For my 60th birthday, I made plans to visit Catalina Island, which is dubbed "The Birthday Island". Not only can you get a free Ferry ride from the mainland, going on your birthday earns you tons of free and discounted stuff! As a child, my family would take trips to Catalina on our boat. I have many great memories of those trips and was excited to see the Island again as I haven't been since I was a teen.
My first stop on the trip from Arizona to Catalina was my hometown of Long Beach. As usual, I have to dip my toes into the Pacific Ocean upon arrival. I spent many wonderful summers with my Mom and younger sister, Pam, swimming and playing in Alamitos Bay.
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| After a Swim in Alamitos Bay |
The night before traveling to Catalina, my friend and I enjoyed a night at the downtown Marriott, which has a very nice restaurant, the James Republic. During breakfast on my birthday, I mentioned it was my birthday, and after finishing my meal, I was presented with a birthday muffin. I liked their coffee mugs so much I purchased four of them. Each mug has a different sentiment printed on the inside lip.
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| My Birthday Muffin |
The Ferry ride over from downtown Long Beach was pretty quick. I opted to upgrade to the Commodore's Lounge and am so glad I did. It was quiet and you can't beat the view from the upper deck.
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| A view I hadn't seen since my teens -- the Casino at Avalon |
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| Avalon Harbor |
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| Welcome!! |
Located in the center of Avalon is a beautiful fountain that showcases some of the gorgeous, and famous, Catalina Tile.
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| Avalon Fountain -- my friend and I dubbed it the "Bird Bidet" |
For lunch, we opted for Antonio's, which is located right on the water. Besides enjoying the best Fish & Chips I've ever had (the house specialty), we enjoyed a gorgeous harbor view with our lunch.
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| View looking north from our table at Antonio's |
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| An eclectic display inside Antonio's |
No visit to Catalina is complete without checking out the famous and historic Casino. Along the way, and at the Casino we enjoyed more of the famous Catalina Tile artwork.
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| Catalina Casino |
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| View from the shade vestibule on our walk to the Casino |
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| When You See It! :-) Someone decided to "embellish" this mural |
This next piece of artwork is the results of an amazing restoration to the original Catalina Mermaid. I think the artist did a wonderful job.
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| Catalina Mermaid |
The entire time I was on the island, many people enjoyed parasailing. I was happy just to watch this time around. If you click the following image to open the full resolution, you can just make out a Jack-O-Lantern face on the sail.
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| Happy Halloween |
Avalon offers many great restaurants and lots of shopping. I really enjoyed the play on words for the "Buoys & Gulls" sportswear shop. Two doors down is Maggie's Blue Rose restaurant, which is where I enjoyed my birthday dinner with my friend, Maggie. Given it shares her name, we had to give it a try and were not disappointed!
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| Avalon Shops and Restaurants |
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| Saying Farewell to the Carnival Inspiration |
While in Avalon, a Carnival cruise ship, was anchored just outside the harbor. My friend and I sat watching it leave just as the sun was setting. Avalon was practically a "ghost town" once it left.
All good things must come to an end, so we said our farewells to Avalon and boarded the Ferry for our ride back to Long Beach. I just had to get a shot of the Queen Mary on our way back to the dock. I remember when she first arrived back in the early 70's, which was a pretty big deal, and the beginning of some good change for Long Beach.
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| The Queen |
Before heading back to Arizona, my last night was a short stay in Seal Beach. While walking the pier, we came across this photogenic Brown Pelican who was all decked out in his breeding plumage. Before flying up onto the railing, he was on the pier trying to steal bait from the fishermen. He was pretty fearless and allowed me to get very close.
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| Brown Pelican |
All-in-all, I couldn't have enjoyed a better 60th birthday celebration. Hopefully I'll be in good shape to do something just as fun for my 70th.
