Thursday 27 October 2011

Balboa Island

After 2 days of shopping, I couldn't bear to step into another mall, so I headed the other way, to one of the loveliest places in California - Balboa Island.

Indeed, the moment you cross the bridge and enter Marine Avenue of Balboa Island, you're immediately transported into another world.

Balboa Island is a charming community of beach-inspired boutiques and All-American ice cream shops and a myraid of restaurants. It is also a place that is oozing Southern California architecture, Mediterranean homes, harbors filled with luxury yachts and wide stretches of sand lined with quaint beach homes.

It was a chilly morning and the streets were still quiet when I arrived. The first thing I noticed were the luxury houses overlooking the sea and was amused to see this big CosmetiCare - Plastic Surgery Specialists building along the street. Needless to say, this is big business in LA!

The morning fog hung in the air for most part of the day.

Walking down Marine Avenue, the main business street, I was charmed by the little boutiques selling knick knacks, clothes, flip flops and beach wear.





It is easy to get a sense of nostalgia here.

The frozen banana is a must-eat around here. I had one of course.

Even though the air was chilly, I couldn't resist the hot chocolate fudge sundae sprinkled with pecan brittle. It was amazing!



At the end of the street, I turned and walked along the pier that is lined with beautifully decorated beach houses. Most of these are holiday homes owned by the rich and famous, like the one below which has many sculptures in the living room including John Wayne's. I heard he has a house in Balboa. Could this be the one?

These houses come with private jetties too.

There's even a Statue of Liberty in someone's yard.

It was just days away from Halloween, many houses were elaborately decorated.









After admiring the gorgeous homes, I took a ferry to Balboa Peninsula just across the waters. The ferries bring cars (maximum 3) and people across for a small fee. It's US$1 per person.



Balboa Peninsula is a neighbourhood city of the Newport Beach.

The carpark was filled with cars but the beach was rather empty because of the cold.



Most families were having Sunday brunch in the local restaurants like Ruby's or Cab Cantina.



After a quick walkabout, I took a ferry back to Balboa Island. It was not the right day to be at the beach.

10 comments:

Open Kitchen Concept said...

Wah, Ting.. you really travelled a lot this year!! :) The houses look great! I love to see other people's houses too!

My Sinfonia said...

Looks like a rich area...how 's your back?

Blur Ting said...

OKC - I'm not good at saving cos I spend all my money on traveling :-P

Blur Ting said...

Kelly - Yes, the people are so rich, I suspect they pay people to do up the halloween decorating for them.

My back is completely fine now. Thanks.

The World According To Me said...

Lovely. I like the photo of the beach scene, it looks like you took it flying above the sand!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the marvelous posting! I actually enjoyed reading it, you will
be a great author.I will always bookmark your
blog and will come back very soon. I want to encourage that you continue your great writing, have a nice evening!


Review my web site; apple news

Anonymous said...

Hі there, I enjoyy reading all off your article post. Ι likе to write a little comment to ѕupport
you.

Stoрp by my web page :: slim no gym required jennifer cohen

yanmaneee said...

golden goose outlet
michael kors
cheap nfl jerseys china
adidas yeezy
christian louboutin shoes
air max
adidas tubular x
goyard bags
fila disruptor
nike air max 2019

yanmaneee said...

nike lebron 16
stephen curry shoes
jordan retro
goyard handbags
supreme hoodie
yeezy shoes
michael kors handbags
kevin durant shoes
supreme new york
offwhite

Unknown said...

replica bags philippines read here g5s23d3b34 replica chanel bags ebay replica bags seoul gucci replica handbags n2j93v7k30 replica bags blog replica bags ru hermes replica r0t46w5s12 replica bags paypal

Chowmahalla Palace

During our week in Hyderabad, some of the places we visited include the Mecca Mosque, the Charminar (the icon of Hyderabad), Sufi Shrine, Bi...