Catalina

Catalina

This trip was just barely about Catalina for us.  As amazing as the offshore adventure was, and it was unbelievable, this was primarily an opportunity to meet some old friends.

I'm going to mention Rivermobster first.  He's such a laid back, easy going, contented, guy that he could effortlessly integrate into any situation or any group.  Because of that, I'll bet he's never been mentioned first in his life. This time, he gets the respect of being mentioned first.  It was a great pleasure for us to spend time with Joe, Lori, and their two children.  They are four outstanding people.

The Merrills are a wildly generous family.  They gave so much of themselves to us, it was a bit overwhelming to be on the receiving side.  We will always be grateful to Dave, Debbie, Kirsten, and Evan for providing one of the most spectacular adventures of our lives.  Every one of you make the world a better place.


Think about this.  When three couples and four children spend many hours in a boat together, and you enjoy the company of every other person on board, including the children, you are in some world class company.

I apologize for the length of this blog entry.  It's been cut down as much as reasonably possible.  There is too much good content to cut much further.  I've removed most of the text so it shouldn't be too bad.


The Voyage

Heading out

Dolphins....  love it!

Dolphins chasing the boat were one of many highlights of this trip.  They were jumping three abreast for a short period.  We even saw a few cork screws.

Dave indicated ocean conditions were ideal.  It was no problem for us at all and we've never been on the ocean in a private boat before.

We would have loved going over on the Catalina Express.  It would have been fantastic.  When we started calling, all but two hotels were booked and the Express was booked through most of the day, also.  We didn't realize we had to make arrangements weeks in advance.  Our whole vacation was run by the seat of our pants so we missed out on the original trip we were hoping for.

When Dave PMed on RDP with an offer to go on the ocean cat, my leaky bowel ran amok.  It seemed too good to be true.

Arriving at Avalon

The trip from Long Beach to Avalon was very exciting for us.  We've never been off shore in a private boat before.  Between not knowing what to expect and getting to know everyone we were with, it was a great part of the adventure.  The trip felt like 15 minutes.



Avalon

Coming into the harbor

Harbor patrol picked us up and assigned us a mooring

 

Evan getting the dinghy ready

Evan is awesome.  He's a fine young man.  Here, he is setting up the dinghy so we can disembark.  Evan took care of business.  One day, he is going to be a kingpin of industry.  It was a treat spending time with him, as it was with the rest of both families. 

Here we are, being less than helpful while Evan does all of the work.

At this point, we had no idea what to expect.

This is the pier on which we landed

Our first glimpse of Catalina once we arrived at the pier

The beach at Avalon

We stopped for a bite to eat

Antonio hooked us up with some great food

After lunch, we walked along the sea wall and went up the stair sidewalk to a nice vantage point.

Avalon is touristy.  It's pretty commercial.  That adds to the attraction of it, in my opinion.  We could have spent two days just at Avalon and had an amazing time.  Of course, it would not have been nearly as spectacular as the time we had with the Merrills and the Cuccios.

We walked through a couple of alleys and found some of the most intoxicating views

Really great people, right there

Garibaldi: State fish.  Gold in color

The casino has been converted into a movie theater

We didn't have time to take the tour at the casino.  I don't know how interesting it would have been but I know I don't feel like I missed out on anything.

Private beach around the corner from the casino

Apparently, the draw to the private beach is that it allows people to drink while culturing a crop of assorted carcinomas.


Snorkelling

After spending much of the afternoon at Avalon, Dave took us snorkelling in the dinghy. He found an ideal spot, a short trip from the harbour, where we observed tons of fish in crystal clear water.  It could not have been better.

Evan is an excellent diver.  He would swim down and try to grab fish.  It was cool watching him.  Fortunately, he did not get any.  I would imagine, some fish have dorsal spines that would have been uncomfortable to encounter.

It's a shame I don't have any images of the snorkelling.  It was a highlight of the trip but it was a water experience and I don't have a waterproof housing for my camera.

If I ever get an opportunity similar to this again, I will make a point of finding some sort of under water photography capability.  It's an amazing world down there.



Voyage to Isthmus

The trip to Isthmus was more choppy.  It wasn't a problem but there was the odd swell that would toss the boat around a little.  Even for unseasoned offshore boaters like Ann and I, it was no big deal.  We enjoyed the voyage.

Bird rock

Dave told us this rocky protrusion has been candy coated with a heavy layer of bird faeces.  Anyone exploring this island would be well advised to use crampons, as traction could be a problem.


Isthmus

We picked up a buoy and disembarked.  People who had to use the head were given priority.

Welcome to Isthmus

Beach

Buffalo Milk

Not to be confused with buffalo semen, Buffalo Milk is some sort of highly alcoholic beverage that is apparently both delicious and lethal.  I abstained due to conditions of my parole.

Isthmus is rustic and beautiful

This is the second of two harbours

 
We took a short walk from the mooring to the second harbour, on the back of the island.  Isthmus is under developed and rustic, in contrast to Avalon.  It is a treat to have been able to experience this part of the island.

By now, it was getting dark so we headed back to the boat

We ate the way we lived...  like kings

Dinner was amazing.  Fruit, tri-tip steak, chicken, tacos,....  all while floating in Isthmus harbour and watching fish with the under water transom lights.

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None of the images I took of the fish turned out. The auto focus on my camera is not up to the task of focusing on under water targets at full aperture in total darkness.  That's a shame because it was awesome to watch.

I was too stuffed with tri-tip and fresh fruit to have the energy to rotate the focus ring on the lens.  Consider this one phoned in or, at least, I would have phoned it in, if someone would have dialled and placed the receiver in my hand.


The Voyage Home

The trip home was just as enjoyable as the trip over but for different reasons.  We were unable to see ocean swells so, after piloting around various Catalina obstacles, Dave pointed his auto pilot toward Long Beach and ran the engines at a modest level.

Once he had things set up, I took the opportunity to get to know Dave better.  I admire the energy and wisdom he puts into parenting and I envy him his family.  He is an outstanding person, tremendously generous, and someone I am proud to consider a friend.


Ann and I have not stopped talking about the experience we had with the Merrills and the Cuccios since we returned from this vacation.  Thank you for the trip of a lifetime.  We are forever in your debt.


Your friends,

Ann and Tom

Parker

Parker

We've been to Parker a few times.  RiverDave has even been kind enough to host my brother and I at his place in the keys.  This time, we hooked up with Wheeler.

We love the palm trees in this image

Wheeler

A lot of RDP members know Wheeler.  I did not, prior to meeting him.

He has been one of the nicest and classiest guys on the forum.  I've long wanted to meet him so it was exciting when he agreed to meet us.

Wheeler is a mild mannered, soft spoken, guy who just happens to know everyone.  It's refreshing to meet someone smaller than life.  Instead of building himself up, he presents himself with absolute humility and total respect.  In my opinion, he is a giant.

We will always be grateful for the friendship and kindness he gave so freely.  We left his place much richer for knowing him.

We invited him to our place in Canada but he mentioned something about not liking trees.  lol!  Nonetheless, the offer is open ended.

Steve from Nordic with Ann and Tom

They drive this boat like a PWC

Wheeler arranged for us to ride in the Nordic ski race boat.  It was exciting.  They drive it like a 14 year old on a jet ski.  That's part of what made it an amazing experience.  Go Team Nordic!

Digger

If you haven't met Digger, you should.  Digger and Kelly are awesome.

Hal and Kelly became great friends of ours, moments after we met.  They are two of the warmest people you will find.  They treated us to an amazing dinner and a warm evening of conversation that we will not forget.  It was one of the highlights of our vacation.  Hal makes home made salsa that Antonio Banderas would hump open a piñata to put on his breakfast burrito.

We wore shoes in the house to protect from scorpions

This vacation, more than any other we've taken, was about friendships.  We will always be grateful to Wheeler for introducing us to Hal and Kelly.

The scorpion thing is a joke, by the way

Flight Over Parker

Wow.

We did not expect a flight over Parker but, when the opportunity presented itself, we were super excited.  Ann's face tells the story.  That's how we both felt.

These pictures tell the story of Parker.  It's an Oasis in the desert.  Nothing else to say.

Desert bar

If we had more time, we might have gone to the desert bar for some line dancing or maybe some 2-step.


The People

We became great friends with Wheeler, just like everybody else who has met him.  He is world class.  Digger and Kelly were a pleasure to meet, also.

We met several locals at Badnoch's and Fox's, too.  It was cool to meet Tim from Dirty Deeds Detailing at Badnoch's.

Perhaps the most surprising take-away from Parker was how fantastic every single person we met was.  That includes people who were complete strangers.  The people made this leg of the trip one we'd like to do more often.  Much more often.

If we ever become snowbirds, it will probably be in Parker.  I can't wait to come down each winter with my 1982 Crown Victoria and drive around town with lunacy that can only come from a combination of heat stroke and senile dementia.


The Place

We love Parker.  Of everywhere we went, Parker is closest to the lifestyle we know in Canada at our lake.

The summertime vibe of children playing in the water to cool off, tons of boat activity, and restaurants on the water, made Parker seem like boater's paradise to us.

Wheeler, thank you for everything you have done for us.  :)

Lake Martinez

 

The view from Wes' deck

The Crew

Ann and I owe Wes and Audrey a lot. That's why we made it a priority to meet them and further over-extend our hospitality tab. This is the first time we met Carly. She is awesome, too.

We also met UltraBabe and her husband, James. They are outstanding people and a lot of fun. They, along with Wes and Audrey, treated us to a fantastic boat tour of Martinez.

Scouter and his wife stopped by on Saturday night. I think Scouter was concerned we were Russian political officers, there to re-educate the community.  He was nice to us, despite his concerns. Don't believe everything you read, Scouter. Our views probably don't differ by nearly as much as you think.

A particularly interesting social phenomenon is UltraDog, Molly. She's a beautiful dog with unabaited energy for playing and socializing. Molly's coolest social tick is backing into you so you can dig your fingers into her back side, at which point she will repeatedly jump with her rear legs to initialize a scratching sequence. She sort of meets you half way, on the rump scratch deal.

This is how I define love: Wes and Audry sharing a lip balm

Lake Martinez

“Swamp” has always had negative connotations to me. So begins the education of my ignorance.

Lake Martinez is a swamp. Wes took us down the crooked finger of a swampy area with broad leafed overgrowth brushing the boat gunnels and our arms, while leaving a coffee colored, sediment rich, prop wash in the otherwise crystal clear water. It was a swamp that Disney would design: fun, exciting, silty fine sand bottom, and unquestionably beautiful.

I would love to explore every one of those mystery fingers and coves with a small outboard boat. Perhaps something like a 12' mini-Daytona.

Ride to the sandbar with Mel and James following

Martinez is the Colorado River. In all the years I've been reading about the river, I never understood it. Not really. Standing around on a sand bar, drinking beer? What's so great about that? Ann and I left the sandbar wishing we could spend every weekend there, for the rest of our lives.

I've never been so completely teleported to an alternate time and reality before. An hour on the sandbar seems like less than ten minutes. Dogs playing in the water to keep cool. Tiny children relentlessly smashing twigs into inch deep water so they can watch patterns of swirling sand. Adult strangers approach, with demeanor as relaxed as Stephen Hawking on quaaludes, to engage in conversation as though you have been life long friends. Heaven.

There are plenty of gorgeous properties on Martinez

Martinez is a lake. We explored this aspect of Martinez the least, although we did cruise through a portion of it. The lake portion of Martinez is awesome.

I estimate river water temperature in the mid to upper 90*F range. On the sandbar, where water has washed over the shore into small, shallow, depressions in the sand, water temperature is probably mid 100*F or higher. It was so hot, we had to ease into it.

Mel and James on a fly by

I've never had a more diverse boating experience than Lake Martinez. Everything is there and all of it is terrific. We were so far under the Martinez spell, we took very few pictures.  While this is a bit of a shame, our memories of the experience are intoxicating.

Ann and I are very thankful to everyone who spent time with us at Martinez.  Thank you!