Camp Hollywood 2015

I have always enjoyed dancing.  I believe I get it from my grandmother on my dad's side who would spend her nights dancing at Saltair in Utah.  Three years ago when I started my first winter season in Death Valley, a coworker, Chris, invited all us new folks to go swing dancing in Las Vegas.  I went.  I learned the steps as best I could.  I continued to go when I could the rest of the season and my next two winter seasons in Death Valley.  I tried my best, had fun, but was never very good.

The last two years Chris had attended a swing dance camp in Los Angeles over Labor Day weekend.  Before he started a new NPS job in Moab, he said I should think about attending Camp Hollywood 2015.  

I thought about it.  I begged my supervisor for the time off (and on one of the busiest weekends for the park).  I went.  I loved it!  I will go again.

I got to LA late Thursday night.  There's a lot of people down there.  Registration didn't start until 8pm Friday night so that day Chris and I went to the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, CA.  What an amazing place.  I could spend another three days there.  The collections are amazing.  The art is overwhelming.  The gardens were beautiful.  I took a lot of pictures of the gardens.

No clue what this is but I love the color.

Again, not sure the actual name, but I call them the really big trees I would think I would find in Africa.  Huge, towering trees.  Oh, and there was grass.  Real grass.  Full, thick, lush, Houston-type grass.  I may have walked barefoot on the grass.  Simple pleasures, right?

We spent a lot of time in the desert garden admiring the succulents.

Friday night was registration and a dance.  There were dances Saturday, Sunday, and Monday night.  I went to all of them.  Over the course of the weekend I also attended 12 dance classes and learned the basic Lindy (and finally got my swing out!!), balboa and collegiate shag basics, and so much more.  I watched some of the competitions as well.  It was amazing!

At the end of each class the instructors reviewed what was covered and allowed the participants to record them.  Below was my first class Monday morning.  The step is the mini-dip.   I can do it.  So fun!

Monday afternoon was collegiate shag.  Also very fun.  Usually this step goes a whole heck of a lot faster.  I may have shagged my way across a few bridges the last few days I was in the high country hiking trail....

(and yes, I know it's sideways...I'm technologically challenged.)

Two ranger friends from Death Valley (who just got engaged!!) were in town and we were able to go to dinner together Monday night.  It was fun to see them outside of a work setting.  Taylor, Carrie, Chris, and me.

You'll notice I added 2015 to the title of this post.  I do that in the hopes there will be many more years of Camp Hollywood to come.