Thanksgiving on Catalina Island on the West Coast

(Still catching up on the blogging...)

Kent and I flew out to San Diego and spent a wonderful ten days, including Thanksgiving, with our friends on their sailboat. We  sailed from San Diego to Oceanside, CA, then across to Catalina Island and back to San Diego. We really enjoyed spending time with our friends and sailing the west coast for a change! 

Tom and Kris in the harbor in San Diego

The first couple of days, we hung out in the harbor in San Diego, catching up with Tom and Kris, provisioning and getting ready to sail to Catalina Island for a few days over Thanksgiving.   

A bird waiting for a handout in the harbor

A view of the harbor from the stern 

Leaving the harbor in San Diego 

Captain Tom and Kent

A spectacular sunset off our bow

Kent 

Kris, enjoying the view as we leave San Diego
for Oceanside and ultimately Catalina Island 

Sea lions everywhere!

It was a thrill to see and sail close to the navy ships 

Navy security boat guarding the submarine leaving the bay

A large navy ship

With the men standing at attention along the rail

Kris and Tom sailing out of the San Diego Harbor

Paula and Kent enjoying the ride

Sails are up!

Goodbye San Diego for now

Hello Oceanside! One night was spent in a marina here before
we crossed to Avalon, on the east side of Catalina Island.

Nobody gets off the boat until the bird poop
is cleaned off the dock. Eeeww!

Somebody's gotta do it...

A very noisy sea lion on the dock next to us

Early evening in Oceanside at our dock 

Our walk along the water in Oceanside

The marina at dusk

A boat decorated for the holidays? 

Off to Catalina Island

Good wind and sails are up

Crew: Kent (mostly) and Paula (along for the ride!)

Catalina Island in the distance

Avalon on Catalina Island

A cruise ship was anchored briefly in the harbor at Avalon

It is really amazing how huge these cruise ships are.

Another pic of our approach to the island

Called a "casino," this was never a gambling casino. "Casino" means
"gathering place" in Italian. It was and continues to be an
entertainment center, movies, theater events, a grand ballroom and a bar.  

Our ride from our boat to the dock on the main drag in Avalon

A view of our stern (front, left)

Tom and Kris  overlooking the harbor

Paula and Kent, looking a little cold!

The shopping area is basically a long strip of
small shops and restaurants along the water

Sorry for the poor photo. William Wrigley Jr made the island the spring
training home of the Chicago Cubs. He invested millions of dollars in
the island, building infrastructure and attractions to bring tourists.
Establishing the Cubs' spring training here was part of his plan
to draw attention and tourists to the island. Unfortunately, there is no
longer a ball field there.    

We toured around the upper reaches of the Catalina Island in this Humvee.
We had no idea the island was so mountainous and dry, and had buffalo.
Unfortunately for me, I do not like heights and you'll see why I had a difficult
time on this tour. Plus it was very windy and cold! But we all still really
enjoyed the afternoon--even me.

Yikes! Gas prices are very high here!

Kris, Tom and Kent: in the far right background of this photo,
you can see the casino on the edge of the harbor where the boat was anchored.

Our guide, Cesar. The guy was quite entertaining, had a good sense of
humor, and drove that Humvee around like it was a golf cart.
He basically scared the living daylights out of me--going fast,
skidding around corners, and coming too close to the edge!

This is me near the peaks of the island. I look a little stressed!

We came across a buffalo, one of many on the island. The buffalo were
brought to the island by Zane Grey for filming the film, The Vanishing American.
The herd grew to 600 over time and now numbers of the them are routinely
sent back to the mainland to keep the population around 150..

A view of the harbor in Avalon from above

No kidding!

On the ferry back to the boat

Kent, posing in front of a marvelous tiled, mosaic fountain
 in the center of the waterfront shopping area

Great picture of our friends overlooking the harbor

The casino

Tiles decorating the casino

The Catalina Island Yacht Club

More pics of the casino

A walkway along the waterfront to the north of the harbor towards
a resort area, zip lining, and ice cream treats!

I'll have one of each, please!

A tiled monument commemorating the Chicago Cubs
spring training history at Catalina Island

We boarded this semi-submersible for a partly-underwater
tour of the reef area around Avalon. I'd never done anything like
 this before. Very cool.  

Happy Thanksgiving with friends!!
Good food, good friends, good times.
Lots to be thankful for.,

Hard to see, but this is our Thanksgiving dessert. Veering away
from the standard pie choices, Kent and I brought a small chocolate
rum cake from our Caribbean travels. Had to add more rum!

The men, in particular, really enjoyed themselves on Thanksgiving!
(Just so you know, I got Kent's permission to post this pic here)

Sundown in the harbor at Avalon on Thanksgiving

Departing Catalina Island on our return to San Diego.
Chilly and overcast!!

Ready for weather...

Tom and Kris on our return

Had to take a photo of this beautiful and very fragrant gardenia
I found in the marina in San Diego. Probably my favorite flower 

A mosaic fountain in the marina

A visit to the Hotel del Coronado Hotel in San Diego

Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres at the private club
along the beach at the Hotel del Coronado 

Building sandcastles on the the beach in front of the hotel

Nighttime at the hotel

Spectacular Christmas decorations and lights

A (too dark) picture of Kent, me, Tom and Kris in front of
the Christmas tree in the lobby of the hotel

A stunning wood ceiling in one of the ballrooms at the hotel

Cool carpet in the ballroom

The picture was taken in a darkened room at night in the hotel so
it's hard to see, but I loved the chandeliers shaped like crowns.

New friends and our hosts at the club in the hotel, Lou and Anne
pose in the front of the Christmas Tree.

Another shot of the ballroom

Back in the slip in the harbor in San Diego

We had some great seafood in the restaurants around the harbor. One was
an outstanding seafood market. We ordered and paid at the
market counter, then ate in the small restaurant on the side.  

Our Thanksgiving holiday came to a close and Kent and I flew back to St Augustine, FL, where our boat was moored. Christmas decorating and holiday tourism was in full force there!

Mid-December, we went home to Chicago to celebrate Christmas with family and friends. It was great to see everyone and really get a chance to spend time there. Our boat, Bangarang, was scheduled for maintenance in mid-January. So Kent returned to St Augustine and sailed her south to Fort Pierce, FL with the help of our friend Scott. I stayed behind in Chicago because our little miniature pinscher, Trooper, had to have kidney stone surgery! All went well, thankfully.

Trooper, sailor dog.