CalActive.com Activities Blog

There have been so many fantastic ‘firsts’ since coming to live in the great US of A, but one of the most unnerving was at my first Orange County Fair, where my carniverous husband returned to the caveman within when confronted with an entire table of turkey legs…viewer discretion advised when looking at the photo below, as it is not a pretty sight. I was reminded of the interesting phenomenon of ‘Fair Food’ on another blog earlier today, and it prompted me to go and dig out some of our pics of the fair last year - such fun and a real experience in Americana. More recently we visited Disneyland - a first for me - and that was absolutely fantastic. I had been debating whether to go to Knotts Berry Farm or Disney and in the end I’m really glad that we chose Disney, as although I don’t doubt that Knotts is brilliant too, I admit to being a bit of a nerd when it comes to those humungous rollercoasters and preferred the sound of a chance encounter with Eeyore followed by an Indiana Jones ride and Splash Moutain - although even that was a bit scary at points, notably the 50 foot drop into a large plunge pool…Space Mountain was everything I had heard it would be, and I would have gone again had the line not been over 2 hours long by that stage. The Fast-Pass is a stroke of genius and meant that we got to do all the rides we wanted to during the course of the day. Another incredible thing was seeing ‘ASIMO’ the robot strutting his stuff - Honda’s Humanoid Robot. He can walk, dance, ascend and descend stairs and even run - it was really hard to believe that there wasn’t a wee person inside that little robot body. All in all it was a brilliant day and we even got a free pass to go back to California Adventure park within the next 30 days, so maybe I’ll pluck my courage up and get to go on one of those terrifying rollercoasters after all.

Thank heavens for all the surfers, beachgoers, environmentalists, and other concerned individuals and organizations for standing up and being counted, for it is thanks to them, the Californian Coastal Act and brilliant organizations such as Surfrider, that Trestles and the San Mateo campground in San Diego county have been saved from destruction by the proposed 241 toll road extension, following what was referred to as a “David vs. Goliath” battle.

According to Surfrider’s Save Trestles website, surfers across the country were asked in a recent poll which surf spot they would most like to have in their own back yard. Over a quarter of those who responded said that they would choose Lower Trestles – just behind Australia’s Snapper Rocks and ahead of such legendary breaks as Pipeline and Macaroni’s. Yip, it’s that good! Check out the Save Trestles blog for all the latest news including a very thoughtprovoking article on the 10 reasons why the Foothill South Toll road extension failed.

Some of you may remember the big swell that came through SoCal last April – here are some snaps that I took, thinking that maybe it would be one of the last chances I would get. I am so very thankful that this is not the case.

Besides being Copperchick in my next life, I am also going to live on Catalina Island (or Santa Catalina Island, as she is officially known). Having lived in Laguna Beach for almost two years and vowing, every time the sun set behind the Island (every night, strangely enough), that THIS would be the week I would pull finger and book a trip to the island, I finally got around to it last weekend. My excuse is that there is just too much to do in California, a view shared by many. Anyway, I took the ferry from Newport Beach and after a stunning hour and a quarter trip (very smooth – no seasickness, despite a few glasses of wine the previous night), we arrived in Avalon. No whales to be seen en route, although the captain kept pointing into the middle distance and insisting that they were ‘just over there’ (I think he was just keeping himself amused, watching all us tourist-types craning our necks to see the non-existent mammals).

Immediately upon disembarking from the ferry, there was a flurry of activity as passengers shouldered each other out of the way in an attempt to be first in line to hire a golf cart - the main method of transportation in Avalon are these small gasoline-powered motorcars. Interestingly, it is very difficult to get a permit to have a full sized vehicle in Avalon, which translates into a 10-year-long wait list to bring a car to the island. The city has its own strict permit program with which local vehicle owners must comply, in addition with the usual requirements imposed by the statewide Department of Motor Vehicles. I couldn’t help but think how much more advanced this is when compared to Laguna Beach, for example – another quaint seaside village just across the water which is crying out to have at least some of the town pedestrianized, and in which this golf-cart policy would surely work wonders to go some way towards reducing the congestion in the town, if carefully planned and managed…

Avalon itself is a very charismatic rural waterfront town with the usual tourist-oriented businesses and services lining the coastline – more reminiscent of a Spanish or Greece village than a Los Angeles county town (I’ve checked: it is the southern-most city in Los Angeles County). After an hour of sightseeing on our golf cart (there are a number of scenic drives that you can take to get a quick overview of the town and what’s on the other side of the hills that surround it), we took to foot and pounded the pavements for a few hours, exploring every little nook and cranny of the town, including the beautiful Art Deco dance hall, the Casino, which was constructed in 1929. Apparently William Wrigley, Jr. (of chewing gum fame) was a major force in the development of Avalon as he bought controlling interest in the Santa Catalina Island Company in 1919 and devoted himself to preserving and promoting it, investing millions in needed infrastructure and attractions.
We then hired a couple of single kayaks and took advantage of the beautifully glassy and crystal clear water. This was definitely a highlight of the trip – reminded me of kayaking on the Sea of Cortez, so calm was the water.

After a well-earned lunch of some very fresh fish and chips and a shared bottle of chilled Sauvignon Blanc, we were summoned back to the ferry by the rather rude but very effective foghorn they blast to get you running back to the port, and then we were heading back to the mainland. I insisted on sitting outside and it was cold but well worth it as we were treated to the most spectacular sunset as the sun (once again) set over the Island, and this time I felt very content in the knowledge that I had experienced at least a sampling of what this special island has to offer. Next time I am going to go for longer (and I found some ideas for itineraries on another blog) so that I can explore the rest of the island, camp on the west side where the rocky cliffs are supposed to be spectacular, visit Two Harbors, check out the bison that were supposedly first imported in 1924 for the silent film version of Zane Grey’s Western tale “The Vanishing American” and then left on the island. So much to see, so little time…

I recently blogged about the questionable outfits that seem to be de riguer for those wanting to play golf, however I have just seen something even more alarming on this blog. Called the “Lady Knicker”, this strange looking outfit is apparently the new must-have of the female cycling world. I can absolutely understand the necessity for comfortable, stretchy and breathable clothing when you are hunched over a racing bike for a few hours, and appreciate that Swiss biking company Assos has put a lot of research into creating this suit that is ‘designed to anatomically contour the female body’, however it seems to me that it leaves the delicate and, let’s face it, potentially bouncy upper region of said female body dangerously unsupported. Oh, hold on a second, it’s not that you aren’t supposed to wear something under/over the ‘Lady Knicker’, it’s just another case of ‘Sex Sells’. Silly me.

As an afterthought: having seen the photos of the LK, I knew that I had seen something like this before, and finally the penny dropped when I checked out this blog . At least Borat is getting the support he so badly needs.

I’m planning a trip to the Ne Pali coast in Kauai next month and was checking out a really helpful blog for some info on the Kalalau hike (I’ve heard so much about it) when I got sidetracked by another great blog that referenced another thing I have heard a lot about: Summit For Someone, a charity fund raiser sponsored by Backpacker Magazine to assist the Big City Mountaineers organization.

If you choose to join a Summit For Someone climb, you’ll get to select from one of 24 classic North American mountains, such as Mt. Rainier, Mt. Shasta, or Mt. Hood. To join one of these adventures, you simply make a monetary pledge to Big City Mountaineers, with that pledge varying depending on the mountain you choose to climb. From there you can elect to donate the money directly, or raise the funds yourself. They’ll even provide you with a fund raising kit.

Rock climbing trips can cost as little as $2900 while expedition alpine climbs run closer to $7500. Those prices include the necessary gear, although you can take a discount if you decide to use your own equipment. That money will help send as many as five at-risk teenagers on a wilderness adventure of their own later in the year (thanks for the info, Adventure Junkie).

What a win-win situation for anyone who loves hiking or climbing and who wants to do something worthwhile for disadvantaged children. I’m inspired to start something like this in my home country of South Africa where I first fell in love with mountain climbing (when I was a revolting teenager my father dragged me up and down numerous peaks in the Jonkershoek Valley, near Stellenbosch, before I stopped whining and realised that I was actually having a blast). It is a country with no shortage of incredible peaks to summit as well as a distressingly large number of disadvantaged, at-risk youth, so my mind is just starting to whirr with all the possibilities that this could present - as well as the logistical challenges for someone like myself who has never attempted something like this before. I’m going to have to do some research…

I definitely have the best friends in the world. When I moved to Laguna Beach from London as a newlywed, a few of them clubbed together and got us a helicopter trip over LA - can you think of a better gift?! It was such a great way to experience our new ‘homeland’ and to check out the area from the sky - Los Angeles is such a massive and sprawling city, it can be quite difficult to get your head around how it all fits together, so this was perfect. We flew from Long Beach and were up in the air for about an hour, flying over the Queen Mary and then up the coast past all the famous beaches that I’d heard about all my life (I nearly dislocated my neck whilst trying to see the bodybuilders at Venice Beach. Very disappointing), over Beverly Hills, Hollywood - I nearly peed my pants with excitement when I found myself eye-to-eye with the inimitable Hollywood sign - and then over downtown (where we flew so close to the skyscrapers that I could actually see in the windows on the 30th (?) floor and eyeball all the penpushers pretending to be working hard whilst looking at naughty pictures on the Internet)…then we were swooping along the freeways and over the crazy cement flyovers and bridges (I was flirting with cardiac arrest by this stage, as the pure scale of the metropolis that is LA was suddenly starting to sink in) and eventually back to Long Beach where we buzzed a container ship as we were heading back to the airport. Absolutely fantastic, an unforgettable experience. Thanks my darlings. Oh, and Woof, with regards to your comment (’Next time I want you to fly it. Get married again and we’ll organise the lessons. Get married AGAIN and we’ll buy you a chopper’) - I have no intentions of multiple matrimony, but I do happen to have found a fellow boarderwho also happens to Fly Her Own Helicopter, so if I do ever find myself going Elizabeth Taylor-stylie, I may have someone for you to pay for my lessons.

In my next life I am going to be a helicopter pilot. Respect to fellow boarder Chopperchick, who is living my dream (I live vicariously through her fantastic blog). I’ve been lucky enough to have done two helicopter trips in my short life (okay, not that short, but let me at least pretend): one over Cape Town and one over Los Angeles, and I absolutely loved them both. The Cape Town one was a few years back and was a breathtakingly scenic flight around the peninsula of the Western Cape with the opportunity to view both the unique wonder of Table Mountain as well as the World Heritage Site of Robben Island. I grew up in and around Cape Town and thought that I knew the Mother City (as she is affectionately called) and surrounds like the back of my hand, but seeing it from the air gives a totally unique perspective, one that I will never forget. It was brilliant! I’ll write about the Los Angeles helicopter trip in another blog but for now wanted to post these pics of the Cape Town trip. I found a video of someone doing a similar flight but be warned: it is really shaky and I ended up feeling sick – ironic that I didn’t experience any motion sickness whatsoever in the chopper, but that sitting here on terra firma, watching that video, I thought I was going to do a Jaeson-on-top-of-the-mountain stunt. The only thing that distracted me from thoughts of barfing was the look of pure terror on the face of the kid in the video. Perhaps I should start doing some helicopter flying lessons…