Adding my travel experience---Had been wanting to visit Catalina Island not far off Calif coast. Since there is a regular scheduled ferry to and fro it is made very easy! This is one of those islands where automobiles are not allowed...great idea for those who live there as well as those visiting. I went on a warm February day. There are 2 options for catching a ferry...for those of us without a yacht. I understand there is an exclusive part of the island where people have vacation homes or condos where they have their very own harbor. But I digress. One option for taking the Catalina Flyer from Dana Point. It's name comes from the fact that it's a fast moving boat. Another route to take is from Long Beach. In the morning I boarded the boat (largest I've ever been on) and couple hundred other tourists filled it up as the 45-minute trek to the small town of Avalon began. It is windy if you sit on the uppermost (3rd) level. I sat inside however where there is food and drinks for sale. The water is notably clear where it's shallow, enabling you to see some bright orange fish that are native to the tiny bay that is also a harbor and a small beach. The fish were so unusual! Also, there used to be lots of flying fish around the island...but didn't see any during my daytrip with my mother. The sandy beach was inviting looking with calm water at that area of the island. The town is named Avalon (love the classy name) and has a very big rotunda style building that houses music and performances. I would have liked to go to it's famous jazz festival but it was the wrong time of year. No problem however, there is plenty of browsing at gift shops that you can walk to. Many shops carry memorabilia that pertain to the history of this unique island that has been popular for wealthy vacationers for many decades! Nowadays, they even have a major zip-lining attraction. It is a long and maybe harrowing zip line adventure best left to those who have experience with it....I'm a little fearful of heights. There are golf carts you can rent to make sure you get to see a lot of the area around Avalon. I noticed many people were taking advantage of that. We found a very nice restaurant with a view of the bay to have a relaxing lunch at. Keep in mind that while your dining, you can sit right next to the street. But it hardly feels like a street since it's a pedestrian street mostly, with some people on bicycles and others on their golf carts. There is a small boutique hotel for those who want more than a day trip. One thing to know is that if you visit on a weekend, the last ferry back to the California mainland is Sunday evening....sooo if you were to miss it....you would find yourself (happily) stranded on this island til the next Thursday or Friday when the next ferry arrived.....ha ha!! Maybe I will return again sometime to explore the 30 miles of walking trails outside of Avalon, as most of this island is wild and hilly. I think it's a nature preserve. One more thing, I watched people getting lessons snorkeling off the shore in the bay. I should mention all this activity is on the side of the island facing the mainland. It's close enough that you can always see the mainland coast in the distance....but my excursion was remote enough that it felt like you were able to take a break from the "everyday".
Adding my travel experience---Had been wanting to visit Catalina Island not far off Calif coast. Since there is a regular scheduled ferry to and fro it is made very easy! This is one of those islands where automobiles are not allowed...great idea for those who live there as well as those visiting.
ReplyDeleteI went on a warm February day. There are 2 options for catching a ferry...for those of us without a yacht. I understand there is an exclusive part of the island where people have vacation homes or condos where they have their very own harbor. But I digress. One option for taking the Catalina Flyer from Dana Point. It's name comes from the fact that it's a fast moving boat. Another route to take is from Long Beach.
In the morning I boarded the boat (largest I've ever been on) and couple hundred other tourists filled it up as the 45-minute trek to the small town of Avalon began. It is windy if you sit on the uppermost (3rd) level. I sat inside however where there is food and drinks for sale.
The water is notably clear where it's shallow, enabling you to see some bright orange fish that are native to the tiny bay that is also a harbor and a small beach. The fish were so unusual! Also, there used to be lots of flying fish around the island...but didn't see any during my daytrip with my mother. The sandy beach was inviting looking with calm water at that area of the island. The town is named Avalon (love the classy name) and has a very big rotunda style building that houses music and performances. I would have liked to go to it's famous jazz festival but it was the wrong time of year. No problem however, there is plenty of browsing at gift shops that you can walk to. Many shops carry memorabilia that pertain to the history of this unique island that has been popular for wealthy vacationers for many decades!
Nowadays, they even have a major zip-lining attraction. It is a long and maybe harrowing zip line adventure best left to those who have experience with it....I'm a little fearful of heights.
There are golf carts you can rent to make sure you get to see a lot of the area around Avalon. I noticed many people were taking advantage of that. We found a very nice restaurant with a view of the bay to have a relaxing lunch at. Keep in mind that while your dining, you can sit right next to the street. But it hardly feels like a street since it's a pedestrian street mostly, with some people on bicycles and others on their golf carts.
There is a small boutique hotel for those who want more than a day trip. One thing to know is that if you visit on a weekend, the last ferry back to the California mainland is Sunday evening....sooo if you were to miss it....you would find yourself (happily) stranded on this island til the next Thursday or Friday when the next ferry arrived.....ha ha!!
Maybe I will return again sometime to explore the 30 miles of walking trails outside of Avalon, as most of this island is wild and hilly. I think it's a nature preserve. One more thing, I watched people getting lessons snorkeling off the shore in the bay. I should mention all this activity is on the side of the island facing the mainland. It's close enough that you can always see the mainland coast in the distance....but my excursion was remote enough that it felt like you were able to take a break from the "everyday".
Thanks Kelly for the review of your trip of the Catalina Island! It sounded amazing!
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