Comments on: Catalina! http://e-popp.com/blogs/monique/archives/2005/05/30/218/ 'Cause she says what she means and she means what she says Wed, 08 Sep 2010 08:59:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Scott http://e-popp.com/blogs/monique/archives/2005/05/30/218/comment-page-1/#comment-534 Scott Thu, 02 Jun 2005 14:58:52 +0000 http://e-popp.com/blogs/monique/archives/2005/05/30/218/#comment-534 Karen and I have been going a couple times a year since we first met and everytime we find something new and exciting to do. We've been all over the island and some of the cool highlights are: - The Glass Bottom boats - The Submarine ride (the one Jason mentioned) - 14' boat rentals (cruise the east to south side of the island) - The Casino tour is nice with lots of information on the history - Two island tours (one by land, which Joe & Monique did, and the other by ocean) - Descanso Beach is a bit more private and they have a bar right on the beach. - DEFINITELY the helicopter ride! It is TOTALLY worth the trip alone. Especially if you get a good pilot who who lets you swoop downtown Long Beach and Vincent Thomas bridge near San Pedro! Shana: sorry for sounding nitpicky but it's Grauman's Chinese Theater again... Hooray! And that casino tour is pretty cool especially when they bring you out on the dance floor on the upper level! Did you do the tour? Karen and I have been going a couple times a year since we first met and everytime we find something new and exciting to do. We’ve been all over the island and some of the cool highlights are:

- The Glass Bottom boats
- The Submarine ride (the one Jason mentioned)
- 14′ boat rentals (cruise the east to south side of the island)
- The Casino tour is nice with lots of information on the history
- Two island tours (one by land, which Joe & Monique did, and the other by ocean)
- Descanso Beach is a bit more private and they have a bar right on the beach.
- DEFINITELY the helicopter ride! It is TOTALLY worth the trip alone. Especially if you get a good pilot who who lets you swoop downtown Long Beach and Vincent Thomas bridge near San Pedro!

Shana: sorry for sounding nitpicky but it’s Grauman’s Chinese Theater again… Hooray! And that casino tour is pretty cool especially when they bring you out on the dance floor on the upper level! Did you do the tour?

]]> By: Joe http://e-popp.com/blogs/monique/archives/2005/05/30/218/comment-page-1/#comment-533 Joe Thu, 02 Jun 2005 05:45:57 +0000 http://e-popp.com/blogs/monique/archives/2005/05/30/218/#comment-533 Wow, it's cool that everyone's got some stories about that place. I had some fun over there with our senior class trip in High School. I remember we convinced Russ to rent a boat (he was the only one with a credit card) and we pretty much destroyed the engine and had to be towed back to the harbor. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/mpopp/16494019/in/set-394724/" rel="nofollow">The tour bus</a> was brown, and a crazy ride as we thought we were going over the edge of the mountain quite a few times. Great tour. Wow, it’s cool that everyone’s got some stories about that place. I had some fun over there with our senior class trip in High School. I remember we convinced Russ to rent a boat (he was the only one with a credit card) and we pretty much destroyed the engine and had to be towed back to the harbor.

The tour bus was brown, and a crazy ride as we thought we were going over the edge of the mountain quite a few times. Great tour.

]]> By: Jon http://e-popp.com/blogs/monique/archives/2005/05/30/218/comment-page-1/#comment-532 Jon Wed, 01 Jun 2005 16:40:30 +0000 http://e-popp.com/blogs/monique/archives/2005/05/30/218/#comment-532 By the way, that time that I did go 10 years ago, we took the boat over there and then took a sunset helicopter ride back. That was freakin' awesome!! By the way, that time that I did go 10 years ago, we took the boat over there and then took a sunset helicopter ride back. That was freakin’ awesome!!

]]> By: Jon http://e-popp.com/blogs/monique/archives/2005/05/30/218/comment-page-1/#comment-531 Jon Wed, 01 Jun 2005 16:39:14 +0000 http://e-popp.com/blogs/monique/archives/2005/05/30/218/#comment-531 My last time there was about 10 years ago and I've never done any of the inland tours... those sound pretty cool. I've only done the boat/water related tours and walked the tourist shops in Avalon. But before that, my first trip to Catalina (about 8 years old) was flying in with my mom, dad and sister with dad as the pilot of a little Cessna. We had lunch at the airport's cool cafe and then the only other thing I remember was a long walk on dirt roads where we saw the water buffalos and I picked up lots of "fools' gold". My last time there was about 10 years ago and I’ve never done any of the inland tours… those sound pretty cool. I’ve only done the boat/water related tours and walked the tourist shops in Avalon. But before that, my first trip to Catalina (about 8 years old) was flying in with my mom, dad and sister with dad as the pilot of a little Cessna. We had lunch at the airport’s cool cafe and then the only other thing I remember was a long walk on dirt roads where we saw the water buffalos and I picked up lots of “fools’ gold”.

]]> By: Jason http://e-popp.com/blogs/monique/archives/2005/05/30/218/comment-page-1/#comment-530 Jason Wed, 01 Jun 2005 11:55:29 +0000 http://e-popp.com/blogs/monique/archives/2005/05/30/218/#comment-530 Well, Diane and I went about 3 years ago and they still had the Wrigley monument then. Just can stand at the bottom and stare up at the thing and think to yourself, "Wow! What's the bfd?" It ain't all that great. But when it comes to the glass bottom boats I have to loudly, violently, hair-pullingly disagree. Those are AWESOME. Maybe it depends on the kind. They have the ones where it's just a boat with a glass floor. I can't speak for those. The kind we went on, you climb down into the belly and look out portholes like the old submarine ride at Disneyland. It's oodles of fun. We did that skyline drive too. It was really awesome, except for the part where the bus broke down. Fortunately it happened at the top and we just kicked back in the restaurant for the replacement to show up. Was it nice and green? I bet that was cool if it was. We went in the summer and stuff was pretty dried out. (although there was a species of Queen Anne's Lace blooming that is found only on Catalina and nowhere else. That's pretty cool. Well, Diane and I went about 3 years ago and they still had the Wrigley monument then. Just can stand at the bottom and stare up at the thing and think to yourself, “Wow! What’s the bfd?” It ain’t all that great. But when it comes to the glass bottom boats I have to loudly, violently, hair-pullingly disagree. Those are AWESOME. Maybe it depends on the kind. They have the ones where it’s just a boat with a glass floor. I can’t speak for those. The kind we went on, you climb down into the belly and look out portholes like the old submarine ride at Disneyland. It’s oodles of fun.
We did that skyline drive too. It was really awesome, except for the part where the bus broke down. Fortunately it happened at the top and we just kicked back in the restaurant for the replacement to show up. Was it nice and green? I bet that was cool if it was. We went in the summer and stuff was pretty dried out. (although there was a species of Queen Anne’s Lace blooming that is found only on Catalina and nowhere else. That’s pretty cool.

]]> By: Joe http://e-popp.com/blogs/monique/archives/2005/05/30/218/comment-page-1/#comment-529 Joe Wed, 01 Jun 2005 04:24:11 +0000 http://e-popp.com/blogs/monique/archives/2005/05/30/218/#comment-529 Yeah, Shannon, it was weird to plan Monique's first trip there and NOT do the glass bottom boats. But while it's such a cool sounding idea, it's just not that impressive once you actually experience it. We did see the Wrigley house up on top of the hill, not sure if the monument is there or somewhere else. But I bet it's still there, wherever it was. Yeah, Shannon, it was weird to plan Monique’s first trip there and NOT do the glass bottom boats. But while it’s such a cool sounding idea, it’s just not that impressive once you actually experience it.

We did see the Wrigley house up on top of the hill, not sure if the monument is there or somewhere else. But I bet it’s still there, wherever it was.

]]> By: Shannon http://e-popp.com/blogs/monique/archives/2005/05/30/218/comment-page-1/#comment-528 Shannon Wed, 01 Jun 2005 03:41:39 +0000 http://e-popp.com/blogs/monique/archives/2005/05/30/218/#comment-528 I went there for a senior trip back in 1993 and have not been back since. I remember doing the walk up the hill to the Wrigley Monument - was that still there? I also did the glass bottom boat thing but do not remember being that impressed with it. I am glad to hear you had such a great time. I went there for a senior trip back in 1993 and have not been back since. I remember doing the walk up the hill to the Wrigley Monument - was that still there? I also did the glass bottom boat thing but do not remember being that impressed with it. I am glad to hear you had such a great time.

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