I visited the Griffith Observatory yesterday (Saturday, June 27th, 2009) with my sister, brother-in-law, and niece. I guess I should have thought this through beforehand. It was the first official weekend of the summer, and the place was packed. The road to the observatory was blocked, and we had to park halfway down the hill. I was NOT happy to have to hike for what seemed forever to get to the observatory. We passed A LOT of empty parking spaces on our way up, too, and that was pretty annoying.

If you haven't been to the Griffith Observatory since the renovation, you are in for a treat. The exhibits have been updated, but it still feels like the old place. There is a whole lot more room, too. There is a new second floor (under the original building). Annie ran from one place to another, trying to absorb as much as possible.

Despite the crowds, we were pretty much able to see everything. We didn't bother with the planetarium, though. That was much too crowded. Maybe some other time.

And we did not get to visit the gift shop. Boo!