scubadobadoo
Contributor
Dreams of kelp forests, friendly orange fish and scenic islands lead us to Catalina Island, where apparently dreams can come true!
Part 1 of 2
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What is Catalina Island?
A small island about 25 miles away from the coast of Los Angeles! Thats the quick answer. To us, it seemed to be a mountain poking out of the Pacific, just waiting to be explored. Its largest city is appropriately called Avalon and looks like it, too. Its a quaint little village carved into the hills that extends to the waters edge. For years, Catalina was the playground of the rich and famous. Nowadays even regular Joes head to Catalina to escape LA trafficheck, we came all the way from New York City! www.ecatalina.com and www.catalina.com will provide you with much more information about the island itself than we would ever be able to here
Getting There
Jet Blue brought us to Long Beach Airport in about 6 hours, where we picked up our rental car and headed off to catch the Catalina Express. Let me say that LGB is one of the easiest airports weve ever been through. Plane to bags to rental car in 20 minutesno shuttles and no waiting. If LGB is the same price as LAX for your trip, then you should consider it.
A 15-20 minute drive will bring you to Catalina Express San Pedro terminal. Their Long Beach terminal is a bit closer, but was closed due heavy silting after weeks of storms and the resulting mudslides and run-off. The cost is $49 roundtrip per person and takes just a little over an hour. Parking at the San Pedro terminal was $11 per day (cash or travelers checks only). Reservations are suggested as weekend boats can get crowded, although the boat we took on a Friday morning (in the winter) had several empty seats. Make sure to visit Catalinaexpress.com for detailed policies regarding scuba gear and luggage.
Boarding begins 20 minutes before departure time. Snacks and beverages can be purchased at the terminal and on board. By the way, dive bags are transported outside on the aft deck, so if its raining, make sure your drysuit undies arent in your dive bag or they wont be dry anymore oops!
Upon arrival in Avalon you can get a taxi, but we didnt see any and most people started walking so we did, too. A scenic 10-minute or less walk along the pedestrian-only walkway brought us to our hotel. Avalon is much smaller than it looks in photos.
"Sleep Cheap" at the Hermosa Hotel
The above title is their actual slogan. Let me start off by saying that the Hermosa Hotel is the cheapest hotel on a generally expensive Catalina Island and this was a budget minded trip because we had just booked a week long trip to Coz for April. Im not one for bashing for no good reason, so Ill get it out of the way first. Given its exceptional price, the Hermosa only had one major flaw: no heat in January=a frigid, damp room that chills you to the bone. We only want a few basic features in a room, regardless of price and those include warm and dry. The carpet, walls, ceiling and bedding ranged from damp to soaked. This caused us and all our belongings to feel the exact same way. After asking, they somewhat reluctantly agreed to let us switch to another room where only the carpet was wet. So, would we stay there again? In the summer? Absolutely! The rooms are small, but charming in an old cottage sort of way.
The location is close to everything; a 10-minute walk with your gear brings you to the Casino Point dive park.
If you take away the dampness of January, maybe bring a space heater, you cant beat it. Only $50 per night in the off season for a room with a bath and kitchen in the center of town! However, if you dont like adding the words very and small to all my descriptions, then consider another hotel. If you just dive, eat and sleep (in that order), then it may be okay for you. If you do give it a try, make sure you pick up your I Survived the Hermosa Hotel T-shirt, which they sell at the desk for $10. (No joke). Again, just to make sure were being fair, but for our above complaint, the Hermosa exceeded our expectations when considering the price and location. Hermosa Hotel
What to Eat?
Our trip was pretty short, so we only got a chance to check out a few restaurants, many of them were closed since it was the off-season, so our choices were also limited. All in all we would rate our dining experience on Catalina as adequate but a bit pricey, which is expected give the destinationit is an island, after all! We generally dont consider dining an important part of our trip experience so here are just a few thoughts from a few "burger and fries" folks:
Right down the block from our Hotel was Vons grocery store. There we picked up some fruit for snacks and beverages. They had a pretty large selection and everything was good and fresh.
If you like ice cream, then make sure to try Olafs, right on the waterfront. I am rarely speechless, but my waffle cone sundae kept me busy for at least 20 minutes! Some kids walking by us had recently beaten some adults in basketball and the winners apperently got free ice cream. One of the adults pointed to an ice cream shop along the main street and a local kid said, "No, that's crap. Let's go to Olaf's." Honest. Just repeating what was overheard.
Our favorite restaurant that we tried on this trip was Antonios Pizzeria, which is coincidentally right next to Olafs. This is one of those places that encourage you to throw peanut shells on the floor. Crunch, crunch, crunch! For some reason we didnt order a pizza (and regretted it when we saw them go by to other tables), but what we did order (Jason a steak and Becky the chicken pot pie) was tasty and filling. Be sure to order the sourdough garlic cheese breadits to die for!! We actually didnt order it as an appetizer, but saw it go by and ordered one to take with us back to the Hotel. (A person needs a good snack while rinsing and packing all that d%$ gear!).
Topside Activities
A new hobby of ours is Geocaching and Avalon has about 6 or 7 caches located within the city limits. Our favorite cache to date, Avalon View led us on a hike into the hills above Avalon Bay. Geocaching can be described as a world wide hunt for hidden goodies found with the help of clues and a GPS unit. Click the link if you are interested. Put in your zip code and don't be surprised if several caches can be found in your hood!
If you have the time, take in a movie at the Casino (not like in Vegas, but the huge round building featured in our photos that houses a gargantuan early 20th century theatre and a ballroom). They also offer tours, but we didnt have time to take one on this trip. Make sure to arrive early so you can listen to and watch the live pipe organist before the movie starts; a truly charming experience! The movie was The Aviator, in which Catalina is mentioned in one scene and was used for filming another scene.
The Catalina websites above offer more information for other topside activities that will occupy non-divers and divers alike. Some include fishing, hiking, biking, camping, and a whole mess of island tours that look really cool.
Part 1 of 2
.
What is Catalina Island?
A small island about 25 miles away from the coast of Los Angeles! Thats the quick answer. To us, it seemed to be a mountain poking out of the Pacific, just waiting to be explored. Its largest city is appropriately called Avalon and looks like it, too. Its a quaint little village carved into the hills that extends to the waters edge. For years, Catalina was the playground of the rich and famous. Nowadays even regular Joes head to Catalina to escape LA trafficheck, we came all the way from New York City! www.ecatalina.com and www.catalina.com will provide you with much more information about the island itself than we would ever be able to here
Getting There
Jet Blue brought us to Long Beach Airport in about 6 hours, where we picked up our rental car and headed off to catch the Catalina Express. Let me say that LGB is one of the easiest airports weve ever been through. Plane to bags to rental car in 20 minutesno shuttles and no waiting. If LGB is the same price as LAX for your trip, then you should consider it.
A 15-20 minute drive will bring you to Catalina Express San Pedro terminal. Their Long Beach terminal is a bit closer, but was closed due heavy silting after weeks of storms and the resulting mudslides and run-off. The cost is $49 roundtrip per person and takes just a little over an hour. Parking at the San Pedro terminal was $11 per day (cash or travelers checks only). Reservations are suggested as weekend boats can get crowded, although the boat we took on a Friday morning (in the winter) had several empty seats. Make sure to visit Catalinaexpress.com for detailed policies regarding scuba gear and luggage.
Boarding begins 20 minutes before departure time. Snacks and beverages can be purchased at the terminal and on board. By the way, dive bags are transported outside on the aft deck, so if its raining, make sure your drysuit undies arent in your dive bag or they wont be dry anymore oops!
Upon arrival in Avalon you can get a taxi, but we didnt see any and most people started walking so we did, too. A scenic 10-minute or less walk along the pedestrian-only walkway brought us to our hotel. Avalon is much smaller than it looks in photos.
"Sleep Cheap" at the Hermosa Hotel
The above title is their actual slogan. Let me start off by saying that the Hermosa Hotel is the cheapest hotel on a generally expensive Catalina Island and this was a budget minded trip because we had just booked a week long trip to Coz for April. Im not one for bashing for no good reason, so Ill get it out of the way first. Given its exceptional price, the Hermosa only had one major flaw: no heat in January=a frigid, damp room that chills you to the bone. We only want a few basic features in a room, regardless of price and those include warm and dry. The carpet, walls, ceiling and bedding ranged from damp to soaked. This caused us and all our belongings to feel the exact same way. After asking, they somewhat reluctantly agreed to let us switch to another room where only the carpet was wet. So, would we stay there again? In the summer? Absolutely! The rooms are small, but charming in an old cottage sort of way.
The location is close to everything; a 10-minute walk with your gear brings you to the Casino Point dive park.
If you take away the dampness of January, maybe bring a space heater, you cant beat it. Only $50 per night in the off season for a room with a bath and kitchen in the center of town! However, if you dont like adding the words very and small to all my descriptions, then consider another hotel. If you just dive, eat and sleep (in that order), then it may be okay for you. If you do give it a try, make sure you pick up your I Survived the Hermosa Hotel T-shirt, which they sell at the desk for $10. (No joke). Again, just to make sure were being fair, but for our above complaint, the Hermosa exceeded our expectations when considering the price and location. Hermosa Hotel
What to Eat?
Our trip was pretty short, so we only got a chance to check out a few restaurants, many of them were closed since it was the off-season, so our choices were also limited. All in all we would rate our dining experience on Catalina as adequate but a bit pricey, which is expected give the destinationit is an island, after all! We generally dont consider dining an important part of our trip experience so here are just a few thoughts from a few "burger and fries" folks:
Right down the block from our Hotel was Vons grocery store. There we picked up some fruit for snacks and beverages. They had a pretty large selection and everything was good and fresh.
If you like ice cream, then make sure to try Olafs, right on the waterfront. I am rarely speechless, but my waffle cone sundae kept me busy for at least 20 minutes! Some kids walking by us had recently beaten some adults in basketball and the winners apperently got free ice cream. One of the adults pointed to an ice cream shop along the main street and a local kid said, "No, that's crap. Let's go to Olaf's." Honest. Just repeating what was overheard.
Our favorite restaurant that we tried on this trip was Antonios Pizzeria, which is coincidentally right next to Olafs. This is one of those places that encourage you to throw peanut shells on the floor. Crunch, crunch, crunch! For some reason we didnt order a pizza (and regretted it when we saw them go by to other tables), but what we did order (Jason a steak and Becky the chicken pot pie) was tasty and filling. Be sure to order the sourdough garlic cheese breadits to die for!! We actually didnt order it as an appetizer, but saw it go by and ordered one to take with us back to the Hotel. (A person needs a good snack while rinsing and packing all that d%$ gear!).
Topside Activities
A new hobby of ours is Geocaching and Avalon has about 6 or 7 caches located within the city limits. Our favorite cache to date, Avalon View led us on a hike into the hills above Avalon Bay. Geocaching can be described as a world wide hunt for hidden goodies found with the help of clues and a GPS unit. Click the link if you are interested. Put in your zip code and don't be surprised if several caches can be found in your hood!
If you have the time, take in a movie at the Casino (not like in Vegas, but the huge round building featured in our photos that houses a gargantuan early 20th century theatre and a ballroom). They also offer tours, but we didnt have time to take one on this trip. Make sure to arrive early so you can listen to and watch the live pipe organist before the movie starts; a truly charming experience! The movie was The Aviator, in which Catalina is mentioned in one scene and was used for filming another scene.
The Catalina websites above offer more information for other topside activities that will occupy non-divers and divers alike. Some include fishing, hiking, biking, camping, and a whole mess of island tours that look really cool.
. Interestingly enough, our main objective on this dive was to find the Jacques Cousteau commemorative plaque in 35 feet of water. The plaque was also the focus of a virtual cache. Isnt it great when you can combine your hobbies?! 
