I have been meeting with Dollyia for years . Especially during pivotal times in my life. She has…read morealways been very accurate. And I 100% believe she is gifted. I always waited to get to the island but was extremely thrilled that she does zoom meetings. She's the BEST!!!!

Loved my reading .. dollyia was extremely on point with everything she said…read more My girlfriend and I stopped in on the way going back to our boat.. was so happy we did ! Must recommend

Here fishy fishy! This is the best stop for a memorable…read morepiece of art or souvenir to bring home from your vacation. Unique items and a unique curator of art Mz Karen. What a wealth of knowledge and a little firecracker

Afishinados Gallery is a small gallery in Avalon, CA that hosts many local artists. No photography…read moreinside, so I absolutely wanted to respect the gallery. But I can say, truly stunning one of a kind pieces, great value. The store clerk inside gave amazing service, selection, and insight to how many artists they carried, history, etc. There were a few local shops in town, but Afishinados Gallery was the best. Highly recommend coming in when you're on the island!

Wonderful unique collection of art at this charming location! I look forward to seeing the new and…read moreexciting art pieces from a variety of artists each time we sail over from Dana Pointe.

Finally took the time and additional funds to see the inside of the Catalina Casino in Avalon…read moreCalifornia during a shore stop aboard the Quantum of the Sea from Los Angeles. It was a great stop, well worth the money and time. My wife and I have been to Avalon before and the outline of the Catalina Casino dominates the view from the harbor when looking North. I made the obvious mistake of thinking it was a place of gambling and didn't bother going, but later learned that during the 19th and early 20th century, the term 'casino' was used to mean 'a gathering place'. That was the goal of the original owner (William Wrigley, founder of the gum company that bears his name), when he built it in 1929, right during the times when 'talkies' started taking over the movie industry. A massive restoration occurred in 1994. It's walkable from where we got dropped off by the cruise port tender, so I bought two adult tickets online for $21.51 each, for the self-guided tour. There is also a guided tour available that takes a group back behind the stage. We got there right when it opened and the ticket taker already had our names to let us in. The first stop was the main theater on the ground floor, and as we entered it, I couldn't help by saying a long 'Wowwww'. There are 1164 original seats (reupholstered) and we sat in the very back row, admiring the theater and watching a bit of the silent movie that was playing. Cell reception did not work inside, and the free WiFi didn't work well in here either. A little while later, the guided tour came in, and we were able to listen to the guide explain the theater. Some fun facts: -- this was the first theater designed for 'talkies'. However, because it wasn't a sure thing that they would replace the old style silent movies, a Page Theatre Pipe Organ was also installed (which is now one of only three still in its original location...the others being in Indiana). It was broken for a while, but has recently been fixed. -- entire ceiling was covered in silver leaf. -- the acoustics are incredible. As the guided group talked in normal loudness near the orchestral pit in front, I could hear each conversation from the back, just as if the person was right next to me. -- the wall murals was designed by the same artist who did the mural at the Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. -- architects responsible for the building of Radio City Music Hall in NYC, came for a visit to examine the acoustics, as it was that good. The guided tour ended up going backstage. We then took a winding ramp (there is no public elevator) up to the 2nd floor. Here there was one room where a TV show was on, explaining the history of the island. Another ramp took us to the top floor where the 20,000 square foot grand ballroom is. (The ramps reminded me of a ballparks, and later I learned that it was intentional: Wrigley had requested it based on something similar that he liked from his namesake ballpark). The ballroom has been beautifully restored, with wooden floors and a rotating chandelier. One can roller skate on the floor with rented skates, though nobody was doing it when we were there, thus the floor was empty. There is also a concession stand selling snacks. The height of the casino is equal to a 12-story building, and provides some really great views of Avalon, specifically the bay, from the Romance Promenade that surrounds the ballroom. My wife and I slowly circled it, admiring the views. We did notice the small cove where many snorkelers were admiring the plentiful orange-colored garibaldi. The entire stay lasted about 75 minutes which we felt was about the right amount of time. Would highly recommend if not been there before.

I really enjoyed how they have roller skating, a theater, and other events going on here! Plus, the…read moredifferent views you can get throughout the building, whether of the island landscape or even just the beautiful interior, are just so picturesque and can leave you awestruck in different ways. Overall, I definitely think it's worth visiting and checking out at least once, especially just to take in the views and see the vintage architecture :)

The Catalina Wine Mixer sounded like a great concept but in reality was a poorly executed event…read morethat was not worth the ticket price. The organization was fine but there were so many tickets sold and the space was so cramped that the wine tasting area was almost shoulder to shoulder. Long lines at every tasting booth, and many inebriated people in a small area meant you were more likely to get your feet stepped on than get to taste more than one wine from a vendor. PROs: The few wines that I tried were all quite decent. Check-in was very easy. The DJ was good as well. CONs: The lawn area was far too small for the hundreds of people in attendance. The live bands on stage played their own music rather than covers. No one came to the festival to see those bands, but they tried emphatically to get the crowd to jump, clap in time, etc. (which did not work of course because everyone was holding wine) all to their music which no one knew. Limited food options, all overly expensive. Lastly, May gray/ June Gloom was in full effect and it was so cold, with no indoor areas accessible for non-VIPs. In summary: I love Catalina and wine, but I think visiting on another weekend would be my recommendation.

The catalina wine mixer was awesome!! My fiance and I had the most amazing time. The wine was…read moreamazing and the crowd was super fun. The artists were also great. We thought the stage setup was very cool. Security was super professional and helped us when we lost our phone. They were kind and extremely helpful. Their shirts said TPE so thanks TPE! I would highly recommend.

*Beautiful gardens with some very unique, and endemic flora- some only found on the island or…read moreendangered. * Awesome birding here *Main path to the memorial is a gradual incline and on relatively gravel/ sand even terrain... off shoot walking paths to meander thru the gardens as well. * To get to the top of the memorial, there are a lot of steps to climb. Worth the view from on top. * You can jump on the garden to sky trail (near the memorial)... it is described as a moderate to strenuous hike and aptly so: some switchbacks, elevation gain, rocky terrain... but the views... oh the views are lovely. Of note you can also catch this trail elsewhere- but it all depends on you and the distance and time you have. * Operated by the Catalina Island Conservatory * To get here: you can either walk here from Avalon... but it's quite a ways. The public transit COAST is available but we found it impossible to secure a ride (didn't help that a cruise ship had come in that day), rent a golf cart for the day, or the best / hassle free option was to pay a small fee (about 13 bucks a person) at the Conservancy and they shuttle back and forth. The only draw back is you need to schedule your trip ahead of time and if you are a person who does not like itineraries when you travel, this may put a dent... but definitely worth a visit. *Restrooms are located at the entrance

Definitely a place to visit when touring Avalon, Catalina Island. From the port, it's about a 15…read moreminute ride, 40 for walking. We downloaded the Ride Circuit app and it's a $2 fee per ride, which you can't really beat! The place also does student discounts, which is a nice touch. Walking through the first part was nice. Reading information on the little cards about the plants and taking different routes. We actually got to see a tiny fox! It is uphill, nothing too crazy, just bring some water. The memorial at the top of the hill is worth your time. It is a climb up the stairs, so be prepared. Once you get to the top and oversee the garden and have a view of the port, you'll for sure gasp in surprise of the view. Pretty cool seeing a structure preserved! If you take the left path when you get to the memorial, you'll come across a little area called Little Fox Hollow. I'd recommend visiting and walking through. For little ones, but you can make it fun as an adult too! On the right path, there is a hiking trail about a mile long. A lot steeper than when you start from the entrance to the memorial. We didn't get fully to the top due to exhaustion. It gives a higher view than the memorial structure. Overall, I'd definitely come back when I visit Avalon, Catalina Island!

I visited RUTH MAYERS GALLERY on Catalina Island with some High School Friends . I am also an…read moreartist , so I wanted to go on the weekend when they have the annual Art Festival. Iam so glad I went because I was fortunate to meet Ruth Mayer who was painting another beautiful painting of the Casino & the amazingly beautiful water. She was so friendly & interesting to talk with. My friends & I also went again to visit her Art Gallery which is where we spent at least a hour viewing with awe The many beautiful paintings of Ruth's. Meeting with Ruth's son at the gallery made our visit even more enjoyable. He was very knowledgeable & shared some interesting stories about his mothers art. I highly recommend anyone visiting the Island to see all the gorgeous art in the Gallery located on Summer Pl.

At first impression, this looked like a cute little gallery with prolific and diverse pieces of…read moreart. But a chance conversation with the store manager made me do a complete double-take. I was extremely surprised to find that all these works were completed by the same person! Her paintings included portraits, cityscapes, serene beachscapes, animals, whimsical figures, and abstract collages. She also has an impressive mastery of capturing the movement of light within her paintings. In one framed print that contained sailboats docked along the shoreline amidst the dusk and illuminating moonlight, the store manager (who also happens to be the painter's son) showed us how the setting quickly transformed into an effervescent dawn scene by just adjusting the power on the halogen light bulb that shone onto the painting. It was amazing, and I was soon lusting after the piece. Unfortunately, it was out of my price range, and I had to walk away before I blew off next month's rent. My boyfriend did end up purchasing one smaller print, which depicted vivid blue and rose views of the sunset and the water along the bay. The store manager was very nice and friendly, often telling us stories about a few paintings. We could tell that he was very proud of his mom. We walked away very happy with the purchase, and we look forward to visiting this and the Laguna beach store if we're ever in the area.

We walked there from the boat dock and it was an enjoyable walk. Took approximately 1 hour because…read morewe made many stops along the way. The Nature Center is located towards the most distal part of the Island, so if you walk there, you will have the opportunity to do a lot of things such as sightseeing, playing at parks (if you have children), sitting down in the shade, seeing wild animals such as deer, birds, and squirrels. There are also at least three public bathrooms on the way and an interesting "Bird Park" that seemed to be closed. If you did not make any stops, you could walk to the Nature Center from the dock easily in 20-30mins. My 7 year old daughter easily made the walk without any complaints. Nature Center: free. Small and doable in about 15 minutes. There are also clean bathrooms inside and someone working at the front desk to answer your questions. They sell stuffed animals and some little souvenirs that were a little more expensive than the items found on the Green Pier. There was a coloring station that consisted of a small table and two little chairs, pictures and coloring pages were provided. There was a digital microscope and we spent some time placing everyday objects underneath for viewing (dollar bills, hands, nails). There were also some interesting facts and an iPad connected to a large screen TV...wasn't operating the day I visited but I think it was supposed to be display a short video. Afterwards, we did not want to visit the Wrigley Monument nor the Gardens, so we took the bus back to the Pier. Bus cost $2/person and arrives every 20 minutes. The stop was situated less than a one minute walk from the Nature Center. Overall, it's a quick place to stop if your'e visiting the Island. Something fun to add to the itinerary for the day.

We actually really liked this place. It is small, but it's free to go inside and there are a…read morenumber of informative boards for those of you who like history and nature. You can get to know a little bit more about the island, and also, clean bathrooms. We stopped here on our way up to the Wrigley Memorial during our walk. You can also get hiking permits here. There's also a little table for kids, with children's books and coloring too.