The one and only Catalina Beach
Those of you who personally know me have surely found out (and those of you who don’t will…) that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE celebration.
Give me a reason and I’m out the door celebrating (As turns out I’m naturally drunk, without even over drinking!)! My own birthday (still celebrating 25 FYI) was stretched over a month of parties / lunches / dinners / karaoke with friends (all food-related, of course, and if you just happen to wonder if my love for celebrations is somehow related to my love for food [and my own made-up rule – that calories while traveling and celebrating DO NOT count!!!], you’re probably right).
This Fourth of July was no exception – especially since June was a whirlwind C-R-A-Z-Y kind of a month, even for a survivor such as myself (you don’t want to ask!), and since I just LOVE road trips (almost as much as I love celebrations and food!), I wanted to do something a bit different. Pull a very much-needed “mini” getaway (highly recommended!) and get out of town (if even for the day!).
That’s when I heard that a friend of mine was going to Catalina on the Fourth for the day, and I immediately stole the idea (can’t take credit for everything; I literally stole it!). I called one of my dearest friends and soul sisters, Sherry Singer, who is one of the top matchmakers in LA (www.MeetAMate.com) and bounced the idea off of her.
Turned out, Sherry loves me (or at least she was being a good friend and pretended she did) and (probably like the rest of us) needed a getaway as well!
So there we were – Sherry and I, bright and early on a Friday morning, going on an Island Adventure!!
At about 10:40 a.m., after I parked Fredric Magic Maxwell (my car) by Sherry’s office, she picked me up and drove her white *Schmutz Mobile (as always Sherry drove, and I was just a back seat driver!). We made it to the San Pedro dock just an hour and a half before departure (as previously mentioned I am always TERRIBLY early pretty much everywhere [not highly recommended and very embarrassing, not to mention somewhat desperate looking and even pathetic if one's going to a Hollywood event or a date!])
When we finally got on the fast and regal Catalina Express, Sherry and I climbed to the outside upper deck. Since we didn’t realize there was a line about the length of the Pacific Ocean, we were out of luck and out of seats. Sherry, like a real trooper, plopped herself on the floor and I quickly followed. After an hour boat ride (note to you and self – better stay outside, on the deck, if you get motion sickness [which it turns out both Sherry and I do]), we arrived at the dock not far from dry land (thank goodness!) and to a different laidback casual world. We immediately felt as though a sense of timelessness surrounded us (we were now on Island Time!). We were finally at the one and only Catalina, with its little streets, charming small beach houses, golf carts driving around (there are almost no cars on Catalina), tall hills that look at you peacefully from everywhere, and clean serene beaches. It was almost as good as it’s gonna get (and we hadn’t even eaten yet!). As we walked out off the dock and onto Crescent Ave, the main street, we were welcomed by the Fourth of July annual cart parade and the USC marching band (plus cheerleaders!). Talk about a warm welcome!
Now even though we expected it to be as crowded as a small island could be with just about a million and one people cramped in (who apparently had the same exact idea that we did), Sherry and I were in for a surprise. The Island was actually not that cramped! There was plenty of space and more for everyone around.
I’ve been to Catalina before, go every few years (with different men [now exes], and no, you don’t want to ask [and if you do, you could surely read all about it soon in my book!), but I forgot all about how charming and adorable this place is.
There is plenty to do on Catalina – from snorkeling, to jet-skiing, to sight-seeing tours, to scuba diving, to parasailing, to land tours (note to you – the adventure Tour into the Inland is not for the faint of heart! I'm still getting over my traumatic experience of about five years ago, on bumpy narrow dirt roads (with no berm!) in a big semi-truck with a driver name "Star," when I seriously believed I was saying my last words ["What the f%&!!!"], held on for dear life, and thought I was going to die. But after our long drive and ocean trip, naturally we were famished. So I told Sherry about the most amazing pizza that I had about 11 years ago (YES! I remembered that pizza for all that time!!!), and somehow we made it past the red, white and blue parade and to the end of the main street where we found the casual yet charming Antonio’s right on the ocean! We stepped into the restaurant, which was decorated all in wood and looked like a nice barn, and quickly grabbed a booth across from the window overlooking the peaceful marina. Sherry made friends with a small cute girl of about seven years old who was sitting peacefully (up until now) with her mom and dad at the table adjacent to us.
“Wanna see a big *schmutzer?” Sherry asked the girl, and before the child could even answer and without warning, Sherry pulled out her cell phone pictures of her new rescue, and pride and joy, an 80 pounder German Sheperd that answers to the name of Bella.
“Have you seen anything as cute as that?” Sherry asked rhetorically like a proud mama while the girl was looking at the pictures and then she went into the whole story (similar to the way she did with any other innocent bystander and just about every second person we encountered) − of course, the story included how she lost her previous rescue, Keith, and found Bella just a few days later (if you ever do run into Sherry I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it!)
After the family left, we finally got down to business and ordered the Neapolitan Veggie Pizza (with onions and black olives). Soon it arrived and we were fully engrossed and completely silent as though we were having at least a religious experience (Sherry’s motto for eating is: “Don’t bother me, I’m eating!!!”) with a scrumptious and amazing blend of a bit-sweet red sauce, mozzarella, Monterey jack, provolone, cheddar, Parmesan cheese, onions and black olives (and the pizza dough is made fresh every day!!).
It was almost as good as sex (well, I did say almost!), and even better than chocolate! After we just about devoured the pizza, and I picked up the bill (since Sherry always drives me!), we hardly rolled out of that restaurant and quickly found ourselves walking toward Lloyd’s of Avalon (on the corner of Crescent and Summer) where we got an ice-cream hot fudge sundae for dessert.
“Now what?” Sherry asked as we looked around and enjoyed the USC marching band that was still playing to the great enjoyment of the cheering red, white and blue crowd.
“I have no idea!” I replied, smiling and joking, “After I’m fed, I’m pretty low maintenance…”
Since Sherry was still feeling a bit queasy from the boat ride, we decided to rest for a minute (or more) by the beach and we grabbed ourselves a prime seat on an ocean-front brick bench. I left Sherry there to go and look for medicine for her. I quickly returned armed with not only some Pepto Bismol but also Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez for me (I know my love for books has turned into a full-blown addiction, and it’s getting way out of control!!!), and a Cosmopolitan magazine for Sherry that I picked up on my way.
We both relaxed a while listening to the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore, plus the comforting laughter of children. Then, as I tried unsuccessfully to concentrate on my book, Sherry kept interrupting me by cracking herself up and laughing hysterically while reading Cosmopolitan and Hilarious Bedroom Bloopers (apparently she was feeling so much better!), and insisting on sharing what she was reading with me (I actually didn’t find this to be as funny as she did…).
By now, thankfully, Sherry was almost back to normal, so we decided to walk around a bit more. We picked ourselves up, sadly gave up our prime real-estate bench seats, and found ourselves window-shopping. Soon we walked into the Ruth Mayer Gallery (on Summer Avenue) and got completely mesmerized and drawn into the masterful and colorful world of her paintings. Then we strolled about a block up from the Gallery, heading toward the miniature golf course just a few blocks away from the ocean.
We paid for a game, and after I finally managed to pull Sherry away from playing with three dogs and two cats (that were all apparently a part of the golf course’s captivating charm), we got to play our hearts out. We tried to read the rules but they were too complicated, so I made up The Lauren Rules for Miniature Golf (basically you strike and count until you get the ball in the hole, and whoever strikes less wins the game). After about an hour and a half of 18 holes, fun, laughter, sweat (move over Tiger Woods!!!), and playing, I (naturally) won the game (OK, you got me; Sherry won, but I so let her win [and she only won by one point], but I also made her sweat!).
Since we were all played out and we still had about a couple of hours to kill before the fireworks, we walked into a cute souvenir shop and I got Sherry a miniature book made especially for her called Oy! To the World. A Book of Jewish Humor. And Sherry got me a Vazu (a vase like you’ve never seen), wonderfully expandable, easily maintained, and colorful − a flower vase perfect for travel!
When we walked back onto the street, Sherry and I realized that we hadn’t eaten in a couple of hours and naturally we were hungry (again). We decided on Chinese food (to go easy on our stomachs). We walked into Mr. Ning’s Chinese Garden (on Summer Street) and I soon delighted over a delicious Sweet and Sour Eggplant dish with fried tofu (they made it especially for me, and I’m still craving its mild and soothing taste!) and Vegetable Fried Rice, and Sherry enjoyed the Hot Braised Scallops (I don’t eat anything with eyes or a mother, but so not judging!). In between bites, Sherry was cracking me up reading me Jewish wisdom and proverbs from the book I had just given her. Here’s a sampling of the humor:
“Only one kind of worry is correct: to worry that you worry too much.” (by Ethel Diamond)
Shortly after we finished our dinner (I was stuffed), Sherry and I made our way back to the beach and plopped our weary butts onto the sandy brick wall with the rest of the Island’s excited visitors. We were right by the edge of the water and waited patiently for the fireworks (well some of us were more patient than others; I’m not going to mention any names… someone kept saying (Sherry): “Noo!!!” (i.e. the Hebrew word for “Where is it already?”).
We weren’t disappointed! About twenty minutes later, the crowd was immersed in one of the most spectacular and visually stunning half-hour shows of magnificent color that I’ve ever seen. The fireworks were exploding high above the water and right above our heads!
At about 10:00 p.m., Sherry got overly medicated (with Dramamine for anti-nausea we purchased earlier on the Island for a safe boat ride!) but with smiling faces, we made it back to the Catalina Express and survived an hour and a half of a terribly choppy and rough ride back to San Pedro (this time, at least, we got onto the right line and even though we almost froze to death outside, Sherry and I got good seats!).
At about 2:00 a.m., I was back home, and after I downloaded some pictures and emailed them to Sherry, I fell onto my bed and concluded that this was not only a cool and different way to spend the Fourth of July, but also so very much needed!
On your next holiday, be sure to take advantage of an excuse to celebrate, like Sherry and I did this Fourth of July, and have a great time!!
Today and always,
Be kind to yourself & each other!
Love & Light,
Lauren Gale
P.S. New platform high heels (no matter how cute!) for an Inland daytrip (or any trip) are not highly recommended (as Sherry scolded me in a loving Jewish mother tone over and over again throughout the day, and at the end, while I was moaning and nursing my painful, poor swollen feet, she wisely commented: “You should have worn your sneakers!” )
P.P.S. I recently learned that the one bummer ’bout “pulling a geographical” is that you have to take yourself everywhere you go! (Note to you & self − me, myself and I are getting along much better these days!!)
*An equal opportunity pet lover, Sherry has the following special terminology and nickname for dogs, “Schmutzer” and for cats, “Moonies.” Since Sherry owns a dog (as previously mentioned), we call her car “the Schmutz (short for schmutzer) Mobile.”
Sherry and Lauren, right before getting on the Catalina Express. We are ready for our adventure!
Beautiful Catalina, as we were arriving!
Fourth of July main street cart parade
Almost lunchtime – Sherry and I ready for and excited about the best Pizza!
Catalina fireworks… blooming flower of light in the sky! 
The one and only schmutzer - Sherry’s new baby girl Bella
