San Diego/Catalina Island

We left Westwind RV a couple of days early because the weather was warming in southern California and we still had not visited the San Diego area.  We pulled into the metro KOA with enough time to catch the Hop on Hop off tour of San Diego and spent 2 hours getting an overview of all the sites we want to come back to later in the week.   Then we headed to Imperial Beach for dinner at Brigantine  and sunset over the Pacific at Imperial Beach.

Balboa Park is a huge park in the Center of San Diego with many museums and points of interest-
-it is also right next door to the famous zoo--we will reserve these for a return trip

The Convention Center is the home for Comicon and 150,000 nerds in costume every year

Gaslamp is the party district

The USS Midway is an aircraft carrier commissioned in 1945 and is now a great museum in the San Diego Harbor

Had to get in the brig

Planes are abundant on an aircraft carrier--Terry was in seventh heaven

Next day we took the RV about an hour north to Olive Avenue RV in Vista, California, then went to scout out Dana Point where we wanted to ferry out to Catalina Island the next day.  San Juan Capistrano is about a half hour from there so we went to check out this Franciscan Mission --one of 21 missions the Catholic Church sent up the California coast to convert the native people (mostly the Chumash tribe--there for 13,000 years?) back in the late 1800's.

The Norris' gave us our cruise to Catalina for Christmas and we have very much been looking forward to this part of our trip.  It did not disappoint.  We picked the sunniest day of the week for ferry ride --an hour and a half out in the Pacific-- to this majestic island. Avalon, Catalina Island has hillside homes much like Mackinaw Island. Golf Carts are abundant and there is a 20 year wait list to get a car.   William Wrigley (Chewing gum fame) bought this island in 1919, it is 22 miles long and 8 miles across . After a fun day on the island we took the ferry back to Dana Point where we encountered a very rare sight.  A pod of whales were out playing with  a couple of dozen dolphin, seals and seagulls.  The Ferry Captain stopped the boat and let us enjoy the site for about 30 minutes.  It was amazing.

Avalon Harbor has a real European feel

 

That is the Wrigley mansion on top but the villas all the way up the mountain are fabulous

There were darling B&B's along with hotels and restaurant

 

Wrigley built a casino on the point--now it is a performance hall

 

 

The seagulls, dolphin and seals would gather schools of fish for the whales scoop up with open mouth

 

Probably about 5 or 6 blue whales playing in coordination to feast

 

photos do not do this experience justice

Last day in the area we headed back to San Diego.  It was rainy and cold so we got back on the Hop On Hop Off bus that took us to the USS Midway tour, Balboa Park, Gaslamp Area then downtown to a great brunch at Rustic Root.
 

Great way to wrap up San Diego!