Catalina Island :)

I can't believe it's already been a month since my 31st Birthday!  This past month has flown by and there's been so much going on especially in the past couple weeks.  I've been super busy with Acting stuff and am so excited for new projects coming up and working on my craft.  Back to my Birthday, Neil took me to Catalina Island and it was an amazing trip to cap off my Birthday week :)

Cocktails on the beach...

Neil surprised me with a trip to Catalina as we arrived in Long Beach and got our passes for the Ferry to Avalon.  On the Ferry over to the Island we saw a school of dolphins jumping through the water; it was so beautiful!  Unfortunately, we couldn't check into the Hotel so we got a great work-out in walking around with my bag (we could have left it at the Hotel but there was no security so we decided against it) and exploring the Island.  We walked through some of the shops and checked out some restaurants and bars for later and then decided hitting up the beach would be a good way to spend our morning!

We went to Descanso Beach Club which was a little bit out of the way and quieter with tropical beach music playing.  We ordered some fruity cocktails and enjoyed the sun and gorgeous weather.  The water was a little too cold for me and after an hour or two we decided to make our way back towards the hotel where we watched one of the World Cup games at a fun bar.  We explored a little more for options later that night and then picked up some groceries and were finally able to check into our Hotel at The Glenmore Plaza.

Magic Hour at Avalon Grille :)

Next on the agenda was Dinner at Avalon Grille.  We had scouted it earlier and found out they didn't have a corkage fee so we had picked up a bottle of wine and after catching the final moments of magic hour for a photo we were ready for our yummy meal!  We started with raw scallops in a citrus ponzu, and then I ordered the parmesan crusted mahi mahi with scalloped potatoes and vegetables while Neil got the sea bass.  Both of our fish was impeccably cooked and I absolutely loved the potatoes.  Of course, no Birthday Dinner is complete without dessert, and we got this ice cream cake with caramel and chocolate that was a perfect end to the meal.

Last moments in Catalina!

Neil had talked about Chi Chi Club since it was right across the street from our Hotel and so we decided to go there for some after-Dinner drinks and perhaps dancing.  We stayed for about hours and had an absolute blast and for the majority of the time we were there the club was empty.  It was a Monday night, in Avalon, so we knew it wasn't going to be bumpin' but we figured there'd still be people out.  So we set up on one of benches and then discovered free Pac Man & Frogger!  After playing video games, it was dancing time to burn off some of our Dinner, and then we set out to find some locals at a different bar.  Marlin Club was packed, with all the bar stools full minus two, and people playing pool, dancing, and drinking.  It was a divey bar but once again, we had so much fun :)

The next day we had Brunch at Avocado Cafe where I had an incredible BLT and then Neil said we had to go to Big Olaf's for ice cream before we left.  When we first got to the Island we had walked by Big Olaf's when they were making fresh waffle cones and wow did they smell delicious!  So after some ice cream and last minute shopping it was time to head back to LA after a wonderful trip.  On the ferry back to LA I even saw a shark!

We had such a great time and since it was my first time to Catalina Island, we really took in the full experience.  I can't wait to go back and check out more activities like kayaking, hiking, or zip-lining!  Thank you, Neil, for such a memorable 31st Birthday <3