Fun on Balboa Island

Rental bikes abound.

And can be ridden almost everywhere.

Balboa Bars for cooling off on a hot summer day.

Yes, the frozen bananas are famous but....

Vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate rolled in nuts is always the better choice.

Look up.

The street names are gems.

Which makes sense because Balboa Island is one of the most expensive real estate markets in North America outside of Lower Manhattan.

Watercraft comes in all shapes and sizes.

Just one dollar to ride the ferry over to the peninsula.

Shops on Main Street.

Or rather Marine Avenue, we are on an island after all...

Sights and sounds and ocean breeze along the board walk.

On Balboa Island, even the sculptures... 

Seem to be enjoying themselves!

Balboa Island Real Estate

I was a Brownie and then a Girl Scout.

One summer, our troop spent a week at a beach house on Balboa Island in Orange County, CA.

It was amazing.

Of the house, I only remember that it was two-story (which makes sense as there were a lot of girls in our troop) and I think it was on Coral Street (or at least that sticks out in my mind).

We were young (around 12 years of age) so it was a BIG DEAL to walk into town, take the ferry to the peninsula, rent bikes, hang at the beach.

Without CONSTANT supervision.

Although there were a number of chaperones, girl scout leaders, on hand to keep us out of trouble.

Not even sure how long we were there, just a week?

It felt like a summer.

Balboa Island still holds that magic but now I am more aware of the actual houses.

The small, exquisite, multi-million dollar homes that fill this dense island....

Just enough yard for patio furniture...but with access to the water just steps away, it hardly matters.