Kat
Contributor
This is part 2 - the 1st part is posted under Cabo Trip Report.
Thursday: I had originally booked our flight out of Cabo to arrive in LAX at 6:30P We needed to catch the Catalina Express @ 8:30P There wasn't enough time to get through customs & get down to Long Beach. Alaska Airlines wanted almost as much as I'd paid f/ 2 RT tickets to change my flight by 2 hours. So we went stand-by. Luckily we got on the earlier flight. Due to the power outage out east customs was backed up & we had to stay in the plane @ the gate f/ a half hour. Once into LAX everything went fast. Went out & caught the SuperShuttle to San Pedro f/ the ferry over to Catalina.
We came into Catalina at sunset & it looked beautiful. Took a cab f/ $7 cause I had no idea how far the hotel was. We could have easily walked it. We stayed at the Atwater Hotel. This was the smallest room I have ever slept in, in my whole life. By some miracle, when I booked it a few weeks before, I got a room w/ A/C. We had dinner at a Mexican restaurant a couple streets over. (I should have paid more attention to the restaurant names) It was nice, but average, so maybe you don't need the name
Friday: Had prebooked our dive about 2 weeks in advance w/ Catalina Divers Supply. We had 11 divers on the boat & we waited about 15 min. f/ 2 more, who never showed. Off we went, w/ Ron & Rick from CDS. Took awhile to find a good dive site but it was worth the wait. Our 1st dive was West Quarry. The kelp was so awesome. The Garabaldi fish were everywhere, they actually became pesty. I had to shoo them from in front of my mask, so I could see. Lobsters galore...big, fat, delicous lobsters. I wish I could have brought some back f/ dinner that night. We were down f/ 55 min. During our SI the crew had turkey sandwiches f/ us.
I tend to be a
uke: so I saved mine. Our 2nd dive was at Rippers Cove. More beautiful kelp, seagrass, lobsters on parade, Garabaldi fish, a very small shark, a few eels - it was a great dive, we were down 50 min. I think Catalina Divers Supply was probably one of the best dive ops I've experienced. I wish we'd had more time to dive Catalina. It was wonderful!
*I had heard the water was cold but forgot to say anything to my boyfriend, Pat. He did the 1st dive in a shorty. Luckily, they had an additional suit he was able to borrow f/ the 2nd dive.
My only regret was I didn't get to meet Bill. I plan on diving in Catalina again, so maybe next time.
Had dinner at Armstrongs that night. Not as good as the Crazy Lobster in Cabo, but still yummy.
Saturday: Took the tour to see the wild Bison. Saw a ton of them, too. Tour was very enjoyable & got to see the natural beauty of Catalina Island-topside. The day went fast & we had to catch the ferry back to San Pedro. Staying w/ old friends/neighbors. Actually my ex's friends. Pat has never met them. My friends picked us up at the terminal & promptly took us out drinking. That'll break the ice.
Sunday: Start the day w/ Mimosa (SP ?) Then head f/ Hermosa Beach & hang out @ the pier eating seafood & more drinking. Time to catch or plane back to Chicago. Wow, 10 days went so fast.
Now it's rehab week.
Thursday: I had originally booked our flight out of Cabo to arrive in LAX at 6:30P We needed to catch the Catalina Express @ 8:30P There wasn't enough time to get through customs & get down to Long Beach. Alaska Airlines wanted almost as much as I'd paid f/ 2 RT tickets to change my flight by 2 hours. So we went stand-by. Luckily we got on the earlier flight. Due to the power outage out east customs was backed up & we had to stay in the plane @ the gate f/ a half hour. Once into LAX everything went fast. Went out & caught the SuperShuttle to San Pedro f/ the ferry over to Catalina.
We came into Catalina at sunset & it looked beautiful. Took a cab f/ $7 cause I had no idea how far the hotel was. We could have easily walked it. We stayed at the Atwater Hotel. This was the smallest room I have ever slept in, in my whole life. By some miracle, when I booked it a few weeks before, I got a room w/ A/C. We had dinner at a Mexican restaurant a couple streets over. (I should have paid more attention to the restaurant names) It was nice, but average, so maybe you don't need the name
Friday: Had prebooked our dive about 2 weeks in advance w/ Catalina Divers Supply. We had 11 divers on the boat & we waited about 15 min. f/ 2 more, who never showed. Off we went, w/ Ron & Rick from CDS. Took awhile to find a good dive site but it was worth the wait. Our 1st dive was West Quarry. The kelp was so awesome. The Garabaldi fish were everywhere, they actually became pesty. I had to shoo them from in front of my mask, so I could see. Lobsters galore...big, fat, delicous lobsters. I wish I could have brought some back f/ dinner that night. We were down f/ 55 min. During our SI the crew had turkey sandwiches f/ us.
I tend to be a
uke: so I saved mine. Our 2nd dive was at Rippers Cove. More beautiful kelp, seagrass, lobsters on parade, Garabaldi fish, a very small shark, a few eels - it was a great dive, we were down 50 min. I think Catalina Divers Supply was probably one of the best dive ops I've experienced. I wish we'd had more time to dive Catalina. It was wonderful! *I had heard the water was cold but forgot to say anything to my boyfriend, Pat. He did the 1st dive in a shorty. Luckily, they had an additional suit he was able to borrow f/ the 2nd dive.
My only regret was I didn't get to meet Bill. I plan on diving in Catalina again, so maybe next time.
Had dinner at Armstrongs that night. Not as good as the Crazy Lobster in Cabo, but still yummy.
Saturday: Took the tour to see the wild Bison. Saw a ton of them, too. Tour was very enjoyable & got to see the natural beauty of Catalina Island-topside. The day went fast & we had to catch the ferry back to San Pedro. Staying w/ old friends/neighbors. Actually my ex's friends. Pat has never met them. My friends picked us up at the terminal & promptly took us out drinking. That'll break the ice.
Sunday: Start the day w/ Mimosa (SP ?) Then head f/ Hermosa Beach & hang out @ the pier eating seafood & more drinking. Time to catch or plane back to Chicago. Wow, 10 days went so fast.
Now it's rehab week.
