It took me a year to finally explore a major hometown treasure.
It was a warm day in Southern California, reminiscent of clichés, and I sat staggeringly on a kayak off the coast of Santa Cruz Island and let out a series of evil shrill screams. A spotted seal just jumped onto the rock next to me. It would be an understatement to say that I am happy with this visitor. He paused for a while to let me in, and then, unaffected by my Harry Styles fan role-playing, slipped back into the deep blue water and disappeared. Although I was stunned by a passing bald eagle, and like to see a group of densely populated California brown pelicans nesting (even if they smell exactly the same as you think), the short seal encounter may be my best like. This is one of the many reasons why Channel Islands National Park is the latest choice in our twice-monthly series of underrated destinations, and it is still a big world.
Like many people, after experiencing the global pandemic and social shutdown, I can seek fun closer to home. But I didn't realize how strange it was until I finally completed the two-day trip on the official ferry of the Channel Islands, Island Packers. Mainly because it is hard to believe that the Channel Islands qualify as a kept secret-especially since I grew up in Ventura, California. This port city prides itself on its low-key national park, and on a clear day it is easy to see it only 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Companies scattered in the area claim that they have the same name. Enough marathon swimmers cross the Santa Barbara Strait, and there is a society committed to ensuring that they swim safely. I even went to Juanamaria Elementary School, named after the lone woman on St. Nicholas Island, who was also the protagonist in my favorite book "Blue Dolphin Island." (Even as an 8-year-old, being alone for decades has attracted my introverted fantasies.)
Hikers along the improved Trans-Catalina Trail.
But did not go to the science class on the island. As a glorious girl's day, it has never aroused people's interest. (I may be too busy reading and not having time to pay attention.) The closest my family was to me was a stroll around Ventura Harbor and a taste of neon-colored ice cream at Costal Cone. When I told my friends about my continuous day trip plan, more than one person thought I was referring to the English Channel Islands. Of course, considering my way of earning a living, this is not an assumption that deviates from the basics, but it does highlight the distance between nature and the city. This is not just a case of locals ignoring what is in front of them. Unlike Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard or Fire Island, they are not included in the travel dictionary at all.
First, some very quick background: The Channel Islands is made up of Anacapa, San Miguel, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Clemente, San Nicolas, Santa Barbara and Santa Catalina-eight across Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles Island County. The distance between them and the distance between them and the coast (12 to 70 miles) means that each island tells a very different story, which together constitutes a kind of bag-grabbing history in the state. Initially inhabited by the Tongwa and Chumash tribes, colonization first appeared in the form of Spanish explorers in 1542, and then in the form of rotation of land ownership, including Chinese abalone fishermen’s camps, ranchers, smugglers, and-in 19th Century-Anyone who has the ability to rent land that has not yet been privately owned. In 1938, Santa Barbara and Anacapa were declared national monuments, and the other six islands were included in the name in 1980.
Then... crickets. Hmm-almost. Today, the Channel Islands is one of the least visited national parks in California, with fewer than 500,000 visitors per year. Although I might be proud of finally seeing a quarter of the island, most tourists don't even go that far. As Marla Daily, the author of the island index resource The Islapedia and chairman of the Santa Cruz Island Foundation, explained to me, few people explore a small part of the Channel Islands, and they are happy to maintain this exclusivity. Even Jacques Cousteau was deprived of the right to shoot on the island because he was worried that his popularity would affect their pristine natural environment.
On a summer day on Catalina Island, beach tourists snorkel in Casino Point Dive Park.
"In 1994, I founded The All 8 Club to provide services to those who set foot on all eight islands," she explained. "244 people have done this, and about 20 of them have died. It is the most recognized geographic club in the United States. The Seven Peaks Club has much more people, ten times more people."
In other words: I still have my job.
When our ship encountered open water on the way to Santa Rosa, I knew I needed to travel again. As Daily pointed out diplomatically when I asked her what her favorite place was, each island has a completely different spirit. But the one thing that unites them is the feeling of eternity. Yes, you can walk through the old ranch buildings and school buildings (or walk in for a quick history lesson), but beyond that, there is you and nature. Many of the same properties you might have seen 10,000 years ago.
There are similarities between the Galapagos Islands and the Channel Islands—not just because they formed in a similar time frame: 2000 species live in the Channel Islands, and 150 species are not found anywhere else. Even better, you can see a large part of it without too much exploration. When we docked on Santa Rosa Island, I had already seen groups of dolphins and sea monster-like kelp that passed through the clear harbor like underwater art installations.
Before I was completely surrounded by nature, I only spent half a mile into the surprisingly mild 3.5-mile Cherry Canyon Loop, which made me wonder if I was still close to my hometown. (Answer... a bit?) I took an impressive picture of the big yellow island paintbrush (aka ground cover/flower, more scientifically named Castilleja mollis) and marveled that Dr. Seuss deserves Of giant coreopsis (looks like three different types of flowers piled precariously on top of each other when I go deep into the cliff). Although the trail is marked as a moderate climb, it is still easy to navigate, even for a romcom worthy of lack of coordination. Yes, I did have to slide down sharply in the last 300 feet or so, but before reaching the top of the mesa, I got unobstructed views of the steep cliffs there. I grinned at the open ocean and slightly tidied up the ponytail that had been messed up by the wind.
As the sun sets, a guest enjoys a glass of wine on the outdoor terrace of Bottega Angelina.
(Practical note: Another important activity in the Channel Islands, camping, is also highly recommended-however, be sure to book as much as possible, because coordinating campsite and ferry reservations can be tricky. And for all camping experiences, please be sure to bring All the food, water, and supplies you may need-then take everything with you when you leave.)
Hitting Santa Cruz Island the next day provided the same "wow nature!" Hurry. The largest of the Channel Islands, 22 miles long, it is impossible to see all of this during a four-hour day trip. Therefore, at the suggestion of my friend who is familiar with outdoor activities, he also generously agreed to take a two-person kayak with me to ease my nervousness, and we went into the water. Our two-hour adventure begins at the Scorpion Anchorage, a launch pad named after the extremely shy actual scorpion population on the island, which regulars only discover once every ten years or so — and it becomes even more exciting from there.
On the way home from Santa Rosa the previous day, I had already seen Santa Cruz’s most famous cave, Painted Cave, so I did not hesitate to explore the smaller, barnacle-covered cave niche. Not only did I find that it was covered with barnacles, filled with the roar of the sea, they were as cool as I expected (I threw the Goonies reference material more than once), but once I relaxed, I started riding the wind and waves and it felt like the ultimate Amusement park tour.
Of course, children over the age of five often participate in these tours, so please be cautious with my theater performances.
But as our kayaking guide Chuck Graham, a local writer, photographer, and local legend explained as we floated in the waves, entering the ocean would become wilder. With the adventurous spirit of an expert, he had several encounters with great white sharks, including seeing fins about 9 miles off the island while going to work in a kayak. I just got over my initial squeamishness, I reached into the water and touched the feathered python and the huge bladder kelp floating on the bottom of the boat. Listening to his story, I giggled nervously.
The next day I will return to the land after arm exercises. A few hours and weeks later I will feel a strong sunburn on my calves. I am very satisfied with the attempt to get out of my comfort zone. I celebrated while eating a packed lunch while observing the occasional electric blue flashes of Island Scrub Jay. I mainly saw crows, and Graham told us that crows not only steal car keys, but also the zipper bags behind them-considering the fantasy nature of the island, I can easily believe it.
But what I am after is the ultimate reward: the discovery of the island fox. Its Latin name is Urocyon littoralis santacruzae, but what you really need to know is that they are turning cute. Think of a Disney-like rendering of a smiling fox, about the size of a house cat. And on the day of my visit, given that they often try to cheat for prohibited snacks, the quantity is surprisingly scarce. (This is a good time to remind you never to succumb to wild animals that need food, no matter how cute.)
We paced on nearby trails, scanned brushes, and even asked other tourists, but to no avail. Finally, before we had to catch the ferry and go home, the clock counted down only 15 minutes, when a fox crawled out of the overgrown grass and lay on the camp with a plop—I swear—and began to pose. A group of people gathered around it and began to take pictures silently, grinning at our good luck at the top of our phone. In terms of public experience and the end of the trip, being surrounded by an extremely cute creature and a stranger ranks high. This is something I hope I can reproduce in future trips.
But next time, I will bring extra sunscreen.