Wednesday Postcard: 10 Things to Do on a Day Trip to Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, California

Fun Fact: On June 26, 1913, Avalon was incorporated on Santa Catalina Island as its only city!

My family and I recently took a day trip to Santa Catalina Island (or Catalina Island, or simply Catalina) to celebrate my older daughter’s graduation from UCLA.

We had been planning to visit Catalina for many years and we finally made it! Graduation happened to take place during the weekend of Father’s Day and Catalina Pride, so it was a festive time!

Here are 10 things we did on our Catalina Island day trip:

1. Traveled by Catalina Express ferry to Avalon

I enjoy ferry rides, in general, so getting over there was a major part of the fun for me! We bought round trip tickets (days in advance) to Avalon from San Pedro (about 22 miles/35 km south of LAX). Our trip took about 75 minutes to Avalon, but my brother, sister-in-law, and niece, who caught their ferry from Long Beach, made it to Avalon in about an hour.

2. Devoured an extra large donut from Island Donuts

My husband and I had good tasting coffee aboard the ferry, so when we arrived in Avalon, I didn’t want another coffee, but a donut instead. On the menu, there’s a curiously named offering called a “Buffalo Turd” which turns out to be an innocuous cinnamon roll. Instead I got the usual flavor I get at home: a maple glazed donut. I enjoyed its fresh fluffiness. A good deal for only $2.00!

3. Enjoyed ice cream from Scoops Catalina Creamery

Island time is different so why not have a gelato or sorbet at 8:30 in the morning?

4. Strolled along the Green Pleasure Pier

We watched people set up their fishing poles at the end of the boardwalk lined with food kiosks and souvenir booths.

5. Got mesmerized by the taffy pulling machine at Lloyd’s of Avalon

We got there just as they loaded up the taffy base to the machine. The candy maker added a blue color and a clear liquid, which I guess is blue raspberry flavor!

6. Savored some tacos for lunch at Three Palms Bar & Grill

7. Played Space Invaders and some Skee-Ball at the Avalon Arcade next door to Three Palms

8. Followed the green railing leading to the Catalina Casino

This is the famous circular landmark with the terra cotta roof that’s not a gambling casino, but actually a theater. The Catalina Film Festival is held there every September. In my imagination, I thought the Casino would be entirely surrounded by colorful tiles and manicured gardens. While it did have those at the entrance, the rest of the walk around was disappointing. On the ground, I’d even spotted a few scatterings of what looked like “buffalo turd” (but definitely NOT the cinnamon roll kind). 

9. Splish-splashed at Descanso Beach

This beach is a private beach, but if you pay $2.00, you can enter the part where you can order alcoholic beverages and light snacks. Next to the kayak launch, my sister-in-law and I found free-of-charge access to the beach.

Descanso is the largest and also the most crowded of the four beaches in Avalon Harbor. There was a huge party atmosphere, with dance music playing over the loudspeakers.

10. Last, but not least, I picked up a postcard, of course!

There are souvenir shops everywhere. Considering Catalina Island is a popular tourist destination, I felt prices were reasonable (compared to prices of food and souvenirs from amusement parks on the “mainland,” for example.)

>> Related post: check out my vintage postcard of Catalina Island

Overall, this was a great first trip to Catalina Island to get a lay of the land. The only drawback to taking a day trip is that anxious feeling you’re going to miss your ferry back to Los Angeles! Next time, my family and I plan to stay longer or overnight, try more restaurants, go parasailing, make a souvenir ceramic tile, and rent a golf cart to explore more of the island’s natural beauty.

Tell me in the comments: Have you been to Catalina Island?