2 Best Sights in Orange County and Catalina Island, California

Wildlife lovers and bird-watchers flock to Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, which has more than 1,300 acres of salty marshland home to 200 different bird species—including great blue herons, snowy and great egrets, and brown pelicans. Throughout the reserve are easy-to-walk trails for bird-watching along a 1½-mile loop. There are two entrances off the Pacific Coast Highway: one close to the Interpretive Center and a second 1 mile south on Warner Avenue, opposite Bolsa Chica State Beach. Each parking lot connects to 4 miles of walking and hiking trails with scenic overlooks.

The crystal clear waters of the Casino Point Dive Park are home to protected marine life. This is where moray eels, bat rays, spiny lobsters, harbor seals, and brilliant orange garibaldi (California's state marine fish) cruise around kelp forests and along the sandy bottom. It's a terrific site for scuba diving, with some shallow areas suitable for snorkeling. Equipment can be rented on-site next to the world-famous Catalina Casino. Water temperature ranges in the low 70s during the summer, with September to mid-October being the warmest. Glass-bottom-boat tours and a submarine tour take guests to the shallow waters of Lover's Cove, across the harbor, another spot filled with marine life.