E10 SUNDAY • OCTOBER 18, 2015

Being born in December has itsmany challenges as faras birthday celebrations go. Your special day some-how gets swallowed up in the competition of an entire

month of holiday revelry. This is whymy husband Tony andI love to “escape” on travel for our birthdays, which are just afew days apart in early December.

Selecting a vacationgetaway in thewintermonths canbea challenging task, asinclementweather and transportationdelays are ever-present.As Iwasponderingwhere to celebrateTony’s landmarkbirth-day, fate intervened. I cameacross aphotoof us, takendecades ago, holdinghandsonasummit overlooking the townofAvalononCatalina Island. Itwas lateOctober and theimage showedusbasking in agolden sunthat cast amagical glowon the town’s pic-turesqueharborbehindus.

Thatdid it;Avalonwaswherewewouldcreate ourbirthdaymemories. CatalinaExpress, a year-round ferry service toAva-lon thatdeparts fromtheCaliforniaportcities ofDanaPoint, LongBeachandSanPedro, offers a free round-trip fare if youtravel on yourbirthday (youhave 30days toreturn).

As is often the case on such trips, half thefunwasgetting there.Duringour one-hoursail across the channel, we smiledat frolick-ingdolphins leapingat our ship’s bow,mar-veledat apodof graywhalesbreaching inthedistance, chuckledat the antics of thevocal sea lions thatmake this region theirhome, anddelighted inwatching themanypelicans andnumerousother seabirdsdemonstrate their fishing skills.

Wedockedamere twoblocks fromAva-lon’smain street andeasilywheeledourluggage to thePavilionHotel, ameticulouslyrestoredbeachfrontpropertynestledamong landscaped tropical gardens.Thatafternoon, aswe sippedwine andnibbledonappetizers during thehotel’s courtesyhap-pyhour, it dawnedonus:Catalina off-sea-son is theperfect time for a visit.

The historic Avalon Casino on Catalina Island. In the off-season, the crowds are gone and the island is quiet.JOANNE DIBONA

Vibrantoff-seasonBirthday couple discover the only things missing on

Catalina Island in December are the crowds

BY JOANNE DIBONA

Island Spa Catalina is located in the historic El Encanto building.JOANNE DIBONA

SEE CATALINA • E11

Nothing I had readaboutthis famedvillagepreparedme for suchaShangri-La.

Theplace is as lushasyour lettucebin and rests onthe lower lip of aDodger-blue lake gracedwithkay-aks andcanoes.Takeawayits vauntedNationalBase-ballHall of FameandMu-seum, andyouwould stillhave anuncommonly allur-ingdestination.

Inwinter,Cooperstownis asdormant asbaseballitself. ComeApril, its rollinglawnsand surroundingorchardsbounceback tolife.

Anglers plyOtsegoLake

andhikerspickblueberries.There are craft breweriesand little creeks onwhich tofly-fish.

But lateSeptember isperhaps its grandest sea-son.Withplayoffs beckon-ing, baseballmattersmore;the apples are ripe andsummer crowdshave fled.

Idyllic yet energizedbyaconstant streamofbaseballjunkies, Cooperstownshouldbepainted inpin-stripes. JamesFenimoreCooper's father founded thisvillage in 1786; about 50years later,AbnerDouble-day laid the groundwork forapromisingnewsport. In1939, themuseumopened.

Then, somehow, it’s as

though time stopped.Thank the gods, sports andotherwise.

“Baseball is balletwith-outmusic,” sportscasterErnieHarwell once said.

Cooperstown is oneof itsgrandest stages,with activ-ities—baseball andother-wise—asplentiful as thesurrounding sugarmaplesthat arebeginning to showtheir fall colors.

Scouting gems from historyStrollingdownMain

Street here is like entering aSaturdayEveningPostcover—witha few thousandother travelers.

Visitors pack the centerof town in summer, less sonow—all themore reasonfor anautumn trip. Still,evenonBaseballHall ofFame inductionweek in late

COOPERSTOWN: YES, IT’S BASEBALL BUT SO MUCH MORE

BY CHRIS ERSKINE

Main Street in Cooperstown is packed with visitors in the summer months. Mem-orabilia shops offer trading cards, pins and even custom-made bats.

THISISCOOPERSTOWN.COM

Lush village in upstate New York has kept itscharm amid the hoopla over sports history

SEE COOPERSTOWN • E12

and the theater’s art decoambience.

Hand inhand,TonyandI left the theater andwalkedalongCasinoWay, past theshimmering stars in thewinter sky above, alongAvalon’smain street res-plendentwith twinklingholiday lights, andquietly

celebratedournewyear oflife in this precious jewel of adestination—amere 22miles off theSouthernCali-fornia coast.

Birthdays just don’t getanybetter than this.

DiBona is a freelance travel writerand photographer.

Goneare the crowds thatflock to this famousdestina-tionduring thepeak sum-mermonths. In its place is aquiet, relaxing and infinitelyromantic town,where youcandoasmuch, or as little,as you like.There is no lackof off-seasonactivities onthe island.You can fly highona zip line, kayakalongthe coast, scoot aroundtown inagolf cart, hike orbike through townor on themagnificentTrans-Catalinatrail, tour the famousCasi-no, ormarvel at theunder-water kelp forest andcol-orful fish fromaglass-bot-tomboat—and that’s forstarters.

In our case, soothingourminds, bodies and spiritswashighonour list. So, as aspecial birthday surprise, Iarrangedanafternoon sparetreat for us at the IslandSpaCatalina, located in theformerhistoricElEncantobuilding.The classicCata-lina architecture of thisbuildingprovided theper-fect backdrop for a state-of-the-art, beautifully de-signed spa thatboastsluxurious ocean-view treat-ment roomsand lounges, aswell as anoutdoor soakingpool andmultilevel decks.

Tony’s deep-tissuemas-sage includedauniquehotsand therapy treatment,and I indulged in a “sea-of-life” facial that featuredacleansingmaskmade fromplants andherbs indigenousto the island.Afterward,wenappedon the spa’s spec-tacular veranda that over-looks theharbor,wakingupfromour slumber just intime to see thewaningafter-noon suncast a glowoverthehills surroundingAva-lon.

Thenextmorning, feel-ing relaxedand rejuvenated,we embracedournext ad-venture: a three-hourCata-lina IslandConservancyjeep tour into the island’shinterland.Havingneverbeen further than theCata-lina airport in termsofexploring thebackcountry,wewere excited to experi-ence the “rest” ofCatalinaIsland that theaveragevisitor doesnot see.Andnorhadwe—until now.

Wewere greetedbyourguide for theday, naturalistScottMoyse,whohasbeenleading visitors throughCatalina’s pristine andprotectednatural envi-ronment (kept intact by the

Catalina IslandConser-vancy) for years. Formed in1972, theConservancy is oneofCalifornia’s oldest landtrusts,with the goal of pro-tecting 42,000 acres of land,62miles of rugged shorelineandmore than80miles oftrails on the island.

Scott’s jeep tourwas theride of a lifetime.Webouncedalongbackcountrytrails, huggednarrow ridgeswithdizzyingdrops to therocky coastlinebelow, ven-turedoff-road to view jaw-dropping landscapes atLittleHarbor andCotton-woodBeach, andevenhap-peneduponRusackVine-yards, aTuscan-stylewin-erynestled in this remoteandwildly untouched re-gionon thewestern shore.

The crispwinter atmo-sphere affordedus crystalclear viewsonto theSouth-ernCaliforniamainlandanddazzling snowcappedmountainsbeyond, aswellas onto the islands of SanClemente, SantaBarbaraand several of the eightislands that comprise theChannel Islandsarchipela-go.Aswe rodealong, Scottgaveus a fascinating ac-count of thehistory anddevelopment ofCatalinaIsland, from its beginningssome8,000 years agowhentheNativeAmericansthrived in its environment,to the influx ofSpanish,RussianandAmericanexplorers (andentrepre-neurs)whomolded theisland’s development overthe centuries.

Eager to learnmoreaboutCatalina’s richhisto-ry,we spent the afternoonattheCatalina IslandMu-seum, located in the iconicCatalinaCasino. In addition

to exhibits that chroniclethehistory ofCatalinaIsland,which includede-tailed accounts ofHolly-wood’smanymovie starswho frolickedonCatalina’sshores over thedecades, themuseumalso featuresdis-plays of the famedCatalinapottery and tilemanu-factured in the 1920s and’30s.Thedistinctive tilesadornmanyof thebuild-ings, fountains andwalk-ways inAvalon to this day.

Weweren’t able to resistyet another venture into theisland’s glorious outback, sothenextday,webookedahiking tourwithCatalinaBackcountry.The compa-ny’s affable andknowledge-able guides ledus throughathree-hournature tour thataffordedus somewonderfulpanoramic viewsover theterrain, aswell as a fewexciting glimpses of theisland’s renownedbison,brought to thehills ofCata-lina in 1924.

Alas,wedidn’t get aglimpseof anyof the 22baldeagles on the island (thepopulationofwhichwasalmostwipedout in the1970sdue toDDTpoison-ing).Thanks toCatalina’sconservation efforts,wewere thankful in theknowl-edge that theywere thriv-ing, propagating and slowlymakinga comeback.

We spent our last eve-ning inAvalonattending theannualHolidaySymphonyConcert at theCatalinaCasinoTheatre.Anen-semble fromtheStanfordUniversitySymphonyOr-chestramesmerized theaudiencewith amovingprogramofMozart’smostbelovedworks, embellishedbyoutstanding acoustics

If you go

Getting there

There are several transportation options from the SouthernCalifornia mainland to Catalina Island, including helicopterservice. Catalina Express, www.catalinaexpress.com, (800)995-4386, offered a convenient schedule for our needs. Andwho can resist a free round-trip birthday cruise?Accommodations

Explore a wide range of accommodations as well as othervisitor information on the Catalina Chamber of Commercewebsite, www.catalinachamber.com, (310) 510-1520.The lovingly restored beachside Pavilion Hotel, (310) 510-2500, offers stylish, well-appointed rooms in a lush gardensetting as well as a complimentary breakfast buffet andevening cheese and wine tastings.We spent a romantic evening at the Aurora Hotel & Spa, (310)510-0454, a modern and sleek boutique hotel set atop a hilljust minutes from downtown Avalon. The roof deck com-mands a panoramic view of the harbor and downtown Avalon.A substantial breakfast buffet is included in the room price,and in-house massage and spa options are available.Dining

Avalon may be a small town, but it boasts a big city foodiescene. Some 30 restaurants offer a wide variety of cuisine tosatisfy any taste.Tony’s birthday dinner was celebrated in the Avalon Grille,(310) 510-7494, at the foot of Avalon’s Green Pier. We savoredfresh mahi mahi on corn and fava bean purée, succulentscallops atop creamy celery root, and a roasted mixed beetsalad with pistachio dressing. We toasted to another year ofhealth and happiness with the restaurant’s signature WrigleyMartini, based on a 1950s recipe. Instead of birthday cake, weopted for a decadently delicious peanut butter cheesecakewith pretzel crust.I chose to celebrate my special day with a lunch at BluewaterAvalon Restaurant, (310) 510-3474. We dined outside on thedeck with a picture-perfect view on the Casino and harbor.Our meal was a seafood lover’s delight (all sustainablycaught) consisting of fried calamari, scallop and shrimpskewers, and creamy seafood pasta.JOANNE DIBONA

A view of the jaw-dropping landscapes at Little Har-bor on Catalina Island.

JOANNE DIBONA

FROM E10

CATALINA • Couple enjoyed jeep and hiking tours in the outback

E11THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE SUNDAY • OCTOBER 18, 2015

Lookfor th

ese stars Tuesday, Oct. 20

DowntownNBC Building (225 Broadway)6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Magic 92.56:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Z90.36:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 91X7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Padres Friar and Pad Squad8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Jason Austell, NBC 7 San Diego9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Whitney Southwick,NBC 7 San Diego9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Jodi Kodesh,NBC 7 San Diego12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Gene Cubbison,NBC 7 San Diego1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Catherine Garcia,NBC 7 San Diego

NBC 7 Donation Drive-Thru (at Broadway Circle)7:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Starbucks11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Luna Grill

Horton Plaza (at Starbucks)8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Omari Fleming,NBC 7 San Diego

Mission ValleyFriars/Frazee7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Pulsar 107. 3 FM Uniradio7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. La Invasora 99.7 FM Uniradio7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Phil Farrar, San Diego 6 News8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Chargers Players and Charger Girls

Park in the Valley (at Starbucks)7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Sandy Coronilla,The San Diego Union-Tribune7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Luis Cruz,The San Diego Union-Tribune7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Rob Harms,The San Diego Union-Tribune7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Jeanette Steele,The San Diego Union-Tribune7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Jarnard Sutton,DiscoverSD7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. AlejandroTamayo,The San Diego Union-Tribune

Hillcrest5th & Robinson (at Starbucks)7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Greg Bledsoe,NBC 7 San Diego

North Park29th & University Ave. (225 Broadway)6:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Peter Rowe,The San Diego Union-Tribune7:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. George Varga,The San Diego Union-Tribune8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Steve Breen,The San Diego Union-Tribune

ClairemontBalboa & Genesee Ave8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Cliff Albert, KOGO

Tierrasanta10601 Tierrasanta Blvd (at Starbucks)7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Bridget Naso,NBC 7 San Diego

Rancho BernardoMorning Creek Elementary School (10925 Morning Creek Drive)8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Monica Dean,NBC 7 San Diego

South County10601 Tierrasanta Blvd (at Starbucks)6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Alex Castañeda, Radio Latina 104.5

Broadway & Palomar7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 106.5 FM Univision Radio7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 102.9 FM Mas Variedad,Univision Radio

Around San Diego6:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Hundreds of wonderful volunteers at Starbucksstores, on various street corners and in front of schools throughout the county.

KidsNewsDay.com /UT.KidsNewsDay

*Appearances/times subject to change.

Many Thanks To Our Generous Sponsors

Luis CruzThe San DiegoUnion-Tribune

Bridget NasoNBC 7 San Diego

Greg BledsoeNBC 7 San Diego

Steve BreenThe San DiegoUnion-Tribune

Jodi KodeshNBC 7 San Diego

Cliff AlbertKOGO

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