Summer of '18: What's New on Catalina Island

Two new escape rooms, miles of new trails, and other adventurous doings are afoot in and around Avalon.

AVALON, that beautiful harbor city, that bastion of history, romance, good food, and good shopping, always seems to have one elegant eye on the past. That's because so much of what stood around Catalina Island's largest town nearly a century ago is still standing, from the Casino Building to the Wrigley Memorial & Botanical Gardens. These historic spots, and others still are vital and in fine fiddle today, but just because the island has kept to its vintage vibe doesn't mean that new additions and fresh finds aren't always dropping anchor at the island. In fact, there are some newer experiences and sights to check out, in both Avalon and Two Harbors, and if you haven't sailed those 22 miles across the sea in awhile, the summer of 2018 would be a most excellent time to do so. What will you encounter when you disembark? There are...

TWO ESCAPE ROOMS... to escape from, thrillingly; Catalina Room Escape is rocking the Catalina Pirate Challenge while The Spirit Room is currently haunting Escape Room Catalina. If you long for an outdoorsy connection with the island, and you're a Descanso Canyon devotee, check out "the new ropes-and-planks course through a grove of towering eucalyptus trees" at Catalina Aerial Adventure. There are miles of new trails to hike on the island, thanks to the good work of the Catalina Conservancy, but if relaxing is your game, best take in Two Harbors, and the brand-new palapas and lounge chairs that have popped up on the remote and gorgeous beach at the smaller of the island's towns. How to get there? Catalina Express has your sail-across-the-waves tips.

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