48 hours in Avalon, Catalina Island.
Catalina Island is Los Angeles’ best kept secret, so what better place to spend a weekend getaway with my boyfriend. We spent our time in Avalon, and what a perfect little town! From eating to exploring, Catalina Island did not disappoint.
WHERE TO STAY: The St. Lauren Hotel is where we stayed. Tucked in a corner off the Main Street is where this precious pink hotel sits, over looking the water. It was hard to choose a hotel due to the fact that each one had its own charm and characteristics. Ultimately I chose this one for its simplicity and cuteness. Each morning they offer coffee and tea as you walk-in or out the door. On the top level they have a deck where everyone is welcome to sit and enjoy the sun and view. We made sure to get back to also watch the sun set, its was so beautiful!
WHAT TO DO: The casino and take a tour. The casino used to be the place to go to during the 1920’s for a night of big band music and swing dance. If you’re into water sports, there plenty to do and there were a lot of boat tours. If you decide to snorkel, you won’t regret it. There’s so many fish swimming around that you can see it’s your bare eyes. From the casino we played mini golf and a few games in an arcade. Because Avalon is very small, take your time doing each activity and enjoy the day.
WHERE TO EAT: For breakfast you definitely need to go to Original Jack’s Country Kitchen and order the country fried chicken with a cup of Kona coffee. It’s so good I ordered it two mornings in a row! It’s definitely filling and will keep you going throughout the day, to the point where you question if you’re even hungry for lunch. But you’re on vacation, so of course you’re hungry for lunch. So then you need to head to Bluewater a Grill for some fish and chips and drinks. Best part about being on an island is that you know the fish is local. I’m very picky when it comes to fish and chips, reminds me of the nasty invention of fish sticks…YUCK! The fish and chips and shrimp and chips did not disappoint. The restaurant is located on the water, so get a seat out side and enjoy the sound of the waves. Be sure to order an oyster shooter with a beer, it honestly doesn’t get any better. To cool ourselves down we stopped at Scoops to get ice cream. It’s a cute parlor that does ice cream, gelato and Starbucks coffee.
WHAT TO WEAR: The weather was perfect for January. It was a bit chilly so majority of people were dressed warm. Coming from San Francisco where we experience cold weather majority of the year, it was warm enough for us to wear shorts and a dress. I packed two dressed from Zara, comfy sneakers from Superga, a hat, two small purses from ASOS, nude low heel sandals and sunglasses.
TRANSPORTATION: Once in LA or if you’re from LA you would take the Catalina Express from a list of locations. The most popular and with the most departure and arrival times would be from Long Beach. If you’re flying into LA, make sure you give yourself enough time to get to the which ever ferry location. We barely made ours due to LA traffic and when I say barely, we jumped out of the Uber and heard a final boarding call. Once in the ferry you can take any seat, you can bring your own snacks and/or buy snacks on the ferry. We took the last ferry in the evening and because everything outside was pitch black for the majority of the boat ride, I became a little motion sick. I never threw up but I had a really bad headache and my stomach hurt. Once on the island and in Avalon, transportation is a breeze. You can walk everywhere or rent a golf cart. Renting a golf cart seemed pointless because it was 90 bucks for 2 hours and they didn’t have a daily rental price. Since Avalon is so small we decided to walk everywhere, it was a perfect way to enjoy the day and relax. On Sunday afternoon we took the ferry back to Long Beach, we got there a little early to make sure we got a window seat, just Incase I started to feel sick again. But because the weather was great, they let anyone sit outside on the upper levels. It was a perfect way to start the journey home.
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