Tanama Tales

California Travel and Lifestyle Blog

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Destinations
    • Los Angeles
    • San Diego
    • Orange County
    • Santa Barbara
    • Ventura
    • San Luis Obispo
    • Santa Cruz
    • San Francisco
    • Monterey
    • Big Sur
    • Eastern Sierra
    • Yosemite
  • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / Blog / Catalina Island from the Top

Blog California Los Angeles USA

Catalina Island from the Top

I want to finish telling you about my adventures at Catalina Island before I forget.

I already told you about my walking tour around Avalon, the main town on the island.  Plus, I described my visit to the hidden castle and the magical garden (also known as Avalon Botanical Gardens).

The most exciting part of the day came right after we left the Botanical Garden.  Turns out the island has a preferred transportation mode.  Or may I say, visitors have a preferred mode of transportation.  No, I am not referring to hiring a car.  Because who wants to spend that kind of money on a cheap family holiday or on a quick romantic getaway. (remember that day the town was full of visitors from the cruise).  Anyway, a car seems too big for this speck of land.  So, people rent golf carts to circle the island.

As I mentioned in the previous post, we decided to do our own thing that day.  But I guess there was something else prepared for us.  As we were walking back to Avalon, a couple in a golf cart stopped and asked us if we wanted a ride.  We asked them if they were going to town and they replied: “No, we are circling the island.  Jump into the car and ride with us”.  My husband and I looked at each other.  Our eyes were wide big.  “Why not?”, we seemed to say without words.  So, we got into the golf cart and there we went!!

The couple driving the car was awesome.  They were from Utah and came in the cruise too.  We talked and laughed a lot.  It was a cool and fun ride!!

We made several stops in order to admire the beauty of the island.  We took a panoramic route which passes thru high passes in the mountains.  Let me tell you something.  Avalon is extremely pretty.  The botanical gardens are full of wonders.  But the views from the top, ahhhhh, the views from the top.  Don’t get fooled, this island is blessed with absolutely gorgeous beauty.  Take a look below and witness it by yourself.

While we were going up, we spotted a deer eating grass.  He got scared and went into hiding.  Good way to start our ride.

Deer hiding

It was good to take a look at Avalon Canyon (the road that takes you to the Botanical Gardens passes thru the canyon) from the top.  Unbelievable to think we were walking there a couple of minutes before.

Avalon Canyon seen from the top

As you may imagine, Catalina is a playground for those with vast quantities of money.  We passed several mansions and resorts on our little golf cart.

Nice houses in the island

These are views of Avalon harbor and city from a high point.  Take a look at our neat cruise (like we own it).  These are the views that took my breath away.

Perfect photo of Avalon from the top

Another photo of Avalon from the top

Us posing in front of the wonderful view

A little bit ahead, we stopped to take a look at the people zip lining in one of the island canyons.  Well, we didn’t know the zip line was on our way.  We heard people screaming and, well, we wanted to see what was happening.  I was able to take a picture of a young girl preparing to ride.

Preparing to fly in the zipline

And here it goes!!

This concludes the narration of my adventures in Avalon.  Hope to visit soon the beloved island!

Have you experienced Catalina Island from the top?

View of the sea and the ship from the top

Related posts:

Grand Central Market, Download Los Angeles, CaliforniaGrand Central Market, Los Angeles Close up to El MatadorEl Matador Beach: Big Boulders and Sea Arches Colorful cliffs and turquoise water at Bluff Cove, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Los AngelesPalos Verdes Hikes and Trails: Secret Los Angeles Burrata toast with prosciutto, Tower 12, Hemrosa Beach Restaurants, CaliforniaHermosa Beach Restaurants: What and Where to Eat


22 Comments

« Pudong: The Futuristic Side Of Shanghai
20 Bloggers Advice on How to Make Travel a Reality »

Comments

  1. Christopher says

    September 15, 2011 at 10:35 pm

    I went to Catalina Island 20 years ago, but I’ve experienced more through your pictures than I did then.

    Reply
    • Ruth says

      September 16, 2011 at 8:36 pm

      Christopher,
      You comment makes me really happy. It is my pleasure to help you experience a place thru pictures and words. Hope you feel the same with other posts.

      Reply
  2. Shirlene from Idelish says

    September 15, 2011 at 11:18 pm

    I’ve only recently learnt about Catalina island from a few posts within the travel community. So unfortunately, we have not yet experienced Catalina! Can’t wait to visit one day!

    Reply
    • Ruth says

      September 16, 2011 at 8:35 pm

      Good you guys learn about it thru blogs. It is definetly a must visit if you are looking for something different in the Los Angeles area.

      Reply
  3. Annie - FootTracker says

    September 16, 2011 at 5:40 am

    Love the photos from the top looking to the harbor.

    Omg Zip line!!! I always wanted to try that. Did you do it?

    Reply
    • Ruth says

      September 16, 2011 at 8:33 pm

      No, I didn’t do it but I have done it in Costa Rica. You should try it. It is really fun (and I a total coward when we are talking about high heights).

      Reply
  4. Jeremy Branham says

    September 16, 2011 at 7:39 am

    Looks beautiful! What a great escape from LA! Hope I get the chance to visit someday.

    Reply
    • Ruth says

      September 16, 2011 at 8:34 pm

      Yes, plan a trip someday. It is an ideal place to visit with family and friends.

      Reply
  5. Michael Figueiredo says

    September 16, 2011 at 10:44 am

    Was the zip line fun (and worth the cost?) We considered it when we went last month, but they sold out…

    Reply
    • Ruth says

      September 16, 2011 at 8:32 pm

      Wow, sold out. I guess is really popular. I didn’t do it. We just stopped around when we heard the screams. I think it is more than 50 dollars per person to do it. A little bit steep but we are talking about California.

      Reply
  6. Ayngelina says

    September 16, 2011 at 11:08 am

    Holy crow that zipline looks scary!

    Reply
    • Ruth says

      September 16, 2011 at 8:28 pm

      I had the same thought. Actually, it looks very long and the dip it takes looks scary. I did a zipline once and am dying to have a similar experience.

      Reply
  7. Christy @ Ordinary Traveler says

    September 16, 2011 at 12:47 pm

    I have yet to visit Avalon and experience riding around in golf carts, but it’s something that definitely interests me. I stayed on the other side of the island and had a pretty amazing experience, but unfortunately it didn’t involve any golf carts. 🙂

    Reply
    • Ruth says

      September 16, 2011 at 8:31 pm

      Well, it was a great experience to do the golf cart circle but it was too short. I have heard you can camp in there. A friend did it and she said she loved it and believe me, she is not a camping person. You can also hike a cross island trail. That would be cool too. The little island have a lot of secrets to enjoy.

      Reply
  8. Stephanie - The Travel Chica says

    September 16, 2011 at 1:00 pm

    Such a beautiful area!

    Reply
    • Ruth says

      September 16, 2011 at 8:27 pm

      Thanks, Stephanie. Lovely, indeed.

      Reply
  9. NLM says

    September 16, 2011 at 3:43 pm

    Thanks for this post; I have been to lots of places in California, but have never made it to Catalina. Now you’ve inspired me to remember that you don’t always have to go far to get far away.

    Keep having fun.
    Peace.
    Nancy

    Reply
    • Ruth says

      September 16, 2011 at 8:27 pm

      Nancy,
      What you say is so true and actually it is one of the main reasons I blog. I believe you don’t have to go far to have a great adventure (or to get away). California is so full of places to visits. I have been living here for 8 years and still have a long list of places to visit. Let see if I can finish it one day.

      Reply
  10. Claudia says

    September 16, 2011 at 6:15 pm

    I didn’t know you could zip line at Catalina! If only I knew sooner I would have gone in a blink of an eye. Thanks for sharing your experiences there though. The next time I visit Catalina, I’m going to go zip lining! I’ve always wanted to try it at least once!

    Reply
    • Ruth says

      September 16, 2011 at 8:24 pm

      Claudia,
      I think the zip lines has been there for two years or less. At least, it is a pretty recent addition to the island activities. It will be nice to ride it. Imagine the views!!

      Reply
  11. Emme Rogers says

    September 17, 2011 at 11:21 pm

    I love spontaneous adventures like that!

    ~ Emme

    Reply
  12. Lisa says

    September 27, 2011 at 12:15 pm

    I love Catalina, I never rented a golf cart, I always wanted to make the drive around the island. I remember there were buffalo that I wanted to see. Maybe I will return someday. It;s a beautiful place.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Oh, Hi There

Ruth
My name is Ruth and I believe you do not have to travel far or spend a lot of money to have meaningful experiences. Let me show you how to kiss goodbye routine and add an exciting dose of adventure to your life. To learn more about me, click here.

New Here? Check out my Getting Started page.

Follow us!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Find a Category

Copyright Notice

All text and media on this site is created by me, the owner of Tanama Tales, unless otherwise stated. I will always give due credit to the author/creator of any content not provided by me. All content on this site is copyrighted and may not be used without prior written consent.

Get all the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Copyright © 2025 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2025 · Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in