Showing posts with label Grandparents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grandparents. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Craving California pt. 2

Photo Courtesy of: Island Seashell

As I mentioned before my grandparents live on Balboa Island. They've lived there my whole life so it's like a permanent vacation home for me and my family. I've been going to visit them every summer, Thanksgiving, and spring break. These grandparents are my dads parents. I call them Grandma and Papa Beach because they live at the beach! I'm one of the youngest on this side of the family so I didn't make up the names but my oldest cousin did. The names works because they live right on the water.
Me, my siblings, and Grandma and Papa Beach

My Papa is a fisherman. Every so often he will go out on the boat and go fishing. He used to take all the kids with him sometimes too. When My sister was about 8, he took her, my cousin, Drew, and my dad deep sea fishing in Alaska. They saw tons of whales and even watched them bubble feed. He's also taken my brother, dad and Drew fishing in Panama a couple of times. (My other cousin, Scott, who's Matts age, never wanted to go to Panama with them because he was afraid of leaving his home country!) I've only been fishing a couple of times (mostly because I prefer not to be on a rocking boat waiting for a fish for a long period of time. And I don't necessarily enjoy the smell of fish...) When I did go with my Papa, I remember having to gut the smaller fish. Gutting a fish is basically just cleaning it and you have to scrape off all the scales. EW.
Whenever he would come home from the long fishing trips, you can always expect at least a of week of fish for dinner and I am not a fan of fish. Like at all. I'm kinda weird in regards to my taste in fish. Most people don't mind it cooked but can't stand it raw, I'm the opposite. I love sushi and sashimi, especially when it's freshly caught.


A couple of pictures from Balboa/ Newport:


The view from outside the shopping mall.
Me and Hailey, my sister, taking a picture next to the Balboa mural

One of my friends who moved to Encinitas
but always comes to visit me in Newport.
Under the pier




Another picture of the sunset.

From the ferris wheel!

A pit stop at the candy store before going to the beach.

A "world famous" hippo cookie from Dads Donut Shop.

and another one...

Looking out on to the pavilion from in front of my grandparents house.
It's a sunset... shocker?

My cousin, Colleen, and I on the ferris wheel on Balboa Peninsula after the beach.

and another.

When our Papa took us fishing.


Hailey, Elise and I selling lemonade on the board walk on Balboa.

Craving California

Lately I've been wanting summer to come back more than anything now. Probably because this winter is pretty lame. I mean, where's the snow?! I've been reminiscing about one of my favorite trips I've taken. A couple years ago was my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary so we all took a trip to celebrate. These grandparents (my dads parents) live in Newport Beach, California on Balboa Island. Balboa Island is one of the places the Catalina Flyer leaves from. The boat ride is about 80 minutes but so is waiting in line to board the ship and to leave the ship and stops on Catalina Island.
The Catalina Flyer leaving from Newport
Photo Courtesy of: Explore California Pass
Once we got there, we were staying in these cute condos on the Avalon side of the island. Each family got golf carts to get around the island because the walk from our condo to the main part of the city was pretty far. I think the reason I liked going to Catalina o much was because of everything that we did (and that I got to do it all with my cousins, of course!). On our first day, we went down into summaries and took a ride to see all the fish and sea creatures off the island. We also went kayaking and zip lining. My grandma was really looking forward to zip lining through the tress but chickened out before getting on the first part which, in my opinion was definitely the scariest part. We also all went in the water balls a.k.a "human hamster ball". And to top the whole trip off, we ended with a great hike to the best view you can get from Catalina then a dinner to celebrate my grandparents wedding anniversary.
Photo Courtesy of: Trip Advisor

This was my second time staying on Catalina. When I was really little, probably five or so, my grandparents (the same ones) took my cousin, Mckenna and I on trip here. One, and the only, random things I remember about that trip was walking into one of the shops and my grandpa telling us we could pick out any souvenir we wanted. We both ended up by getting one of those plush animal purses you can buy anywhere.

Stay tuned for more about my California experiences and trips!