Weekend in Santa Catalina Island

This trip to Catalina Island for a wedding helped me rediscover this classic L.A. retreat. Only an hour ferry ride from the mainland, I’ve always found Catalina overly commercial with tourists and day-trippers milling around unmemorable restaurants and souvenir shops in the tiny harbor area. This time however, we had a great time relaxing, soaking in the scenery, and catching up with friends and family.We arrived on the last boat from Long Beach around 9pm. We checking into the charming Pavilion Lodge hotel and spent the rest of the evening hanging out with the bride and groom at their suite at the Glenmore Hotel.After a satisfying but unmemorable breakfast at Eat at Joe’s, I set off for a walkabout. I bypassed the main drag and headed straight for the Catalina Casino, the Island’s main landmark. The distinctive Art Deco style and murals make it a must see. This is not a gaming establishment, as here the word "Casino" remains true to its Italian origin, meaning gathering place.Next to the Casino is the Casino Point Marine Park. Due to steps that literally drop you in the middle of the park, this is a popular spot for diving students to have their final check out dives. The swaying kelp and bright orange Garibaldi convinced me to break away on Sunday for a quick dive. I kept on walking past the kayak rentals, beach club, and beachfront massage to the rocky outcrops. I was rewarded for my minimal scampering with some reflective solitude, a great view of the casino, and a wave from the occasional kayaker.The wedding was a simple and happy affair on the "beach" overlooking the harbor. At various points it even involved passerby stopping to congratulate the happy couple or check out the garter toss.Unfortunately our hotel bed was so comfortable our post reception nap turned into a 12-hour coma and we missed hanging out with our friends. A warning, Catalina's party side can get a little rowdy in forced exuberance. In fact, it was spring break so there were quite a few college students determined to get hammered.My Sunday dive was a good one with tons of marine life views and decent conditions for cold water. We then kicked around in golf carts all over town.Overall, it was a great and relaxing weekend that made me appreciate Catalina all over again.

Quick Tips:

Most hotels will have shuttles or at least baggage service to and from the boat landing. However, Avalon is very small and you can walk to town in a couple of minutes depending on how lightly you packed.For divers, some of the shops include gear transportation between the boat landing and Casino point if you have rented or arrange trips with them. Other options are getting a taxi or chauffeured golf cart to drop you and your gear at Casino Point, or renting a hand cart from one of the local dive operators and pushing your gear along the paved walkway yourself. Catalina Divers Supply also has an air fill and gear rental location at Casino Point, making things even easier.When booking, request a room in the hotels topmost floor. Not only might you get a better view, you can avoid heavy-footed drunken fools above your head into the wee hours of the morning. Don't ask…

Best Way To Get Around:

Catalina Express is the defacto ferry to Catalina Island, with departures from Long Beach (Downtown and the Queen Mary), San Pedro, Dana Point to Avalon and Two Harbors. Fares are each way.Departures as early as 7am make it good for diving and late returns as late as 9:45pm give you enough time to explore the island. Check www.catalinaexpress.com for fares, schedules, and hotel packages.The town is fairly concentrated and a walk from one end to the harbor to the other can take only 20 minutes. You can even walk inland to the Wrigley botanical gardens in about 45 minutes. Still, bicycles, trolleys, taxis, a Rolls Royce and golf cart rentals are available for transportation on the Island. We had some more time to kill and the group decided to rent golf carts and tour the island. At first I was a little reluctant, thinking this was only for old folks who cant walk. But it was actually fun tearing around town and going up the mountains to get some spectacular views of Avalon.

The Pavilion Lodge was a very pleasant surprise. While on the outside it looks like a 50s motel, the rooms have been remodeled and have the feel of a contemporary boutique hotel, with the same attention to detail.

While the hotel offers a free baggage service to and from the Avalon Boat Landing, it is a VERY short walk. The hotel is located at the very beginning of the "strip." If you have a roller bag and haven’t over packed, I say just take the stroll. Check in was smooth and efficient.

As you walk to your room, you’ll notice that what was possibly at one time the hotel pool has been filled in and provides a nice grassy area to have the complimentary continental breakfast while reading a paper.

Our room was a very pretty and relaxing room. The rooms have obviously been recently remodeled. The room is decorated in cool blue green shades, with coordinating photographs in shades of green (as opposed to B&W). Very soothing. The room is on the smaller side, but not cramped. And it is about average compared to the rooms we saw at the Glenmore Hotel.

The vanity and sink are very spacious and the fixtures new. The bathroom is average sized, but immaculate and also newly redone. Nice touches include Crabtree & Evelyn toiletries and a shower curtain that bows out to give you extra room while you shower. My wife hates having strange shower curtains stick to her while showering.

The room has the standard amenities: coffeemaker, refrigerator (not a mini bar), TV and DVD player. You can check out movies at the front desk for free and you get free high-speed Internet. The bed and linens are very comfortable. We actually slept through an evening out with friends and woke up 12 hours after what was supposed to be a short nap.

Rates vary throughout the year, and sometimes a two-night minimum will be required. We booked through www.visitcatalinaisland.com and got the Internet special. It included round trip passage on the Catalina Express ferry ($54/person) as well as our choice of two tours ($30 value per person). The hotel was extremely accommodating in scheduling the tours. In the end we wound up paying $149/ night including taxes during late April.

The only drawbacks are thin walls and the proximity to the main drag. But this is apparently a common complaint among many of the hotels from my research.

Overall I highly recommend the Pavilion Lodge as a reasonable, well appointed, clean, friendly, and centrally located stay.

I admit, as a diver I was skeptical (to say the least) about the semi-submersible tour. However, I went on it because I have water adverse friends. It turned out to be a great way for them to see for themselves the kelp forest I love so much without the trauma associated with actually getting them wet.

The hourly tours depart from the Green pier, last about 45 minutes, and take you Lover’s Cove (the opposite direction from the Avalon Underwater Park) where you will see the Giant Kelp forest. Giant Kelp can grow 100 feet from the ocean floor (not that Lover’s Cove is that deep) and another 30 feet along the surface. Kelp can grow as much as a foot a day. Blades grow off the central stipe, each with an air bladder that keeps the plant afloat.

Besides the kelp, the other sure sighting is garibaldi, California’s bright orange state fish. Garibaldi are abundant in these waters and not at all shy. But just in case, the sub is outfitted with fish food "torpedoes" that the kids can fire causing a miniature feeding frenzy. The Nautilus has plenty of windows, so getting a good view is not a problem. Still, I haven’t been on it when packed to the gills. Pun intended.

Do note that garibaldi are more of an exception than a rule in terms of color. The waters off of California are cold and thus lack the multitude of brightly colored fish found in tropical waters.

At $35.50 per adult and $18.50 per child 11 and under; it is a little expensive for my taste, but definitely worthwhile. You can certainly see Garibaldi and the kelp from above, but just being a few feet beneath the surface makes all the difference.

Established in 1965, the Casino Point Marine Park is the most popular dive destinations is Southern California. The park extends 200 yards along the shore and 100 yards seaward. The entry consists of a few concrete steps that drop you straight into the kelp forest.

In the shallow waters off the entry you will find bright orange garibaldi, the California state fish, between feather boa and elkhorn kelp. You will also find abundant dive students performing underwater skills, as this is a popular place for final check out dives.

As the depth increases, you start diving among the stands of Giant Kelp. Giant Kelp can grow 100 feet from the ocean floor and another 30 feet along the surface as much as a foot a day. Blades grow off the central stipe, each with an air bladder that keeps the plant afloat. The park also features a few non-penetrable wrecks and a simulated archaeological site recreating a 17th-century Spanish galleon near the park's western boundary.

My dive was a good one. We quickly lost the other divers and most of the Southern California cast of marine characters was in attendance. I of course saw many garibaldi, a bat ray, a moray eel, spiny lobster, sheephead, and my first blue-banded or zebra goby (not sure which), the other brightly colored fish of Southern California. We even made it to the Sue-Jac wreck at about 80 feet. I’ve yet to see the bass, sunfish, or horn sharks.

Lacking a dive buddy, I arranged for a dive tour with Scuba Luv. Being early in the season it wound up being a private tour. The dive master was friendly, competent and patient as I got back into the swing of things after a long absence from diving. A single dive, including equipment rental cost $82. I didn’t have time to do more than one dive, which would have made the value better.

Most people arrive on the early ferry and get to the park around 8. Some shops include gear transportation between the boat landing and Casino point if you rent equipment or arrange trips with them. You can also get a taxi or chauffeured golf cart to take you or rent a handcart from one of the local dive operators and pushing your gear along the paved walkway yourself. Catalina Divers Supply, also has an air fill and gear rental location at Casino Point, making things even easier. Restroom facilities are provided in the adjacent Casino building, and public showers are a few minutes walk toward town.

Water temperature ranges from 72ºF in August to 57ºF in December, so hoods and gloves are necessary most of the year. Average visibility ranges from 90 feet in December (I’ve only heard of such perfect conditions) to 40 feet in August, and I’ve seen it as bad as 25 feet. Brave the colder weather for better visibility and less people.

Okay, I was skeptical. A golf cart tour of Avalon? I had visions of being stuck between carts full geriatrics in loud resort wear. Well pass the Geritol because I actually had a pretty good time.

For $30/hour (cash), four of us piled into a golf cart and made the tour loop of Avalon. We first passed Lover’s Cove and saw the semi-submersible. It actually looked pretty cool once it was separated from the busy pier. We then made our way up the mountain and got a good look at the gates of the former Wrigley mansion and a great bird’s eye view of Avalon and the bay.

We came down and putzed around the back streets of the town. Seeing how the locals live (one has a putting green on the front of his house), where the golf course, stable, and botanical gardens are. It really drove home the point that there is more to do than walk around town from one souvenir shop to another. Next time we’ll need to take a horseback ride.

We then toured the mountains on the other side of the bay. The drive was very pleasant, took about an hour (with no stops. If you dawdle, you'll be charged a prorated fee for your overage), afforded us some great views, and really got me excited about coming to Catalina.