• Introduction
• 1. Antigua & Barbuda
• 2. Asheville
• 3. Austin
• 4. Charleston
• 5. Death Valley
• 6. New Orleans
• 7. Playa del Carmen
• 8. Santa Catalina Island
• 9. Santa Fe
• 10. Whistler

Santa Catalina Island

Though its heyday as a stomping ground for movie stars passed with Hollywood’s golden age, Catalina Island, 22 miles off the coast of Long Beach, California, is still an idyllic seaside escape with a year-round Mediterranean climate (and nary a freeway in sight). Avalon, the only real city on this 75-square-mile isle, is a postcard-perfect place where the mode of transport is by golf cart rather than car. Check out the Art Deco mermaid murals adorning the grand 1920s circular dance hall known as the Casino – then sprout your own fins and scuba dive in the crystal-clear Pacific. Inland, you'll discover indigenous foxes, bald eagles, and the modern-day offspring of a bison herd brought to the island for a silent-screen-era movie shoot.

How: Fly direct to Los Angeles (LAX) from Denver (Alaska, American, Frontier, United, US Airways; 2.5 hours), Phoenix (United, US Airways; 1.5 hours), Seattle (Alaska, American, Northwest, United, US Airways, Virgin America; about 3 hours), and many other cities; or fly to the Long Beach Airport (LGB) from several cities and take the Catalina Express ferryboat (about 1 hour), which departs regularly from San Pedro (near LAX) and Long Beach.

See Austin Travel Guide | See Los Angeles Travel Guide | See New Orleans Travel Guide | See Santa Fe Travel Guide | See Charleston Travel Guide | See Playa del Carmen Travel GuideSee Whistler Travel Guide