Catalina...where we will live someday!

Ok, so I mentioned that you get a free trip to Catalina on your birthday, and we've been dying to get over there and try snorkeling for about a year now. We almost went last year, but I think we didn't find out until around my birthday, and didn't have a day off or something...whatever it was, we didn't go and planned to go this year. SO worth it!

The boat ride was a little over an hour, and we made the mistake of sitting in the front-ish side. It's like being on a constant roller coaster that goes all slow, and you have moving waves in front of you...bleh. Miles looked at the horizon, and I closed my eyes for most of the ride. We did see dolphins, though! And on the way back we sat in the back-er middle, which was much better.

We got there and checked into our little hotel. By the way, if you're going, make reservations a few months in advance and do it at the SeaCrest Inn. We missed it because they were all booked, but they have a "dolphin package" midweek special that for a room AND a round trip boat ride it's less than the cost of the boat ride alone. It looked cute enough, too.

Lover's Cove...sorry for my closed-eyes face,
but you can still see how pretty it is, right?

Mostly we just explored the island and went window shopping, but the BEST part really was the snorkeling. We went to Lover's Cove, which I guess is the best spot there, and there were soooo many huge fish. Miles of course was really sad that he hadn't brought a spear with him. 

Almost as soon as we got into the water we could look down and see fish in the water around us. There was this guy with a full old-fashioned scuba suit on...as in, it looked like Captain Nemo with a helmet and all. Of course I was watching what he would do, and he had some kind of little floaties with him, too. Interesting...
I don't know what he had, but a few minutes later all around him was this huge feeding frenzy of fish. Seriously, like finding Nemo style.

There were also tons of really pretty fish, like these:

Doesn't this look like we're in an aquarium? 

I TOUCHED them! But couldn't catch one. 

On the second time coming in from snorkeling, I had some trouble getting across the rocks. They were SO pokey! Miles, however, had a little less trouble, and managed to take this flattering picture-------->  I am the squinty one in the wetsuit and goggles. :)

And the winner of the day....

ta-daaaa!!! Betcha didn't expect THIS!

And one last picture Miles took...this one was right before we had to leave on Tuesday night. The whole island isn't very big, and the tourist-y part is all within about a five or ten minute walk, although they have all kinds of shuttles for people. We only saw one or two actual cars there, and the rest of the locals drive golf carts around. It somehow makes everything on the island seem really cute and quaint, while downtown Long Beach has the same teeny little houses and small alleyways, but there you just fear for your life a little. We found a little staircase that went up the hill where people live, and it gave us a great view of the island. We agreed that it would be pretty sweet to live on the island, although I don't know that they need a facilities manager for the little branch there yet. Maybe when they build a Catalina Island temple?