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