Summer 2018: Day 55; Vacation Day 5
Today was the sort of vacation day Lori and I will remember forever. And hopefully, the boys will remember it too.
Visiting Catalina Island had been the centerpiece of Lori's California plans. We woke up early to head to the ferry dock to board a boat that would take us across the channel 25 miles from San Pedro to Avalon on the island. The ride across was pleasant although a little chilly. We sat on the top level of the ferry, which was open air and breezy as the boat raced across the water. About halfway through the 70-minute ride, the mountains of Catalina were visible in the distance. We were almost there!
As we pulled into port, we saw two seals swimming in the harbor -- a nice welcome to the island. We collected ourselves and took the short walk into town. After visiting the Catalina Island Conservancy, we decided we would hike the Garden-to-Sky Trail first. We stocked up on sparkling water and caught a bus to the Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Gardens above the city. From there, we hiked 1.2 miles up to a point we could see the ocean on two sides. The hike wasn't too difficult -- just long and up -- and was well worth it for the view. The climb didn't even faze the boys, who were moving faster than both Lori and me up and down the trail.
We admired the Wrigley Memorial and returned to town via the bus. Lori offered parasailing to the boys, which Ben enthusiastically accepted and Michael was OK with. I was never going to try parasailing, but I would have been charged just to be in the boat, so Lori went with the boys and I found a bar to enjoy a beer and wait. A half-hour later, they were back, and Ben was absolutely ecstatic about the experience (again, Michael was OK with it).
Our next destination was lunch. We chose Coyote Pete's, a Mexican restaurant, and the food was fine. Ben ordered a giant burrito that was touted on the menu as "perfect for sharing"; amazingly, he almost ate the whole thing. After lunch, we perused town a little, and Ben, Michael and I played chess on a giant board outside the town's civic center. We checked out some shops (I bought a travel cribbage board), and the boys and I even went to an arcade where we played pinball, pop-a-shot, Space Invaders, and air hockey (Ben also played Deal or No Deal; with our tickets he got a bracelet).
The one thing we didn't do was go in the ocean (the beach had a giant inflatable people could swim out to); the boys had their trunks but were tiring out. We visited one last shop where the boys got t-shirts and I learned about how the Cubs had their spring training on the island in the 1920s, '30s, and '40s. I picked up some more waters and we headed for the dock for the ride home.
Ben and I picked out a table on the boat's second level so we could play cribbage; Lori and Michael went back to the top level. The ride back was a bit choppier, and after a couple games I was a little seasick. We joined Lori and Michael atop the boat, where it was a little cooler than this morning, but the view was fantastic. The setting sun was shining off the water, and the view -- and mood -- for me was just perfect after a perfect day.
Everyone was still a little hungry after the boat ride, so we picked up In 'n' Out Burger on the way back to the house. And we were exhausted, but in a great way. Ben now wants to live on Catalina, even though his brain trips up on the pronunciation. The whole day was awesome -- something we'll never forget.
Visiting Catalina Island had been the centerpiece of Lori's California plans. We woke up early to head to the ferry dock to board a boat that would take us across the channel 25 miles from San Pedro to Avalon on the island. The ride across was pleasant although a little chilly. We sat on the top level of the ferry, which was open air and breezy as the boat raced across the water. About halfway through the 70-minute ride, the mountains of Catalina were visible in the distance. We were almost there!
As we pulled into port, we saw two seals swimming in the harbor -- a nice welcome to the island. We collected ourselves and took the short walk into town. After visiting the Catalina Island Conservancy, we decided we would hike the Garden-to-Sky Trail first. We stocked up on sparkling water and caught a bus to the Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Gardens above the city. From there, we hiked 1.2 miles up to a point we could see the ocean on two sides. The hike wasn't too difficult -- just long and up -- and was well worth it for the view. The climb didn't even faze the boys, who were moving faster than both Lori and me up and down the trail.
We admired the Wrigley Memorial and returned to town via the bus. Lori offered parasailing to the boys, which Ben enthusiastically accepted and Michael was OK with. I was never going to try parasailing, but I would have been charged just to be in the boat, so Lori went with the boys and I found a bar to enjoy a beer and wait. A half-hour later, they were back, and Ben was absolutely ecstatic about the experience (again, Michael was OK with it).
Our next destination was lunch. We chose Coyote Pete's, a Mexican restaurant, and the food was fine. Ben ordered a giant burrito that was touted on the menu as "perfect for sharing"; amazingly, he almost ate the whole thing. After lunch, we perused town a little, and Ben, Michael and I played chess on a giant board outside the town's civic center. We checked out some shops (I bought a travel cribbage board), and the boys and I even went to an arcade where we played pinball, pop-a-shot, Space Invaders, and air hockey (Ben also played Deal or No Deal; with our tickets he got a bracelet).
The one thing we didn't do was go in the ocean (the beach had a giant inflatable people could swim out to); the boys had their trunks but were tiring out. We visited one last shop where the boys got t-shirts and I learned about how the Cubs had their spring training on the island in the 1920s, '30s, and '40s. I picked up some more waters and we headed for the dock for the ride home.
Ben and I picked out a table on the boat's second level so we could play cribbage; Lori and Michael went back to the top level. The ride back was a bit choppier, and after a couple games I was a little seasick. We joined Lori and Michael atop the boat, where it was a little cooler than this morning, but the view was fantastic. The setting sun was shining off the water, and the view -- and mood -- for me was just perfect after a perfect day.
Everyone was still a little hungry after the boat ride, so we picked up In 'n' Out Burger on the way back to the house. And we were exhausted, but in a great way. Ben now wants to live on Catalina, even though his brain trips up on the pronunciation. The whole day was awesome -- something we'll never forget.
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