I've been wanting to visit Catalina Island for a while now so I decided to go with a dear friend recently. We met up in Newport Beach and hopped on a ferry for 3 days of island adventures.
I had been told that the island was similar to visiting the Amalfi Coast in Italy which I am a huge fan of. So, I was super excited of the possibility of a Mediterranean-like experience and boarded the ferry with giddy anticipation.
The ferry ride was just over an hour and we sat on top watching the coast disappear from sight while hoping the sun would peek through the clouds. The sun delivered and abundant sunshine shone down on us. We chatted with a few people on the ferry and found out where to go and what to see. Many people were just going for the day to explore or golf.
Upon arrival, we saw Avalon Harbor with the landmark Casino and snapped a few pictures. We walked through town to find our hotel to drop our bags off. We quickly realized the town was quite small and quaint. We found a place on the water with several seafood selections and sunny tables on the deck. A lunch of lobster rolls and white wine was consumed as we settled in and relaxed into the slow pace of Catalina.
After some exploration, I realized the island is nothing like the Amalfi Coast and was a bit disappointed, but we set an intention to have as much fun as possible. Our purpose for the trip was to celebrate our friendship before she moved away.
Our days were spent laying in the sun on comfy beach beds. We were welcomed at the beach club with a strawberry smoothie and cold bottled water. The sun was abundant during our stay and we laid out until the day started to fade. Bronzing, happy and near the ocean was the perfect combination for us.
One night we were invited onto a boat by our new friends where dinner of fresh caught fish was served while the sun set. My most vivid memory of this night was laughter. My face hurt from smiling and laughing so hard. We were sun drunk and relaxed. After dinner we all headed back to the island to dance the night away and celebrate our friendship.
When it was time to leave, we headed back up to the top of the ferry and set an intention to see dolphins and whales. Sure enough, dolphins were spotted soon after we left playing in the water. As the trip was nearing it's end, we still had not spotted a whale. I was thinking about it when we spotted one near the ferry. We got excited, and laughed at the sight. The trip proved to
