Avalon is a great destination just about an hour off the coast of Los Angeles.
We went to Catalina Island over the long weekend in January.
Picture of Catalina from inside the ferry lounge (hence the glare from the window).
This was our itinerary leaving on a Saturday afternoon around 2 p.m. and returning on a Monday afternoon around 4 p.m.:
Catalina Express Ferry from Long Beach to Avalon, California on Catalina Island. Be sure to book the Commodore lounge, upon recommendation by my friend Cory - it's worth the extra charge and you get a free drink. We also learned that you get to board the ferry first, sort of like priority boarding, which with a toddler is invaluable information. Plus, it ensured we got a table in the lounge by the window so Leo could set up all his toys for the trip. We saw about a dozen dolphins swimming near the boat about halfway through the approximately 1-hour ferry ride.
Pavilion Hotel, which is steps from the Ferry port. We booked off Hotels.com. Lovely accommodations offering a satisfying continental breakfast, and a full service wine & cheese tasting each afternoon. Both breakfast and the tasting were well attended. The tasting consisted of three wines from the same vineyard, a white, rose and a red, and a medium selection of cheeses (about 6 mainstream varieties). There is a substantial-sized courtyard with pairs of lounge chairs and a garden. They have fire pits and tables and you can watch the marina boats while eating your breakfast.
Zip Lining Eco Tour, which my sister did while Leo and I walked along the Island. She loved it. The excursion consists of 5 separate zip lines dropping from 600 feet above sea level with one run that is 1,100 lineal feet.
The Descanso Beach Club, access to which we got as part of our stay at the Pavilion, is about a 15-minute walk from the hotel along the ocean-side path on the other side of the casino. It has a great private beach with private cabanas and chaise lounges with bottle service and food from the restaurant. The menu is somewhat limited but there is a full bar with cocktails and drinks. You can book many activities from the beach club (other than zip lining and sunbathing on the chaise lounges) - such as kayaking and snorkeling. There is even a huge climbing wall if you want to try your hand at that.
On the way to the beach club, which you can spot at the end of the path.
The Underwater Sea Adventure - Leo loved to watch the amazing reef and fish and sea lions in a "submarine" as he called it. It's a semi-submersible boat. This was definitely worth it. We also got a 10% discount by booking through the Pavilion hotel. So, if you stay there, book through them.
Leo in the "submarine."
For such a small town, there are actually quite a few restaurants and bars available.
Here's a few we tried and liked:
CC Gallagher, eclectic sushi
Maggie's Blue Rose, great mexican
Other recommendations:
My friend Cory also recommended Mr. Ning's for chinese food. It was closed when we went.