(Newspaper photo)

The idea of riding through Hollywood was stuck in my thoughts for three years. I knew it would be possible despite the hundreds of critics who
warned me to stay clear of Los Angeles. I heard every possible horror, from gangs eating my horses, to young thugs killing me for my boots. It was basically the same ol' stuff I heard about riding to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

As I left Malibu, the first road sign announcing Los Angeles sent a chilling fear up and down my spine. I didn't know what I would encounter entering
one of the world's largest city with a pack string. The plan was to camp in Runion Park then ride down Hollywood Boulevard the following morning. As night approached, I realized camping would be difficult in the heavily restricted park.

Luckily, the producer of the movie "Grease," invited me to his mansion in the Hollywood Hills. What an interesting person! I didn't get much sleep and stayed awake most of the night gazing over the incredible lights of Los Angeles. It is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. The producer's ranch hand took me to a Hollywood club so I could get my first exposure to the Punk Rock crowd.

The next morning was hectic, coordinating with the Los Angeles Times and TV stations interested in the Expedition. We rode down Runion Canyon Park within a couple blocks of Hollywood Boulevard. I had an upset stomach and was a little shaky with the thought of riding through the middle of downtown Hollywood.

Upon entering Hollywood Boulevard, we were met with heavy traffic along with major construction on a huge, multi-level building. Traffic was just inches from the pack string and the horses had to stay lined out perfectly so the cars could pass. Along with the traffic noise, there was heavy equipment and enthusiastic construction workers yelling, "Yee Haw Cowboy!"

The horses were absolutely perfect. We made it to Groman's and were greeted by a large crowd of tourists and reporters. While I was talking with reporters, a curious police officer came up and wished me luck. Though I created a pretty large crowd of people, we just seemed to blend in. This city has seen it all.

On the way to Griffith Park, I met with more reporters and photographers. Leaving the busy streets, we traveled through some quiet alleys and side roads. The rough people hanging out in the alleys turned out to be very friendly. One such character kept saying over and over while shaking his head, "that's beautiful man.that's just beautiful."

The alleys gradually turned into pleasant streets with beautiful houses on the hillsides closer to the Park. The first sight of the Hollywood Sign brought tears to my eyes. It took a couple years to plan this urban ride and there were so many obstacles along the way. The ride was a total success. After viewing the famous sign, we started up a canyon to Sunset Stables at the base of Mount Griffith.

As we entered the stables, a Native American Indian rode up to me with a warm welcome. He said, "welcome brother, we've been waiting for you." This was strange since I had no idea that the people at the stables had even heard about me. Several people figured I would ride to the Sunset Ranch Stables and called ahead. Their phone started ringing so much with calls from the media wanting to contact me, that they asked me to start answering it!

Several television and radio stations interviewed me at the stables. It was exhausting telling tales from the trail repeatedly, along with loading and unloading the stock. ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX and a couple radio stations were there. The TV show, Hollywood Uncovered, came up to do a skit on the Expedition. I thought it was going to be a quick interview, but it turned out to be a whole TV show. The host of the show and I walked up to the Hollywood Sign with horses in tow and then made our way to the Gene Autry Museum to finish the filming.

Some of the stable workers and borders escorted me over the mountains to Burbank. The ride was a blast with great views of the city coupled with antics of the party animals from Hollywood. We rode to Viva Fresh Mexican Restaurant where a gal from Montana met with me and offered me a place to stay. Things could not have been better for us during our ride through the City of Angels.