Have you heard of the wicked bug that’s going around? The symptoms are severe and it’s highly contagious. Yep, I’m talking about the travel bug ☺. Andrew and I were hit bad last week. Since we didn’t have any big trips planned, we figured the next best thing would be a fun day trip.
Located 22 miles off the coast of Los Angeles is Catalina Island, the perfect spot for a quick getaway. There are two major ferry lines with daily trips from Orange County and Los Angeles to Avalon. The Catalina Flyer is located in Newport Beach and The Catalina Express has ports in Dana Point, Long Beach and San Pedro. Andrew and I took the 8:15am Catalina Express ferry out of Long Beach. The 1 hour trip was quick and comfortable. There is both indoor and outdoor seating, clean restrooms and a snack bar. If you’re anything like me and have a tendency to get sea sick, I would recommend popping a Dramamine before the trip.
Avalon is the only incorporated city on Catalina Island. It is a dreamy little town lined with white sand beaches, restaurants and shops. You can easily get around town by foot, but the most popular mode of transportation in Avalon is by golf cart. A 2 hour rental at Catalina Island Golf Cart will run you around $90. (Fun fact: there is a 20 year wait list to import a car to Catalina Island)
There are a ton of fun activities to do on the island, including both land and boat tours, snorkeling, kayaking, ziplining, and mini golf.
Andrew and I decided to try the Zip Line Eco Tour. After a short walk to Descanso Beach, we checked in for our tour, were fitted with equipment, given a brief safety talk and shuttled to the first platform. The tour guides were so much fun and also shared interesting facts about Catalina history and wildlife. The tour lasted approximately 2 hours and included 5 different zip lines with spectacular views of the hills and ocean. If you are visiting Catalina, I highly recommend booking a zip line tour.
After zip lining, we headed down to Descanso Beach Club for some lunch and relaxation. We rented two chaise lounge chairs, which included an umbrella and wait service. I ordered the blackberry mojito and veggie burger and Andrew ordered a beer and poke bowl. Everything was delicious! We spent the afternoon at the beach before heading back into town to walk around and catch our 6:15pm boat ride home.
Even though we were so close to home, we felt a world away. It was the perfect day trip and we can’t wait to go back.
So the next time you’re hit by the travel bug, I recommend a visit to Catalina Island. Unfortunately there is no cure, but you can minimize the symptoms by exploring as often as possible! ☺
This looks perfect! Makes me want to go back to Catalina ASAP!!
I love Catalina Island it is so fun! You captured everything beautifully doll
I wanted to go to Catalina Island last year with my family but this pandemic destroyed our plans. Thank you for this article! I bought a new Catalina boat this spring. I think it’s a sign that we definetely shoul visit this place when this virus is over. I hope it’s gonna be soon.
Yes! You definitely need to. It’s such a fun town! And even better that you can take your own boat =)