FRIENDLIEST PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA
Written: Mar 08 '02 (Updated Jun 09 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Couples/Families enjoy: hiking, biking, scuba, bars, restaurants, tours, para-sailing, views and friendly people.
Cons: Crowded in summer, and on weekends. Island survives on tourism.
The Bottom Line: I love Catalina Island. If you go for a weekend it will feel like a whole week. Couples and Families can have a great day trip or longer stay.
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| markjfeueresq's Full Review: Catalina Island |
SOME BASIC FACTS
I urge you all to read the articles on Catalina by psugrowler and grey002. The Santa Catalina Island is part of Los Angeles County and is also one of the Channel Islands. Catalina lies about 22 miles from San Pedro. Its majestic mountains can be seen clearly from Laguna Beach and from many other Southern California coastal cities.
A recent study found that Los Angeles has the least friendly people of any tourist city in the survey.
The tourists could not have been thinking of Santa Catalina Island which has the friendliest population in the entire State of California.
3500 people live all year round on the Island. The only industry on Catalina is tourism. The Wrigley Family (the chewing gum guys)owns 60% of all residential and commercial real estate on the Island. So real estate prices are through the roof. If you want a nice two bedroom condo built in 1991, no problem. Got a spare $800,000?
Except for the small city of Avalon, most of the Island is a nature preserve and will remain undeveloped. Buffalo roam inland. The only chain stores on Catalina are Vons Market (the smallest market in the company), one Best Western Hotel, and a small restaurant that is a combination Taco Bell and KFC. So, you get that small town feel of family owned businesses. There are quite a few homes and small hotels that were built in the late 1800's.
The waters off the Island are also protected and filled with kelp and sea life, including the bright red official state fish of California, the Garamendi.
There is only one company that brings in the goods that Catalina needs. There is only one power company. There is only one liquor distributor (The 3rd largest in a state that has the 5th largest economy in the world). Vons is the only grocery store. All of the produce is shipped in. If you are camping and want fresh fish for dinner, don't buy it at Von's. The best restaurant in Catalina, "Armstrong's Seafood" on Avalon Bay has a small but terrific fish market.
If you are a lucky fisherman, you can catch your own dinner.
The kelp bass is very tasty.
There are few cars/trucks on Catalina. If you wanted a car, the red tape, 3 year delay, and heavy fees would discourage you. That's the way the locals like it. So, you will see a lot of golf carts and bicycles. You can rent a cart for $30 an hour and a bike for $15 an hour. If you have your own bike, you can take it with you on the boat. Boat passengers also bring along their own scuba gear. You can also rent scuba diving supplies and equipment on the island.
GETTING THERE IS FUN
You can take a helecopter to the island and get there in 15 minutes. But, the more economical way to go is on the Catalina Express. $40 round trip per adult. It takes about an hour. The transit boats are large, fast, and I did not see anyone getting sea sick. I can take rough seas but the waters were fairly calm the February weekend I last was there. Sometimes, in February, there are violent storms off the coast of California. So, check the weather before you go.
Private boats from Long Beach, Pointe Dune, Newport, and other Southern California harbors, make Catalina Island a preferred destination. When they get to the island, the boats can rent a buoy from the City of Avalon. Then, the private boats have smaller boats or rafts to take passengers to the beach.
TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES AND STAY AWHILE
Anyway, once you arrive at the pier, it is a short walk to the shops and restaurants of Avalon. You can take a taxi or shuttle. The hotels, of course, have their private courtesy shuttles for guests. Overnight stays can run as low as $60 on special up to over $600 a night depending on the hotel. As a ballpark figure, I would plan on $100 to $150 a night for a decent room.
Catalina is a small island; the hotels are relatively small as well. Don't expect to see something like the Bellagio Las Vegas. Think quaint and you'll be OK. If you like Victorian architecture, you'll love this place.
TOURS
I highly recommend the tours. There are about 7 or 8 tours to select from. There is a shop on Avalon Bay that will package 2 or more tours and save you about 15%.
The Glass Bottom Boat Tour (30 min) and the Avalon City Tour (1 hour) each cost $10 for adult, $8.50 for senior (55 and older). One of the best tours is the 2 hour Inner Island Tour which runs in the $25 range. The (historical) city tour gives you the most bang for your buck. You will learn how the island was long ago purchased for a horse and resold for only $300, etc.
There is a Harbor Tour, a Seal Rock Tour, an underwater submarine tour, and so on.
LOTS TO SEE AND DO
The island is a romantic hideaway for couples and a fun place for the family as well.
My fingers are getting tired so I will say goodbye for now. If you visit California and do not go to Catalina, you will be missing out on a fabulous vacation destination.
Enjoy Santa Catalina Island. I always do.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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Epinions.com ID:
markjfeueresq
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Location: Tarzana, California
Reviews written: 106
Trusted by: 75 members
About Me:
I am a lawyer, teacher, writer, and artist.
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