Twenty-eight Scouts and several Scouters visited Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles on May 6. It was a fun and educational day-long event. We carpooled to the heart of Hollywood, driving down Hollywood Blvd., along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and past the Grauman's Chinese Theater. We parked and took a shuttle bus to the Griffith Observatory, high up in the hills of Griffith Park.

The Griffith Observatory re-opened recently after a major refurbishment. The original building is beautiful with fresh plaster and paint and the classic exterior architecture is unchanged. What has changed is not visible until you get inside - all of the new construction was done under the sweeping front lawn. There is a beautiful new theater named after famous actor Leonard Nimoy ('Spock' from Star Trek). He and his wife donated $1 million for renovations. We saw a great program in the new theater. Titled "The Once and Future Griffith Observatory", it presented the history of the observatory and showcased the renovation project. We also saw the brand new program at the Samuel Oschin Planetarium. Other points of interest were the giant Tesla coil, the Foucault Pendulum, and the Gunther Depths of Space. Several of the Scouts even held a meteor that had fallen to Earth from space.

A special "Thank You!" goes out to the adults who provided transportation and helped our Scouts have an enjoyable time.