Toward Isthmus Cove
Two weeks after Avalon, we boarded the Catalina Express to Two Harbors on the east side of Catalina Island. Two Harbors is more rural than Avalon with only dirt roads, two restaurants and a grocery store.
Two Harbors earned its name from the two harbors, Isthmus Cove and Catalina Harbor, that rest a mere half mile opposite each other. We easily hiked the distance. The boys sailed a boat in Isthmus Cove.
We ventured south toward the yacht club.
We were greeted by a young bird, perhaps a juvenile crow, as we hiked up the mountain to Banning House Lodge which is celebrating it's centennial this year.
We enjoyed the sights at the south side Catalina Harbor and spent an hour kayaking east from the harbor. The paddling was easy and made easier by a five year old natural who paddled the entire time delighted by the bright orange Garibaldi, thick kelp forests and an enthusiastic ball-chasing Golden Retriever that tried to board our kayak.
One morning, we hiked up the steep mountainside following the recommendation of a local to find two hammocks hanging in a scrub oak. We relaxed over the harbors for over an hour and watched small planes fly below us as they made their way to Catalina airport. The rest was well earned as Eric carried both boys up the majority of the steep ascent. But what a view. What an experience.
Each night after a full day ended the same with six pages from Windsor McCay's Little Nemo in Slumberland
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My mother, who grew up in Del Mar when the entire school system was two rooms in the same building taught by the same teacher, used to go to Catalina all the time with her parents and sister. It's nice to know that parts of it are still as unincorporated as they were then.
ReplyDeletebeautiful pictures! I can practically smell the calm.
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