We love day trips! Who doesn’t? You get to travel, far enough from home that it feels exciting but still close enough to home that you can be back in your bed by night fall! It’s the perfect balance for the traveler with toddler twins =) Last week we headed out to Catalina Island for a day trip! We partnered up with Catalina Island Company to highlight how easy and fun a daytrip to the island is! I had never visited Catalina so I was super excited to share the experience with the babes. Easton has been obsessed with ocean life lately and the island is all about that ocean adventure, needless to say, he was in his own little heaven on Catalina Island.
ADVENTURES ON CATALINA ISLAND
We started the morning with a short, 1.5 hour drive up to Newport Beach where we caught the ferry to the island. I packed up our breakfast and woke the kids up early to do the drive so we wouldn’t get stuck in too much traffic. It worked out so well and we had enough time to grab coffee once we arrived in Newport Beach. I decided to bring the stroller along since it was just myself and the kids, this was a GREAT idea! I strapped the kids down to load the ferry, which made it so easy to board and I didn’t have to worry about them getting lost in the boarding shuffle.
Once we were on the ferry, it was pretty much smooth sailing! The babes had the best time spotting dolphins and watching birds. My biggest tip here would be to get to the ferry early! The line gets long and people get a little crazy when finding seats. We were lucky enough to find 3 seats together but it was a little bit of a struggle. Also, sit outside and in the back of the boat, especially if you’re prone to getting sea sick. They do serve drinks on the ferry but it is a cash bar only so be prepared and bring snacks for the littles! We ate our way through the 45 minute ferry ride which helped pass the time!
Once we got on the island, everything was right at our fingertips! We spent the day exploring Avalon. It’s so central that we didn’t have any trouble getting around by foot! The one thing I would recommend, is to take a stroller that is all terrain. The main walkway is cobblestone/brick and there were many times I pushed through sand or dirt and up hills while exploring!
Our first stop was Descanso Beach Club! It was amazing! I highly recommend drinks and lunch here but if you have a few hours, stay and play! Spring for the cabana so you have a place to put your stuff while you roam the property and play at the beach. The staff was so accommodating and sweet! The babes played in the sand while I relaxed on a lounge chair and Easton even came over and took a little nap with me! It was the sweetest ever!
We missed our first scheduled adventure, the Cyclone Seal Rock Safari, because the island suffered a short power outage and then we had mini golf scheduled but because the babes were having so much fun at the beach club, I opted to stay and spend more time there! We left the beach club and explored a little on our way back to the Pier to catch our next adventure!Everly spotted a few “mermaids” and she claims she even saw a Unicorn… I told y’all, this island is pure magic!
I’m not sure who was more excited about Undersea Expedition, myself or Easton. I think I was just so excited to see his reaction. He has been enamored with sea-life creatures lately! I was worried he would be disappointed because his one request was to see a shark, which I was sure we wouldn’t see (thankfully we didn’t) but he didn’t care one bit, he was so excited about all the other sea creatures he spotted!
We headed to the ferry after our Undersea Expedition and made the trip back home. We sat on the top deck and enjoyed dolphin spotting and the sun on our faces! Easton was pretty spent from the day so the boat ride back was pretty mellow! My plan was to stop at Chick-Fil-A on our way home for dinner but the babes fell asleep before we even exited the Ferry parking lot. My silent drive home was sheer bliss and gave me so much time to reflect on our fun day!
We had the best time spending the day on Catalina and I would highly recommend it as a day trip! We will absolutely be heading back to the island for more family adventures and pretty pictures! I just couldn’t get enough of the vibes on this island and how far away we felt from reality… even though we were only a boat ride away!
- Brandi
