Hi Everyone!
So last month was our 6 year anniversary! Naomi and I always try to go somewhere special to celebrate and this year we snuck away to Catalina Island. I wish I could say we had this fantastic adventurous getaway, or that we did a ton of sight seeing, or that we did a lot of super romantic stuff…but the reality is we didnt. We were basically hermits who refused to leave the hotel room, did a lot of sleeping and lounging and tv watching… and it was pretty much PERFECT!
We only got to sneak away for a weekend this year so we kept that in mind when choosing a location. We knew it had to be something that wasnt going to require a ton of travel time, which meant we needed to think of somewhere local-ish. When I stumbled upon Southwest’s $49 flight deal from Sacramento to Southern California a couple months ago I figured why not Catalina! The travel time was only a 1 hour flight and then a 1 hour and 15 minute ferry ride from Long Beach over to the island.
I was a bad blogger and didnt even pack my real camera for the trip because I really just wanted to focus on unplugging and spending time with Naomi for a couple of uninterrupted days. I did manage to snap some pics on my Iphone to share with you guys though.
Catalina is a super sweet, quaint little seaside village. The weather was perfect and there’s a good variety of things to do for everyone…including families and kids. There’s camping, hiking trails, a botanical garden, roaming buffalo and wildlife for the nature enthusiasts. Ziplining, parasailing, surfing, tons of water sports for the adventure seekers. An arcade, movie theater, basketball courts, outdoor play centers, and parks for the kids. There were lots of food options (not a ton for vegans). Concerts at night on the main street. A place to rent a golf cart for a couple hours to explore the entire Island. And many hotel options for every budget.
We stayed at the Catalina Island Inn and found that it had a very boutique hotel meets bed and breakfast vibe. Our room had a great view from the balcony out over the ocean on one side and the islands local homes on the other.
There are only 2 ways to get to the island: by boat or by air via helicopter. Helicopter takes about 15 minutes from the mainland but costs around $250/person! Boat takes an hour and 15 minutes from Long Beach and costs around $35/person. There are also ferry options from 3 other locations in Southern California to get over to the island.
Overall we had a great time. If you’ve been curious about Catalina and have wanted to visit I highly recommend it. Id love to go back with the kids one day actually.
*One thing to take note of is its a cruise destination, so be mindful of the fact that Carnival cruises stop in Catalina and that brings an onslaught of people. Thankfully we were leaving just as a cruise arrived so we missed the craziness of tons of people and crowds.
Until next time friends…
