A walk in the park
Sol Shankman, 93, and his companion, Anneliese Clay, 81, walk along Griffith Park’s Riverside Trail, east of the Greek Theatre. He began hiking in the park in 1976 after suffering from angina. At first, it was principally therapeutic, he says. But I just kept on walking. Shankman has been walking pretty much every day since then 42,000 miles, by his reckoning, (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Shankman sits on a bench dedicated to him in August on Riverside Trail in Griffith Park. Its under a formidable live oak, the only shade tree for several hundred yards in any direction. Its not Shangri-La, he says. But with a little shade, its a nice spot. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Mario Ballesteros places a medal around Shankman’s neck before a ceremony dedicating a bench to him at Griffith Park. Applauding at left is Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge, who sponsored the dedication. Hes an inspiration, LaBonge says. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Sol Shankman is greeted by friends and family as he arrives for a ceremony to dedicate a park bench in his honor at Griffith Park. A fixture at the park, he said: “I was in love with it from the first day.” (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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Long shadows are cast as Shankman and Clay walk along Riverside Trail. Sol understands that you need nature, that you need to walk that it improves your spirit, Clay says. He lives what he says. That is his principle. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
The downtown Los Angeles skyline looms as Shankman and Clay near the top of Riverside Trail. Although he is blind in one eye and nearly blind in the other, he sets off into the hills at 5 a.m. every day. The way I see it, youve got two choices, he says. You can sit at home and weep for yourself. Or you can get out and do the best you can. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
