Catalina Dreamin’ – Part 2

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Catalina Dreamin’ Part 2  – by Genie Davis

If you read about our first day’s adventures in Catalina, you can very likely already tell that any time is the right time to visit Catalina, Southern California’s own special island getaway. But while summer’s joys are now imminent, and it’s almost time to bring out the bathing suits, the quieter months that stretch between November and March are beautiful times to visit, too. Our visit took place at the end of February.

We enjoyed new and updated dining spots,  our first ever golf-cart-ride into the hills, just-beginning to bloom gardens, a terrific new kombucha and beer spot, and fine art exhibitions, still on-going at the Catalina Museum of Art and History.  We also enjoyed a spooky, EMF-enhanced ghost tour and took a VIP tour of the lovely Casino. For our first day adventures, click here. 

The next morning began with our first golf cart drive into the hills. While I’ve scooted around the Avalon streets with kids in tow years past, this was an inaugural trip into the hills, following a well-laid out map from our rental company, Catalina Island Golf Cart Rentals.

We first drove along the coast and up to Mt. Ada, stopping for sweeping viewpoints of the harbor, the casino, and the open sea, made more dramatic by a mix of low fog and brilliant sunshine. Next we headed into town and up to the Botanical Garden, promising ourselves a return trip later in the day when we could spend more time there. Heading to the opposite side of Avalon, we were able to watch and hear the Chimes Tower strike noon before heading down to the Descanso Beach Club, where we dined the previous day, and on through town to return the cart. The leisurely and lovely drive took two hours on the dot.

Afterwards, it was time for lunch at one of our favorites on the island, Bluewater Grill. Part of the Bluewater Grill group of
restaurants on the Mainland, there’s no location like this one: a huge deck sprawls ocean front, for a beautiful view of boats and birds and buoys. This owner-operated spot includes an oyster bar, sushi bar, and full bar selection. And of course, Bluewater’s renowned freshly made bread. We disappointed more than a few sparrows by keeping this warm deliciousness to ourselves. I had the melts-in-your-mouth umami flavors of Misoyaki Butterfish, or Pacific Black Cod, glazed with miso and served with green beans, white rice and eel sauce with green onion, cilantro and daikon sprouts, while my dining partner opted for the Togarashi Spiced Ahi Tuna.

If that wasn’t feast enough, we shared two of the restaurant’s signature desserts – Key Lime Pie and Java Mud Pie. Hard to say which was the best – so you almost have to try both.

After lunch it was time for art and history, as both are beautifully displayed at the Catalina Museum for Art and History. 

We enjoyed two compelling exhibitions: Catalina Clay is on display through January 6th, 2026. A carefully considered mix of historic information and stunning examples of Catalina-made clay works, the exhibition details the artistry of the Catalina Clay Products Company, taking viewers on a visual tour of the vibrant ceramics crafted between the 1920s and 1940s. From colorful tiles to elegant vases, the skilled craftsmanship and stunning creativity that shaped Catalina Island’s artistic identity and legacy is explored insightfully. This is an exciting and insightful exhibition. Don’t miss!

Also on exhibit at the time of our visit, and recently closed, was Pop Icons, a small but impactful collection of iconic works by Andy Warhol, Sister Corita Kent, Robert Rauschenberg, and others who shaped the Pop Art movement. Works on display included Warhol’s screen print of Queen Elizabeth II as well as abstract collage from Rauschenberg, both familiar works made fresh by their curation.

After our museum visit, we made good on our self-made promise to revisit the Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden.  

The late afternoon sun made the variety of plants in bloom, from cactus flowers to wildflowers, even more beautiful. The climb up the steep steps to the top of the Wrigley Memorial is more than worth making – along with lush tile work, crafted right there on Catalina Island, the views are sweeping and led down to the sea, where the sunlight dazzled the harbor. After the walk back to the center of Avalon, it was time for a short rest stop back at our relaxing hotel, the Catalina Island Inn. 

Our evening was devoted to ghosts: Jess was the fascinating host for our Haunted Catalina Ghost Tour, a walking tour that lasted a bit over two hours, and featured the use of EMF detectors, just like something out of Ghostbusters. Probably the best ghost tour I’ve ever been on, Jess told historically factual stories as she led us through the town, and out to the casino, where my EMF went off big time at a location I’d long had the sensation of believing haunted. Informative, fun, and adventurous, this is a must-do, and one that will “haunt” your memories for a long time: not kitsch, and all fun.

After another restful night to the sound of waves, we spent our last, partial day in Catalina on two activities: mini-golf and kombucha plus beer. Golf Gardens offers a 51-par course that includes an aligator statue and a water trap on an 18 hole course that has delighted generations. We had a lot of fun, and pars averaging around 70.

Last but not least, Flx Biergarten closed our trip. A bright outdoor spot with firepits, my partner chose a lavender kombucha while I stuck to Pilsner. We shared a large, fluffy, and freshly made soft pretzel that came with both queso and an excellent mustard.  The cheerful proprieters also offer hot links and hot dogs for those craving heartier fare. The biergarten would make a great spot to spend a long afternoon under its pleasant umbrellas or sparkling string lights. This brand new spot’s name recalls island history: Flx takes its name from ’50s-era Flxible buses that carried visitors on the streets of Avalon and along the island’s interior, a similar path to the other we traversed in our golf cart.

As for us, we boarded our return high-speed, smooth-sailing catamaran and headed to the Commodore Lounge for a cozy return trip to the mainland via Catalina Express.

Our sojurn Catalina dreamin’ passed all too fast, but we will be back – because summer, spring, winter or fall…the island will be there, my friends.

  • Genie Davis; photos by Genie Davis and Jack Burke 

 

Catalina Dreamin’ – On Such a Winter’s Day Part 1

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Catalina Dreamin’ – On Such a Winter’s Day Part 1 by Genie Davis

Any time is the right season to visit Catalina, Southern California’s own special island getaway. But while summer’s joys are approaching, bringing bathing suit weather and gentle waves, the quieter months that stretch between November and March are beautiful times to visit.

We had the pleasure of experiencing new and revamped favorite dining spots, our first ever golf-cart-ride into the hills, just-beginning to bloom gardens, a terrific kombucha and beer garden, and fine art exhibitions, still on-going at the Catalina Museum of Art and History.  We also enjoyed a spooky, EMF enhanced ghost tour and of course, no visit is complete without exploring the hauntingly lovely Casino.

Traveling to Catalina is a literal breeze – windswept outdoors or comfortably seated in the Commodore lounge indoors, an experience we enjoyed, Catalina Express is the way go from San Pedro, Long Beach, or Newport Beach to the island.

Founded in 1981 as a commuter service, Catalina Express operates eight vessels today, carying more than one million passengers annually. Four high speed catamarans offer the smooth gliding ride we took, crossing from Long Beach to Avalon in an hour and offering both comfortable indoor and outdoor seating. The Commodore Lounge is on the upper deck, with plush leather-trim airline-like seating, relaxing priority boarding and check-in, and beverage and snack service included. We had the top-of-the-line lounge experience, enjoying delightfully sparkling champagne with our crackers and cookies snacks, watching as our vessel sailed from past the fog shrouded Queen Mary.  As much as we enjoyed the romantically foggy views, when the fog cleared away, bright and sunny was perfect, too.

Once on the island, we checked in to the quiet, comfortable Catalina Island Inn. From our large 3rd floor room, we enjoyed a clear harbor view from our balcony. The step-in rain shower was also a delight, and staff was friendly and accommodating.

The boutique hotel’s mix of nautical and historical decor added to the relaxing ambiance. Also relaxing – the bed, with a terrific mattress, soft linens, and the sound of distant fog horns and gentle waves to lull us, we had a great night’s sleep in our spacious and peaceful room. Well-located just down the street from the Catalina Museum of Art and History, the hotel is convenient and easy to reach while being away from the sounds of nightlife directly along the waterfront. Having a balcony with a view was a special treat, and a fantastic first for us when visiting the island.

For lunch, we visited Descanso Beach Club, with its blissful beachside restaurant and bar – the only beachside restaurant in Avalon. The ocean view patio gave us a stellar view of gulls and pelicans in flight, boats bobbing picturesquely on the water, and of course, the ocean itself. We were seated on the deck, where we enjoyed the California Sushi Bowl with fresh-from-the-sea spicy poke, edamame, and avocado; and the Cilantro Grilled Swordfish sandwich, which came with a crisp but creamy slaw topping featuring red cabbage and pineapple. Fresh fish, a deliciously relaxing vibe, and two of the Descanso Beach Club specialty cocktail, the potent and tasty Descanso Destroyer featuring Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, Don Q 151, Amaretto, Grenadine, plus orange and pineapple.

While we could’ve lingered all day, it was time for the afternoon Catalina Casino VIP tour. High recommends for those visiting to enjoy the VIP experience. Not only do visitors get to see far more of the casino, including backstage green rooms, dressing rooms, and the Wrigley screening room, you’ll learn the inside story on the casino, which held many firsts over the years, including being constructed to show the then-innovative new film technique – movies with sound. And in the gorgeous upstairs ballroom, replete with cork flooring to insulate sound, you can see the stage where the King of Swing himself, Benny Goodman, once played. Outside the ballroom, the view was superb, even as the fog crept softly in again, and the ornate construction is a true jewel of architecture and California history.

After strolling around town enjoying both window shopping and the purchase of some Catalina-made soaps and candles as souvenirs, we had dinner at another Catalina tradition– The Lobster Trap.

This lively locals-favorite recently expanded its lively dining room, bright with a neon sign or two, and sporting fish-centric decor.  Everything’s fresh here: commercial fisherman Caleb Lins is the owner, and he brings in local fish caught form his own 40-foot boat. Our appetizer was from the land, not sea, however – a perfectly prepared steamed artichoke served with, of course, clarified butter for delightfully decadent dipping. But our main dishes were decidedly fresh from the sea: while I had a special, savory and tender sand dabs paired with asparagus and a baked potato; my dining partner opted for locally caught sea bass, one of his favorite fish, recommended by the venue’s friendly waitstaff.

Decamping to our room, the foggy night had cleared, making our balcony at the Catalina Island Inn the perfect spot for some stargazing.

All of this in one day — but we had a second full day on the island, and an additional half day – and we enjoyed even more adventures.  If you’d like to read more, all our second day and night fun will post right here, later this week.

We had a truly beautiful mix of sunshine and fog on our visit – and the end result of our beautiful stay was a refrence to yet another classic mellow rock song “Winter spring summer or fall, all you have to do is…” go visit Catalina, where you’ll always feel like “you’ve got a friend” in nature, fun adventures, and fine dining.

  • Genie Davis; photos: Genie Davis and Jack Burke

A Feast Fit For Any Holiday – Ocean Prime

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It started with oysters and Piper-Heidsieck in the late afternoon, and concluded with delightful desserts after sunset. Our dining experience at Ocean Prime earlier this month was a feast perfect for the holidays – or any day you feel like celebrating the joy of excellent food, letter-perfect service, and a setting that serves as a mini luxury vacation.

Located in the heart of Beverly Hills, Ocean Prime’s LA-area outpost offers a choice of an elegant indoor dining space and bar area bathed in honey-colored light, or an airy patio warmed by a row of fire pits and subtle overhead heat lamps. We chose the latter, in a quiet booth made more private by greenery behind and on the sides of our seats.

The restaurant’s October seafood month theme featured oysters. Ours were on the half shell,  and paired with the new Essentiel by Cameron Mitchell Champagne from Piper-Heidsieck.

The champagne features a glowing dark golden color, a fine bubble, and taste of pears, blackberry and honey. Piper-Heidsieck has only partnered with a handful of on-premise venues and sommeliers globally due to its unique creative processes, with Ocean Prime being one of those chosen. It is available at 17 of the 18 restaurant’s locations across the the U.S., including Beverly Hills.

While the oysters and champagne were perfect, as twilight rushed in and lit up our view of Wilshire Boulevard, we continued our experience with one of the terrific specials that the restaurant is offering. This was their multi-course early-bird dinner, available from 4-5:30. The choices are beautifully prepared, and we tried a variety of menu items, agreeing that each of our different selections were exceptional.

I began with one of the most nuanced of the copious number of Caesar salads I’ve had over the years. Yes, there was a lovely balance of crisp Romaine lettuce, flavorful brioche croutons, and best of all, a not-overbearing Parmesan garlic dressing.

My companion chose the lobster bisque, made with a rewarding amount of butter-poached lobster. A few spoons of the rich but surprisingly light broth was enough to convince me that the chef had us in good hands.

My main selection: sea scallops, plump, large, and juicy in a lively citrus vinaigrette. They were accompanied by a truly delicious Parmesan risotto studded with English peas that subtly combined a creamy texture with garden-fresh flavor.

My side was the truffle mac & cheese, which offered a variety of cheeses that afforded a compellingly earthy taste combined with the truffles – truly an amazing take on classic comfort food.

My dinner partner chose the eight-ounce filet, which she pronounced perfectly prepared to order with Cabernet jus. It rested on a gouda potato cake and chili-seared spinach.

Her side was the zesty jalapeno au gratin, a meal in itself.

Did we have take-homes? Yes. But that did not mean we forgot about dessert. The crowning finish to our prix fixe was a choice of five layer carrot cake or warm butter cake. I chose the latter, which came with a lovely berry compote and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

My dining partner picked the carrot cake, a personal favorite, well-topped and girded with an airy take on cream cheese frosting with a bonus of fragrant lemon curd on the side.

Beverages: we began with cocktails as elegant as the location. Mine was the Smoked Old Fashioned, a favorite drink of mine. Like Caesar salads, I’ve tried many over the years,  and this was a stand out. Crafted with Angel’s Envy rye whiskey, House Demerara syrup, angostura & orange bitters, and redolent with charred cherry wood smoke, it was exemplary. My companion chose a favorite of her own, the Hot & Dirty Martini. Olive oil invused Belevedere Vodka was matched with ripe Castelvetrano olives filled with Calabrian chili blue cheese. She pronounced hers letter-perfect, too. We finished with some house-brewed coffees.

There was only one thing that would have made the dining experience even better – making a return visit the next day. We will have to remedy that soon. Major kudos to executive chef Jonathan Milan and general manager Yurii Barajas.

Fine dining afficiandos take note, along with the exception early prix fixe menu, and of course a stellar regular menu, on Sunday evenings, a two-course Surf & Turf special is available, featuring a starter choice of French Onion soup, Caesar or house salad and a main course that combines the restaurant’s 8-ounce filet with a choice of three seafood entrees: Shrimp Scampi, the Oscar Styler with lump blue crab and bearnaise, or a lobster tail.

Foodies – come feast around and find out more about the terrific menus at Ocean Prime.

  • Genie Davis; photos by Genie Davis

 

 

 

High Octane, High Altitude: Adventure Parks in Sky Forest and Big Bear, California

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When you’re looking for some thrills, family fun, and high powered amusement, look higher – ascend from Interstate 10 up Highway 18 to Skyforest and then Big Bear Lake.

That’s right, it’s not all about skiing, snowboarding, and summer boating – it’s about wildly unique zip lines and coasters, adventures on outdoor climbing walls, archery, go karts and pedal cars.

If you’re wondering where to find these thrills, read on.

SkyPark at Santa’s Village

Located in Skyforest,  SkyPark at Santa’s Village takes an iconic attraction (the original Santa’s Village) and makes it new again – and packed with thrills.

Perhaps the most thrilling is the Adventure Zipline. Soaring 30 feet above the floor of the forest, and bringing riders excitingly – but safely – close to tree tops, riders are harnessed in to fly over the park, landing via another locked-in zipline to ground level again.  Our rider loved it, and felt what he described as “total delight” while skimming over the wooded landscape.

It’s a much tamer but equally charming ride through the forest at ground level on the Northwoods Express, a modernized version of a ride that kids and adults both loved at the original Santa’s Village. Electric powered and manned by the friendliest conductor around, the train takes guests on a leisurely ride through the meadowlands.

But back to those thrills: I’d never experienced archery before a visit to Princess Evergreen ‘s Archery Range. After a quick but smart lesson from one of the park’s Adventure Team members, guests retreat with a bow and set of arrows to individual outdoor booths to take aim at targets. While I wasn’t very good at reaching a bulls eye, it was a lot of fun tor try.  In close proximity to the archery range was the NorthWoods Sharpshooter Gallery, where again after a brief but knowledeable lesson, I took aim at a target or two and proved to msyelf I was better with my safety glasses and a BB than with a bow and arrow.  Both adventures are available for kids age 9 and above on their own, or ages 3-8 if accompanied by an adult at the shooting gallery, age 5 and up at the archery range.

Kids 12 and up are welcome to test out their throwing skills at King Celwyn’s Ax Challenge, where a small, light ax can be aimed at a target. While I mostly whacked into the wall below it, I was impressed with the safe caged throwing areas and my own ability to wield the ax.

All three of these attractions are a part of the Royal Games area located at the top of the park, near the zip line.

Any guest able to pedal and don the provided safety helmet is welcome to embark upon Arrow’s Adventure in a pedal car that zips on a lightly hilly route through an ice cave and over a wooden bridge. The leg pumping action boosted my adrenaline, as did a climb in the Magic Tree Bouldering Room.

It was time to take a delightfully serene break in the Chapel of the Little Shepherd, a charming, restored location originally built in 1955. With stained glass windows and quiet benches for contemplation, the diminuitive spot is also avilable for weddings.

SkyPark’s location is well known for it’s bike park and beautifully wooded trails which take riders on mountain bikes (available to rent, or bring your own) beneath pines on well-marked trails. Young riders can enjoy pump tracks; the trails are carefully groomed every day.

And while older kids and adults alike took the trails, little kids were also literally diggin’ the child-size Moutain Movers dirt excavators as well as frolicking over the Discovery Playscape playground.

When we visited, a Renaissance Fair was taking place at the park, with costumed vendors and a variety of arts, crafts, and clothing. The park frequently offers these kinds of “bonus” experiences, such as summer concerts, or the opportunity to experience fly fishing on the property.

Coming soon to Santa’s neck of the woods: the updated return of a classic aerial ride, the Bumble Bee.  Unlike the old motorized attraction, SkyPark has repurposed the monorail track to transport a bicycle pedal car allowing guests to travel a suspended 1,000-foot curving course from above.

And, if you visit as the SoCal winter season approaches, you’ll find more classics in Santa’s Village, whose candy-cane and gingerbread house structures offer food and beverages as well as a Santa’s Exploratorium workshop for kids all year ’round. Come the holidays, guests will experience live North Pole entertainment, and of course, a visit with Santa.  Holiday lights also sparkle twice nightly in Santa’s Village from mid-November through January 7th.

Summing up: SkyPark at Santa’s Village is terrific, experiential update of an historic location (yes, they kept the candy cane at the entrance.) The adventures are oriented toward nature and physical action that just about everyone in the family can enjoy in a natural setting.  According to owners Bill and Michelle Johnson, their reimagining of the park – which originally opened in 1955 -includes both the holiday seasonal magic and these spring-summer-early fall adventures from ziplining to mountain biking to an Outdoor Education and Enviornmental Education program.  Hours and dates vary by season, with day passes, three-day passes, and three levels of year-round passes available starting at $149. Day passes are $69 (ages 13+) and $59 (children ages 4-12/seniors.)

Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain

Alpine Slide Park, located at Big Bear’s Magic Mountain Recreation Area, is another classic, having celebrated its 40th year this July. Over the course of the park’s 40 years of mountain fun, multiple attractions were added according to Alpine Slide rep Lisa Orabuena, including a water slide in the summer and snow tubing in the winter,  the latter offering a “magic carpet”-like function that takes riders to the top of the tubing hill with no hiking.

The park provides Southern California’s only “authentic bobsled” experience in the eponymous Alpine Slide. A scenic chairlift ride begins the adventure, taking riders to the top for a view of Big Bear Lake, where they’re seated in their own, individually controlled sleds. The two quarter-mile long cement tracks feature both high banked turns and straightaways.  Because riders can control their own speed – with their own individual control handle braking – the fun is suitable for all ages. A five-ride pass is $40; individual rides are $9.

The park also offers its own zip line experience – a unique rocketing adventure called the Soaring Eagle. The ride is a two person, seated zip – which by no means makes it tame (the ride is for those 42″ or taller and is $12 per experience). Riders are mechanically pulled very rapidly backwards up some 100 vertical feet and 500 feet in length to reach the launch tower, from which they are then catapulted forward to reach the base platform at a windy 28 miles per hour.  Our rider loved the “total surprise” of the backwards thrust and the pulsing push forward again.
For those of us more attuned to ground level fun, the Go-Karts offer a delightfully long spin, a zooming mini-race car attraction featuring 5.5-horsepower Honda-motored racers.  The vroom-vroom excitement can be packaged along with my favorite adventure of all – mini-golf.

The 18 hole course includes several risky water traps, an appropriate (for the location) bear statue hazard, and many amusingly challenging curves and turns.  Admission for both is $22, but guests can also enjoy both attractions singly.

But the biggest and most unusual attraction of all is the Mineshaft Coaster.  Like the Alpine Slide, the experience is rider- controlled as to speed on the descent, but it is still a fast and furiously fun ride at any pace. The newest park attraction propels you past mountain greenery heading up the incline, and then you’re off on a descent that includes hairpin turns, tunnels and even a 360-degree corkscrew on your way down. The mountain coaster is the first and only one of its kind in the Golden State. So exciting is the ride – which can reach 30 m.p.h. as a top speed – that guests’ cars are equipped with video cameras to film riders’ reactions to the hurtling fun, providing a memory available for purchase after the screams and laughs reach the boarding station again.  Adults can ride for $20, and kids, with some height restrictions, for $10.

Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain also offers a snack bar with best sellers like ice cream, chicken fingers, and cheeseburgers. There are also a bevy of arcade games indoors for guests to decompress on after the thrills and winter chills or summer splashes of the great outdoors.

Summing up: There’s nothing quite like Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain. With two rider-controlled thrill rides, a sunny mountain setting, and the pure adrenaline rush of what must be the fastest moving zipline in the U.S., this amusement venue offers plenty of family fun that can be enjoyed for an entire day, or one ride at a time, any time.

Dank Donuts

In need of sustenance before or after the thrills? We discovered Dank Donuts, where delicious, airy vegan and/or gluten-free donuts are on hand for breakfast along with the more traditional variety of sweet doughy treats. There are maple bars, giant cinnamon buns, and cronuts, too. However, it’s not just the thrills and mountain air that makes these treats taste possibly superior to every other donut you’ve ever tasted – it is literally the altitude, according to owners. At close to 7000-feet high, Big Bear’s thinner air makes Dank’s donuts fluffier. They’re also hand cut, and come in a dazzling variety from sprinkles to glazed to chocolate to filled. There’s even a selection of doggie donuts for your best four-legged friend.

But it’s not all about the donuts and pastries. Breakfast and lunch sandwiches are served all day, and they are hearty, ample, and packed with both flavor and fresh ingredients. We sampled two different choices from the lunch menu: the Herbivore, my choice, was a juicy mix of hummus and avocado spread along with the vibrant punch of sundried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, cucumber, lettuces and microgreens on wheatberry bread. My partner enjoyed the spicy Wild Turkey, which offered chipotle dressing along with the tender turkey, capicola, and spicy Jack cheese on a Hoagie roll with mayo and salad fixings.

Dank Donuts offers shaded tables, a pink and aqua color scheme, and fast to-go service. It’s a great first stop before heading out to the thrills of Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain and the wild adventures of SkyPark at Santa’s Village.

We stayed at the delightful Sessions Retreat and Hotel, a completely revamped and reimagined resort located in Big Bear Lake, with fire pits, cool shared spaces, and funky but elegant design in a variety of rooms.

Think of the decor and charm as a reasonably priced luxury retreat combined with the aesthetic of the Meow Wolf art amusement collective. Don’t stay anywhere else.

  • Genie Davis, photos by Genie Davis