This week’s hidden in plain sight takes us on a journey just off campus. It provides an open landscape of grass and trees, bridges and streams. Take time in the late night hours or just at sunset to best enjoy this hidden place.
From Jesus, head once again to upper campus. Make your way to last week’s destination, the zigzagging sidewalk and odd bush formation that looks across the street to Horton Dormitory. From there, find your way to the fecal creek, the stream running in concrete through campus. Travel upstream alongside it on a grassy slant, making your way to a concrete underpass below La Mirada Blvd.
You find yourself facing a split tunnel, with water creeping along its left side. Make your way carefully along and through the first stage of the tunnel, on the left side of the water, passing streams of water jetting out from the concrete, spilling into the thoroughfare. Once in the middle of the concrete covering, try humming or whistling. If late at night, the echo will be most chilling.
Continue onto the second part of the concrete tunnel. Notice how the stream of water switches from the left opening to the right and marvel at its beauty. The second stretch of tunnel is much longer than the first. Spider web-covered lights lead the way at night, creating eerie but soothing shadows on anything moving through the tunnel.
Once out of the tunnel, follow the sidewalk leading to a quaint bridge hanging over the gently flowing river. A sidewalk lamp illuminates the lower portions of a large tree that hangs near the bridge. You’ve reached this week’s hidden place once you’ve explored the entrance to the creekside park and watched the water slowly flow by.
Notice the juxtaposition of sound with birds chirping and the breeze in the trees, along with the steady, monotonous flow of passing traffic. Nature and noise pollution as only Los Angeles could deliver.
Appreciate the simple beauty of streetlamps, concrete creeks, bridges and traffic never ceasing, hidden in plain sight.
In order to see who visits “hidden in plain sight” each week, a travel log of sorts will be added to this and every hidden place that follows. It’s a simple note pad that asks any visitor who chooses to sign their name, write a poem, or tell a story in the pages provided. All that’s asked is the return of the travel log to its original hiding place after use.
This week, the travel log will hide beneath the trashcan just to the left of the first bridge in the park, right next to a broken bench. Simply push the trashcan to its side and grab the note pad, and put it in the same place once finished.
