the Dark Marauder
<font color=red>Proud Redhead<br><font color=green
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2002
- Messages
- 6,121
Wake-up time: 7am. I had to shower and eat breakfast and be ready to go by 745a. We had to leave no later than 8a in order to make it to the boat, buy the tix, and load the boat. The boat--the Catalina Flyer--leaves at 9am and does not come back until 430p.
Lucky for us (me, dad, stepmom), it's early Sunday morning. There was NO TRAFFIC.
We were able to make it to the boat dock in Balboa in less than 25 minutes. We were also able to get tickets and get on the boat with time to spare. Leaving the port was fun, there were so many boats that it made me wonder "what do the people who live here do for a living?" Fun fact: seals (or maybe sea lions) were swimming in the water. There were even two seals sunbathing on someone's private dock.
The ride after clearing the breakwater was horrible. Even though I was wearing seabands (I get seasick in choppy waters), the water was just too rough. I had to stay on the top deck and just stay relaxed to minimize my ill feeling. The total travel time from the port to the island was over an hour. Catalina Island is 26 miles off the coast of CA. It's also over 20 miles to any other island in the nearby vicinity.
Upon reaching Catalina, I was amazed. There were so many boats, and nearly everyone who lives there uses golf carts to get around. There are more golf carts than cars. Awesome. My stepmom decided she wanted to do separate tours, which was fine. My dad & I rented a golf cart for a tour. It was $80 for 2 hrs, but we get the 3rd hour free. Part of the normal golf cart tour was closed off, as there was a fire in May, plus there have been lots of falling rocks. If there are no rock slides for three days in a row, the road would be reopened.
My dad started the golf cart tour. We went around and enjoyed the view. It wasn't until we started going up the mountain path that things got interesting. Partway up the mountain, my dad & I switched. I drove. He appreciated being the passenger. I also stopped several times because the view was just breathtaking. Many times I simply could not form words at how amazed I was at what I saw. I live in FL, so I don't get to see mountains or hills. Driving down the mountain was fun and a little scary. My foot was on the brake more than the gas. I only used the gas pedal to get moving after stopping to take pics.
When we were all done with the tour, my dad & I decided to explore other parts of the island. We couldn't go very far, lest we risk a $375 fine. Darn those rock slides! *shakes fist* By now, it was getting hot. Bad. Even though lunch was in a cool restaurant, there was still too much dry heat. I realized how dehydrated I was getting. I slammed a 20oz water in under 5 mins. Not good. My dad & I found a good, local, ice cream shop. The ice cream helped, greatly. I drank a lot of water, as I knew that the heat was causing my headache.
My stepmom caught up with my dad & I at the ice cream shop. I just sat in the shade and cooled down as they explored a little more. When they were done, it was time to head back to the boat. The ride back was much smoother than the ride to. I was able to get online and type my day 2 update.
The remainder of the day was very laid back. I went with my stepmom, dad, uncle, and one of my non-blood cousins to the Huntington Beach Pier (again). We walked around downtown and on the pier. Believe it or not, the beach closes at 10p. And it's strictly enforced. Wow. I'll be telling more about Huntington Beach beach on my day 4 update. I'll just say that HB puts Cocoa Beach (FL) to SHAME. More on that later.
And now, pics!!!!
Lucky for us (me, dad, stepmom), it's early Sunday morning. There was NO TRAFFIC.
We were able to make it to the boat dock in Balboa in less than 25 minutes. We were also able to get tickets and get on the boat with time to spare. Leaving the port was fun, there were so many boats that it made me wonder "what do the people who live here do for a living?" Fun fact: seals (or maybe sea lions) were swimming in the water. There were even two seals sunbathing on someone's private dock. The ride after clearing the breakwater was horrible. Even though I was wearing seabands (I get seasick in choppy waters), the water was just too rough. I had to stay on the top deck and just stay relaxed to minimize my ill feeling. The total travel time from the port to the island was over an hour. Catalina Island is 26 miles off the coast of CA. It's also over 20 miles to any other island in the nearby vicinity.
Upon reaching Catalina, I was amazed. There were so many boats, and nearly everyone who lives there uses golf carts to get around. There are more golf carts than cars. Awesome. My stepmom decided she wanted to do separate tours, which was fine. My dad & I rented a golf cart for a tour. It was $80 for 2 hrs, but we get the 3rd hour free. Part of the normal golf cart tour was closed off, as there was a fire in May, plus there have been lots of falling rocks. If there are no rock slides for three days in a row, the road would be reopened.
My dad started the golf cart tour. We went around and enjoyed the view. It wasn't until we started going up the mountain path that things got interesting. Partway up the mountain, my dad & I switched. I drove. He appreciated being the passenger. I also stopped several times because the view was just breathtaking. Many times I simply could not form words at how amazed I was at what I saw. I live in FL, so I don't get to see mountains or hills. Driving down the mountain was fun and a little scary. My foot was on the brake more than the gas. I only used the gas pedal to get moving after stopping to take pics.
When we were all done with the tour, my dad & I decided to explore other parts of the island. We couldn't go very far, lest we risk a $375 fine. Darn those rock slides! *shakes fist* By now, it was getting hot. Bad. Even though lunch was in a cool restaurant, there was still too much dry heat. I realized how dehydrated I was getting. I slammed a 20oz water in under 5 mins. Not good. My dad & I found a good, local, ice cream shop. The ice cream helped, greatly. I drank a lot of water, as I knew that the heat was causing my headache.
My stepmom caught up with my dad & I at the ice cream shop. I just sat in the shade and cooled down as they explored a little more. When they were done, it was time to head back to the boat. The ride back was much smoother than the ride to. I was able to get online and type my day 2 update.
The remainder of the day was very laid back. I went with my stepmom, dad, uncle, and one of my non-blood cousins to the Huntington Beach Pier (again). We walked around downtown and on the pier. Believe it or not, the beach closes at 10p. And it's strictly enforced. Wow. I'll be telling more about Huntington Beach beach on my day 4 update. I'll just say that HB puts Cocoa Beach (FL) to SHAME. More on that later.
And now, pics!!!!
I loved the look on the little guy's face with the icecream (toward the end).... 
