Each time I return to Balboa Island, memories of my childhood are evoked. I love it there and I wanted to share it.
Relaxed and charming, Balboa Island has a history rooted in land speculation, transportation and dance halls. In 1899, W.S. Collins, who had made his fortune in Southern California land speculation and transportation, was convinced to purchase 1000 acres of the land around the Newport Bay for development. At that time, Orange County was mostly orange groves and there were no rail lines leading into the area and H.E. Huntington wasn’t interested in building any. Collins bought that land for $50,000, dredged the harbor to create the man-made Balboa Island, connected it to Los Angeles via the Pacific Electric Railroad and within 15 years, property on Balboa Island was worth $5,000,000. Now, each home is worth about that much. Wild!For me, it's a village in which to wander... to search for things that make one smile. It isn't a difficult goal to attain.Lunch was had seaside, on a day that surprised us with its unpredicted warmth.Two ferry rides just added to the magic of our day.In 1919, Joe Beek, still a college student at the time, saw the possibilities for Balboa Island. He was granted permission to begin a ferry service between the Balboa Peninsula and the Island. Starting with one ferry – basically a large rowboat with a small motor – Joe began offering crossings for a nickel per person. He didn’t have a regular ferry schedule; instead folks who needed to cross the harbor made an appointment over the telephone. Today, the Beeks family still runs the Balboa Island Ferry. They now have multiple ferries, in continuous service, that carry up to 3 cars, as well as passengers..jpg)
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We ended our day having to choose between the Island's two most well-known establishments, Dad’s and Sugar ‘N’ Spice, for a promised Balboa Bar. Although just 100 feet away from each other, the shops share more than just the same street. They both claim to sell the island’s original Balboa Bar—a chocolate-dipped ice cream confection rolled in sweet or salty toppings that has assumed a following of its own on the island.
Upon closer inspection, we decided on Sugar ‘N’ Spice because their bar was custom dipped while we waited and the topping choice was exceptional: Blue Diamond almonds, peanuts, sprinkles, coconut, and a special creation, Heath pecan crunch. We were not disappointed.
It truly is life's simplest things that make it happy! What a fun day.
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2 comments:
The banana bar brings back favorite memories of the special treat when camping at DL Bliss ~ we'd always make the trek down to the Y in SLT to enjoy a chocolate-dipped banana. So yummy!
And those were basic compared to Balboa's gourmet bars!
My paternal grandmother lived a block from Newport Beach on the peninsula. I spent many summers down there and have great memories of Balboa Island. So fun to see your pictures and think of good times there.
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