One of my 2011 resolutions was to travel somewhere new every month of the year. The choices for January were severely limited by my lack of funds due to underemployment, so I knew it had to be a day trip somewhere in Southern Cali. Since I’ve never been to Newport Beach, I decided to check out Balboa Island
The pictures speak for themselves.
It was a cute area, with beautiful homes, canals, and boats around every corner. Lots of little shops and eateries lined the main boulevard, though many of the items in those stores were pricey and touristy. However, there was an amazing olive oil shop, and the grocery market contained quite a bit of fresh and unique food.
I stopped for a quiet lunch at Amelia’s, a quaint Italian restaurant that had a substantial seafood menu. I tried the platter that contained shrimp scampi, lobster ravioli, and salmon. All were delicious and went well with my glass of Pinot. When I arrived at 1:00, the place was empty, perfectly quiet so I could read, though customers soon filled the dining room, and I departed.
I walked around the docks and canals for a short while, but there were quite a few tourists and not many places to relax in silence to read. In addition, parking had been very scarce when I arrived, and I snagged a spot that had a two-hour limit. I didn’t want to risk a ticket, so I left.
The island was a nice place to visit, but more of a place to take tourists. I think the other side of the island that I didn’t visit had a ferry and beach areas, which might be nice in the heat of the summer. Though it was a cute neighborhood, it was right out of a book about the wealth that swarms over Newport Beach. Everyone clearly had money, as evidenced by the cars, boats, and mass amounts of yachts. Yacht clubs were everywhere just before driving over the bay to the island, which was a little intimidating. (I was prepared to fake an English accent should I be stopped for any reason.) The residents of the island all seemed to have dogs, many of them with little well-groomed ones being carried in owners’ arms or in purses. And there was a plethora of golf carts, since the streets were tiny and parking was not easy. With all of that, I wasn’t particularly comfortable in the surroundings and felt like I was looking in on a world in which I didn’t belong.
I suppose I prefer places like Venice Beach or Santa Monica, where more of a variety of folks can be found and everyone seems to fit in somehow. Even so, Balboa Island was a nice place to visit for a few hours and a glimpse into a part of Southern California that I don’t often see.
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