Noma Diclifes
  • Budget Travel
    • Business Traveling
    • Holiday Destination
    • Mountain Travel
    • Camping
    • Desert Safari
    • Jungle Safari
    • Adventure Travel
  • Hotel And Resort
    • Hotel Booking
    • Hotel Accommodation
    • Passport And Visa
  • Outdoors
    • Food And Drink
    • Sea And Beaches
    • Ski Resorts
  • Travel
    • Travel Guides
    • Travel Insurance
    • Travel News
    • Travel Photography
    • Travel Tips
  • Trip Ideas
    • Vacation
    • World Tour
  • Contact
  • Pages
    • About Us
    • Cookie Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • DMCA
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
Noma Diclifes
  • Budget Travel
    • Business Traveling
    • Holiday Destination
    • Mountain Travel
    • Camping
    • Desert Safari
    • Jungle Safari
    • Adventure Travel
  • Hotel And Resort
    • Hotel Booking
    • Hotel Accommodation
    • Passport And Visa
  • Outdoors
    • Food And Drink
    • Sea And Beaches
    • Ski Resorts
  • Travel
    • Travel Guides
    • Travel Insurance
    • Travel News
    • Travel Photography
    • Travel Tips
  • Trip Ideas
    • Vacation
    • World Tour
  • Contact
  • Pages
    • About Us
    • Cookie Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • DMCA
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
Adventure Travel

Catalina Island adventure redefined Easter weekend

by Venus W. Jones May 24, 2019
by Venus W. Jones May 24, 2019 0 comment

Aerial adventure, safari, and lots of sightseeing kept the family entertained on a holiday getaway

By MARLIES KAST-MYERS
MAY 23, 2019 7:28 PM

Growing up, my family took Easter seriously. We’d decorate eggs for the big hunt, dress in our Sunday best and impatiently wait as my dad stashed eggs in the garden.

In grass-lined baskets were foil-wrapped bunnies and candy-coated chocolates, both sidelined for plastic eggs filled with pennies, nickels, and dimes.

More than three decades later, tradition hangs on by a thread, now with my parents hiding shelled bounty for my teenage niece and nephews. Coins have been replaced with dollar bills, and candy substituted by trail mix. Short-lived entertainment has quelled long-term anticipation, something that seems inevitable with the changing of times.

I’m partially to blame for breaking family custom, having no children of my own, or much of a desire to join the big hunt. Instead, my husband, Benjamin, and I look for an easy escape from commercial holidays — somewhere close enough to San Diego but far enough from home.

Adventure Travel

Enter Santa Catalina Island.

One hour by car and then another hour by ferry, this rocky island 22 miles off California’s coast is accessible from Dana Point, Long Beach, and San Pedro harbor. For $125, you can arrive by a helicopter flown by none other than “Falcon Crest” actor Lorenzo Lamas.

Like 95 percent of other visitors, we arrived at the island by Catalina Express ferry. The moment our feet touched land, we inhaled that travel-ready ether that hits us with every trip; it’s a readiness to discover, an openness to grow, and a willingness to bend a little with the unpredictable.

And so we bent, expecting our scheduled bellman to welcome us at the boat dock, but instead, finding golf-cart taxis zipping around the loading zone. With one bag in tow, Benjamin and I decided to walk the 10 minutes to Pavilion Hotel, a mid-range property that lured us with its complimentary breakfast and daily wine-and-cheese reception.

The central location made it easy to stroll Avalon’s main town, a utopian dream of leisure, luxury, and laughter built by chewing gum tycoon William Wrigley Jr. In 1919, he paid the pioneering Banning brothers $3 million for fire-ravaged Catalina. He invested millions more to transform the rugged island into a tourist attraction.

Between 1919 and 1929, Wrigley laid infrastructure with water, utilities, telecommunications, streets, schools, homes, hotels, and steamships. His vision wooed everyone from Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan to Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin.

But Wrigley didn’t build his island empire for Hollywood’s elite; He built it for the gum-chewers of the world. Catalina was his token of gratitude to those who believed in him, or as he put it, “the tired shop girl, the artisan, the clerk, and the Boy Scout.”

Despite Catalina’s proximity to Los Angeles, traffic is seldom an issue on this (almost) car-free island. Even the 5,000 permanent residents are limited to one golf cart per household. There’s plenty of room to breathe with some 200 rental cottages and 20 hotels dotting cheerful Avalon.

Although lodging was on point, accommodations took a backseat to what we experienced, starting with lunch at Descanso Beach Club. Cradled on one of the last private beaches in California, this casual beach bar was fashioned from salvaged wood from the century-old Hotel St. Catherine. From the white-sandy shores of Descanso, we grabbed a breezy bite while kayaks and paddleboards glided through our postcard snapshot.

Towering palms and water as royal blue as the American flag triggered a mental escape, and for a split moment, I forgot where we were. It’s easy to lose yourself in Catalina, with sugary sands and sprawling lawns pitched with white-tent cabanas begging for summer brides.

Backing the beach is jungle-like terrain where zip lines and an aerial course suspend between the trees. As an avid rock climber, Benjamin jumped at the opportunity to harness in with Catalina Aerial Adventure. I told him I’d watch from below. But then, he reminded me that in travel, we bend a little with the unpredictable.

Before I knew it, I was hooked into the self-guided aerial course, walking narrow planks, tunneling through barrels, and balancing tightropes. It was like a horrible episode of “Ninja Warrior,” where the athlete has a panic attack and can’t let go with sweaty hands and trembling legs.

Share
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Venus W. Jones

Analyst. General bacon specialist. Future teen idol. Avid coffee evangelist. Devoted tv nerd. Spent 2001-2008 supervising the production of wooden trains in Bethesda, MD. Garnered an industry award while developing hugs in Salisbury, MD. What gets me going now is working on Elvis Presley in Salisbury, MD. Lead a team researching jack-in-the-boxes for farmers. Spent 2002-2009 developing strategies for sausage in the government sector. Had some great experience testing the market for action figures in Prescott, AZ.

previous post
Natural Habitat Adventures to offset air travel emissions for all clients
next post
San Francisco, CA, May 21, 2019

Related Posts

Adventure Travel Gets Mobile Payments Simple With Companies...

January 23, 2021

Planning an adventure trip? Why you should get...

January 22, 2021

Record 85% of Travelers Opt for Personalization at...

January 21, 2021

Record 85% of travelers opt for personalization at...

January 20, 2021

After Alaska-Andes ride, adventure cyclist Dhruv Bogra eyes...

January 19, 2021

Aggressor Adventures Selects Trevelino/Keller to Increase Exposure of...

January 18, 2021

6 Outdoor Clubs Worth the Membership Fees

January 17, 2021

11 Tips for Growing Active-Adventure Sales

January 16, 2021

Expand your horizons with tailor-made adventures

January 15, 2021

Connections is to hold its 2nd event focused...

January 14, 2021

Recent Posts

  • Adventure Travel Gets Mobile Payments Simple With Companies Like Flywire
  • Planning an adventure trip? Why you should get travel insurance before leaving
  • Record 85% of Travelers Opt for Personalization at Overseas Adventure Travel
  • Record 85% of travelers opt for personalization at overseas adventure travel
  • After Alaska-Andes ride, adventure cyclist Dhruv Bogra eyes Siberia, Mongolia

Newsletter

Loading

ABOUT US

Nomadic life is the blog where you can get so many posts regarding food, diet, fitness, and lifestyle. so we post daily posts on our blog.

Recent Posts

  • Adventure Travel Gets Mobile Payments Simple With Companies Like Flywire

    January 23, 2021
  • Planning an adventure trip? Why you should get travel insurance before leaving

    January 22, 2021
  • Record 85% of Travelers Opt for Personalization at Overseas Adventure Travel

    January 21, 2021

FEATURED POSTS

  • Vegan food journey throughout India

    August 21, 2019
  • Eric Church Sets Attendance Record With Double Down Tour in Nashville

    May 27, 2019
  • BTS wear Dior for Love Yourself world excursion: Kim Jones on designing for the K-pop stars

    May 27, 2019

SUBSCRIBE NEWSLETTER

Subscribe our newsletter for latest news, service & promo. Let’s stay updated!

Loading
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Youtube
  • Email

@2020 nomadiclifes - All Right Reserved.