Catalina Island
I am so, so excited to share my recent trip to Catalina Island with you. I have to admit, there are times on my blog when I say I am excited, and I am really not. ha! I am a person who has bad days just like anyone else, but I try to stay positive on here. In this case, however, I am truly over the moon excited to share my experience on Catalina Island. I have lived in Orange County for over 10 years, and this was my first time in Catalina. Yes, there is something wrong with that picture. There are a few ports in O.C. that have ferry rides that take you to Catalina in a little over an hour. I purchased the ferry tickets through a Groupon for half the price so if you can snag that deal, that’s the way to go!
My friend/ photographer Taylor Cole went with me, and we decided to go for a quick day trip. We took the ferry out of Newport Harbor which leaves at 9:30 a.m. and then leaves Catalina at 4:30 p.m. Taylor has been to Catalina Island over a dozen times so I was lucky to have her with me. If I had known the ferry ride was going to be the experience that it was, I would never have asked her to go with me. I will spare the gory details, but it was basically barf-fest 2016 (not for Taylor or me personally, but it seemed like almost one person out of every party surrounding us had someone that was sick). When I made the ferry reservations, I asked the lady if seasickness was a problem and she brushed it off saying that I would be fine and that I could take anti-nausea medication 2 hours before as a precaution if I was nervous. I had planned on doing exactly that because frankly I am a big scaredy cat. I rarely throw up, but when I do I cry. In the end I decided not to take anything. I knew we would be taking pictures and didn’t want to look or feel groggy. About a half hour into the ferry ride, people started dropping off like flies and it was w-i-l-d. I was really nervous because I had no idea if I have a tendency to get seasick. As you can tell I have a lot to say about this, so I must be a little traumatized still. haha! I would say that’s the only drawback of Catalina. Getting there! I think the only other way is by helicopter and yep I am scared of that too! 😉 I must say the ride back from Catalina was a breeze- it was smoother and we sat outside which helped.
The stunning view that welcomed us when we got off the ferry. And it was worth the ride.
We checked into our suite at the Hotel Metropole who was so kind to allow us to use a room for a day. I am pretty certain that most hotels on Catalina Island (including this one) require a two night minimum so make sure and check. The view from our balcony was nothing short of stunning. If you want a view, this is your hotel. There was both a fireplace and a jacuzzi bathtub in the room which are two of my favorite things.
After we settled into our room, we walked about a block down for lunch at the Bluewater Avalon. Great food and views, you definitely want to catch a meal there! Taylor and I both ordered the same thing- chopped salad with shrimp and avocado. YUM
After lunch, we popped in our golf cart… the island is 22 miles long so a golf cart is the way to travel. We drove over to the Descanso Beach Club, and I saw some of the most amazing views I have ever seen. I felt like I was in a different country. And the best part, there weren’t a lot of people around. It was beyond gorgeous, and I am itching to go back!
Crocheted Kimono c/o
Taylor insisted that I order the “Destroyer” cocktail
Take me back.
I loved the Descanso Beach Club. You can rent cabanas or lounge chairs, and that is my kind of vacation. I will be honest that a day trip to Catalina goes super quick. We literally drove around in our golf cart checking out different parts of the island and snapping pics (see some of those pics here). The ferry leaves Catalina at 4:30, but people were already lining up before 4:00. Long story short is, an overnight trip to Catalina is the way to go.
Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!!!
XO, Missy
Photos by Taylor Cole.
