Channel Islands

After leaving Death Valley, I came to Los Angeles and immersed myself in a world quite unlike the desert: the big blue ocean. Taking a boat from Ventura, we headed out into the Pacific, and were graced with the presence of so many dolphins swimming along the way. I think I saw more dolphins in one instant before me than I had in my entire life up until that point. As we approached Santa Cruz Island, the landmass grew in size until suddenly, we were upon it. California had just had a rainy winter, so we were greeted with a lush green landscape, reminiscent of Ireland. I began my solo hike up over a giant hill and then walked along the cliffs toward Potato Harbor. It was a wonderful day of walking on an island elevated above the sea. There were so many gorgeous cliffs, and it was clear enough to see other islands in the distance. When I made it to Potato Harbor, I enjoyed my lunch and reveled in the sight below me. Circling back to the boat pickup spot, I trudged through green slopes that looked like the Shire. Any hobbit would be happy here. And I was too.