Catalina Island Itinerary Day 2
I’ve put together an itinerary of an awesome Catalina Island Vacation. You can find Day 1 here. This will discuss my Catalina Island Itinerary for Day 2. Some of this content can be found on other pages of this guide, but I’ve added tips and tricks, and detailed some considerations on the timing and order of activities. I hope you enjoy!
Day 2: Active and Exploring
Start with Catalina Coffee and Cookie
This place is right around the corner from our favorite hotel, and when you are not in the mood for the full on breakfast available at Country Jacks, this is a nice alternative. They have really enthusiastic young people working the counter, handing out punch loyalty cards, and upselling little cookie pastries so pleasantly that it’s not even annoying. They sell fully customized breakfast sandwiches that you order by selecting check boxes on an index card, vegan and vegetarian options and everything. I always lose the punch cards but I eat here all the time.
Next Go Hiking or Take a Fitness Class
Garden to Sky Hike
In order to get to the Trailhead to the Garden to the Sky Hike you first have to trek it up to the Wrigley Gardens, which by itself is 1.7 miles from the shore. Don’t forget to bring plenty of water! I’d bring 1.5-2L of water per person for this hike. You’ll find a very picturesque tower, as well as a marking of the original gravesite of Mr. Wrigley.
The Garden is actually much more than a modest “walking” destination. It was the idea of Mr Wrigley’s wife Ada. A horticulturalist named Albert Conrad began the work and the collection which has now grown to showcase plants from around the world.
In order to go from the Garden to the Sky, you have to continue ascending. The official Hike is 2.8 miles, with 730ft elevation gain, but the Hike starts at Wrigley Botanical Garden, so you will have to add that round trip in as well. From the Beach to the Garden to the Sky hike will be a round trip of 6.4 miles, hence my recommendation for extra water.
Eat Lunch
The Sandtrap
This little bar is far away but now you are already here! You walk right past it on the way to and from the Wrigley Garden. It’s got a charming (cheap) quality to it. Of course, the first time I stumbled upon this place I was already deep into my day drinking so it has a nostalgic value for me too. The tacos are small but they are super cheap, like 1$ each, and happy hour is always popping off. I have also eaten breakfast here before taking off on a hike.
Go Shopping
Let your stomach settle and it’s time for Souvenirs. There are quite a few cute stores along the boardwalk of Catalina. You can buy beachwear, sandals, Hawaiian shirts, coffee mugs, Fishy ocean-themed home decorations, jewelry, and bath and body products.
Island Threadz
This is a really cute store, and it’s even been recently renovated. One of my favorite pieces of jewelry was purchased on Catalina, a small necklace shaped like the island with a blue stone and a little crystal representation of two harbors.
Get Some Culture
Catalina Island Museum
While I find the admission price of $17 to be quite steep, I can never pass up a museum. It was recently expanded, relocated, and there seems to be a push to add fun cultural events and attract new talent and exhibitions. Check out the schedule before you go.
Last Chance for Adventures
Parasailing
This one is my all time favorite, and I just noticed that it’s free on your birthday when you fly tandom with someone who purchases a full price ticket. This is a must do. It’s thrilling—but more than that—it is so peaceful. The lift off and the landing are the only burst of activity and adrenaline. Once you start floating over the ocean on an extending rope, you realize how quiet it is. You forget that you are suspended in a big old kite. It’s so beautiful! You can see the whole island and the skyline in this surreal windy sky and it’s just–a moment that is impossible to describe. It’s about $65-80 per person, and you should go as a pair.
Happy Hour
The Marlin Club
The Marlin Club has a Bright turquoise exterior, and has bar that’s shaped like a the bow of a boat. It’s famous, and it has a vibe that has seen some shit. And that energetic redhead requesting “In Your Room” by Depeche Mode on the digital DJ is definitely me!
The Marlin Club is many things; I’ve had an entirely different experience every time I’ve been in there. For example, The first time I entered was in the middle of the day, where a local young woman was having a baby shower. I crashed the party, donated to the diaper bag, and get to eat donated finger food and casseroles. The second time I was at the Marlin Club I was alone because I was spending my birthday on Catalina during the rainy dreary month of January. There was hardly a tourist on the island, and the one’s who were present were from Germany.
I’ve also done Jello shots with college students, and had more tame experiences, where the drinks didn’t seem strong enough and the “vibe” wasn’t popping that day.
Altogether though, the drinks are usually awesome, the bar tenders are chill, and it’s mostly got good and energetic crowd. You can also get wasted at this bar and argue with people while Elton John and Billy Joel and Radiohead blast on that Digital DJ that you always see in bars.
Eat Dinner with the Locals
The Lobster Trap
If you pathologically insist on asking everyone you meet on Catalina, “what do the locals do, what do the locals like?” People will tell you that the locals eat at the Lobster Trap, and congregate here when they are off work. I don’t know how much I believe it anymore—because there’s an eerie consensus. That’s what everybody says. I think it’s a conspiracy.
They do have decent seafood, and a funky décor with a second floor that I think also looks like a ship. I almost always order the individual tacos which are $4-8 dollars a piece depending on the fish that you choose. Fish and Chips is also fun if you have an appetite for fried food. This is a great option if you are looking for a less expensive date night.
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