Pildredge

Thanks in advance for any info.
My wife and I will take a trip here soon and would like to know what this island is like, food, lodging, people, arts, activities, do's and don't's and anything else we could glean from the folks at Fodors! Thanks, Pildredge.

TahitiTams

I love Catalina and the town of Avalon is so quaint and lovely but if you are going after November, things seem to shut down till summer..
Jazz festival is this week which is huge and always a blast..
I would go in the summer where its vibrant and the water is so blue and clear and go snorkeling, have lunch at Eric's on the pier, hiking and just having fun.

visitcatalinaisland.com

FainaAgain

I was there before the fire, so don't know if any changes, and only for a day off the cruise.

Very nice island, walkable, or you can rent golf carts to move around. Also there is a small square where you can get a bus tour.

MBnancy

We like to stay at the Pavilion Hotel, just a few feet from the water in Avalon, in the middle of town. Check out this site for more information on Catalina.

http://www.visitcatalinaisland.com/

Have fun.

Pildredge

Thanks, we are going soon but not sure when. are there alot of snobs there?
Someone told me this.

TahitiTams

LOL...Snobs?
Avalon is a different animal that doesn't allow for any snobbish behavoir whatsoever!

moneygirl

Its hard to view people as snobs or take them too seriously when they're driving golf carts around town!

Have a wonderful time!

trippinkpj

It has a fun "stuck in the 50's" mini golf course. In fact the town of Avalon reminds me of CA beach towns in the 50's/ 60's. I've only been there on day trips and would like to stay over sometime.

mlgb

Most of the snobs are around Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, you should be okay.

MBnancy

"Most of the snobs are around Santa Monica and Beverly Hills"

Pildredge

We went to Catalina a few days ago. We took the Cat boat out of Long Beach where we stayed at
the Long Beach Hilton. We paid a taxi in Avalon to go to our hotel, we didn't know we could have walked there.
We stayed at the Hotel Metropole and liked it very much. We rented the golf cart to tour the inhabited part of the island.
We ate dinner at the Blue Parrot and liked it also.
On the Cat boat back, we payed the upgrade of $10 ea. and we were the only ones to ride upstairs in the enclosed section, thusly the captain allowed me into the wheelhouse (Homeland security frowns on this apparently). This was the highlight of my trip to Catalina.
Pildredge.

TahitiTams

Glad you had a great time in Avalon..it's a great quaint town.
The good ol' upgrade on the Catalina Express..they are a good group of people.
Hotel Metropole is an excellent hotel in the heart of Avalon and had many a mai tai's at the Blue Parrot..

P_M

I like Catalina very much and I am NOT a snob to anyone. I just hate people who go around acting superior to others. It makes it so much harder for those of us who really are.