Monday, October 14, 2013

Channel Islands National Park and Disneyland (Part Two)

Hello, and thank you for joining me for part two of my trip report. Part One recounts the first day of my trip, an afternoon at Disneyland and evening at Santa Monica Pier on the way to Oxnard. I pick up today with day two, Saturday, and the purpose of my trip, Channel Islands National Park (specifically, Santa Cruz Island).

I had some stuff to do in Ventura that morning, so I had to get a later start than I would have liked. Well, I never really like to get an early start, I'm not a morning person. But the boats leave when the boats leave, and if you can't make the early boats (9 AM, not exactly the break of dawn, anyway), you have to wait for the noon boat. If you're not camping overnight, that only allows about four hours on the island (the noon boat arrived at Scorpion Harbor in just about one hour). But my hope is the limited time I had would allow me to explore a reasonable portion of the island, and get a feel for the place, should I like to take a longer trip in the future.

I arrived at Island Packers about 45 minutes early, as instructed, and quickly checked in. I grabbed a grilled cheese sandwich from a grill within walking distance, and explored the harbor and beach a little bit. Walking on the beach, I could just make out the islands, despite the marine layer. On a clear day, you should be able to see them quite easily. Santa Cruz Island is about 20 miles off-shore, but fairly large and mountainous, so it has a reasonable presence when you're standing on the shore, and just seeing a glimpse of it made me eager to visit the island; I'm surprised, as visible as it is, that it is one of the least-visited National Parks.


My transport to the island, The Islander, was about what I expected, a reasonably large and, it turns out, fast ship, the sort of boat that offers whale-watching back home in San Diego (Island Packers does offer whale-watching and nature tours that don't involve island landings, too). We left harbor promptly, and the journey to the island didn't take long. I will say, as someone who doesn't have a lot of experience with ocean voyages, it was the roughest boat ride I can recall experiencing. I wouldn't hesitate to take the voyage again, but I was surprised, given the reasonably good weather conditions. I wouldn't want to be out in the channel during a storm. But the captain and crew managed the journey well, and we arrived in one piece after about a hour, despite a few brief pauses or rerouting to observe dolphins or other marine life.




Our destination on Santa Cruz Island was Scorpion Harbor. Disembarking on the pier, the kelp forest in the harbor was easy to see all around us. A brief orientation with a park volunteer explained the rules of a National Park, and informed us that a brief guided hike would be offered in a few minutes. I checked out the immediate area, reviewed the map one last time and asked the ranger if my itinerary seemed reasonable for the time I had (answer: maybe), and joined the guided hike.



The volunteer docent explained a bit about the island, its geography, history, and the environmental struggles it has faced, and the recent efforts that are restoring it to its original state. After about a mile or so, she concluded her hike, and let us go on our own way. I enjoyed learning about the island from the helpful volunteer, but I was also eager to go off on my own, since the solitude is sort of the point of visiting a relatively isolated island. And while I took one of the easier hikes for a daytripper, a loop going to Potato Harbor, I didn't see too many people once I set off on my own. Of course, there are plenty of hiking trails in California where you can experience a similar level of solitude without a $50 boat trip, but there is definitely something about being on an island, especially one that has been let to return to it's natural state, by and large, and with no services offered, no concessions or anything.

The island is often described as America's Galapagos, which I think might be overstating the case, at least in terms of the island's qualities as a tourist destination. Yes, there are plants and animals here found nowhere else, but fat chance seeing most of them. I didn't see the island fox or the bald eagle, which wasn't a huge shock, but even the more common sea birds were fairly scarce. Mostly what I saw were ravens, which were still fun to watch, but watching ravens is hardly a transcendent experience. And the inland flora, mostly coastal sage and chaparral, is certainly in need of conservation, but doesn't make for the most interesting sight-seeing. Though there was some interesting plant life to observe, here and there.


But I don't mean to sound too negative. The inland landscapes are interesting to look at, even if they didn't change much on the relatively brief hike I took. And my failure to see much wildlife is no doubt at least partly due to my short time on the island (besides, I might have wanted to see an island fox, but the island fox's job isn't to entertain me). And the coastal views from the cliffs I was hiking on were phenomenal. I was especially impressed with the diversity of landscapes, the way every cove seemed to have it's own personality, and even the North and South sides might have dramatically different appearances. And as impressive as they looked from above, I imagine they must make for sublime views for kayakers and boaters enjoying from below.



My ultimate destination was Potato Harbor. It was a good destination for a half-day trip, just about the perfect distance to visit and return in time to make your boat home. It's also a very scenic terminus. It would have been a great place for a swim, but there was no path down to the water at Potato Harbor, or anywhere else on this hike; if you want beach access, pick a different route.  I watched some birds frolic overhead, ate a snack, and sooner than I would have liked, began heading back.




The trail I took back was more inland, so the views weren't quite as impressive, and on this sunny day, walking across the chert deposits got a bit hot. It was interesting to see the chert up close, the park volunteer explained that it was from these deposits that the Chumash got the material for making their bead money, which was used by tribes across California and the nation, as well as by Western traders. But it was hot, and as the surface deposits are quite erosive, it made for someone unsteady footing, compared to the journey up. In the end, once I returned to Scorpion Canyon, and sat down in some shade in the campgrounds there, my feet were killing me and I was fairly tired. So in this way, too, my itinerary for the trip worked out well, I covered just as much ground as I had the energy to cover.


My boat was scheduled to leave at 5:00, but I got back to it just a bit before 4:30, and went ahead and boarded. The crew and rangers were busy taking camper's luggage aboard, rangers quick to verify that they had packed their garbage along with their supplies (everything you take on the island you have to take off). The boat back, accommodating both day and half-day visitors, as well as campers, was much more full than the boat over, but there was enough seating for everyone. The return voyage didn't feel quite as rough, but pretty huge waves were battering one side of the boat. Bottle-Nosed Dolphins were observed briefly, and more of the common dolphins that followed our boat on the way out, though this time they seemed to have somewhere to be, so we didn't see much of them. At one point, the captain pointed out some wildlife in front of the boat, but the one side of the boat was too crowded to pass to the front easily. So I decided to go on the other side, and just time the waves so as not to get soaked. But that plan turned out to be about as stupid as it sounds, and I got pretty soaked.  Others at the front of the boat seemed to get fairly wet, too.

So by the time I got back to Ventura Harbor, I was wet, tired, and sunburned (my hat and clothing mostly protected me, but I didn't bring sunscreen and my arms got burned fairly substantially). I really wished I was still checked in to my hotel in Oxnard, but I had the bright idea of booking a hotel in Anaheim, to be ready to start my day at Disneyland on Sunday. The thinking, as I said previously, was to break up the drive. But as it turns out, I would have much rather liked to lie down in a local hotel room, take a shower, and take it easy, maybe explore the town a bit, have a nice late dinner or something. But as it stood, my hotel room was waiting in Anaheim, so that's where I headed.

The drive was actually fairly pleasant, no traffic or anything, and I got to the Hilton Anaheim fairly quickly. I pulled into the valet area while I checked in, and must have been quite the sight. I had intended to wash my car before I left, but never got around to it, and it was pretty much covered with bird crap. Myself, my hair was a mess from the salt water, I was sweaty and red from the sun, and exhausted, and my legs and stiffened up during the drive, so I was a bit unsteady on my feet as the valet got my car door for me. I quickly checked in, drove myself to the self parking, and before I knew it I was in my room.

I must say, I found the hotel disappointing. Nothing terribly wrong with it, but considering I thought I was upgrading my experience, I really preferred the Doubletree Orange County, over by the Crystal Cathedral. Not only is it cheaper, but the rooms are a bit better furnished and, at least from my limited experience, better maintained. Both seem a bit dated at the moment, but the Doubletree only feels a bit long in the tooth, while the Hilton seems to be trying too hard to be hip and modern, which only serves to call attention to the ways it falls short. Wallpaper was peeling in the bathroom, and the armchair in the room was too low and uncomfortable, with no footrest or ottoman. The floor to ceiling window gave me a nice view of the convention center, though, and the bed was very comfortable, which is ultimately the most important thing in a hotel room. In the end, it got the job done, so I can't complain too much. But again, I thought I was splurging a bit booking a room here, but I don't think it was worth paying extra to stay here. If I got a pretty good deal, I would be more than willing to stay here again, but I think it cost me about $30 more to stay here over the Doubletree (and the Doubletree, in Orange, California, has much lower room taxes than the Hilton, in the Anaheim resort district, and parking is a bit cheaper), and I'd have to say that was a waste of money. And it certainly didn't help matters that the hotel was outshined by far by the Hampton Inn I stayed at the previous night (and that's Hilton's "bargain" brand).

Of course, I can't blame the Hilton for the fact that I really didn't want to be there, I'd rather be just waking up from a nap in Oxnard, or driving the rest of the way home to sleep in my own bed. But I was there, so I tried to relax, take a shower, read a bit, and get some sleep. Part of why I paid the premium for the Hilton was to be within walking distance to Disneyland, so I could pop in for a few hours Saturday night if I wanted, and easily be there at opening on Sunday. But the idea that I could possibly go to Disneyland Saturday night was laughable to me then, in the here and now. I had no energy for such things. And on Sunday, I realized there was no way I was getting up early if I didn't absolutely have to. Even the noon check-out time was beginning to look iffy. But I made it, Sunday morning, was up and about by 11, had a quick breakfast at Starbucks (the in-room coffeemaker coffee was undrinkable, and I'm not too much of a coffee snob), and drove across the street, to park in the Mickey & Friends Lot and take the shuttle to Disneyland, keeping my walking to a minimum.

As you might have guessed from the description of my energy level and mood, I did not end up spending a lot of time at Disneyland. My first stop was New Orleans Square; I planned to start my visit with the Haunted Mansion, but Pirates of the Caribbean had just broke down, and from the look of things the entire line had migrated to the Haunted Mansion, so the line looked quite like Friday's. So I decided to hop on the train and take the grand circle tour, instead. Which was nice, this being the sort of visit where I really cherish sit-down times. As it turns out, when I disembarked back at New Orleans Square, the Haunted Mansion still had a fairly long line, but Pirates was just reopening, so I got to ride it with essentially no waiting. And once that ride was done, I rode the Haunted Mansion, which now had a reasonable line, though still a bit longer than usual.

After that, I began to wonder if there was any point to sticking around. I wasn't really feeling it, I was exhausted, and what did I really need to see that I hadn't seen Friday, or at least recently? I didn't ride it's a small world on Friday, but I don't necessarily ride that every visit (it's close to it, but it's not absolutely essential - I'd have to say Haunted Mansion and the Enchanted Tiki Room are probably my only two absolutely essential rides; maybe Tower of Terror, too, but honestly I'm beginning to get a bit jaded about that one). Space Mountain? I really don't like the Halloween overlay, I just miss the regular soundtrack too much, and I think the whole thing looks cheesy, so I was fine with skipping it. I did remember that I hadn't ridden Indiana Jones this trip, as I had planned, to see the new effects at the beginning with Mara. So I hopped in the single-rider line and checked it out. I was mildly impressed, it's definitely an improvement, a nice little plussing. Nothing earth-shattering, but it works well. And then I left. I didn't even pop into the Tiki Room, deciding to count the weekend as one visit, so seeing it on Friday kept my streak intact.

So that's that. Four rides and I went home. As this blog post is a bit delayed, I can't even remember if I ate in the park. I think I went to In-N-Out on the way home, but I won't swear to that. I did buy some pumpkin fritters to take home; my mom wanted to try the pumpkin beignets, but that line was crazy, while there was no waiting for the fritters. I did want to try the menu at the Harbor Galley, but that didn't happen this trip.

What did I learn from this trip? I learned that the Channel Islands are a very special place well worth a visit. I also learned that, while I'm really not fond of long car trips, especially those that traverse through Los Angeles, breaking them up with stops on both ends at Disneyland might be counter-productive. It took away some of the focus on the trip, so that the new experiences were overshadowed a bit by Disneyland, which is a wonderful place, but which obviously is a bit lacking in novelty when you go as much as I do. I think the Friday stop at Disneyland might have been a reasonable accommodation, letting me avoid peak traffic times, and inspiring my last-minute decision to swing by Santa Monica on my way to Oxnard. But the Sunday trip was ill-conceived. I should have booked two nights in Oxnard, which would have given me some time to explore the town a little bit, walked around the harbor and stuff. As it is, I never stopped anywhere in Oxnard other than my hotel room. Oxnard doesn't have the best reputation in the world, but I thought it looked like a nice enough place, at least worth exploring if you're already there. And then I could have just driven home on Sunday. I could have taken the scenic route again, seen it during daylight hours, and maybe stopped at a few places that looked interesting if I wanted to break up the drive. But cramming an overnight stay in Anaheim only served to dilute the experience of my weekend getaway, and cheapen Disneyland a bit in the process.

The fact is, I feel a bit burned out on Disneyland at the moment. I partially blame this trip for that. I also blame Disney's horribly botched Tiki Room merchandise event, which definitely hurt my opinion of the brand and their competency, and their respect for their customers. I'm going back to Disneyland on Thursday (taking the train, as a bit of an experiment to see how well Amtrak works for visiting the Happiest Place on Earth), but I must admit I'm not that excited. It feels like an obligation, as it will be my last chance to go during Halloween Time. I've had similar feelings a time or two before, and they've passed; it usually only takes one good trip to make up for several more middling experiences. But my pass runs out in early December, and while I was already planning on waiting to renew, I am now far more confident in that decision, and I have a feeling my membership lapse may last longer than I originally thought. I'll be back, no doubt about it, but there are other things to do in this world. I think I've been overdoing it a bit, trying to make up for all the years I didn't go at all, and I think it's time I found a happy medium.  It'll give me a chance to explore some other destinations in Southern California and beyond. And even if I get theme park withdrawal, I still need to visit Knott's and see the refurbished log ride (and I think in many respects, Knott's beats Disneyland at Christmas), and it's been well over a year since I've been to Universal Studios, I think, and I wouldn't mind going back (and it's easy to reach via L.A.'s subway, so there's another train trip!). But when Disney begins to feel like an obligation, it's time to mix things up a bit.

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