Poem
Poem
Prose
Prose
Poem
Poem
My Trip to Catalina
By Jonathan Craig, Army
Writing Type: Prose
By
Jonathan Craig
It
was the spring of 1987 when I left Arizona and headed for sunny California to
see the Pacific Ocean for the first time in my 16 years of life. My folks,
brother and I headed west at 4:30 p.m. from our home in Tucson in our Chevy van.
My brother and I fell asleep after daylight faded and awoke in San Diego early
the next day around 4:45 a.m. as the sun started rising from the east.
My
brother and I were amazed at the expanse of the Pacific Ocean unfolding before
our eyes as we approached La Jolla beach. The many people walking hand and hand
along the shore. Surfers on their boards, riding the large waves. The hundreds
of seagulls. And of course, the main attraction, those beautiful girls in their
bikini's with bronze tanned skin.
Leaving
La Jolla, we headed north to Long Beach, where we spent the night to get rested
up for our boat ride to Catalina Island. We head to the port of San Pedro
the following morning to catch our tourist boat to Catalina Island, which lies almost 25 miles off the California coast.
Arriving
in San Pedro we parked our van in the secured area and purchased our roundtrip
tickets. We boarded a 105-foot vessel and headed out of the harbor and into the
vast Pacific.
I
secured a spot on the bow of the boat and found it hard to contain my
excitement on this first-time adventure. The warm, balmy breeze, the salty
spray on my face, the dolphins racing at the bow, the spouting whales in the
distance, were all new and became indelible in my mind.
We
approached Avalon harbor after a one-hour boat ride. As we entered the harbor,
I was amazed at the quaint shops, marina, the huge casino and the hustle and
bustle of life unfolding before my eyes. My brother and I explored the shops,
beach and oddities on our own, while our parents seemed to prefer a chance for
a bit of alone time. I can see why they call it "The Island of
Romance."
Leaving
Catalina Island behind, we were on our way back to San Pedro at 7 p.m. After
arriving, we drove back to Long Beach for the night and some much-needed sleep
from a long day of fun and adventure.
Having
rested from the day before, we ate breakfast then headed to Anaheim, Calif.,
for a surprise. A 30-minute drive brought us to Disneyland, and what a thrill
for all of us. The theme parks, rides, animated characters and food all
provided a great day for all of us. The Disneyland Electric Light Parade was
the star attraction to top off our Disneyland adventure. We decided to stay in
Anaheim for the evening and head back to Arizona the following morning.
Our
trip back home brought a sadness to us all, as we talked and laughed about our
fun days on the Pacific coast. I haven't been afforded the opportunity to go
back there in these past 44 years. But I will never forget that once-in-my-lifetime
adventure.