With my birthday approaching Robert was determined to plan a special getaway for us. He chose the beautiful destination of Catalina Island off the coast of California. I grew up in Orange County and I always heard that Catalina was a fun place to go but for some reason I never visited the island. Of course after moving back to Arizona I thought about all of the places I should have visited while I lived in California and that is why Catalina made it onto my list.
We drove to the Long Beach Harbor from Phoenix in a little over 5 hours and we had about an hour wait for the ferry to take us to Catalina. We took a walk along the harbor and enjoyed looking at the ships in port and the beautiful clouds floating above us. There were a few other people strolling along the walkway but it wasn’t crowded at all. There was a lighthouse on a grassy hill near the water with some really cool clouds floating above. Looking across the water we could see the outline of Catalina Island and we felt such excitement for the weekend ahead.
We made it back just in time to board the ferry. The short journey across the harbor to Catalina was about an hour long. After disembarking the ferry there were small crowds of people talking to the awaiting cab drivers about asking to be driven to their hotels. We looked across the hillside and saw the sign for our hotel and we chose to walk. We couldn’t wait to stretch our legs after driving from Phoenix and sitting on the ferry.
We walked along the cobblestone street until we reached Whittley Ave where our hotel was located. It was pretty steep, so we took a breath and dragged our bags behind us as we walked straight up the hill. The city reminded me of San Francisco because all of the hotels, restaurants, retail shops and homes are built close together and several stories high. Our first night on the island was also my birthday and we chose to eat dinner at the Bluewater Grill. After enjoying dinner we walked across the street to see if the shops were still open. There were a few places open but most restaurants and shops were closed for the night and in some cases for the season. We walked back to our hotel room and got our backpacks ready for hiking the next day. It was a really full day for us and we couldn’t wait to get some sleep.
Robert and I woke up early, grabbed our backpacks and headed out to watch the sunrise. We walked up and down hillsides trying to find the best vantage point to see the sun. Finally we decided to head over to the harbor. There were a few people out walking and exercising but for the most part it was quiet and empty. The sky was clear and in the few minutes that followed we watched that unmistakable orange circle rising over the harbor. There is something so romantic and magical about sharing the sunrise with your significant other. No words need to be spoken. You just bask in the beauty before you with the person you love. Sometimes I don’t take photos because I am just in the moment of enjoying what I’m doing. This time I was able to take a few photos to remember our time on the island.
After sunrise we headed over to Original Jack’s Country Kitchen for breakfast. It was a cute 50’s style diner with a really large menu and it was really busy. I enjoyed the Portuguese French toast. It was my first experience eating Portuguese sweet bread. After breakfast we walked to Von’s which is the only grocery store on the island. Honestly that was the best option for food on the island. Because everything is imported the prices are higher than you would expect to pay on the mainland. We bought salads, water, snacks for hiking and a rotisserie chicken. We walked back to our hotel room and then replenished our backpack with the things we needed for hiking before we made our way to the bus stop. Thankfully the bus stop was down the street from our hotel. We were the only people on the small bus that drove through town and onto the Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden. We exited the bus at the entrance to the botanic garden. After paying admission we walked uphill toward the Wrigley Memorial and entered the gate on to the right of the memorial to begin the Garden-to-Sky hike. It was very steep but shaded by lush green vegetation.
We took our time hiking uphill and we stopped frequently to drink water and talk. Although we did see people on the trail occasionally it wasn’t crowded at all. At one point I do remember seeing a young couple zipping up the trail, without breathing heavily or stopping they shot past us. The young man was wearing dress shoes, skinny jeans and a preppy sweater. His lady friend wore cute red flats with a small matching red purse slung over her shoulder, skinny jeans and little red and white blouse. I wondered how it is possible to hike up a trail without having to catch your breath while chatting nonstop. All we could do was keep moving forward while watching them disappear in the distance.
It was such a great feeling to come around the last curve on the trail and see gorgeous blue skies and sunshine. The breeze coming off the ocean cooled us off as we continued up Divide Road to get to higher ground. Soon we arrived at one of the highest points on the island. We each took some time on our own for meditation, peace and renewing our minds. It was so calm and quiet. There were no cars honking, no sirens and no loud city noises to disturb the peace. While Robert was walking on the trail next to a grassy patch he saw traces that bison had already passed through the area.
We debated about whether to continue on the trail or to head back down. After some time we started our descent back down the trail to the bus stop. We were so relaxed and exhausted at the same time. We caught the bus back at the entrance to the botanic garden and this time it was completely full. We stopped at nearly every stop along the way and the bus driver stopped often to chat with people on the road and ask if they wanted to ride the bus. Finally after winding through town the bus stopped at the end of our street which was a welcome sight. We decided to stay in for the night and have quiet dinner.
The next day was our last day on the island. This time I rose early and headed out to watch the sunrise. I didn’t want to wake Robert because I knew he would be driving us home later that afternoon and I wanted him to rest. When I walked down to the edge of the Catalina Casino the clouds were beginning to roll in and changed colors as the sun started to rise. There were seagulls perched on the rocks by the shore while others were flying over the water in search of breakfast. I captured some photos of the sun rising behind the clouds and lighting up the harbor before I went back to our hotel room to start packing.
With only a couple of hours left before we had to make our way to the ferry we walked down the water and relaxed under the shade of an obliging palm tree. We watched the birds swooping down and grabbing food dropped by tourists. Out on the water small boats were coming and going and people from all over the world were walking through the busy shops. We looked for the least crowded restaurant that we could grab a quick bite to eat and we found Topless Tacos. It was really affordable and the tacos were tasty. After eating we walked down to the dock so that we could board the ferry. By this time the sun was covered behind the thick clouds that were moving in. We sat outside on the deck and dozed off with the gentle movement of the ferry gliding along the water. It seemed like only moments had passed and then it was time to disembark. We had such a wonderful time and my only wish would be that we had more time on the island. There are miles and miles of trails to hike and hidden beaches to explore. I would love to go back again but for now we are content and looking forward to the next adventure.
