Catalina Island Vacation Rentals Help You Create a Fall to Remember

LAKE ARROWHEAD, CA, November 07, 2010

When you think of autumn getaways, you may not think of an island. But Catalina Island is an island for all seasons. Just 26 miles from the coast of Southern California (or so the song asserts), the weather on Catalina is temperate year round and autumn provides an opportunity to see more of the island with fewer people than typically fill the streets during the high summer season.

"This is the perfect time of year to take a long weekend and just enjoy the ambiance of the island," says Catalina Island Vacation Rentals owner and president, Kevin Strege. "There are no crowds, so you can enjoy just being here."

While there is much to be said for simply slowing down and enjoying the charm and ease of Avalon, don't for a minute think that's all there is to do there. There is snorkeling, diving, hiking, mountain biking, spas, golf, fun nightlife, fine dining—however you define a good time, you can find it on Catalina.

The Island Conservancy has completed access trails opening much of the island's protected backcountry to exploration by hikers and mountain bikers. There are also tours that take visitors through the backcountry, providing history and information about the island's unique ecosystem and indigenous flora and fauna. It is a different place in the cooler autumn, with leaves changing colors and late-blooming plants starting to blossom. Also, visitors are more likely to see the indigenous island fox and local deer in the fall.

If you're more interested in what lives in the water than on land, then Catalina definitely warrants an autumn trip. Autumn is lobster season in California and divers with licenses can bag their own dinner. Throughout autumn, underwater visibility is greater and many summer inhabitants, like leopard sharks and sea bass, will still be hanging around well into winter, visible to snorkelers, divers or passengers aboard the glass bottomed boat or semi-submersible "submarine."

Without the crowds, you'll also be able to more easily book a trip on LA-County's only zip line, the Zip Line Eco Tour, which opened just before the summer season. The Zip Line takes riders along a five-part course, going as fast as 40 mph at heights up to 400 feet over lush Descanso Canyon.

To maximize your fun, opt for a vacation rental. There are hundreds of vacation rentals of every size and shape on Catalina, Catalina Island Vacation Rentals offering the largest and most diverse inventory. For a limited time, they are also making it easier to take a long weekend on the island. When you book any two night stay, you get a free third night for a limited time.

The benefits of a vacation rental are many. First and foremost, it is not a hotel. Ina vacation rental, you have a living room and a kitchen, even a porch. You don't have to share a bathroom with the kids or the in-laws. You don't have to watch the news sitting on the bed. You can have breakfast without getting dressed. You can sit around a big table and eat nachos while you play cards or board games. You can cook up that lobster you caught.

Even if your idea of a vacation doesn't involve spending a lot of time indoors, you will benefit from a vacation rental. Vacation rentals have something hotels don't: room for your stuff. Your scuba gear, your mountain bike, your golf clubs. No dragging your gear through a lobby and climbing over it in the room. Leave it on the porch.

Vacation rentals are also a good way to save on travel expenses. Two or three couples, or an extended family, can share a single villa, cottage or house, rather than booking multiple rooms. Meals cooked in your own well-furnished kitchen are not only more fun, they save tons on the food budget. Even if you're wanting to sample some of the island's upscale restaurants, like M at the Metropole or the new Avalon Grille, you can still host pre-dinner cocktails at home or serve cheesecake from your own fridge for dessert.

Then there's that ambiance. It is hard to describe the immense pleasure you get from passing the morning on your own porch or balcony with a cup of coffee that you brewed yourself. Relax. The maid isn't going to knock on the door. There won't be any kids running down the hall to the pool. This place is yours to enjoy.

Visit CatalinaVacations.com to view a remarkable selection of vacation properties, get information about island activities and plan your trip to Catalina Island.