C is for Catalina

Catalina is a family tradition that goes back many (many) years. Having grown up in Southern California, it has been a place not only to take visitors but to stay for weeks at a time to enjoy the slower pace it it represents.

Let me share my view of Catalina through pictures.

 

This is my mom in front of the Big White Steamship.  Not the best picture but I do want to acknowledge that she was there. She was our picture taker and not often in the pictures herself. Below is my dad and brother with me in front of the steamship. Pictures were taken in July 1962. 

 

 

 This is a picture of a slightly older me with my ex-husband, who shall not be named. However, my kids were 2 and 4 years old when they made their first trip to Catalina. They would make many more because for years, we spent a week or two there where they roamed the Island without a care in the world. They couldn't do that now, times have changed but it's still a great place for kids.

 Slightly older children coming into Avalon Harbor. Christopher hates this pictures and now wonders "what in the heck was he wearing". The photo was taken in 1987.

New trip in 2012. Christopher is much older and we made the trip with my sister-in-law and grandson. We had a great day. It was the first time Frances had been to Catalina. This was taken inside the Catalina Flyer, one of the (to me) newer, faster ships.

The house on the hill is the Wrigley Mansion. At one time, you could take one of the golf carts and ride to the Mansion where they were really good tours of the house. Today, the road is closed and the tours are long gone. Still, it's an impressive sight on the hill.

Frances in front of the Casino. The tour is wonderful and interesting. The ballroom in the upper level is spectacular and has amazing views. Downstairs in a museum and the theater that is still in use. The decor in the theater was created by the same man who did the decor for Grumman's Chinese Theater.

Photo was taken while we were waiting for the Glass Bottom Boat tour. This is fun and educational for the kids. They just don't know that they are learning.

We love Catalina. It doesn't matter if we are just there for the day or spending a week. It is a place out of time and full of wonderful memories that have lasted a lifetime.

Read more about Catalina Island or check out their website. .

B is for Big Bear, California

This is my second attempt to write about Big Bear. The first one sounded like a stilted travel brochure and was politically correct. That's just not me.

Big Bear was once a quiet sleepy town where we would go to have fun in the snow. It was where we would have family picnics when I was small and us kids would play in the lake. When my kids were small, we would go in the summer. The kids were endlessly fascinated by the Hell's Angels. Later, it was where we would go to hang out at the sleazy bar that my husband's family owned.

Big Bear has grown and I miss what it once was. Don't get me wrong, it is still the place to have fun. It's just not the same. 

Today, it is a tourist mecca. There are trendy shopping areas and a lot more to do on the lake. Restaurants abound whether it be fast food or gourmet dining. The road in and out can be bumper to bumper so why fight the traffic?

Because, while I dislike the traffic and trendy shopping areas, we still have fun at the lake and the guys like the tubing. There is nothing like riding an inner-tube down a bank of snow. We could buy the forest passes and bring out own inner-tubes but there are designated courses that are not that expensive.

 
Tubing at Big Bear with Grandpa and the Boy.

In the summer, we still go to play in the lake. The cold water has never stopped us.

The last time we were there was for the Pony Baseball All Stars. It was a (long) trip up the hill for three days but the kids loved playing there. They did find it was necessary to adjust to the altitude. Big Bear is about 7000 feet while we are at 1400 feet. BTW, they got slaughtered by the team from Corona but they didn't seem to care. It was cool to play baseball in Big Bear and they had a great time swimming in the lake. Did you know that you can hit the ball farther with the change in altitude?  

This summer, the boy wants to go back and try the ziplines. We'll see. In the meantime, I want to go back to the Big Bear Historical Museum and the Big Bear Alpine Zoo.  Maybe, we'll just grab the tent and spend some time camping. Regardless of the changes, Big Bear is still fun.

"A" is for Attractions in California

California is a very big state. To the south, we are two-hours away from the Mexican border. It is a three-hour drive to the Arizona border. Going north, it is a two-day drive to reach the Oregon border. To the west, we have our choice of beaches within an hours drive. Within those boundaries are a myriad of adventures. Living in Southern California, we have access to so many different locales and experiences. We like to take people to play in the snow in the morning, have lunch in Palm Springs, and roast marshmallows on the beach as the sun goes down. The Blogging from A – Z Challenge allows me to share some of my favorite destinations.

I write about California so many of the attractions and destinations have already been posted. With the challenge, I am trying to find new places that I have not previously shared. Knott's Berry Farm and many of the museums that are close to me are already there. I am in the process of converting old slides into photos and am finding a host of memories that I have forgotten.

My brother and I at Trees of Mystery in 1958. One of my converted slides. 

Traveling creates those memories. Family history is about the times we share enjoying each other and the places we go. I hope that you will find places to create your own family memories. Come along with me.

The upcoming challenge

OK, I signed up for this challenge. No big deal, I just did 28 days on the Family History Writing Challenge and I know I can do it. I also learned Blogger allows posts to be scheduled ahead of time. That was news to me but welcomed. Now, I had lots of time to get ahead of the game.

Really? Procrastination has hit big time and now it is five days before the challenge and I am feeling a little pushed. We spent the weekend in Arizona at a birthday party for a friend. That wouldn't be so bad but baseball season has started and being a board member of the league is taking away precious writing time, not to mention practice three times a week and at least one game a week.

Still, I was feeling comfortable until I realized that Spring Break (editorial comment here - formally Easter Vacation) is after Easter and is two weeks long. That means I have an opportunity to take more pictures because while the rest of the country is still having winter, we will probably go to Knott's Soak City and the beach. There are some nice things about living in Southern California. It just seems to take away more writing time.

So today, I did one post for the challenge but now am off to take pictures for Find A Grave. Find A Grave is a free service for people looking for genealogy proof and family history. Anyone can request a photo if it is not already out there on the site. I have requested photos in Wisconsin, Texas, Tennessee, and New Mexico. In return, I signed up to take photos of gravesides in my area for people who are far away. I am off to Hemet, California where the graveyard is located. Hemet has lots of places to visit. Maybe I can use my time wisely and take pictures of some of the things I can use during the challenge. Nah...

Blogging from A - Z April Challenge

It is the middle of February and the middle of the Family History Writing Challenge. I like the challenge because it is a good way to get into the habit of writing something every day. I will continue with the family history even when the challenge is done. However, a friend shared the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge. This works better for the Completely California blog and gives me more opportunities to write about California destinations. I signed up for the challenge and now I'm trying to compile an alphabetical list of new places that I haven't already written about. It looks like fun and shouldn't be all that hard. After all, I have been writing about California for a very long time.

Family History Writing Challenge

The Armchair Genealogist has a challenge every year to write your family history story. This year, I am joining in with the story of my great grandmother. You might wonder what this has to do with California destinations. Well, going through all the photos and records to prepare for the challenge, I have found several more pictures of my family at Knott's Berry Farm. These have been added to the page I wrote on Squidoo on Knott's Berry Farm. Maybe the photos are only interesting to my family but they start in 1954 and go all the way to last year when we took another photo at the old-time photo shop. Yesterday, I found another photo that has not been posted on the page yet. It is my mother at Knott's Berry Farm in 1947. That was the year that my parents married and moved to Los Angeles. Knott's Berry Farm is a truly family tradition that continues to evolve. We just renewed our year passes and will be going next week for our child's birthday. He will be 12 and has not missed a year.

Orange Empire Railway Museum

The Orange Empire Railway Museum is a place we have been visiting for more than 30 years. It's an easy day trip for us since it's ten miles away.