sojournsbysarah

[sojournsbysarah]

[sojournsbysarah]

Catalina Island

Ever wanted to go to an actual desert island? Ever want to attend the true Catalina Wine Mixer? Lucky for all of us, Catalina Island sits right off the coast of LA, about an hour ferry ride from Long Beach https://www.catalinaexpress.com/. This island is home to some endemic species, a arid mediterranean climate, and relics of the golden hollywood years. Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable liked to escape here- and it’s not hard to see why. Catalina’s arid hills, dotted with cacti and low trees tumble straight into the deep pacific blue. It’s a stunning juxtaposition. Catalina Island has very few cars- in fact the waitlist to have a personal vehicle on the island is over 10 years. Everyone here walks, boats, or uses golfcarts. The island is a great place to scuba, snorkel, bike, hike, or even take a ride in a submarine. Activities Rent a boat at Joe’s Boat Rental! It’s worth the money to be able to motor along the coastline of Catalina at you own pace. More on that, the boat only has one engine so typically about 15 mph is your max speed. You can steer with the wheel, or the engine directly. The hardest part is making it out of the marina without hitting one of the million dollar yachts! Pack a lunch to eat while you observe the coves and keep your eyes peeled for seals, fish, and even eagles from your sweet seat. http://www.joesrentaboat.com/ Wrigley’s Botanical Garden William Wrigley- chewing gum magnate- harbored a great love for Catalina. Mr. Wrigley financed many of the buildings on Catalina through his spearmint flavored empire. He is remembered for his patronage of the island in a beautiful botanical garden that leads uphill to his (once) burial site. It’s a good stroll through some unique terrain, and who doesn’t like rare plants? More succulents here to feast your eyes on than the fake ones piled up in the dollar bin at Target.  https://www.catalinaconservancy.org/index.php?s=visit&p=wrigley_memorial_and_botanic_garden Casino Let’s clear this up real quick- this casino no longer functions as a casino. The large circular building that dominates the shoreline of Catalina was constructed in the 1929 by who else that Mr. William Wrigley. The building hosts a iconic gilded ballroom and a movie theatre designed at the end of the silent age for “talkie” films. It’s a glamorous, romantic old space and you can still catch nightly movie there. Or, book a walking tour. https://www.visitcatalinaisland.com/activities-adventures/catalina-casino/movie-theatre Eat Stop at the Sandtrap for 3 dollar beers, 19 dollar margarita pitchers, and 1 dollar tacos during lunch happy hour (the local school kids sure seem to love ditching the cafeteria and getting in on the cheap tacos). I’m a taco freak, and this place does some of the best soft tacos I’ve ever had. Like all the best places, they seem to be a bit of a secret and don’t highlight themselves online. Just plug it into your GPS- or follow the horde of small children with stack of dollar bills in their hands. Another dining option is Mi Casita’s which also has tex-mex fare at a reasonable price for island food.  http://www.catalinahotspots.com/mi_casita/index.html Crash at St. Lauren hotel- a tall, pink, victorian era building. Decent rooms and an awesome deck to watch the sunset. It may be all uphill to the hotel, but it’s all downhill to the beach. https://www.stlauren.com/ Pictures in the following post. 

[sojournsbysarah]

[sojournsbysarah]

Cancun

Everyone’s gotta go once right? Cancun was the very first place I ever truly ventured. These days, it seems all things Mexico are about playa vallarta or riviera nayarit. When I went to Cancun the real “place to be” was Tulum. However, a word on that. Never let the new “not yet trending” destinations influence how you experience a place. Don’t let snagging the newest geotag on instagram have any effect on whether or not a particular spot is worth visiting. Form your own opinions. Love what you love. The rest is just the crowd. Anyways, Cancun. Sunny, hot, touristy, relatively safe, and gorgeous. It’s hard to find water this particular shade and sand this white. There’s a reason this peninsula of beach became so popular in the first place. Stay- The Pyramid at Grand Oasis.https://oasishoteles.com/es/hoteles/grand-oasis-cancun    This is a resort that frequents groupon and it’s easy to grab an all exclusive VIP room for under booking price. Check in was hassle free. The room was clean. Drinks were free and flowing (with VIP wristbands) the pool is vast and the beachfront is prime. What make this resort neat is that there are two sides to it, one side that is more family oriented, and the other that is spring break 24/7 365. The sides are joined for convenience, but most people tend to stick to the side with their vibe. The restaurants at this resort were good and the free breakfast buffet in the mornings was excellent. There are tennis courts and apparently a golf course, although that mattered little to me.   Must Do When you are done just beachin’ it make sure to check out Cancun Whale Shark Tours. https://cancunwhalesharktours.com/ Essentially, it’s a long boat ride out to the open ocean where you get to snorkel/dive with whale sharks who are giant and docile. After swimming with the sharks (ONLY REEF SAFE SPF PLZ) the crew takes you to drop anchor at Isla de Mujeres where you can snorkel, have a beer, and eat some fresh fruit and ceviche that is provided for you. Recommend: go pro, dramamine We rented a car and drove down to Tulum to see the pyramid and the reef, and got taken out by boat by some locals. We also went downtown Cancun to the market to look around and check out the pottery and jewelry. Bargaining is expected. More organized activities included visiting Chichitzen Itza  https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/483 and the sacred cenote nearby. A few more notes: Bottled water is recommended. You can buy prescription drugs straight off the shelf in Mexican pharmacies. You may be approached by someone with Patron who wants to talk about timeshares- you are in no obligation to do so.   The following post contains pictures.