We woke up refreshed and ready to take on another beautiful California day! There was just one little problem—someone apparently forgot to tell Southern California that it was October. It was HOT! ☀️
But a little heat wasn’t going to stop us.
After breakfast, we headed down to the waterfront in San Pedro and hopped aboard the Catalina Express for our trip to Catalina Island. About an hour and fifteen minutes later, we were pulling into beautiful Avalon, and what a sight it was!
Catalina Island lies just off the Southern California coast, but arriving there feels like you’ve traveled much farther away. Avalon is a picture-perfect little seaside town surrounded by rugged hills, with colorful buildings climbing the slopes and boats bobbing in the sparkling blue harbor. Add in the palm trees, golf carts buzzing around town and the iconic Catalina Casino in the distance, and you definitely know you’re on island time. 🌴
Catalina also has a wild side—literally! Much of the island is protected open space, with miles of hiking trails and wildlife that includes the island’s famous herd of bison. Yes, bison on a California island! Who knew?
Since we only had the afternoon, we decided not to venture too far from Avalon Harbor. Instead, we strolled along the waterfront, popped into some of the cute little boutiques and simply enjoyed the scenery.
And, of course, vacationing makes you hungry!
We stopped for lunch at Pier 24, right on the Avalon waterfront. Our table was so close to the beautiful blue water that it felt as though we could almost dip our toes in while we ate. With the boats in the harbor, the ocean breeze and that gorgeous Catalina backdrop, it was one of those lunches where the view was every bit as enjoyable as the food. 🌊🍹
Our few hours on Catalina went by much too quickly, but now we know exactly what we’ll do when we return.
Next time we’re renting one of those golf carts and heading up into the hills! We’d love to explore more of the island, take in those incredible views from above, hit a hiking trail or two and maybe even spot some of Catalina’s famous wildlife.
For this visit, though, we were perfectly happy just getting our first little taste of this beautiful island.
Catalina, you were a wonderful surprise—and we’re definitely not finished with you yet!
From Catalina to a Little Taste of London 🇬🇧
Back in San Pedro, it was time to return to the hotel for a little downtime before heading out again for dinner.
We had been told that The Whale & Ale in downtown San Pedro was worth a visit, and it certainly did not disappoint!
The moment we walked through the door, we felt as though we had been transported from Southern California straight across the pond to a cozy neighborhood pub in London. With its warm wood interior, traditional pub atmosphere and menu filled with classic British comfort food, it felt wonderfully authentic—a special treat for us since a real English pub is pretty hard to come by back home on Florida’s Treasure Coast. 🇬🇧🍺
And then came the food!
The Shepherd’s Pie was the bomb, and the clam chowder was pretty darn good too. There were so many traditional favorites on the menu that it was difficult to choose, so we’ve already decided what we’ll order next time: Bangers and Mash and, of course, that most British of pub classics, Fish and Chips!
Full, happy and ready to call it a day, we took a leisurely stroll back to our hotel.
And that’s when we remembered…
Oops! 😂
A group of fellow cruisers from our upcoming Star Princess sailing had organized an after-dinner drink at the hotel bar—a little pre-cruise meet-and-greet.
We completely forgot!
Oh well. In less than 24 hours we’ll all be aboard the Star Princess, so something tells us we’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet everyone then. 🛳️🥂
It had been a full day—from the sparkling waters of Catalina Island to a little taste of London in downtown San Pedro—and we were more than ready for a good night’s sleep.
Because tomorrow is the day we’ve been waiting for…
We board the Star Princess! 🛳️🌟
All is well, bags are packed, and with that we retired for the night.
Next stop: Star Princess and the Panama Canal! 🌴🛳️🌎
