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For Memorial Day, we took the long weekend to fly out to Los Angeles and spend 2 days on Catalina Island and 2 days in LA. We packed a lot in (as is our travel style), so I have decided to split this across 2 posts. For this one, I’ll start with Catalina.

My grandfather used to come out to Catalina in the 1930s and 40s to party with his friends, so it was special to explore this island nearly a century later. I’d been to Catalina once when I was maybe 2 or 3 years old, but I don’t remember that trip, so I’m glad I finally made it back. We had originally planned this trip for August of 2020, but Covid put a pause on it for nearly 2 years.

Overall, I loved this trip to Catalina! Having been to Mackinac Island in Michigan a few years ago, I thought Avalon was somewhat similar. Unlike Mackinac, there are some cars in Avalon, but only for locals – tourists get around by foot, bike, or golf cart.

Day 1

Having flown in the night before and staying at a hotel near LAX, we woke up early, got our rental car, and drove down to Long Beach. We parked the car and took the 9:50AM Catalina Express Ferry to Avalon, the biggest town on Catalina. The ferry takes about an hour and could be rough depending on how easily you get sea-sick + how choppy the water is, but luckily it was nice while we were there.

Bellanca Hotel

When we arrived on the island, we grabbed out bags and walked to our hotel. The #1 reason I chose Bellanca Hotel was that it was the only hotel I could find on the island that would let me book for just 1 night during the holiday weekend (most had a 2 night minimum). Even though our hotel was on the far side of the waterfront, it only took us a few minutes to get there, so we didn’t see a need to rent a golf cart taxi to take us. We were able to drop our bags near the front desk (unfortunately these were not in a very secure area and anyone could have messed with our stuff) and go exploring.

When we were able to check in, I was surprised that we had physical keys to our room, which had a sliding door off the interior courtyard. The room was really small but made an efficient use of space. We really only needed the room to shower & sleep so it wasn’t an issue that it was “cozy.”

The hotel also had bikes, beach chairs, and beach towels that you could borrow which was a great amenity for the location.

The biggest downside of our room was that some mysterious purple sticky substance dripped from the TV console onto my suitcase. I was able to clean it up fairly easily with a damp cloth but it was pretty gross.

*One thing to note when choosing an accommodation in Avalon is that a lot of the town is very hilly/steep, so you could end up with quite a hike with your bags. I recommend picking one on the waterfront or very nearby for this reason.

Avalon

After we’d dropped our bags, we walked around the town of Avalon and explored all of the shops. As you’d expect, there are lots of t-shirt shops selling tourist trinkets, but we really enjoyed exploring. There are also several sweets shops where you can get candy, ice cream, fudge, etc. The town is decorated in Spanish tile throughout, which was really beautiful.

One shop carried a bunch of Chicago Cubs gear because William Wrigley (of the chewing gum fame and Wrigley Field) owned Catalina Island and the Cubs. From 1921 to 1951, Catalina was where the team had their spring training. As a Chicago resident and Cubs fan, this was unexpected and very fun!

Bluewater Grill

We had lunch at Bluewater Grill Catalina Island, which sits right over the water and has a great view of the harbor. Like most places in Avalon, this restaurant didn’t take reservations, but we were seated immediately. This was a super refreshing feature of the island because I didn’t feel like we had to plan out every meal ahead of time.

After lunch we stopped by Catalina Coffee & Cookie Co. where we split an iced vanilla chai latte and a cookie, which were both excellent.

Catalina Zipline Eco Tour

In the afternoon we had pre-booked a ziplining tour, which consisted of 4 lines. The tour starts from just behind the Descanto Beach Club (only about a 10-15 min walk from our hotel), where we had gotten a drink before our tour.

After getting our gear and watching the safety instructions, we took a bus up to the first line and took turns zipping across the valley. This wasn’t my first-time zip lining, so despite my fear of heights, I wasn’t worried. We had a great time and the guides did a good job of explaining some history & ecology about the island between each zip.

Dinner & Dessert

Brioche Ice Cream from Scoops on Catalina, Island

After dinner, we strolled back down the main drag and found a Mexican restaurant to eat dinner at which had fantastic guacamole. We also ordered margaritas and I had lobster enchiladas which were good, but not great.

After dinner, we stopped by Scoops to have dessert. They were advertising their brioche & ice cream “panini,” so I tried it. As much as I love brioche bread (and ice cream), this was a really weird combination I wouldn’t order again.

Day 2

Catalina Coffee & Cookie Co.

We enjoyed this place so much on Day 1 that we went back for breakfast. We got breakfast sandwiches, which I ordered with a side of grilled vegetables, and another chai latte.

After that we checked out of our hotel. They weren’t able to hold our bags for us, but they partnered with Avalon Blue Line Baggage to pick them up from our hotel and hold them near the pier where the ferry leaves from. The website had said it would be $8/bag but when we picked up our bags later that day and said the name of our hotel, they said there was no charge!

Catalina Island Golf Cart Rentals & Tours

We walked over to the golf cart rental ~15 minutes before it opened at 9AM thinking we’d be first in line, but they ended up opening early. Luckily the wait was still very short and we were able to rent a cart quickly for a self-guided tour.

*Note: you have to put a 50% cash deposit down ($60 for the 4-person cart) and pay the other half either with cash or card. The rate is $60/hour and we ended up only using it for 1 hour, so we got the full cash deposit back. There is an ATM nearby, but to avoid ATM fees, plan ahead and bring cash.

They gave us a map and explain the golf cart route. I drove the whole time and it was a blast going up the hills, through town, etc. There are also a few great places to stop and take pictures overlooking Avalon.

You can also opt to drive over to the Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden, but you’ll have to park the cart at the entrance, pay the entrance fee ($10 for adults), and walk from there. We drove over but opted not to go in because we didn’t have all day.

By the time we returned the golf cart, the line was wrapped around the building, so I definitely recommend going early. However, there was also a cruise ship in port this day, so that combined with the holiday weekend likely contributed to the high demand.

Descanco Beach Club

Next, we walked over to the beach club where we had pre-booked a set of chaise lounge chairs on the waterfront – this turned out to be a great move as it was the Saturday of a holiday weekend, so the public part of the beach was packed and the club was sold out.

We had borrowed towels from our hotel because we didn’t know if the beach club would have any, but they did.

The service at the club was great, with our waiter coming over often to check if we needed any food or drinks. We stayed for ~4 hours reading, lounging, eating, drinking, napping, and taking a dip in the *very cold* water. We tend to be very go-go-go when we travel, so it was nice to take a dedicated break and relax.

*Side note: if you watch Selling Sunset you may recognize the Descanco Beach Club as the place where Tarek El Moussa proposed to Heather Young.

After we were done at the beach club, we walked to the pier, picked up our luggage, and took the 3:55PM ferry back to Long Beach.

Top Tips/Other Things to Do:

Catalina’s signature (alcoholic) drink is called Buffalo Milk and most restaurants/bars on the island will serve it. We tried it at the Descanco Beach Club on the first day and honestly didn’t love it, but were glad we tasted it (note: there’s no actual buffalo milk in the drink!)
- Here’s a link to the official recipe if you want to make one at home: https://www.visitcatalinaisland.com/blog/post/buffalo-milk-the-official-drink-of-catalina-islan
Avalon is small and demand during peak times is very high, so prices reflect that. I certainly wouldn’t consider this a budget trip, but you only need 1-2 days on the island to get a great experience. Even with all the tourists, the town is so small that we kept running into the same people over and over!
The island has a very relaxed, casual vibe and we never felt the need to be overly dressy for any meals.
The #1 thing I’d want to do if I come back is a tour of the famous casino/dance hall. You can only enter the building for a tour and all the tours were sold out when we went. Book early if this interests you!
There’s a lot more to Catalina beyond Avalon. If you’re outdoorsy, you can camp on the island and go hiking. There are also tours that will take you to see the buffalo that roam the interior (they’re not native to the island but were released after a movie was filmed there).
We took the ferry from Long Beach but there are other ports around LA/Orange County that you can come from. If you really hate boats (and have some money to burn), you can take a helicopter over to the island.
Going for Memorial Day weekend, it was still a bit chilly in Catalina, especially on the 2^nd day, so definitely bring a light jacket even during warm months.
If you absolutely must have Starbucks while you’re on the island, Scoops is the only place to serve Starbucks coffee. However, I thought Catalina Coffee & Cookie Co was a great choice for a local caffeine boost.
If you do find the ferry ride difficult, there are multiple places on the island that sell Dramamine to help with motion sickness on the way back.