Property At a Glance: Two Harbors Campgrounds

Two Harbors Campgrounds overlook the Pacific Ocean on a bluff at Catalina’s isthmus, surrounded by turquoise waters and green mountains. You can enjoy the view while cooking on the ground’s fire pit and barbecue, or hiking to Wrigley Botanical Garden’s desert plant collection and memorial. After a long day out, retire to your tent and sleeping bags (both available for rent) or kick back in your camping cabin, which is outfitted with canvas cots, a camp stove, fire ring, and lanterns. Charcoal, firewood, and propane can be purchased onsite.

• Work on your tan at the beach, just steps from the campground.
• Amenities: showers, lockers, and chemical toilets
• Day trip idea: Travel just a quarter-mile to the picturesque Two Harbors Village, which is home to restaurants, bars, a general store, and ample water sports.
• Go kayaking out to Bird Rock in Isthmus Cove; kayaks available for rental at Two Harbors Village.
• Nearby activities: Zipline over Descanso Canyon or head to Avalon’s harbor for a dolphin-watching tour.

Catalina Island, California: Desert Foliage and Secluded Coves in the Pacific Ocean

The rocky Catalina Island is only about 22 miles southwest of Los Angeles, but it feels worlds away. For starters, there are hardly any cars here; golf carts are the preferred way to get around. Much of the island’s interior is unpopulated, too—just a vast swath of desert foliage and wildlife. Many secluded coves that dot the landscape, and they’re good spots for snorkeling; dive underneath the temperate waters, and you can see starfish, sea urchins, and bright-orange garibaldi. Travel + Leisure called these coves “ready-made for romance” and named Catalina one of the world’s most romantic islands in 2010.

Much of Catalina Island is accessible only by dirt trails that are difficult to traverse. However, you can see many of the endemic plants in town at the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden. In fact, some of the featured vegetation can only be found here, including wild tomato and rare Catalina mahogany. The memorial itself was designed to incorporate as much local material as possible, including quarried Catalina stones, blue flagstone rock from the harbor, and hand-painted tiles from a local pottery company. You can get to the gardens by catching a taxi or tour bus from nearby Avalon.

Steep, amphitheater-like hills set the backdrop of Avalon, the island’s only major city. It occupies only about 3% of the island; still, it’s where most visitors spend the majority of their time for its popular beach, a lively harbor, and a surprising variety of restaurants. The most famous landmark here is the art-deco-style Casino building. Surrounded by the sea on three sides, the circular structure stands at an equivalent of 12 stories tall and houses an art gallery, a museum, and a theater.

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