Our little group of 12 - having what reminded me of a "Swiss Family Robinson" adventure - was on a two-mile hike around the isolated, undeveloped 100 acres of East Anacapa, known for its landmark 40-foot Arch Rock. No high-rise condos here, despite the fabulous ocean views.
Anacapa Island, composed of volcanic rock, is made up of three islets (East, Middle and West) spanning five miles and, since 1980, part of the Channel Islands National Park, which includes San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara islands. The eight Channel Islands span 160 miles and also include four southern islands - San Nicholas, Santa Barbara, Santa Catalina and San Clemente.
We had ventured here for a half-day outing via an hour boat ride from Oxnard's Channel Islands Harbor, just 11 miles away.
There's no McDonald's here, no Starbucks, no Coca-Cola machines and no Kodak film vendors.
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There's not even fresh drinking water, so you have to bring your own - and your own food, if you want to eat. And you cannot leave any trash behind. The Mission Revival-style buildings here, built by the Coast Guard, are the lighthouse, originally constructed in 1912 and rebuilt in 1932, fog signal building, one of four original keeper's quarters, the church-facade water storage container and the small visitor center with picnic tables. There are also a few clean outhouses and park benches here and there to sit, relax and take in the scenery.
The name Anacapa is believed to be derived from the Chumash American Indian words anyapakh and eneepah, written later on maps as Enecapa or Encapa, which meant "mirage" and "deception." The Chumash lived, at least seasonally, on the five northern Channel Islands for thousands of years. In fact, 29 Chumash archaeological sites have been identified here on Anacapa.
The Spanish were the first Europeans to visit the Channel Islands, in 1542. Later, by the mid-1800s, many Chumash were converted to Christianity and assimilated into the missions, leaving the islands for the mainland.
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Those who want to get away from it all - whether for a few hours or a few days - can come to Anacapa and the other islands to camp (permits are required), picnic, kayak, swim, scuba dive, snorkel, bird-watch, explore over 100 sea caves or go on guided or self-guided hikes, taking in the gorgeous views.
But caution must prevail: There are no guardrails, the steep cliffs can be precarious, and camping is primitive on the seven small sites here. Bring your own tent and supplies and be prepared for no shower facilities. And you must climb 153 steps to access East Anacapa once you disembark the boat. It's advised that you dress in layers and bring a jacket, since the weather can change.
According to Isaacson, there are no snakes on Anacapa, which is the nesting ground for the Western gull and home to the Anacapa deer mouse. The largest breeding colony of the brown pelican in North America is found on West Anacapa. It's fun to see the seals and sea lions basking on the rocks, as well as urchins, anemones, crabs and other marine life in the kelp forests. Some 2,000 plant and animal species abound in the Channel Islands, 145 of which can't be found anywhere else on earth. Gray whales can be spotted from late December to the end of March, and blue and humpback can be seen from June through September off Santa Rosa Island.
During the summer on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2 p.m. there's a unique live underwater video program on East Anacapa: Scuba-diving rangers with cameras narrate what they're seeing and doing to those watching on video monitors at the landing cove on the ground above. It is also broadcast to those on the mainland at the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center in Ventura.
"It's very popular," Isaacson said.
Kathy and Bryan Brooks, visiting Southern California from their home in Fort Collins, Colo., told me that just two nights earlier they had viewed a Travel Channel show in their hotel room about the 10 most special wonders of the West, which included the Channel Islands.
"We'd visited all the other ones they listed, except for Death Valley," Bryan noted. So, spur of the moment, they decided to sail here on an Island Packers tour.
"It's like a desert in the middle of the ocean," Kathy observed.
"We love it," Bryan said. "This is so different from any other place we've been!"
IF YOU GO
Channel Islands National Park: 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, CA 93001-4354. Phone (805) 658-5730, www.nps.gov/chis.
For camping permits: (800) 365-2267, reservations.nps.gov.
Information and exhibits open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Island Packers: Phone (805) 642-1393, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. PT, 24-hour number (805) 642-7688. Check Web site for schedules and prices: www.islandpackers.com, e-mail: information@islandpackers.
Sharon Whitley Larsen is a freelance travel writer.
