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A few years ago, the fiance and I decided to spend our Spring vacation camping on Catalina Island.
I was a starving college student,
and he had limited vacation time, 
so Catalina seemed like the perfect compromise.
 
Santa Catalina Island is just 22 miles off the coast of Los Angeles.
On rare, smog-free days, you can even see the island from the coast.
 
Most people, when visiting this Island, stay in Avalon-
a tourist hot spot full of shops and restaurants.
 
Since we were on a budget,
we decided to travel to a different part of the island and camp for a couple nights.
Freeze dried food is better anyway.
 
The fiance and I spent our time exploring the island,
reading in the sun, 
(the fiance) swimming in the freezing waters,
and (me) almost walking into a rattle snake- literally.
 
 
A small boat in a harbor next to a body of water

 

A large body of water with a mountain in the background
 
couple on Catalina island
 
A rocky island in the middle of a body of water

 

A person walking down a dirt road

 

A person standing on a grassy hill

 

A body of water with a mountain in the background

 

beach on catalina island

 

A tent on a beach near a body of water

 

A man standing on a rock

 

A woman standing in front of a body of water

 

A group of people sitting on the side of a mountain
 
A man walking across a beach next to the ocean
 
An island in the middle of a body of water
 
Overall, Catalina is a beautiful little island right on LA’s doorstep.
While it may not compare in tropical wonder to someplace like the Caribbean,
it was a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the real world.
 
Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlight

Jessica Randhawa

Chef | Food Photographer

I’m Chef Jessica Randhawa, bringing over 14 years of experience in creating and publishing over 1200 mouthwatering recipes, coupled with invaluable kitchen tips and professional guidance, to transform your daily cooking into a truly enriching culinary adventure.

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27 Comments

  1. Ben & Cassie says:

    It looks so beautiful there, and how fun that you camped! My husband and I have been looking for somewhere not to far away to go for our 2 year anniversary and this place looks so fun!

  2. Lydia says:

    Catalina looks beautiful. I'll be spending 10 days in LA at the end of this month, hoping to visit Catalina for sure. x

  3. Beccah Nelson says:

    You and your man are too cute! Vacationing together is one of the best things you can do! At least in my opinion. Your trip looks so fun, and like everyone else has said… your pics are gorgeous!

  4. Stephanie says:

    This is one of the places I've always wanted to go!

  5. Courtney B says:

    It looks soooooo pretty there! I think it sounds so fun to go camping there! I'm going to have to talk to the hubs about doing this sometime soon.

  6. Meghan @ More from Meg says:

    Wow!! Gorgeous pictures!! I think I'm going to add Catalina Island to our vacation list!

  7. Elisabeth says:

    beautiful shots! wow – i might just have to go 🙂

  8. Kelly says:

    OH wow, just gorgeous!! I love how you have the mountains/hills for hiking and then the beach and ocean RIGHT there! Amazing.

  9. Jenna says:

    I LOVE Catalina – it's one of my most favorite places ever and somewhere I really want to take Jurgen to sometime. I got scuba certified there 🙂

    Your pictures are stunning! They definitely do the island justice!

    xxx
    Jenna

  10. Alex says:

    wow, it's absolutely gorgeous!! Sure, the Caribbean is beautiful, but I have a huge soft spot for the California coast and its islands.