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Welcome to
Avalon and Catalina!
What to Do and Where to Eat and Drink
Catalina Island is a scenic getaway from L.A.
"There's
this One Particular Harbor,
So far and yet so near..."
This song by
Jimmy Buffett is not about Catalina Island, but the words
do apply so appropriately.
Catalina Island is near the sprawling city of Los
Angeles, but when one changes latitudes the changes in attitudes
follows as naturally as a sailboat to a seabreeze.
Catalina is a largely remote island 20 miles off the coast of California.
It has two ports of call, Avalon and Two Harbors. It is known by sailors,
scuba divers and weekend escapers as a place to experience the laid-back
island life of the Caribbean and still be back at work come Monday.
Visible on clear days from L.A., Catalina is that island in the southern
distance seemingly close enough to touch. It was put on the mental map
of most people by the Wrigley family, which built a mansion. In the
1920s, buffalo were brought over for a movie. The Wrigleys may be gone
but the buffalo still roam, as do signature Catalina items such as buffalo
burgers and buffalo milk, a potent cocktail with whipped cream and topped
with a local bartender's special touch.
Getting to Avalon
The scenic island is reached by ferry
or helicopter. Ferries run from Marina del Rey ($60 R/T, Catalina
Ferries, 310-305-7250), Long Beach, San Pedro and Newport Beach ($59
R/T, Catalina Express, 800-481-3470). The Catalina Express helicopter
($100 each way) is out of San Pedro and travels only to Avalon. Travel time is 15 minutes
by helicopter and 1 to 1 1/2 hours by ferry. The ferry serves both Avalon
and Two Harbors. A small airport serves private planes; it's on a cliff
outside of Avalon and is legendary for having a dip near the end of
the runway that has frightened many a novice pilot.
No cars are allowed and are hardly even needed; one's feet are fine
for transportation. Avalon has golf carts rentals ($40 per hour). Bikes
are allowed on the ferrys for an additional fee. The dress code is casual
– hey, it's an island! – as sandals and shorts are everywhere.
Do, however, bring a jacket or sweatshirt for the potential cool nights,
even in the middle of summer.
There's only a couple of ways to get from Avalon to
Two Harbors, the island's other main port about an hour away
(and home of the whacky annual
Buccaneer Days,) The ferry runs an extremely limited schedule
on its regular route; this is not exactly Southwest Airlines; so there
are not trips every hour. The Catalina Safari (310-510-1550) a small
bus that takes a two-hour journey through the dirt roads of the island's
interior.
Avalon Visitor's
Information & Accommodations
The main town of
Avalon; the casino (top) is not actually a casino.
What passes for a city on Catalina is
Avalon.
The town is only a few blocks long and shops, restaurants and bars
are located either along the waterfront or one street back. The pace
is slow; one might think they made a wrong turn and wound up in the
Caribbean.
People take the ferry over for the day or sometimes spend a night or
weekend. In the summer, hotels fill up weeks if not months in advance.
Hotels require 2- or 3-night minimums in the summer months; houses
are also for rent and sometimes require a week's stay. Click the
ads on the right side of this page for rates and information.
Avalon will be undergoing a bit of a facelift in the winter with the expansion of a hotel, so those returning in the spring are going to see a few changes.
The beauty and the
beach at the relaxing Descanso Beach Club.
ACTIVITIES – There are a myriad of activities in Avalon,
most related to the water. Swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, glass-bottom
boat rides and tanning are the most popular. Water activities
can be arranged in advance or on-site at or around the pier. The best
shore snorkeling is adjacent to the ferry landing, while scuba divers
like the casino and of course the dive boats. Be careful – the
water is cold and below 25 feet there is a thermoclimb which causes
the temperature to drop drastically into mid the 50-degree range.
Shopping and strolling are also parts of a visit to Avalon.
There are tours to various parts of the island, a golf course
with a small, nice country club with a patio restaurant (open to the
public, most meals around $10-15), horseback riding, botanical gardens
and even a miniature golf course.
WIth drinks like thiat, no wonder patrons act like this.
BARS – The place to begin the bar journey is Descanso
Beach Club. Just past the Casino, it's a small beach area with swimming,
snorkeling and kayaking. Lounging is also a favorite "activity."
With a drink menu posted on a palm tree, a waitress bringing buffalo
milks and the "Descanso Destroyer" (heavy on the rum, especially the 151 floater, $7)
out to a spot on the beach, the place is is straight out of a Caribbean
outpost. There are bands
most Sundays which attracts big crowds.
The bar and adjacent restaurant, uncovered tables providing uncovered
views of the beach and Pacific, serves sandwiches. Is LA really only
26 miles away???
The
noisy bar in Avalon is Luau Larry's, a Hawaiian-themed tiki-type
bar complete with hanging blowfish for light fixtures and plenty of
JB to make this seem like Margaritaville. We're pretty confident it's
the bar mentioned in Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's "Southern
Cross." Luau Larry's signature drink is the Wiki Wacker, a mai
tai of sorts that, for an additional $2 comes with a straw hat just
made for a Buffett show. For some, this alone is worth a day trip.
Groups, like these PubClubbers,
party for the day or weekend on Avalon.
From Luau Larry's, just stroll toward the casino for a bar-hopping
adventure. The first stop is The El Galleon, a nautical-themed
bar with mardi gras beads, German beer on tap and drinking tourists
singing karaoke. Yes, this place is lively and fun.
At some point, flop over to Flip's, a small sushi restaurant
turned bar by night, often with a band. Chi Chi's is what passes
for a dance club. It plays today's dance music, has pool and a large
area for relaxing on chairs and couches. Don't worry about a no-sandals,
no-shorts policy; there isn't one. Expect a $5 cover on Saturdays. The
Marlin and JL's are the beer-drinking dive bars with beer-drinking
dive locals.
RESTAURANTS – No trip to Catalina is complete without having
a buffalo burger. The best on the island are at the airport's small
restaurant, called Buffalo Springs Station. Some locals, however,
argue it's just outside of Avalon at the Buffalo Nickle, though
it's tough to pass on the carne asada nachos (it's at the helicopter
landing; there's a free shuttle service).
There are dozens of otherfood choices and finding one is as simple
as walking down the main street. One of the most popular restaurants
is Antonio's Pizzeria, with a harbor view, pizza and breakfast
with bloody marys. Busy Bee is a Catalina tradition, right on
the water serving breakfast, sandwiches and burgers.The Cottage is
the best breakfast in town; arrive hungry and get the biscuts and gravy
side dish. On the high end, there's Steve's Steakhouse., Armstrong's
Seafood Restaurant (great view) the Channel House and Catalina
Country Club.
"A most
mysterious calling harbor
So
far and yet so near
"Where I
see the day when my hairs grow gray
And
I finally disappear.
But NOT YET!
PubClub's Los
Angeles Guide:
• Two
Harbors. This remote outpost is home of the Buffalo Milk.
• Hollywood.
Visit some of L.A.'s hottest and most unusual clubs.
• LA – The Blog. So what is is REALLY like to live in LA?
• Long
Beach. Home to the World's Fastest Beach Party, and more.
• Santa
Monica/Westside. Peek inside L.A.'s most diverse pub and
club scene.
• South
Bay. Where the young and beautiful get wild and crazy.
• Sunset
Strip/Beverly Hills. Hear the next hot band or see a celebrity
(maybe).
• Venice
Beach/Marina de Rey. Muscle Beach and L.A.'s newest hot spot.
• Orange
County. The young and young-at-heart love this upscale area
South of L.A.
Here are the highlights of PubClub.com's guide to Los Angeles:
• Start here for the Best
of L.A.
• To see all of the city, ride the Party
Bus; it's a lot more reliable than those "maps of the
stars homes" people sell around town.
• In PreParty,
learn the vital information necessary to navigate this real-life movie
set.
• Get a first-person perspective from The
Bartender; our man about town.
• Learn all about "California Cuisine" in
our Restaurant
and Dining Guide.
 Related Article: Two Harbors
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