Catalina Island and San Francisco
- Dianne Tetreault
- Jul 30
- 3 min read
I don't know what I expected but I know I envisioned a little deserted island off the coast of California that sailboats cruised over for the day. Boy, was I wrong. Santa Catalina Island is much bigger and certainly more active than I ever imagined. There were lots of boats in the anchorage and all different sizes and types of boats. Lots of people on the beaches, in the bars, and everyone having a great time. Lots of small touristy shops but I was able to restrain myself from buying anything. Well, except for a big American cheeseburger, fries, and an ice cold beer. The Odyssey is too big to go into the dock so we anchored off shore and used our lifeboats as shuttles into the town.
I was actually saving my money (pennies) for the Casino. I love Las Vegas and Casinos and haven't seen an open Casino since I have been on the ship. They are usually not open during the day and then the ship is leaving or I am too tired to go out at night, so this was going to be perfect. I was Ready. What do you mean that the Casino is NOT a Casino? Turns out that it is an entertainment center that opened in 1929 and commissioned by William Wrigley. The top floor could hold over 500 couples for a night of dancing. That floor is now a roller skating rink with snack bar, drink bar, and skates for rent. It is beautiful inside with murals and lots of old decor. Even the bathrooms are elegant in an old fashioned way.
We spent one full day on Catalina and then departed for a Sail to Nowhere. No one was talking about what that meant but it sounded like fun. It turned out that the Odyssey had not purchased a very expensive liquor license for San Fran/Catalina, so they could not serve liquor while inside the 12 Mile International line. Both our Top Owners were on board as well as her parents and it was Kathy's birthday. AND one of our Founders was also on board and he felt that a celebration was required. So, off we went! 13 miles off shore and drinks and lots of nibbles miraculously appeared. It was a fun night. Then back to Catalina Island for another half day and then off to San Francisco.
As I have said before, we have an absolutely fantastic Captain and Crew. They evaluated the weather and decided that if we could get into San Francisco a half day early, then we would miss some really high offshore winds. They asked and received permission to arrive at 4:00pm instead of 8:00 the next morning. Man, were we excited. Everyone bolted off the boat as soon as possible and started exploring Fisherman's Wharf. We found a Open-air Wine Tasting with 10 Vineyards participating. Buy a $10 ticket and get to try the wines from each Vineyard. And each Vineyard brought at least 3 wines to try. What a deal. People, Music, wine, the smell of Sourdough bread cooking, yummy sausages everywhere all on a Saturday evening. And the weather was absolutely Perfect. It was warm with a light breeze. Very unlike San Fran. It was so much fun. But the next day was the Very Best.
Caribbean Pan Music Chowder in a Sourdough Bowl
My sister, Jana, and her husband, Mark, drove up from their home to spend the day with me on the Odyssey. Unbelievably, they were able to reserve a parking garage space only 2 blocks from the Odyssey. And they were bringing me all the new "stuff" I had ordered from Amazon. Thank goodness for my sisters acting as my Pack Mules. Have I told you how much I love my new balcony Villa? This is why: Mark, Jana, and I shared a lovely bottle of Prosecco while sitting out in the warm sunshine on my balcony. What a great way to start the day! Did I corrupt my baby sister??? Nah, they are Pro's too.
We toured the boat, met my friends, had lunch in the Palm Restaurant on board, finished the bottle of Prosecco and then it was time for them to leave. Another perfect day on the Odyssey. One of these days, I hope they will come see me again and then get to stay aboard longer.
And then it was time to say good-by to Jana & Mark and California.
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