Catalina Island: Info needed...

[higgybaby23]

I'm trying to find the most affordable way to get from the mainland to Catalina Island. So far I've found ferry service anywhere from $50 to $80 round-trip, per person.

I'm also looking for some opinions/experiences of the island. I've never been, and am wondering if it is worth the trip. I will be travelling with some oldsters and youngsters, so the kids and the elderly both need to be entertained. We would probably do a day trip, but an overnight stay is possible.

My initial idea of the island is that it offers beaches and shopping, both of which are also readily available anywhere in SoCal w/o venturing out to sea. It seems like a private playground for the rich. Please correct me if I'm way off base.

[bug on your lip]

i love their salad dressing

[higgybaby23]

i love their salad dressing

Lulz of the day!!

[faxman75]

I don't know why it's so expensive to go there. I have driven across to it on multiple occasions and it's nothing special really. It's a bit more nice and relaxing and low key than San Diego proper. A few years back we started to look into a wedding on beach there or at the hotel del. It's nice and sort of quaint but it's not anything special in my opinion.

[Blinken]

I don't know why it's so expensive to go there. I have driven across to it on multiple occasions and it's nothing special really. It's a bit more nice and relaxing and low key than San Diego proper. A few years back we started to look into a wedding on beach there or at the hotel del. It's nice and sort of quaint but it's not anything special in my opinion.

no you can't drive to Catalina. You are thinking of Coronado that is in San diego, while Catalina is off the Coast of San Pedro.

[fatbastard]

I would check to see what the status is with the swine flu virus. Lots of people who were orginally going to Mexico were re-routed to Catalina and San Francisco.

[Cheddar's Cousin]

How high are you Faxman?

Catalina is cool and all, but $80?, I don't know. I'd pay $50. The water is really clear and awesome for snokling. They have wild pigs and Bison. Those are pretty cool. You can see the ocean on both sides if you stand in the middle of the istmus.

[Blinken]

The ferry service is the most affordable way to get to Catalina, or the only way really unless you want to take a chopper.

[Cheddar's Cousin]

You could swim...

[seandlr]

Catalina is cool from what I remember. The best memory I have is kyaking and swimming with a sea lion. If you go, you MUST try to kyak(if I'm even spelling that right)

[faxman75]

no you can't drive to Catalina. You are thinking of Coronado that is in San diego, while Catalina is off the Coast of San Pedro.

yep, I fail

[faxman75]

How high are you Faxman?

Dayquil? *shrugs*

<exits thread>

[TomAz]

my town's middle school has a tradition where the 8th graders take a class trip to Catalina in March. both my girls have been and loved it.

[higgybaby23]

Thanks all! So far, good info.

I guess what I'm really trying to decide is if going to Catalina Island would be that much more interesting or different than sticking to the beaches of SD and LA.

[frenzplz]

i used to live there

it sucks

go to the botanical gardens or get access to the back of the island


otherwise you are gonna get bored

[McAwesome]

I went about two years ago, got dropped off for the day on a cruise to Mexico. We had a lot of fun- sunned on the beach, went swimming, rented bikes (you have to be 25 to rent a golf cart to explore the island and we were like 22) but the bikes were a lot of fun. We saw lots of people renting snorkles for under $10 which seamed really neat. Also I remember when I was young going there with the family and going out on a glass bottomed boat which would be cool for the young & old in your party.

*as someone said before, lots of cruises are being re-routed there, through mid-july I believe so you might want to go after that just to avoid the masses

have fun!

[TallGuyCM]

I was just there last weekend with the fam for Memorial Day weekend, I highly recommend going. It's one of my favorite places...it feels very remote and far away even though it really isn't. Go!

[allyjoy]

my town's middle school has a tradition where the 8th graders take a class trip to Catalina in March. both my girls have been and loved it.

I did that trip in 7th & 8th grade! it was fun, but we went to a camp on the other side of the island where you can see wild buffalo in the early morn.

Avalon, the city the ferry takes you to, is a cute little town. There's paddle boating, parasailing, boats with glass bottoms, and shops. it's been a few years since i've been over there, but it's a fun day trip.

[familyguy420]

I went on that trip too in 7th grade (SEMI i think) but my 8th grade class trip got changed to Washington DC. I have been going practically every year since, starting Aug.6-14 I'm going to Catalina Two Harber with my girl friend, sister, and close friends we like to go every year to the two harbor side. It has really clear water on that side, my sister got married on Avalon and in the wedding pictures you can see the snow tops on the main land. Snorkeling by far is the neatest asset to me though. The cheapest is the fairy, and the cheapest departure point is from San Pedro.

That 7th grade trip was so much fun.

Its funny my sister gets mad at me because I always talk about coachella. Shes always like "what about the Catalina trip" now I'm very excited about Catalina but I'm Obsessed with coachella

[TheWatcher]

I bit of advice if you are taking the ferry--bring Dramamine! I went there a while back, and the swells going out of Long Beach/San Pedro were over 6ft. Within about 15min of leaving the dock, about 99% of the passengers were seasick and there was barf all over everything. I would have been fine, just a bit queasy, but when you are surrounded by people puking, it's contagious.

The open ocean out by Catalina was much calmer, though. I don't know, if it were just me, I'd probably want to take the helicopter, but that wouldn't work with little kids I think. The Catalina Express is faster, and probably less likely to cause seasickness.

Watching the dolphins riding the wake of the boat was fun though. And, a bunch of seagulls tagged along with the boat the entire time.

[frenzplz]

dont go


you'll just piss off the locals

[DRcube]

I bit of advice if you are taking the ferry--bring Dramamine! I went there a while back, and the swells going out of Long Beach/San Pedro were over 6ft. Within about 15min of leaving the dock, about 99% of the passengers were seasick and there was barf all over everything. I would have been fine, just a bit queasy, but when you are surrounded by people puking, it's contagious.

The open ocean out by Catalina was much calmer, though. I don't know, if it were just me, I'd probably want to take the helicopter, but that wouldn't work with little kids I think. The Catalina Express is faster, and probably less likely to cause seasickness.

Watching the dolphins riding the wake of the boat was fun though. And, a bunch of seagulls tagged along with the boat the entire time.

amen...if youve ever gotten carsick, chances are you might get seasick and that shit sucks donkey balls...dramamine is a must!

[JustSteve]

take the catalina flyer out of newport, it's a catamaran so much more stable, plus it gets you there quicker.

i spent pretty much every summer weekend of my youth over there on our boat and had so much fun. went back last year for the first time as an adult, hadn't been in probably 15 years, and finally got to do what i saw the parents and their friends doing when i was a kid, get fucking wasted! descanso beach club is a nice place to chill and eat/drink during the day and check out some nice bodies. not sure how i would plan a day trip to the island, though, since all my trips have been at least 3-4 days.

crazy how little that place has changed in the 20+ years i've been going...