Happy New Year! We are officially back in the swing of things at Bell Design Group. After the long holiday break and the visit from my family, getting back to the routine took a little bit of effort. The office is busy again, and I’m back to working full-time on my projects. But, to keep the holiday spirit alive just a little bit longer, I decided to go on a mini-adventure last weekend.
I visited Santa Catalina Island, or just «Catalina» as everyone calls it here. It’s funny because it’s only about an hour away from the coast, but it feels like a completely different world.
To get there, we took the Catalina Express ferry from Long Beach. The ride itself was pretty cool; it was a clear day, so we could see the skyline of Los Angeles disappearing behind us. The boat drops you off in Avalon, which is the main town on the island. Honestly, as soon as we got off the boat, I felt like I wasn’t in the US anymore. The town is built into the hills and faces the harbor, so it has this very Mediterranean vibe.
Most people who visit the island rent golf carts to get around because cars are restricted, but we decided to be a bit more active and go for a hike instead. We wanted to explore the interior of the island properly.
I had a very specific goal for this hike: I wanted to see a bison. I know it sounds random, but apparently, a film crew brought bison to the island in the 1920s for a movie and just left them there, and now they roam wild. I was so excited to see them in real life. We hiked for hours, going up some pretty steep hills and scanning the landscape constantly. But honestly, I was pretty sad because we didn’t see a single one. I guess they were hiding that day, which was a huge bummer.
Even without the bison, the hike was worth it. The views from the top were amazing. We could see the famous Catalina Casino down in the harbor—as an architect, I loved seeing that massive Art Deco building from above. We also hiked up near the Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden. It was a serious workout, way more tiring than driving a golf cart, but the fresh air was exactly what I needed.
We took the ferry back in the evening, completely exhausted but happy. It was a great way to disconnect from the LA traffic and start the year with some nature. Hopefully, next time I go back, the bison will actually show up!
