We weren't really there to see the island fox or brown pelican. This was a voyage like our others, one to explore the natural beauty and grandeur of our national parks. Unlike the rest of the parks we've been to, this one required a boat to get there and had sweeping ocean views.
Completely different and yet still so amazing.
Our original plan was to take the ferry to Santa Cruz Island then join a kayak tour around the coast and into several sea caves around the island. Due to a few snafus, we weren't able to follow through on that plan, so we took the ferry and did some serious hiking.
The ferry left the mainland at 9 and was leaving the island at 3:30. By the time we had arrived on the island and received our orientation - don't leave anything but footprints, don't take anything but pictures, and you better be back by 3:30 or plan on a long, cold night - it was almost 11. This left us just over four hours to explore the island.
After looking at our options, we decided to head across the island to Smuggler's Cove, with the hopes of hitting Smuggler's Canyon from there. This would take us about nine miles over "strenuous" terrain. A bit much to chew off, but this was our one chance to see this island, so we went for it.
The trails were pretty steep, but the footing was secure and the views got better and better as we climbed upward. Considering we were heading from one bay to another, we knew the up, up, up would soon become a down, down, down. Sure enough, we began the descent straight down the other side of the island.
As we hiked, we soaked up views of the Pacific Ocean and neighboring Anacapa Island. The urban sprawl of L.A. completely out of our view and a distant memory.
Smuggler's Cove came into view before 1:00 and not long after that we were there. The beach was rocky and to say it was secluded is an understatement. So beautiful, but if we wanted to see Smuggler's Canyon, we had to get moving.
A short walk down a dried river bed led us to a surprisingly intact old ranch house and a rocky canyon beyond it. I loved it as much as the ocean view, prompting Salina to comment, "You really love canyons, don't you?" I guess I do.
With the threat of the ferry leaving without us, we had to get moving back toward Scorpion Cove. Having left a little room for error and the hike back going much faster than expected, we had a little time to explore a little further on the island before heading back to the mainland. This brought us to another beautiful view.
A successful day on the island, for sure, but the ride back was even better. The crew had mentioned the possibility of seeing whales on their migration south. Sounded pretty cool, but the whales weren't really cooperating. What we did see was even better: a huge pod of dolphins! They were swimming alongside the boat and jumping out of the water all over the place. It was amazing!
Our only sources of warmth on the boat: hot cocoa and each other
The sun setting over Santa Cruz Island
Back on dry land, freezing and super-hungry, we headed straight to dinner at a sushi place down the street from our hotel. This place turned out to be a strange combination of your average sushi restaurant and Cheers. Seriously, everyone who came in knew the sushi chef and his wife, the one and only server. Not only that, but all the customers knew each other, too. We may have been a little out of place, but enjoyed the scene, if not totally digging on the sushi.
The remainder of the night consisted of several unplanned back massages, compliments of the Amtrak train speeding through our bathroom. I honestly can say I've never experienced anything quite like this. It wasn't just the sound, but actual shaking every time a train went by.
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