Things To Do on Catalina Island » Outdoors

Airport In The Sky

Josiah Keller — Thu, 22 May 2014 19:40:41 +0000

Catalina Island’s ‘Airport In The Sky’ is named as such, because it is very near the highest point on the island (it was originally named ‘Buffalo Springs Airport’). The airport is fairly centrally-located on the island, 1602 feet above sea level, and has a single runway stretching 3,250 feet, which was made by blasting away and leveling two peaks, and using the debris to fill in the spaces between.

When you think of an airport, you often think of delays, waiting, annoying security checks, and being grumpy—not a fun place to go on your vacation—but at the Airport In The Sky, it’s a bit different. For one thing, it’s a small airport, without any commercial jets. In fact, if you want to fly in you’ll probably need to own or hire a private plane.

There’s more to the airport than just landing and taking off though, and those other things are what makes the Airport In The Sky such a great place. Each month the Catalina Aero Club hosts a fly-in, which is a fun chance to see a variety of planes, including some historic ones, and talk with pilots & flying enthusiasts. DC-3 Gifts & Grill is most splendid, and more than enough reason to visit the airport. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating, serves breakfast and lunch daily, with a menu including buffalo tacos, and some of the very best burgers you’ll ever taste. During the summer, join them for a barbeque. At the shop you’ll find commemorative clothing, knick-knacks, books about Catalina, buffalo jerky, and DC-3’s world famous chocolate chip cookies!

You can get up to the airport by a variety of different methods: hiking, bicycling, taking a shuttle bus, or some other tour vehicle. It’s a little over nine miles to the airport from both Avalon and Twin Harbors, which would be a fairly long walk. Some people recommend taking a ride to the airport, and then hiking around up there, as you are given a spectacular view of the land from up on the highest point.

One other highlight of the airport that you mustn’t miss is the Nature Center. The exhibits there educate about the Island’s ecology and history. There is a history timeline, with life-sized cutouts of the sorts of people that have lived on the island throughout its long history, from the native Tongva people, to cowboys, and beyond. There is a giant wildlife mural by Eve Templeton, and an impressive 40′ x 28′ tile map of Catalina Island.

The Airport In The Sky is a fun place with a variety of attractions, ranging from food to airplanes, to hiking. If you like any of those things, you’ll definitely enjoy a visit.

Ride a glass-bottomed boat

Josiah Keller — Wed, 21 May 2014 05:03:33 +0000

It’s rare that you get to come face-to-face with a fish in the wild. When you see one, it’s usually in a fishbowl or on your plate for dinner. Even if you visit an aquarium, the fish you see are captive, not wild and free. But when you visit Catalina Island, you can have a whole new experience: seeing real, live, wild fish through the bottom of a boat! In an ordinary canoe or row boat, you really can’t see down into the water very well, and there typically aren’t that many fish around, even if you could. The construction of the glass-bottomed boats however, allows you to easily see into the clear blue water, and the Lover’s Cove Marine Preserve is teaming with fish: bat rays, opaleye, striped bass, and the bright orange garibaldi, just to name a few.

There are three main outfits that offer glass-bottomed boat tours:

CatalinaTours.net has 45 minute long tours every day of the week save for Tuesday. Guides aid you in identifying the different types of fish, and you can feed the fish for an additional charge. Tickets are $21.95 for adults & $16.95 for children. There is an additional $6.95 processing fee per order. Reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance.

CatalinaAdventureTours.com offers a tour that is also lasts 45 minutes, and has similar perks. Tours happen daily, and cost $18 for adults, and $14 for children. Register online, and get $2 off each ticket (reservations must be made 24 hours in advance).

VisitCatalinaIsland.com has 40 minute tours at 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, and 2:30 pm every day, year-round. Adults are $15, children are $13. Not only do they have incredible prices, they also offer an experience like no other: night trips. With advanced registration you can charter a ride that will let you tour the sea during the night, with the aid of underwater lighting. Different fish swim around at different times of day, so the night tour will give you a completely different experience. For more information, you can call them at 800-626-1496.

For $25, you can rent a glass-bottomed kayak from CatalinaKayaks.com, and see the swarms of fish in peace and quiet, all by yourself.

No matter which route you take, you shouldn’t be disappointed, as you have a fun experience like you’ve never done before.

Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Gardens

Josiah Keller — Fri, 02 May 2014 12:08:55 +0000

In the year 1919, William Wrigley Jr. bought most of Catalina Island with the riches he’d accumulated from his chewing gum empire. Upon his death, William was entombed at a grand memorial constructed under the authority of his wife, Ada. The memorial stands 130 feet tall, 180 feet long, and 232 feet wide, with a tower, spiral staircase, and was constructed almost entirely of materials from the island.

Around the memorial lies 38 acres of botanical gardens, with a broad array of different species & varieties, and a special emphasis on plants endemic to the California isles—those found nowhere else in the world. These include such plants as Catalina Live-Forever, St. Catherine’s Lace, and Catalina Mahogany, among others. The Desert Plant Collection is the oldest on the island, and was established by Ada Wrigley herself. The garden is a great attraction on its own, but it is also the beginning of the Garden to Sky hike.

You can get to the gardens by a 30-minute walk from downtown Avalon, or take a golf cart or bicycle, or ride the Catalina Trolley. You can visit the garden any time from 8 am–5 pm, except for on major holidays. Admission is $7 for adults and $3 for children. Click here for more information.