The Tables Have Turned

Heading over to Catalina
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“Twenty-six miles across the sea

Santa Catalina is a-waitin’ for me”

If you’ve never been, a trip to Catalina Island is a must for anyone visiting California. Formally named Santa Catalina, this rocky island is about 22 miles south-southwest of Los Angeles. It has only one city, Avalon, where the majority of its less than 4,000 population lives; the rest reside in the northern town of Two Harbors. It’s a neat area, with lots of trails to hike and bike and some great places for water activities. The best way to get there is to catch the Catalina Express Ferry, which leaves at 8:00 on the dot and takes about an hour to get to Avalon.

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The alarm went off prettttty early this morning, but luckily all we had to do was throw on a bathing suit and some shorts – the dress code on Catalina Island is pretty casual. Jessica’s dad and step-mom picked us up at the house (they’d been staying at a hotel down the street) and we drove to catch the ferry. Once aboard, we stood up on the top deck for awhile to check out the scenery and wave at the other boats as we passed by, and it wasn’t long before we could see the shore of the island coming up to meet us. Our first stop was a little diner for breakfast, where we planned out our day – snorkeling was the main event on the agenda, followed by some lunch and souvenir shopping before heading back to the main land.

World's best pina coladas!
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When we finished breakfast, Jessica’s dad found a little market that sold frozen peas, a must for any true snorkeler. We rented our equipment (wet suits for us…the water was cold!!) and trekked out to a favorite spot where we could put on our flippers and jump in. The fish must have sensed the peas, because as soon as we got into the water, they swarmed us. Tossing a few peas into the water, we watched the feeding frenzy as all kinds of fish came up to our masks. It was pretty amazing to be so close! We swam for about an hour and a half, exploring the plant life and sea creatures that we spotted, and finally were ready to get out when our time was up (the water was awfully cold, after all!). Exerting all that energy made us really hungry, so we stopped for lunch on the patio of a seaside restaurant, The Busy Bee. We drank some excellent pina coladas and relaxed by the ocean, then spent some time checking out local shops on the quest for a souvenir t-shirt. Purchases in hand, we made it back to the ferry in just enough time to get settled on the top deck before heading back to the LA area. The rhythm of the boat and the tiring day put Jessica to sleep, waking just as the ferry reached the shore on the other side.

Avalon, Catalina Island
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We went back to the house to pack up our car and relax a little before making the night’s drive. As we sat in the living room, looking around at the house that would soon be emptied of its furniture, Jessica’s thoughts turned back to the dining room table. “I wish there was some way we could take it with us,” she lamented. Ben and Jessica’s dad looked at each other, then looked at the table… “I wonder…”

It was amazing how easily the table came apart. We emptied the back of the car entirely, put the table in piece by piece, and carefully stacked everything back on top of it. We couldn’t believe it. It fit! The table was saved!! As happy as Jessica was to have rescued the table and the memories around it, she couldn’t help noticing that her dad seemed equally as happy. It turns out that table meant more to the family than anyone had realized.

Jessie and her dad Roger
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It was time to move on down the road. We said our good-byes and hit the road, driving late into the night until we were too tired to drive any more. We stopped at a little motel in Needles where we decided to spend the night.