crazy
Moura and his group of friends passed by many notable sights and landmarks. Bizarre architecture included a KFC shaped like a bucket of fried chicken and a coffee and donut shop with one of LA’s many massive decorative donuts on top.
They walked by two of the two dozen Marie Callender’s still standing and at least one closed location. Wacky billboards and signage made them laugh. At one point they encountered the Snooty Fox Motor Inn and its competitor the Mustang Motel across the street.
No Sidewalks? No Problem!
Especially in wealthy neighborhoods, the sidewalks in LA disappear. The group was faced with this issue in San Pedro, between 9th and 19th streets. Although some took a detour down Weymouth Avenue, Moura and a few other purists stayed true to their mission.
Between traversing along the side of the road and walking single-file on the median, they were able to continue their walk. One driver even slowed down to exclaim that he had seen them eating at Monkish!
Getting to the Destination
Finally, after miles of walking, they could see the water and the Port of Los Angeles. They were soon approaching their southernmost destination and the end of Western Avenue.
After approximately 12 hours of walking, the group came together and celebrated in White Point Park. The friends recounted the sights, sounds, and foods that they encountered on their trek. Towards the end of the celebration, they split a red bell pepper.
What’s Next?
This adventure connected this group of friends to their city and to each other. They took note of places to visit at a later date. They made memories.
And, yes, they plan to continue their tradition and walk the length of another road next year—perhaps Atlantic Boulevard.
