Not all who wander are lost.: Land of 1,000 Golf Carts

I'm not sure of the exact location of the Land of 1,000 Dances everyone sings about, but I did find the Land of 1,000 Golf Carts, 22 miles off the coast of Southern California. Catalina Island. Kyle and I may have seen a few trucks and maybe a smart car or two, but golf cart seems to be the transportation vehicle of choice in this small island town. We saw "(golf) car seats" for babies, pimped out rims, the works. But I suppose if the farthest you have to go today is the beach or the golf course, who can blame you?

We took the Catalina Express ferry from Long Beach to Avalon on a chilly SoCal Sunday morning. Saw seals frolicking on the ride over.

The old Casino definitely provides some character to the Island landscape.

We decided to take a hike to see the sights. I'd mapped it out online. A short walk to Lovers Cove before climbing the slope of Mt. Ada. for a look over the bay.
Well Lovers Cove was beautiful. Crystal clear water that would be perfect for snorkeling in the summer. The sign as we enter Lovers Cove reads "Conservation Area: This is not a petting zoo." I believe they don't want the visiting lovers to handle the marine life, but it could very well mean "Conservative area, don't pet each other." We played it safe and skipped rocks instead.

We played it safe with the next sign too. Along our mapped path to get up to Mt. Ada, we saw a sign that reads "DANGER: FALLING ROCKS." Not an uncommon sight, really. Lots of places warn you that rocks COULD fall, but most of the time, it doesn't require you to make a u-turn and find a detour. It means, stop texting for the next 100 yards in case a boulder rolls down the hill so you can swerve and miss it in true car commercial fashion.
Well, this wasn't one of those signs. This was a "Danger: Falling Rocks" sign that meant passage equaled certain death. It read, "ABSOLUTELY: NO PEDESTRIANS, NO BICYCLES, NO SCOOTERS, NO MOPEDS, NO GOLF CARTS BEYOND THIS POINT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. Only full size vehicles may use Pebbly Beach Road at their own risk and only if they are fully enclosed with a metal cab." Since we had left our fully enclosed metal cab and will to die at home that day we backtracked to find an alternate route up Mt. Ada.

It was A HIKE. I know the Mt. part should imply that it wouldn't be a leisurely stroll, but about halfway up, we re-considered not renting a golf cart for the day as the smirking moms breeze by us at 5 mph. But life isn't always about the destination - its the journey, the experience. The stopping to admire the flowers that bloom bright crimson against the deep lush green mountains. Kyle making fun of me re-applying my lip gloss before my photo (but don't my lips look shiny and nice). Plus, had we rented a golf cart, we may have never noticed the dog cemetery. Literally, a cemetery dedicated just to former pets, probably every Fido and Sparky who has ever lived in Avalon. A bunch of bone and fire hydrant shaped gravestones. Kind of a little morbid.

The view was beautiful from Mt. Ada was beautiful. There was an inn at the top. Could you imagine this being your first sight when you wake up in the morning?

We overlooked the city of Avalon - and the backyards of several Avalonians. We hiked all the way up Mt. Ada - past the inn and out to overlook the coast. The water with its many colors reminded me of the Australia and the shades of teal, blue, and turquoise that surround the Great Barrier Reef.

Because January is a little too cold for fins and snorkels, Kyle and I opted for a more wild than wet adventure in Catalina: parasailing. The one nice thing about off-season traveling - not a lot of pesky tourists to compete with. We were the only two going up that day. 3, 2, 1... Lift off.

We just getting farther and farther away from the boat - and going higher and higher. 800 feet high to be exact.

Kyle and I had great overhead views of Avalon. It was a peaceful and relaxing way to spend an afternoon. (If only that one cloud would go away - of course, the only time its cloudy in Cali are when you have plans for outdoor adventures. BUT considering the rain we had in December, I suppose I should be thankful for no precipitation).