Visiting Catalina island July. 14th week

[Indyjj]

We are heading to long beach for the week of July 14th for my wife's business trip. So my son and I will have to find something to do during the days while she is at work. We will be staying in long beach mon-wed night through her work. We will need to find a place to stay thurs and fri. She mentioned staying on the Queen Mary or finding a place to stay on the Catalina island.
Any suggestions? We have never been to the west coast so getting excited to see the pacific.


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[mmcguire2002]

Plenty if hotels in Avalon. Only one in two harbors. There is a ferry and a helicopter which leave out of long beach.

 

[2000SR380]

My wife and I stayed at the St Lauren a few years ago, and it was very nice. Old school. Transports you back in time, but the rooms were clean and the service was good. View from the deck was incredible. There are many choices as Michael pointed out and there is are a couple of Catalina visitors web sites (http://www.catalinainfo.com/hotels-on-catalina-island.html). We enjoyed the ferry ride and I took along my hand-held GPS. I enjoyed walking around the island, and we found some decent restaurants. I am sure the Queen Mary would be awesome as well. Never been on it. Sailed past it a few times in our Catalina 36 (we are pretty recent dark sider's). This is my first SR forum post.

 

[Dsybok]

Queen Mary is neat for a night or two, but the ship itself is getting a little threadbare. Still if you have never done it, it is pretty cool, make sure you get a drink in the art deco bar forward and by all means do the all self guided tours of the machinery spaces and prop room and wander the ship as much as you can.

Catalina has come way up with regards to standards of hotels and eateries. Its no longer just a couple souvenier shops on the dusty boardwalk with a beat up B&B, there are some quality places to stay and adequate amount of things to do for a two day trip. There is now a zipline tour, you can rent golf carts and tour the town on your own, there are the usual glass bottom boats/submarine tours of the kelp beds and protected fish areas. There is a small 9 hole golf course also. Most everything can be walked or the aforementioned golf cart rentals are cheap and fun.

If it is on a Friday or weekend, Catalina in the summer is a zoo, so it depends on whether you find that appealing or unappealing. I personally like it when it is quiet, so I don't go on a summer weekend, but everyone has different tastes. We dock just across from the Queen Mary, downtown LB should have enough to keep you busy as well.