Catalina
Island: A Pacific Playground
Just
22 miles off the Southern California coast, Catalina
Island has long been regarded as a Pacific paradise where families,
romantics, adventurers and business folk come to stay and play.
The island's idyllic small beach town charm is just a quick
boat ride away from fast-paced city life. Whether venturing
over for a day, a weekend, or longer, Catalina Island is teeming
with leisure and adrenaline-pumping activities suitable for
adults and children, alike.
I
recently jaunted over Catalina Island for a three-day family
sabbatical where we enjoyed the perfect mix of lodging, lounging,
learning, dining and entertainment. Below is a print-ready overview
of our itinerary should you want to replicate the experience
for your own unforgettable Catalina Island escape.
Catalina
Island, California
Day
1:
9:50am: Depart to Catalina Island from Dana
Point on Catalina
Express.
Catalina
Express whisks you off to Catalina Island in just a 60-minute
journey from Dana Point among other ports of call that include
San Pedro and Long Beach. The company's fleet of modern, high-speed
luxury catamarans and mono hull vessels offer a comfortable
ride with airline-style seating both inside and out, large view
windows where you can catch a glimpse of dolphins in their natural
habitat, and light refreshments available for purchase. The
upper deck features a premium-priced Commodore Lounge, offering
upgraded leather-trimmed seats, overhead storage, priority boarding
and complimentary beverage and snack service. The further upgraded
Captain's Lounge seats up to 8 passengers or it can be used
as a hostess center for larger groups. This option also includes
priority boarding, plush upgraded seating, and complimentary
beverage.
11:30am:
Check-in for three nights at the Pavilion
Hotel.
Located
just a five-minute walk or quick taxi ride from the dock where
the Catalina Express disembarks, you will arrive at the newly
renovated Pavilion Hotel. Its new design is now centered around
the lush garden courtyard area that feature semi-private lanais
for the ground-level rooms accessed through large French doors.
There are also public lounge areas off the courtyard, including
a large fire ring and both closed and open-air, ocean-view lounges
adjacent to the front lobby.
The
boutique property, perfectly situated on the main drag directly
across from the beach and pier, has 71 rooms in all with two
suite options-the accommodation of choice for my recent visit.
All of the now upgraded rooms feature HD flat-screen televisions,
iHome MP3 players, complimentary use of iPads and upgraded in-room
coffee and tea service.The show stopper for the suites, however,
is the incredibly large, French door-accessible balconies overlooking
the garden and, beyond, a spectacular ocean view. What I particularly
loved about this property is that every booking comes with complimentary
daily Continental breakfasts well as a late afternoon wine and
cheese event that is quite the draw.
1:30pm:
Play mini golf at Golf
Gardens.
Located
just off of the Tour Plaza and a mere block off the waterfront,
Golf Gardens is a great way to spend the afternoon. This appropriately
challenging 18-hole mini golf course attracts players of all
ages-it takes about an hour to play all of the holes. Immersed
in plant life and with bubbling streams throughout, the course
is very beautiful and serene. It is open every day, year round.
4:30pm-5:30pm:
Indulge in complimentary wine and cheese happy hour at the Pavilion
Hotel.
As
mentioned above, this happy hour event takes place each evening
at the open-air lounge and features an assortment of wine and
cheese that can be enjoyed as dusk sets in. It's a wonderful
way to get the evening started and also enjoy the spirited and
communal atmosphere among the guests this event fosters. Of
course, there are also non-alcoholic beverage selections for
the kids!
6:00pm: Enjoy casual dinner at The
Lobster Trap.
Located
one block away from the Green Pier, The Lobster Trap is a casual
eatery that features fresh seafood fare as well as appetizers,
poultry and beef entrees, sandwiches and pasta. There is even
a menu for the kiddos with all their favorites! During the summer,
Friday and Saturday nights feature live music to accompany your
meal.
Day 2:
8:00am: Take advantage of complimentary Continental
breakfast at the Pavilion Hotel.
This
Continental breakfast is decidedly well done with a surprisingly
broad selection of fresh fare. Offerings include fresh pastries,
muffins, and breads; hard boiled eggs; peanut butter; and exceedingly
fresh fruit (the juiciest mangoes I've ever had) as well as
fresh juices, Starbucks coffee, and milk. This is a great way
to fill up and fuel up for a busy day around the Island!
11:00am:
Catch Santa Catalina Island Company's Undersea
Expedition Semi-Sub Tour Expedition.
The
tour leaves from the Green Pier and takes about 45 minutes.
Kids and adults will love traveling five feet under water in
this semi-submersible boat's climate-controlled cabin with windows
around the perimeter. Here passengers revel in the beauty of
Catalina's marine life.
This
undersea adventure reveals all kinds of ocean dwellers, including
sharks and sea lions, and even comes with a colorful Fish Finder
Guide to help accurately identify the various types of fish
encountered. An informative guide also conveys interesting facts
about Catalina and its ocean environment throughout the tour.
12:30pm:
Treat yourself to ice cream and saltwater taffy at Lloyd's
of Avalon.
When
it's time for a little energy boost or just simple indulgence,
head over to Lloyd's of Avalon-a fixture on the island for decades.
A big picture window provides a hypnotizing view of the taffy-making
process in action, while the rest of shop is loaded wall-to-wall
with all types of goodies, including a multitude of self-serve
candy bins, an ice cream counter as well as caramel apples,
chocolates, cinnamon rolls and much more.
2:00pm: Experience the Exhilarating East
End Adventure.
This
two-hour tour provides an unprecedented view of the entire island,
the ocean, and the surrounding facets of nature. You'll climb
into an open air H1 Hummer and wind your way up to 1,500 feet
above sea level to enjoy spectacular views all the way back
to the mainland. The tour also includes rugged interior terrain
and the opportunity to catch sight of local wildlife (like the
majestic buffalo and mule eared deer seen during our tour) and
stunning and fragrant trees, plants, and flowers of various
types. You'll even stop by the Island's exciting Zip
Line Eco Tour where brave souls propel down 5 separate
zip lines dropping from 500 feet to 60 feet above sea level.
Throughout the East End Adventure tour, a knowledgeable and
engaging guide drops fascinating factoids about nearly everything
in sight-from local businesses to bugs to the Island's rich
history with the Wrigley family-all along the way.
4:30-5:30: Return for more nibbles at the Pavilion
Hotel's complimentary wine and cheese event.
It's
time to get refreshed and shift gears for the evening's activities,
and starting with a lovely wine and cheese plate or two is a
fabulous way to start...or to wind down after a busy day traversing
the Island.
6:00pm:
Enjoy a casual dinner at Antonio's
Pizzeria & Cabaret.
As
a fixture on the Island for nearly two decades, this family-style
restaurant offers all the Italian pizza and pasta favorites
plus steak, seafood and chicken entrees, burgers, soups and
salads not to mention a menu just for the kids. Then there is
the assortment of tempting desserts. The waterfront restaurant
offers both indoor and outdoor seating that's a great place
to eat, people watch, gaze at the boats and watch the sea lions
swim about.
Day
3:
8:00am: Fill up on the complimentary Continental
breakfast at the Pavilion Hotel.
Get
ready for the day with another delicious breakfast al fresco
at the hotel as the Island starts to stir.
12
noon: Enjoy lunch overlooking the ocean at the Descanso
Beach Club.
Located
one cove past the landmark Casino Ballroom is the Descanso Beach
Club, which is about a 15-minute seaside walk from the center
of town. This ocean-based bar and restaurant offers casual beach
fare like peel-and-eat-shrimp, salads, and burgers as well as
signature tropical cocktails. The Descanso Beach Club is the
perfect locale to sip a fruity libation, grab a bit to eat,
and bask in the beautiful Avalon sun and scenery while enjoying
Caribbean-style music.
2:00pm: Go fishing off the Green
Pleasure Pier.
Located
at the foot of Catalina Avenue is a 300-foot-long pier built
all the way back in 1920.This is the perfect spot to enjoy fishing
as gear is available for rent. Among other things, you can also
rent paddle boats, outboard motor boats, and diving equipment
as well as arrange other excursions like the Glass
Bottom Boat Voyage from the pier.
4:30-5:30pm: Take in one more complimentary
wine and cheese hour at the hotel.
Time
to enjoy one last go at all the delicious cheeses, wine, and
drinks for the kiddos. Selections change nightly so the event
remains interesting each and every time.
6pm: Enjoy an upscale dinner at Avalon
Grille.
Conveniently
located on Crescent Avenue at the foot of the Green Pier, this
popular Avalon eatery features American regional dishes with
a seasonal menu where everyone in the family is sure to find
something they love. Pick your spot on the outdoor patio to
enjoy the scenery, or sit indoors in the elegant yet cozy dining
room as you recount the wonders your Catalina adventure.
On
the evening of my family's visit, our spectacular starters were
the Roasted Brussels Sprouts with cranberries, almonds, pancetta
and honey mustard; as well as the Black Mussels served with
roasted garlic in a savory broth and served with grilled ciabatta
bread. Our entrée selections consisted of the cooked-to-perfection
Grilled Pacific Salmon plated with roasted fingerling potato
and a fennel purée topped with an orange vinaigrette;
amply portioned Shrimp and Mussels Scampi atop pasta tossed
in a garlic-laden tomato sauce; and a to-die-for Scallop with
Wild Mushroom Risotto. For dessert, the decadence continued
as we sampled the Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake with Cabernet
berries; Vanilla Bean Cheesecake served with a citrus syrup
and raspberry coulis; Port Wine Poached Pear with Sable cookie
and ricotta mousse; and the fabulous Caketini comprised of orange
spongecake, poached black berries, and crème anglaise
drizzled with chocolate sauce. It was sweet ending to the perfect
weekend getaway!
Day 4:
9:45am: Depart from Avalon to Dana Point on
Catalina Express.
Settle
in to a comfortable seat while the boat whisks you back to reality.
Even though our vacation was brief, this itinerary provided
the perfect balance of relaxation and revelry. And, while much
ground was covered relative to the Island's family-friendly
activity options, the destination offers so much more. There
are a wide range of day and night tours
and activities to suit everyone's interests, including
golf, the casino, copious expeditions, rock climbing and a wide
selection of divine
dining. No matter how you choose to spend your time
on Catalina Island, it's sure to be a retreat to remember.
By Merilee Kern, 'The Luxe List' Executive Editor
"The
Luxe List" Executive Editor Merilee Kern scours the luxury
marketplace for exemplary travel experiences, extraordinary
events, and notable products and services. Submissions are accepted
at www.LuxeListReviews.com.
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***Some
or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or
service(s) detailed above were provided at no cost to accommodate
this review, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of
Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way.***