Travel to Your Decade of Choice on This California Island

If you’ve come to Catalina for an escape from the moment, but not necessarily the era, you’ll find plenty of modern amenities and activities to satisfy your cutting-edge cravings.

Undersea Expedition offers all the fun of scuba diving without any of the cold, wet hassle: float five feet under water in a spacious, climate-controlled cabin. Now that is some present-day luxury. Each passenger has a seat and porthole to watch the variety of sea life: bright orange garibaldi, spotted calico bass, urchins, rockfish, bat rays, and more. Feeling a bit claustrophobic? There are glass bottom boat tours available if you prefer to stay above the waves.

Grab some beach time at the Descano Beach Club, where you can be as chill as you want in available cabanas and lounge chairs. Looking for something more active? Hit up Descanso Beach Ocean Sports for kayak and canoe rentals. On Saturdays and Sundays during the summer, there’s even musical entertainment: a DJ and a live performance, respectively. The seaside restaurant means you never have to leave the sand.

Tasty modern cuisine is traditionally California at Avalon Grille: seasonal, local, and with a heavy wine pour. Dig into fried Brussels sprouts and fresh calamari before getting serious on eggplant confit and buffalo short ribs. Don’t slow down on the champagne–it compliments every offering on rotation from the soup du jour to the seasonal pumpkin pie.

If you’re looking for stylish, laid-back accommodations, Pavillion Hotel has you covered:  a hot, mostly made-to-order continental breakfast, complimentary wine and cheese around the fireplace every night, cozy lounge chairs for reading in the courtyard, and fully stocked rooms with plush linens.

Classic rock-esque groovy vibes abound on more than 62 miles of Catalina’s rugged landscape–lean in to the peace and love spirit in all of nature’s glory.

Search for bison, foxes, squirrels, mice, and shrews, and scan the skies for at least 37 types of birds on East End Adventure Island Tours. In an open-air four-wheel-drive vehicle, you’ll rumble over the island interior, giving you beautiful views from coast to coast and everything in between. Other beautiful places to peep the natural wonders include the Wrigley Botanical Gardens, or from a sea kayak or helicopter ride.

Stop by and immediately join The Lobster Trap family, where they feed you as if you’re such. This is the spot for a casual evening filled with classic rock and sports-and-drinking ambiance; the food is fresh from the sea and then fried. It’s the perfect starter to your night of bar hopping down Crescent Avenue. Hit El Galleon, barely half a mile away, for after dinner drinks and karaoke.

Keep it homey in a literal home: book a vacation rental with Catalina Island Vacation Rentals and bring the whole family for spring break, invite your best girlfriends for a weekend getaway, or host the gang’s high school reunion.

Colorful cottages line the practically car-less streets of Catalina Island (really, cars are no longer allowed, and golf carts are the main mode of transport), and meander through mom-and-pop shops where locals immediately introduce themselves and make it a note to remember your name. Is this America, or Americana?

Some rentals and villas come with golf carts in their amenity packages, but you don’t really need a golf cart to get around town. It’s best for a tour of the vistas, but there’s no business you can’t get to by walking. Golf carts are more of a source of entertainment than transportation, so if you don’t plan on hauling groceries up the mountain daily, get your fill in just two hours with Catalina Golf Cart Rentals (they also have segways). Finish up with a rousing game of mini golf at Catalina Island’s Golf Gardens.

There are unbelievably good sweet treats on this island. Get your sugar fix at Lloyd’s confectionery, where you can stock up on fudge and salt water taffy, or try some homemade ice cream at Scoops–we recommend the pistachio.

Hotel Vista Del Mar offers charming accommodations with cozy twists: besides the complimentary breakfast each morning there’s an offering of milk and cookies every night along with a library of movies to snuggle up with.

It’s fitting to have such a tribute to the silver screen era, as Catalina was not only a former getaway for 1920s and ’30s stars such a Clark Gable, but the island itself served as film location for dozens of movies in its time.

The grandest building on the island pays homage to its silver screen start: the Catalina Casino, which is actually a movie theater, ballroom, and museum. The first movie theater to be designed for films with sound, it seats more than 1,100 viewers. Stop by most nights at 7:30 to see whatever’s playing–the organ playing preshow is worth the price of admission alone.

Vamp up your relaxation at Island Spa Catalina in a soaking pool or jacuzzi, and grab a massage or facial–after all, you’re worth it, dahling.

Do not miss incredible Mt. Ada, the sophisticated bed and breakfast that once served as the summer home to William Wrigley Jr. (of Wrigley field and gum) and his wife. With only six guest rooms and a lower level that includes a patioed restaurant and two full fireplaces, this is easily the chicest, most private property on the island. Our favorite bonus amenity: raid the complimentary Butler’s Pantry, stocked with fresh fruit, mixed nuts, soft drinks, beer and wine, ice cream sundaes, popcorn, coffee, teas, and cocoa.