Catalina Island

We've been to Catalina Island before, but this time we got to go during winter, with pretty sunsets and no tourists to crowd us. It was like our own private island. Almost alone on the streets of Avalon, we can really see how the locals live, in this small community where everyone knew everyone and everyone could tell who was just visiting. We were told to enjoy our vacation at every restaurant though we never really told anyone we were visiting. You can walk the streets and dark alleys at night without ever feeling scared. And the cold, calm atmosphere made the sunsets that much more spectacular. We realized this was the kind of lifestyle we want to live. A small community where everyone knew your name, where all you needed to do was open your door and sip a cup of coffee on your porch as the sun set over the dock, where you can catch a fish in the day and fry it up for dinner that night. Simple, relaxed, and miles away from crime. Yes, we did visit the Botanical Gardens, rent a golf cart and joyrode around the island, and hike up to The Cross to take a picture of the casino. We watched a movie in the old Casino theater, so beautiful with its hand-painted murals and original pipe organ still in use. We hung out at Gallagher's every night, local coffee shop that was the only thing left open after 5 p.m. And dined at Villa Portofino, a great french restaurant with the best steak in town. But for the most part, we enjoyed the quiet, we enjoyed the sunset, we enjoyed Avalon and made believe we walked the empty streets of our future home.