Catalina Island -- FREE Catalina Express Birthday Boat Ride to Through 2016

[endy]

Yep I'm still hanging around & will be for months.

I'm going to (hopefully) get everything booked tonight and tomorrow.
Planning on staying 4 nights on the island since we won't arrive until late afternoon I figured 3 full days should give us time for almost everything. Should I stay a 4th day? I don't want ds to be whining about being bored tho I don't think he would.

Sherry it was so sweet of you to contact PrincessInOz and pixarmom for their input. I sure hope all the pictures and posts entice others to want to visit.

I'll have to figure out how to post pictures when we get back. I didn't know about the gardens before, that's right up my alley. I will have to bribe my ds for that.

Pedal boats - I hadn't read about that either - another thing to do and something I'd be more comfortable in rather than a kayak.

This all sounds so exciting. I'm used to loading up the SUV and driving away. Not having to plan a flight, a shuttle, a ferry, a new place all the same day. I can already see me wanting to go there each summer instead of San Diego.

I've already started a list of things I usually forget like sunscreen and hats.

 

[pixarmom]

Hello again!

Blue Parrot - good question - I don't know but it sounds right because I couldn't find a link when I tried to locate it. If it's not there, I wonder if another restaurant has replaced it. It's right at the front of the Metropole Marketplace. Sad to see it go - but as long as Luau Larry's is still on the island, I'm good! And I remember the Busy Bee so well - loved it!

As for the horses, my mom and brother said they were never so scared - constantly wondering what would prevent the horses from jumping off the cliff! So I know they can relate. This was when I was an older teen and my dad and I knew that we didn't want anything to do with that - we sat ourselves down on the beach!

Great idea to start a superthread! I was thinking about doing that for Newport Beach someday. Every time I see a beach thread, I really want to jump in but I don't always have the time to repeat all the reasons Newport is the best beach in the world. (OK - one of those reasons is a nearly 50-year family history, but I never promised to be entirely objective!)

Newport/Catalina have some competition in the coming years - we're trying a cruise (Disney Dream) this August instead. And we may end up on the Disney Alaskan cruise in August 2012. Need to figure out how to get back in the middle of all that - our oldest son said it's been way too long since he ate a frozen banana on Balboa Island (and that was only seven months ago!) So everyone please keep those Catalina photos coming!

 

[Sherry E]

Yep I'm still hanging around & will be for months.

I'm going to (hopefully) get everything booked tonight and tomorrow.
Planning on staying 4 nights on the island since we won't arrive until late afternoon I figured 3 full days should give us time for almost everything. Should I stay a 4th day? I don't want ds to be whining about being bored tho I don't think he would.

Sherry it was so sweet of you to contact PrincessInOz and pixarmom for their input. I sure hope all the pictures and posts entice others to want to visit.

I'll have to figure out how to post pictures when we get back. I didn't know about the gardens before, that's right up my alley. I will have to bribe my ds for that.

Pedal boats - I hadn't read about that either - another thing to do and something I'd be more comfortable in rather than a kayak.

This all sounds so exciting. I'm used to loading up the SUV and driving away. Not having to plan a flight, a shuttle, a ferry, a new place all the same day. I can already see me wanting to go there each summer instead of San Diego.

I've already started a list of things I usually forget like sunscreen and hats.

Wendy -

It was no trouble at all to PM PrincessInOz and pixarmom - and I would have PM'd PHXscuba, too, if she hadn't found this thread on her own. I know there are other Catalina visitors out there (or potential visitors), but it's difficult to get people over to this side of the forum when most of the action is directly in the Disneyland section. However, as PHXscuba mentioned earlier, it's good for people to see other ideas of things to do on day trips or weekends as an alternative to Disneyland, or in addition to Disneyland.

San Diego definitely has better (bigger) beaches than Catalina does, so I wouldn't rule out San Diego from your future trips. Catalina actually has its sand imported from nearby Redondo Beach, believe it or not! Without that sand, it would be a mostly rocky coastline! But because Avalon is such a small town, the beach is tiny. That doesn't mean you can't make use of the Avalon beach, tiny though it is. My friends have gone swimming there, they have sunbathed there, I have spread out a blanket and read a book on the beach. It's functional - it's just small.

I think you could easily get away with spending 4 full days in Catalina if you mapped out each of your days well. You wouldn't want to stack too many activities or tours on top of each other in one day and then leave the remaining days kind of empty, because then your 14-year-old would for sure get bored.

You could do something like on your first night in Catalina - maybe on your arrival day - take the Flying Fish tour. It only runs once the sun sets (that's when the fish come out), so it has to be an evening cruise.

Then on your next day - a full day - rent the golf cart in the morning. That'[s kind of the 'intro to Catalina' thing to do! Do the 'get 3 hours for the price of 2 hours' deal and drive around in the hills, stopping at the Wrigley Memorial to explore the botanical gardens and the beautiful tile work.

Maybe mid-day or later that afternoon, you guys could rent a pedal boat. That kills another hour.

At some point you may want to take a Safari tour bus over to Two Harbors (where Doug's Harbor Reef is, which I mentioned earlier in this thread). Two Harbors has very little to look at except for some pelicans, but it's the drive over there to the other side of the Island that is interesting, because that's how you will see the most buffalo - in the less traveled areas of the interior of the Island. Anyway, that trip (one way) will take at least 90 minutes, possibly longer, and then it will take another 90 minutes back. So you will need to block a chunk of your day to do that. Maybe that could be done on the second full day?

And then you want to work in the zipline for your son - remember, don't forget to call the tour place and make sure your son will be allowed to do the zipline and that he is not too young. Also, you may want to book that zipline way in advance, because that is supposedly very popular and you wouldn't want him to miss out.

Then, perhaps, you may want to do things like the Semi-Sub (for fish viewing) or the Casino tour (if you like history and architecture) so you would need to sandwich those in somewhere. Or maybe you would like the tour that goes out to Seal Rock (it used to be called Cruise to Seal Rock - not sure what they are calling it now).

There are other tours and activities that I am not even mentioning - you could rent a motor boat, go parasailing, snorkeling, take a nature walk, miniature golf, etc.

So as you can see, there will be plenty of things to do to keep you occupied over a few days or several days. You just kind of need to plan it out. I've had a day in Avalon where we rented a golf cart for 3 hours, then did 4 tours in the same day and had 2 meals - and we were exhausted! But no time was wasted and we got a LOT done in that long day. On the other hand, I've been there with friends where we did nothing but rent a golf cart and that's it. Then we just walked around and around and around the rest of the time, and the day seemed to move very slowly.

You will actually be going to Catalina before I get there (I'm not going until July 21), so if you are back home from your whole trip before I leave, I can't wait to hear what you thought of Catalina and see your photos!

Make sure to post here when you have your plans in place and let us know where you are staying, what you're doing, etc.

Hello again!

Blue Parrot - good question - I don't know but it sounds right because I couldn't find a link when I tried to locate it. If it's not there, I wonder if another restaurant has replaced it. It's right at the front of the Metropole Marketplace. Sad to see it go - but as long as Luau Larry's is still on the island, I'm good! And I remember the Busy Bee so well - loved it!

As for the horses, my mom and brother said they were never so scared - constantly wondering what would prevent the horses from jumping off the cliff! So I know they can relate. This was when I was an older teen and my dad and I knew that we didn't want anything to do with that - we sat ourselves down on the beach!

Great idea to start a superthread! I was thinking about doing that for Newport Beach someday. Every time I see a beach thread, I really want to jump in but I don't always have the time to repeat all the reasons Newport is the best beach in the world. (OK - one of those reasons is a nearly 50-year family history, but I never promised to be entirely objective!)

Newport/Catalina have some competition in the coming years - we're trying a cruise (Disney Dream) this August instead. And we may end up on the Disney Alaskan cruise in August 2012. Need to figure out how to get back in the middle of all that - our oldest son said it's been way too long since he ate a frozen banana on Balboa Island (and that was only seven months ago!) So everyone please keep those Catalina photos coming!

pixarmom - I would bet that another restaurant replaced Blue Parrot. It seems like there are some new places there now that were not around when I was last there. There is probably something in the Busy Bee's spot.

Even though I don't always go into Luau Larry's when I am in Avalon - sometimes we've gone in; sometimes we have not - I would hate for it to not be there. To me, that place belongs in Avalon. And I would absolutely be grief-stricken if they ever got rid of Antonio's! That is a staple for me! I have to eat at Antonio's!

Even if you venture away from Catalina for a couple of years to do the Disney cruises, you will make it back to the Island eventually! I find that once people really decide they love it there, they always go back sooner or later. People who could take or leave it are the ones who may not go back.

I actually love watching the California's Gold/Huell Howser Catalina shows - the Flying Fish one is particularly fun, but he has some other good ones!

I know that KCmike would definitely jump in if you started a Newport Beach superthread! He became a definite fan of Newport last year!

 

[endy]

Well I just booked the flight.

We arrive at SNA at noon on a Sat. and will have checked bags. I'll book a shuttle to Long Beach, will we have enough time to catch the 2pm boat? Or should we go for the 4:15 one to be safe?
I have no idea on times or distances as I've never flown in before?

PS ds wants to stay for a week. I think we'll do 4 or 5 days.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Thanks for letting me post more pictures!

And yes - that golf place is very close to the boat dock.

I did wander in through the Metropole shops. We spent some time in the Games arcade there for DS and I looked at some of the shops in one side street. There were a number of interesting looking restaurants there in that side street as well. I'd definitely like to stay at the Metropole or the Casino.

I'm not sure what the name of the shop was for the tea; but it was at the corner and I sat in the little courtyard outside that was against another side street. It was nice there and I liked people watching.

Have fun planning everyone!

Endy - I'll look forward to see your photos!

 

[Sherry E]

Wendy - I almost forgot to comment here.

I think you might be better off taking a boat in the 4:00 hour. It may be cutting it too close trying to get to the one that leaves in the 2:00 p.m. hour. Here's why:

Usually, Catalina Express wants the passengers to show up at the dock 45 minutes to 1 hour before departure time, and you will have to go up to the window and show them your "free birthday" voucher (which will be e-mailed to you as soon as you register for it on the Express website) and ID, and pay for your son and all that. At this point, we have noc lue how popular this birthday promo might be, and how many other birthday celebrants may be traveling on our days too!

Then, after you get your tickets at the ticket window, you'll have to line up to embark. If you and your son would like to have the best chance of sitting upstairs on the boat, in the outdoor seating (to scout for dolphins and sea life on the way to Avalon), you definitely don't want to be at the tail end of a long line. You want to be closer to the front of the line so you can get on the boat before others and claim your outdoor seats!

I think that trying to get to the Express (from SNA) by the 1:00 p.m. hour to get all that taken care of might be cutting it close. It could be possible, but I think I would feel safer choosing a later boat time.




PrincessInOz - It definitely sounds like your tea and brownie came from C.C. Gallagher's - they have an entrance along the main street (Crescent), but they have the patio with seating along the side street, as you mentioned. And they serve things like coffee and pastries and all that.

Yes, yes - post more photos! I think we'd all love to see them!!

 

[Sherry E]

Here are some links pertaining to Catalina stuff which may or may not be of interest to lurkers out there.

Here is specific Zip Line Eco Tour info (and Wendy, notice that some of your dates are selling out already, so book your son on that Eco tour ASAP!):

http://visitcatalinaisland.tix.com/schedule.asp?actcode=45729



Here is a list of other Tours (the Semi-Sub is now called the Undersea tour, I see):

http://www.visitcatalinaisland.com/avalon/Tours.php



Catalina Webcams:

http://www.catalinachamber.com/island/webcams



A Live Catalina Webcam:

http://www.catalinas.net/html/live_camera.html



Main Catalina Information links:

http://www.davestravelcorner.com/articles/catalina/moreinfo.htm



This is the Facebook page for the Avalon Hotel - I have never stayed at this hotel, but notice the photo of the deer. We saw deer on one of our golf cart rides - you never know when and where you might encounter nature:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.404981328128.170253.135311168128

 

[endy]

Thanks again Sherry.
I will get the zipline booked tonight. DS is more than old and big enough to do it on his own. And I'll book the 4 o'clock Express, thanks for that hint. I hadn't read the 45 minute ahead of time.

Now to decide which place to stay, not much choice in my price preference. I was almost thinking of camping but read that it's 1.5 miles out of town so that may not be so good. Well if I was in shape it might be ok but that won't happen in two months.

I've been checking out the webcams. Looks amazing.

DS is excited about most of the tours and wants to do them all. And he thinks he needs a new camera good for underwater.

We'll do as many as we can, I think we'll end up getting the day pass. Coupons? Any chance there'll be any for the tours? Being that there's not a lot for competetion I highly doubt it.

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks again Sherry.
I will get the zipline booked tonight. DS is more than old and big enough to do it on his own. And I'll book the 4 o'clock Express, thanks for that hint. I hadn't read the 45 minute ahead of time.

Now to decide which place to stay, not much choice in my price preference. I was almost thinking of camping but read that it's 1.5 miles out of town so that may not be so good. Well if I was in shape it might be ok but that won't happen in two months.

I've been checking out the webcams. Looks amazing.

DS is excited about most of the tours and wants to do them all. And he thinks he needs a new camera good for underwater.

We'll do as many as we can, I think we'll end up getting the day pass. Coupons? Any chance there'll be any for the tours? Being that there's not a lot for competetion I highly doubt it.

Wendy -

You're welcome!

The Day Pass thing was not in existence the last time I went to Catalina. That's a new one! I saw it for the first time on the Catalina Express website a few months ago (before I knew about the Free birthday boat ride promo). It seems like the Day Passes have expiration dates - so it makes me wonder if they will have one that is active for your specific time frame, which will be a holiday weekend. That's probably when the Island gets a lot of business, so they may exclude that block of time from a Day Pass, but since the Day Pass is new territory for me, I can't say for sure.

Also, I have seen different Day Passes - for example, sometimes they will offer one that includes a golf cart rental. But then the next one they put out does not offer it. They don't seem to be consistent, which is annoying.

There used to be a Catalina discount card (like the size of a credit card) that was sold and could be used at various Island restaurants or shops. But they stopped making that card ages ago, unfortunately.

Check around online for Catalina Island coupons - you never know what you may find out there in cyberspace. It's a whole different ballgame now than it was when I was last in Catalina. I didn't even have a cell phone the last time I was there, and now I find myself wondering if I can use my cell phone on the Island when I go in July without incurring crazy roaming rates or something!! Even though I was on the Internet the last time I visited Catalina, I don't think that information and discounts for all kinds of places were as readily available online back then as they are now. These days, it seems like everything is found or done online, for the most part

I have seen Catalina Express boat coupons in the famous Entertainment Book before (that's the book from which everyone gets their Entertainment Card, which is used to get the great rates at HoJo's when people take Disneyland trips!). I don't have a current Entertainment Book, but if you can find someone who has one they might be willing to give you one of the Express coupons and you could get a few bucks off of your son's boat ticket (since yours will be free on your birthday with the voucher they e-mail to you).

As for hotels - if you want to go with a nice hotel that is pretty well-liked by most people who stay there but is not exactly cheap, then the Hotel Metropole seems to be a good bet.

Sometimes, if you choose a hotel that's up one of the hills - not way, way up in the hills, but just located on a street that is up an incline - it may be a wee bit cheaper. I stayed at the Hotel Catalina before, which is up a bit of a hill but still very close to the main street in Avalon. You could check there for rates. Seaport Village Inn used to have all kinds of prices and that is up a hill or two.

Otherwise, check places that are known to be "budget hotels" like the Hotel Atwater or the Hermosa Hotel/Catalina Cottages, as those tend to be much cheaper than other hotels (but not as nice).

The Catalina Beach House hotel used to be cheaper too.

The Catalina Visitors Guide (which you can look up online as you are waiting for the actual hard copy to arrive in the mail) is very good at showing you which hotels fall in the $ range, the $$ range or the $$$ range!! And it shows you which amenties do or don't come with each place.

I would skip the camping on this trip - the campgrounds are too far inland and you have to rely on the buses that pick up campers to go into town and come back to the campground. Usually, when people go camping they either don't go into Avalon at all or they only make one trip and then stay at the campsite the rest of the time. It would only limit your ability to do other things because you wouldn't have the flexibility to come and go as you wanted.

As for tours/activities - if it turns out that you can't do some of them on this trip because of timing issues or money or whatever, I would say the three quintessential things to do are: 1) the golf cart rental for 3 hours (3 for the price of 2) with a stop at the Wrigley Memorial and garden; 2) the Flying Fish tour (because the flying fish are so synonymous with Catalina and it's such a unique/fun sight to see); and 3) the Semi-Sub/Undersea tour (because you can see the fish much more close-up than you can on the Glass Bottom Boat tour).

And the Pedal Boats - while not mandatory to enjoy Catalina - are an inexpensive, relaxing way to cruise aorund the harbor.

Of course, your son will do the Zip Line Eco Tour as well. Heck, he may even want to get into the snorkeling and diving aspect of things if he is adventurous! I''m not a diver, but people say the diving on Catalina is awesome!


If you have extra money and/or time to pencil in some extra tours to the agenda, I would do the Seal Rock tour (or whatever they call it these days that brings you out to where the seals are), the Casino tour (your son would probably be bored to tears with that one, though - but wait until you see the gorgeous, grand movie theater inside the Casino) and whatever "tour" or transportation will take you all the way to Two Harbors and back, so you can see lots of buffalo in the interior of the Island.

 

[PHXscuba]

I would also not recommend staying in the campground in Avalon unless it is a real cost-cutter or the only option. DH stayed in Hermit Gulch (presuming that's the one you're thinking of) last summer. He said it was nice for a campground (they stayed in the tent-cabins) but a loooong walk (uphill) from town. They used cabs to take their gear up and back. He said the walk got old real fast.

PHXscuba

 

[Sherry E]

I would also not recommend staying in the campground in Avalon unless it is a real cost-cutter or the only option. DH stayed in Hermit Gulch (presuming that's the one you're thinking of) last summer. He said it was nice for a campground (they stayed in the tent-cabins) but a loooong walk (uphill) from town. They used cabs to take their gear up and back. He said the walk got old real fast.

PHXscuba

PHXscuba - I can totally envision that if I did that, I would be grumbling to myself the whole time about how the walk was "getting old real fast."

The people I know who have gone to Catalina for the sake of camping definitely enjoyed it, and have gone back repeatedly to do it over the years...BUT I think the key is that they made the trip solely about the camping experience. It wasn't an 'Avalon trip,' per se. It wasn't a 'let's rent a golf cart, take some tours and browse through the shops' kind of trip. It was a camping trip on Catalina Island, and the main city part of Avalon didn't really factor into it because they pretty much stayed put at the campsite.

 

[endy]

Great info on the campground. We won't do it this time. It was the Hermit Gulch one.
I oprdered the guide to be mailed and never thought to check out the online version, guess I will be doing that tonight.

I was looking at the cheaper motels. Too bad it's a long weekend, it's cutting into my choices. Just about booked the Zane Grey motel until I read it had no tv - not sure how that'll go over so I'll wait til I get home to mention it.

I have the San Diego Entertainment book so I will look tonight to see what's available. It has a Long Beach Aquarium buy 1 get 1 so we're doing that after Catalina just so we don't have to drive up from SD.

Sherry we're going to try to do your top 3 list, DS already mentioned he wants to try snorkeling. Actually just about every tour he's said he wants to do. Surprising there's so many options. The electric bike might be fun too.

 

[Sherry E]

Great info on the campground. We won't do it this time. It was the Hermit Gulch one.
I oprdered the guide to be mailed and never thought to check out the online version, guess I will be doing that tonight.

I was looking at the cheaper motels. Too bad it's a long weekend, it's cutting into my choices. Just about booked the Zane Grey motel until I read it had no tv - not sure how that'll go over so I'll wait til I get home to mention it.

I have the San Diego Entertainment book so I will look tonight to see what's available. It has a Long Beach Aquarium buy 1 get 1 so we're doing that after Catalina just so we don't have to drive up from SD.

Sherry we're going to try to do your top 3 list, DS already mentioned he wants to try snorkeling. Actually just about every tour he's said he wants to do. Surprising there's so many options. The electric bike might be fun too.

The Zane Grey has no TV??? Funny, because I almost stayed there on one Catalina trip in the past. It's one of the handful of hotels on the Island that has a pool. You know why I didn't end up staying there? It is up in the hills! You can actually pass by it if you turn up or down that street in a golf cart. It's not just up A hill - it's up in the hills. I'm not even sure I could find my way to the Zane Grey without a map! You'd have to take one of the Island taxis to and from the ZG, if that's what you picked. That's probably why it remains one of the cheaper options - because of those darn hills!

But I can't believe it doesn't have a TV!

The Hotel Atwater - while being a 'budget' option - is on flat ground, on a side street off of the main street.

The Hermosa Hotel/Catalina Cottages - the other budget option - is on a side street, up a little bit of an incline. Try that one!

The Hotel Catalina is part-way up a hill, but it's walkable.

The Catalina Beach House, I think, is on a side street, up a bit of a hill.

The Seaport Village Inn is technically up a hill or two, but it's really not bad when you see how close it is to town. I walked back and forth all the time when I stayed there.





I just looked at my 2010 guide and here are the options that have only one $ next to them in the guide from last year:

Catalina Island Seacrest Inn (one of my friends stayed here)

Castaway Cottage

Catalina Beach House Hotel

Hermosa Hotel and Cottages (friends and I stayed here)



The $$ options are:


The Old Turner Inn

Zane Grey Pueblo Hotel

Atwater Hotel (it used to be only one $ - guess it moved up in the world!)

El Terrado Terrace Hotel

Glenmore Plaza Hotel

Hotel Catalina (I stayed here)

Hotel MacRae (a friend stayed here)

Hotel St. Lauren

La Paloma Las Flores

Seaport Village Inn (I stayed here)







So, Wendy, where did you end up booking a room? Last I heard was that Zane Grey was a possibility until you discovered there was no TV!

I am still waiting for my hard copy/magazine version of the Visitors Guide to arrive - and, by the way, I should mention that they used to send those Guides out much, much faster in the mail than they do now - but in the meantime, I looked at what I could get through of the online version of the Guide...until my stupid computer locked up (as usual).

I got as far as the listings of hotels and how many dollar signs/'$' there were next to them. Everything looks about the same in terms of $, $$ or $$$, except for that I noticed this year's version of the Guide listed Seaport Village Inn in the single $ category - meaning it's now one of the least expensive places to stay, whereas last year's guide had it in the double/$$ category, meaning it was in the middle range cost-wise.

I stayed at the Seaport Village Inn in 2001, and unless it has gone way downhill in terms of service and cleanliness of rooms in the last 10 years, it was perfectly fine. I liked it quite a bit. It is located up two hills, both rather short, but it's still very close to the main street and town. And I am one who does not like climbing endless hills to get to my rooms in Avalon, but I didn't find these hills to be too terrible because there were short walks. I don't know what they are charging these days that puts Seaport in the single $ category, but if it's manageable, I would recommend staying there. Otherwise, try the Hermosa. That has probably improved since I last stayed there.

​

I just booked my Catalina Express free birthday boat ride today - they don't take your birthday promo code (which you get in the e-mail that Catalina Express sends to you once you register for the birthday thing on their website) until the end of the phone call. They do take a credit card number to keep on file, just for holding your reservation, but they don't charge anything to it.

I booked at 6:15 a.m. boat out of Long Beach to Avalon in July (yes, I am willing to get up that early to get over there!), but they want me to arrive at the terminal one hour early at 5:15 a.m. Then, after I get my departure and return tickets from them, they want me to go and stand in line for the boat about 30-45 minutes before departure.

Anyway, this will put me in Avalon at approximately 7:15 a.m. (sometimes you get there 5 minutes ahead of schedule; sometimes you get there 5 minutes late - it depends on how windy it is out on the water!). The golf cart rental place (shown in PrincessInOz's photos earlier) does not open until 8 a.m. or 9 a.m., so I will have time to kill before I get one, which is what I want. I can snap lots of photos around town before everyone 'wakes up' for the day.

When you get to the Island that early, sometimes the only people awake are the fishermen! The tourists are likely still in bed, as are the Island residents. So the only ones besides the fishermen walking the streets at 7:15 a.m. are other boat passengers such as myself, or Island residents who are out taking their morning runs/walks/bike rides. It is a nice, peaceful time to take photos.

Actually, I am hoping that if I can secure a good outdoor seat on the boat over to Avalon, I will be able to get some nice sunrise photos since the timing will be about right.

Once the golf cart place opens, I will be among the first to nab a cart and hit the trails! I will take lots of photos up in the hills and at the Wrigley Memorial/Botanical Garden. When my three hours are up, I suppose I will explore some shops, see what's changed on the Island since I was last there and take a stroll to the Casino, snapping more photos as I go along! I would like to have the option to do another tour if money allows - maybe either the Semi-Sub or something that will allow me to get some good pictures.

Unfortunately, the latest return time from Avalon back to Long Beach is only 7:30 p.m., which means I have to line up at 7 p.m. That is not good for me! I used to take boats back that left the Island at 9:30 or even 10:45 p.m.! Even though it will be a Thursday when I am there, it will still be the middle of summer so they should add more boat arrivals and departures! I am hoping they add something later than 7:30 p.m. I want to try to get some nice sunset photos and that will be hard to concentrate on if I am high-tailing it to the boat dock to wait in line.

I asked the Catalina Express person on the phone if the birthday promo has been popular so far (it's only been in effect for a couple of weeks), and if a lot of people are taking advantage of it. She said yes, lots of people have been using it...so that fact alone might mean that they add some more boat times on my day!

 

[endy]

I booked at the Atwater. Good or bad that.s what I did. We.ll know for next time. Booked zipline for the fourth, also booked the lounge seats on the 4 o.clock ferry. Figured I.d splurge since it was free for me. Staying four nights so we should be able to do everything we want to do.
Getting excited already. Still have to figure out where to stay for four more nights in the Anaheim area and rent a car. May camp for these days. Well my version of camping is sleeping in a tent.
On my phone so please excuse any typos.

 

[Sherry E]

I booked at the Atwater. Good or bad that.s what I did. We.ll know for next time. Booked zipline for the fourth, also booked the lounge seats on the 4 o.clock ferry. Figured I.d splurge since it was free for me. Staying four nights so we should be able to do everything we want to do.
Getting excited already. Still have to figure out where to stay for four more nights in the Anaheim area and rent a car. May camp for these days. Well my version of camping is sleeping in a tent.
On my phone so please excuse any typos.

I'm sure the Atwater will be fine. First of all, it's on flat ground, not a hillside! Also, I know it's been upgraded and refurbished a bit since when I was last in Avalon, so that's a good thing! No, it's not an upscale hotel, but in the case of Catalina I think just having a place to sleep and shower is the most important thing. I don't think you need 'upscale' in Catalina unless you are on a romantic weekend or something. On the other hand, at Disneyland, I prefer staying onsite at a Disney hotel because it adds to the overall "Disney magic" for me. On Catalina, it's not the same thing - you don't get "Catalina magic" by staying in a nicer hotel. You just get a nicer hotel! The real beauty of Catalina is outdoors.

So the Atwater will be more than fine, I think.

I'm confused about the booking of the Lounge (the Commodore or Captain's lounge) on the Catalina Express. As far as I was told (just today, by the Catalina Express agent when I called to book my reservation), the Lounge seats are not included in the Free birthday round-trip pass.

According to the agent I spoke to, the Free birthday admission - and you have to give the birthday promo code at the time of booking and then bring the print-out with the code on it to show the ticket people at the Express terminal when you check-in - just covers the standard round-trip seats/pass on the Express, not the Lounge. Were you told differently? Did you book online or did you book on the phone? And did you have to give your birthday promo code? I was told that the birthday promo code was not working for some of the online reservations so most people had to end up calling anyway, but the Express people have to have it when they make your reservation.

I just wondered about that because I didn't want you to accidentally think you were getting something free and then suddenly be charged for it when you show up at the Express terminal!

I don't know if the Lounge has an outdoor seating section or not. Since you said you guys love fish, I figured that scouting for dolphins and stray flying fish would be fun. Hopefully you will be able to get outside.

In any case, sounds like a super fun time - how many days/nights did you decide on for Avalon? Three nights or four nights?

And yay for getting the zip line booked for the 4th!! I hope your son has a great time with that. It's going to be a busy holiday weekend in Avalon, so it was good to get that reserved now, before it fills up!

 

[endy]

I had a big reply typed out on my phone yesterday & I lost it before I posted. Computer crashed at home. My phone doesn't do well as a subsitute.

Anyway, Sherry you're right about the Expresss & the lounge, it is a $15 upgrade for the lounge. Since we'll have been on the go since 7AM I figured I'd upgrade for the trip across. You get free snacks and drinks - whatever that'll be I'm not sure. I did call to book not sure why I didn't do it online.

We are booked for 5 nights at the Atwater. We started as 4 nights and somehow it turned into 5. As long as it's clean & comfy I won't complain. (Really hoping it's not the 3rd floor tho)
We will likely have to change rooms on the night of the 4th not a big deal as they have a place to put your luggage.

I still have to figure out if a shuttle or cab will be cheaper, book a rental car and motel or campground while in Anaheim. If a smallish tent, blanket and air mattresses will fit into my suitcase we'll be tenting.

Sherry - I'm certainly not an early morning person. I think with your very early trip tho will be nice. It'll still be a little cooler, quiet, until people start roaming around. I think it will be rather nice. Think of all the great pictures you'll take without strangers showing up in them.
Here's hoping they'll add a later time for your return trip.

So the golf cart is reserved ahead or is it a first come, first served kinda thing? We'll have to do it. Plus I'd like to do the inland tour and all the water tours.

The Zane Grey doesn't have tv's, phones or clocks in their rooms. And really don't want noisy, younger kids running around. Don't blame them as they want as quiet, tranquil environment. They do have a piano room, and a shared living room with a tv plus the pool. Tho I don't think most people like watching Fineas & Ferb, whatevers on the Family or the Sports channels so my son would have his nose out of joint. Otherwise it looks like a beautiful place.

 

[ludari]

As a huge fan of the beautiful, tranquil and picturesque Catalina Island in SoCal (Catalina and Disneyland Resort are my two favorite SoCal destinations), I was absolutely thrilled to see this promo offer from Catalina Express in my e-mail inbox today:

http://www.catalinaexpress.com/birthday_promo.php

Basically, Catalina Express - the primary means of ocean transportation to the lovely Avalon in Catalina - is giving away FREE round-trip boat passage/tickets to everyone on their birthday for the next year (the promo ends in late April 2012). All you have to do is register your info on the Catalina Express website at the link above.

This, of course, will not cover your food, lodging or activities on the Island, but if you have never been to Catalina, take my word for it that it's a great day trip (as well as being great for a weekend), whether you do a lot or do very little in the way of activities - and also take my word for it that getting FREE round-trip boat fare is a very good value to get to the Island. I could be happy just getting to the Island and sitting on a bench, overlooking the water, scouting for sea life!

I am definitely going to take advantage of this offer on my birthday! Everyone register ASAP!!

Be sure to order your free Catalina Island Vistors Guide (this is a magazine that is put out every year, and the Chamber of Commerce or Visitors Bureau will mail it out to you for free) to get an idea of what you can do while on the Island!!

Thanks for the information Sherry. I really enjoy Catalina and annually I spend three or four days hiking the Trans-Catalina Trail. I also scuba dive around Catalina at least twice a month.

 

[Sherry E]

I had a big reply typed out on my phone yesterday & I lost it before I posted. Computer crashed at home. My phone doesn't do well as a subsitute.

Anyway, Sherry you're right about the Expresss & the lounge, it is a $15 upgrade for the lounge. Since we'll have been on the go since 7AM I figured I'd upgrade for the trip across. You get free snacks and drinks - whatever that'll be I'm not sure. I did call to book not sure why I didn't do it online.

We are booked for 5 nights at the Atwater. We started as 4 nights and somehow it turned into 5. As long as it's clean & comfy I won't complain. (Really hoping it's not the 3rd floor tho)
We will likely have to change rooms on the night of the 4th not a big deal as they have a place to put your luggage.

I still have to figure out if a shuttle or cab will be cheaper, book a rental car and motel or campground while in Anaheim. If a smallish tent, blanket and air mattresses will fit into my suitcase we'll be tenting.

Sherry - I'm certainly not an early morning person. I think with your very early trip tho will be nice. It'll still be a little cooler, quiet, until people start roaming around. I think it will be rather nice. Think of all the great pictures you'll take without strangers showing up in them.
Here's hoping they'll add a later time for your return trip.

So the golf cart is reserved ahead or is it a first come, first served kinda thing? We'll have to do it. Plus I'd like to do the inland tour and all the water tours.

The Zane Grey doesn't have tv's, phones or clocks in their rooms. And really don't want noisy, younger kids running around. Don't blame them as they want as quiet, tranquil environment. They do have a piano room, and a shared living room with a tv plus the pool. Tho I don't think most people like watching Fineas & Ferb, whatevers on the Family or the Sports channels so my son would have his nose out of joint. Otherwise it looks like a beautiful place.

Wendy -

A similar thing happened to me yesterday. I was typing out a reply to a friend on Facebook. Because my computer just crashed last month and I have not replaced it yet, the hard drive and operating system are basically failing, so all of my applications like the browsers I use to get online are acting glitchy and weird. And I lost ALL of the text I was typing to my friend on Facebook! The whole thing. Soooo frustrating.

The golf carts are first come, first serve (at least they used to be!). Actually, I think there are 2 or 3 different places from which you can rent a cart in Avalon, but I don't think they all have the 'get 3 hours for 3 hours' deal. The place that PrincessInOz showed in her previous photos, which is the same place I'm used to, is very close to where you get off of the boat, and they open at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. The 'get 3 hours for the price of 2' thing is pretty popular, so sometimes the carts can be snapped up early - though not always - and you have to wait for people to start returning their carts before you can get one. This doesn't necessarily mean that if you don't get there 5 minutes after they open you won't get a cart - you probably will. But if you get there when the carts are gone, then you will have to wait for people to start returning them.

Some people keep their golf carts for the full 3 hours - especially if they are avid photo takers and if they stop at the Wrigley Memorial and walk around, or if they stop on one of the side paths and walk around a bit. You can actually take the golf cart and drive around up in the hills (you may see the Zane Grey while you are up there), and you can drive around on some of the flat Avalon side streets too. Plus, you can drive all the way over to the Casino and park, take a walk out on the rocks, etc. Some folks don't do all of that and they simply just drive up in the hills, realize what a small town Avalon is, and then return the cart in an hour. So you might not have to wait for a cart too long!

I can imagine the Zane Grey is probably quite peaceful, given its location in the hills. I can't envision there would be a lot of noise up there. I don't think that many people who want to go into town a lot would stay up there because you would either have to really love walking up and down steep hills, or you would have to always take a taxi/shuttle. It's not convenient if you plan on being in Avalon most of the time. The Atwater, however, is much more conveniently located!

You know, if I were going to Catalina for more than one day this time around, I might not take the 6:15 a.m. boat out. But since it is only one day that I'm going, and the latest return boat time is 7:30 p.m., which is earlier than I wanted, I feel I need to get the full day out of it! And that means waking up before dawn and getting on the boat before the sun rises!! Indeed, I will take lots of photos during that quiet time when only the fishermen are awake, before the golf cart place opens! I think I will be so busy walking around, trying to get caught up on what is new or different since I was last there, that time will probably fly by rather quickly.

It's probably better that you called and made your Catalina Express reservation rather than doing it online, since they said they were having trouble with the free birthday promo code in some of the online reservations. When I entered in my code online, I got a message that said "Not approved." When I called and verbally gave them my free birthday code, they had no trouble with it.

If there is an outdoor section of the lounge when you take the trip over, be sure to peek outside and look for dolphins, or at least have your son do it. That is one of the greatest joys of taking the boat over - waiting for the inevitable dolphin sightings along the way. Sometimes the boat captain will even stop or slow down the boat so the passengers can enjoy the dolphins romping in the water if they get close to the boat!

I have heard of drinks and snacks in the Commodore lounge - I am trying to remember what it entailed. I know that either wine or champagne was involved at some point. I remember hearing someone talk about getting the lounge and drinking alcohol on the way over. I can't recall what the snacks were.

Remember, if you do take a tour that brings you to into the Interior of the Island, try to get something that takes you all the way to Two Harbors and back. It may not even be an official "tour" - it may be a Safari Bus or something. Two Harbors in and of itself is not that interesting, but it is the ride through the less-travelled parts of the interior, where the buffalo roam, that is interesting. Anything that does not go all the way to Two Harbors may not reveal too many close-up buffalo along the way. They may be way off in the distance, off of the road.

The water tours all sound like great ideas - the Flying Fish tour begins its seasonal run in a few weeks, and should be ready for reservations then. That's a popular one, so book that in advance. And it even looks as though the Semi-Sub has a nighttime ride now! That is new since I was last there. I think the Semi-Sub is fun in the daytime - and you will definitely see fish! BUt the idea of a night ride intrigues me!!

It sounds like it's going to be an exciting whirlwind of a trip! Between Catalina and the Aquarium and San Diego and Anaheim - wow! Exhausting!! Exhausting, but rewarding and fun, I think!

Good luck with the rest of the planning, like the shuttle vs. taxi decision and the where-to-stay-in-Anaheim decision! Keep us posted.

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks for the information Sherry. I really enjoy Catalina and annually I spend three or four days hiking the Trans-Catalina Trail. I also scuba dive around Catalina at least twice a month.

Oh yay! Welcome, ludari. Thank you so much for joining in! I'm so glad someone else spoke up on this thread - especially another person who can weigh in with information and feedback about Catalina! (I was beginning to think there were only a few of us out here on the DIS.) I knew there had to be some other previous Catalina visitors or people interested in going lurking around out there.

I'm not a diver, but I have always heard over the years that the diving off of the Catalina coast is some of the best anywhere for diving enthusiasts. Supposedly the fish and plants are just amazing and unusual to see. Is this true? I've seen the Garibaldi and I know how vibrant and colorful they are. What have you seen while diving?

And the Trans-Catalina trail sounds awesome! Have you encountered many buffalo or island foxes and deer along the way?

 

[Sherry E]

I finally received my free 2011 Catalina Vistors Guide in the mail last week. The Visitors Bureau/Chamber of Commerce used to get those things out in the mail within a couple of days but, I suppose, since they send them out at no cost to the recipient and postage rates are increasing, it is cheaper for them to send out the Guides this way, where they take much longer to arrive (much, much longer!).

But I must say - the Catalina Visitors Guide is one of the best ones. It's really like a magazine - same size and width as a magazine - with beautiful photos and lots of good hotel, restaurant and shop information. It's better than the brochure-sized guides to other cities that I have obtained from various Chambers of Commerce!

So I highly recommend that everyone order their free Catalina Island Vistors Guide for 2011, so you can read it while you are planning to take advantage of the free Catalina Express birthday round-trip boat ride and planning your trip!!! Gotta love the freebies!!

I posted over on a forum specifically about Catalina a couple of weeks ago, and many of the people on that forum are Island residents or frequent visitors. A couple of them didn't even know about the current Catalina Express birthday promotion. They were telling me that one of the changes to the Island (since I was last there) is white sand on the beach.

Now....don't get any ideas of vast, long, pure stretches of uncluttered white sand in a tropical oasis. The Avalon beaches are about the size of a postage stamp. They are functional, of course, and you can sit on them and read or sunbathe or whatever. But they are tiny - and because they are so close to the main walkways in town, there is not much peace and quiet. But, there they are.

Avalon has to have its sand imported from Redondo Beach in SoCal (at least it was Redondo the last time I checked). Now that it's white sand, I am wondering if they are getting it from somewhere else. In any case, even though the beaches are teeny, I would guess that the white sand makes them look cleaner and more inviting.


I found out that on my trip to Avalon next month (or all through July, perhaps?), there will be a photo exhibit of the Beatles taking place in one of the galleries. The exhibit is comprised of the photos taken of the Beatles by Pattie Boyd, who was involved with George Harrison....and Eric Clapton, as I recall. She either hooked up with George while she was with Eric, or vice versa. Can't recall. In fact, both George and Eric wrote songs about Pattie. Apparently Pattie is supposed to be at the exhibit for at least a couple of days in July, greeting guests, which should be interesting. One of the definite days is July 2nd - which is not when I will be there, but she may be back on one of my days.

I'm not a huge Beatles fan like other people I know, but I thought it would be interesting to see photos taken by one of the Beatles' women and meet Pattie. She was with two of rock's greatest legends, after all. (And I used to work for Poison back in the '80s, so we can connect on some rock and roll level!!) I hope she is there on my day too.