It's time for the final installment of the series on the 4 day trip over Thanksgiving weekend. We returned to Long Beach Cruise Terminal on Sunday morning of the 25th, we ate a quick breakfast and everyone had to be off the ship by about 9am. We waved one last goodbye to our home on the seas, the Carnival Imagination, then embarked on a mile walk to get to our next boat. I had taken the Catalina Island Express once before over new years of 2016/17 with a friend, but we had been given a ride to get there from Los Angeles. This time I simply knew it was across the harbor, and the only way to get there was to get to the bridge that connected the harbor to the mainland, and that it was not far from the bridge. So we literally just walked in the direction of the bridge, following the meandering sidewalks that followed the ocean front and past random, fancy hotels. Clearly, whoever designed the bridge knew people like us would be following this exact trek as there were stairs leading up to the bridge and a very large bike and pedestrian lane on the bridge. After some slight confusion as to how far from the bridge the Express actually was, we made it a few hours early to our ferry ride. Luckily the ticket-woman was nice enough to bump up our appointment to 11 so we left immediately for Catalina. A quick hour-long ferry ride later and we were docking in Avalon. Though my brother and I shared some depression over the amount of plastic and trash we saw floating in the ocean between port and Catalina. From balloons to tarps, buckets, bags, and other items, it was a bit of a downer. Not being able to do anything about it as we sped past didn't help matters. I try to adopt as many low-impact activities as I can, using reusable bags and not single use plastic bags, hang drying my clothes instead of using a dryer, switching from cows milk to plant based alternatives for milk and butter, recycling everything possible, etc. While I know there is so much trash gunking up the ocean and harming marine life, it's so much worse to see it in person. If everyone did their part and cleaned up their areas and anything that happens to come into your awareness, the world would be a much cleaner place. Avalon tip! We were traveling with our luggage and we didn't want to carry all of that with us while we explored the Island. In Avalon, beside the Catalina Express there is a travel station with a few shops and information about activities on the island. There is also a stall that is simply a luggage storage business. It was $4 a bag (we only had 4 large backpacks) for the entire day. This was huge burden we no longer had to contend with, literally and metaphorically! Once we docked at Avalon we walked around and explored a couple shops and the pier, fed some fish, and waited for our next boat ride. Can you sense a theme here? This time we were taking a semi-submersible, a boat with a deeper bottom and windows so you can see under the water. We took the Catalina Island Undersea Expedition. They take you for about a 45 minute tour out to Lovers Cove to see thousands of fish and various aquatic views from kelp to sandy bottoms. Having been scuba diving at Catalina before, I can say we saw different places, fish, and it is a good way to get acquainted with the views of diving while not actually diving. However, I adore SCUBA diving and would have to say nothing truly compares to the feeling of being in the water and actually swimming through the ocean while having the sights and marine life all around you. When we returned to the pier I quickly slipped by sneakers off and walked along the beach. I can't be that close to the ocean without actually going in it! Then we rushed off to a golf cart rental to get one that could carry all 5 of us. Now, you may be wondering, why golf carts? Well, if you have never been to Avalon (or other small islands), the Island is so small (at least where the humans are allowed to live) that in order to get a car, residents must join a waiting list that takes years to be approved for! As there can only be so many cars on the island due to space concerns, etc. So, everyone else drives golf carts, as you can get to anywhere in Avalon in about 20 minutes via golf cart. We took the scenic tour and saw Avalon from every angle, it was quite the unique experience. As I had been to Avalon before, I was nominated to be the driver. If you ever take a day trip out to Avalon, I would highly suggest renting a golf cart, it was only $65 for 2 hours and it is well worth the cost! You can see the entire city, at your pace, and customize your tour to see what you want to see or skip what you don't. Our poor cart had a hard time trying to lug us all up the steep hills, but it persevered as the little cart that could and got us everywhere we wanted to go. Not always at Warp 9, but we made it nonetheless. Once we returned our golf cart we went looking for dinner and found an absolutely delicious one at The Lobster Trap. They have fresh seafood that is prepared to perfection and a great atmosphere. After that we took to walking the city until 7pm when our Express ride back to Long Beach would arrive. As winter is their off season, quite a few shops close up early, but those that remain open offered enough taste of the shopping to keep us busy for the remaining 2 hours. There is a Ghost Tour of the Island I was dying to take, but only ran at 2 (during the boat tour) and 8 (after I would have already left the Island), so unfortunately I missed out on that tour for the second time! However, I am sure I'll be back in Avalon someday, I'll make it to the ghost tour, and perhaps see the casino, at some time in the future. We then took our express ride back to Long Beach, my family playing cards with a new deck my mom had just purchased (with my motion sickness I can't read in any form on boats, planes, cars, trains, etc.). Our SuperShuttle met us at port in Long Beach and took us back to LAX. Boy was LAX busy on the 25th! We spent almost 1.5 hours getting there, over twice the amount of time it took to get from LAX to Long Beach, and all of the extra time was due to traffic. The closer we got to the airport the worse the traffic got as so many people were either flying out or returning home. We whisked through security (almost, they decided to unpack my entire bag for no apparent reason) and then sat at the gate. Our flight wasn't until nearly 1am, so most of us took a quick nap while waiting for the plane. We landed at 4, drove back home and my brothers immediately left for work/school, I was lucky and didn't have to clock in until a little after 11. With that, the whirlwind was complete, back to the daily grind and awaiting the next big adventure. Overall, we had a wonderful time and had a great family mini vacation. I would certainly recommend all of the things we did on this trip, especially Avalon, Catalina Island. My brothers even adored the Island and they don't enjoy travel, so that endorsement is a big one! It offers such a unique lifestyle and beachy, island vibe that is unlike any other. It has a little something for everyone no matter if you like shopping, swimming, diving, boating, jeeps, hiking, planes, and more! Much love, Jess
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AuthorJessica Marie Cunningham - Intentional lifestyle blogger, aspiring author, and podcast host. All things Slow Living, Books, Writing, Art, creativity, Christianity, and personal stories. Archives
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