JellisonLeader131
If you are like many people who live or even visit to Los Angeles, a period will come when you might just would like to get away from the madding crowd. When the urge to flee that massive city arrives some people head for the tranquility from the Santa Monica or San Gabriel mountains. Others drive a bit farther to enjoy some desert solitude. But still other people in that situation say "anchors aweigh" and strike out over the Gulf of mexico. There's no finer side trip from La than setting sail for any excursion or a weekend getaway to nearby Santa Catalina Island.
Less than 25 miles offshore, Catalina Island is a component of mostly-hectic La County. But notwithstanding its political jurisdiction, Catalina is really a world on its own. The majority of of the island is a member of the Catalina Conservancy, and it is environment is highly protected.
Catalina is really a small but historic and environmentally significant Southern California island. Tourists from La and beyond happen to be coming to Catalina Island since before the turn from the Twentieth century, but through the years its isolation helps to preserve and protect its magnificent natural beauty. There are just three ways to get to Catalina -- on a private ship or boat, on the ferry or by air - and cars are restricted. As a result, today Catalina greets its tourists in much the same way as it did in yesteryear.
There's nothing like a little time on a small (although not deserted) island to soothe the soul and quiet the mind. As an asylum in the hubbub of La, Catalina is almost beyond compare. Avalon and Two Harbors would be the island's two population centers. Both offer amenities to visitors, but no one in his right mind would ever call either one of them a town.
Most visitors tour the island on foot, but bicycles and golf carts easily can be rented if you prefer not to walk. Cars are restricted, therefore the permissible island modes of transportation give a refreshing vary from Los Angeles traffic jams. Full-service resort hotels and vacation home rentals offer a number of accommodation around the island. Many hotels and rental villas are oceanside or offer views of Avalon Harbor or Hamilton Cove. Dining options include seafood obviously, but the island's restaurants also feature indoor and alfresco fine dining, steaks and ribs, Italian dishes, pizza, Mexican food and good old-fashioned home-style cooking.
Catalina Island is a small place but there are many items to occupy vacationers. The Art Deco Casino is a notable Catalina landmark located on Avalon Beach. A popular tourist attraction, this tall structure features the earth's largest circular ballroom, a sizable cinema and the interesting Catalina Island Museum which preserves the island's cultural heritage through its many exhibits. Semi-submarine and glass bottom boat tours take vacationers offshore to enable them to begin to see the marine life, reefs and shipwrecks through the island's superior waters. Diving, snorkeling, fishing, biking, hiking, eco-tours and golf will also be popular vacation pastimes, and two beaches around the island offer good surfing. And Avalon includes a pedestrian walkway lined with quaint shops, charming boutiques and galleries for individuals who love shopping. But instead of taking advantage of these offerings, lots of people prefer to just take it easy on one of Catalina's idyllic beaches.
Catalina Island is definitely an oasis within the ocean, a haven just off the coast of Los angeles. A place where people can enjoy warm clear waters inside a friendly Mediterranean-style setting. Catalina Island could be anything you want it to be. Relaxing or adventurous, it can be romantic but it's also the perfect getaway if you are traveling alone.
