Sovna NaikThis island paradise is an amazing getaway if you are planning for a day out from the hustle and bustle of southern California. It’s a perfect place for sightseeing, adventure, and relaxation. Even a great place to spend a few days where you can include/plan for activities like hiking, ziplining, scuba diving, etc.
Our Experience
We planned our trip to Catalina Island for one day when our friends were visiting us for the holidays. We took the Catalina Express from Long Beach, California and the tickets were booked the day before our trip. Since we got the reservation for an early morning ferry, we all were a bit skeptical initially but it all paid off when we got to watch the sunrise from the ferry. From the ferry we did see the Queen Mary, it’s huge! It took around an hour to reach Avalon and while exiting the ferry we saw some dolphins in the distance. Such a beautiful way to start the day.
One of my personal likings is to look at the water trail that ferry/boat leaves behind which I find very satisfying. The docking area is not at all far from the city, which is a big advantage because you can explore the city walking. It seemed like we were right on time and there were not many people, it was quiet and breezy and we had our breakfast at Pancake cottage.
It was a trip just for sightseeing, we plan on visiting Catalina Island again just for activities. We all decided to rent a golf cart (which was one of the highlights of our trip) to roam around the place. After the golf cart was rented, we were given a roadmap about places/routes to take when driving, they even gave instructions about how to maneuver the golf cart and things to keep in mind while on the ride. It was a very relaxed drive by the coast, we could see waves gently crashing onto the beach/rocks. Since there were a lot fewer cars on the road, the driving experience seemed to be seamless. We took many random stops in between where there was enough space for other vehicles to pass through. I would definitely recommend going at your own pace sightseeing those beautiful buildings and the coast looks gorgeous from above.
We stopped at Buena Vista Point Scenic Overlook, parked the cart by the side of the road and walked down a bit, and witnessed some of the most beautiful landscapes of the ocean and undisturbed great views of the city.
The next stop was Wrigley Botanical Garden where you would need to buy a ticket to enter the beautiful garden, they have a large collection of cacti, succulents, and trees. It is definitely worth visiting, such a peaceful place.
After that, we headed towards one of the most photographic locations which are on the stagecoach road of the island, and finally made our way to the beachside. We went to a beach near Descano Beach Club overlooking Descano Bay. It was definitely one of the beautiful beaches to take a walk and relax.
It was already time for us to return the golf cart, we didn’t even realize we had been roaming around for 3 hours now. Finally, we returned the vehicle just in time. It was definitely a different fun experience because we all got a chance to drive and was worth it.
Well, it was already lunchtime and we had our return ferry at around 2 pm. So, we went ahead to try out Mexican food at Catalina Cantina which was delicious. we were so stuffed with the food we decided to go on a walk since we had an hour or so for the ferry to catch. It was already afternoon, we did see a lot of tourists strolling around the area which portrayed a lively vibe. Finally, we could not resist our temptation for ice cream so tried Scoops Homemade Ice Cream, and was as usual blissful.
Finally, it was time for us to return back to the mainland. We definitely had an amazing time on the island. Hopefully, we will go again for different adventures.
