Taking the Train to Island Hop
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I love public transit. If I could live in a city where I did not have to spend the majority of my time in a car to get around that would be ideal. I try to take the Amtrak any chance I get while traveling within Socal. The Pacific Surfliner goes up the Californian coast. For portions of the ride, you have a lovely view of the ocean. It’s relaxing, the seats are comfy enough to sleep in, there’s wifi, and best of all, you’re not sitting in traffic.
The second half of my spring break my mom came to visit. She and her friend wanted to go to ‘island hopping’. I planned a trip to Catalina Island and Channel Islands National Park where we could take the Amtrak and minimal driving was done by me.
We started our trip by taking the train from SD to Irvine where we met up with my mom’s friends. They flew into Irvine to visit their son who goes to UCI. They had rented a car, so we drove their rental car up to Ventura. Originally we were supposed to stop at Catalina Island but our ferry got canceled last minute due to strong winds. We ended up just taking our time driving up to Ventura making scenic stops at Crystal Cove State Park, and Point Dume, as well as food-related stops like eating our way through Thai Town in LA.
Channel Island National Park was lovely. We took the ferry out to Santa Cruz Island early in the morning. We spent the early afternoon doing a small loop hike called Cavern Loop before getting in kayaks in the afternoon and exploring small coves around the island. We managed to see some whales on the ferry ride home, and even spotted a fox or two while on the island.
The next day, my mom and I took the Amtrak from Ventura back to San Diego. The overall train ride was 5 hours, but we were both able to work on things and rest before she flew home and I returned to work. It was a busy spring break but I am so glad my mom and her friends got to cross this off their bucket list. I am glad I was able to join them and spend time with them all while having not to drive (-:
Go take the Amtrak.
As always I hope you enjoy the photos.
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