Hello, welcome to Adventures Under The Ocean. Chad and I are here in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island. We had an amazing Christmas and New Year’s. I loved all the Christmas lights, especially the Casino that was lit up with green and red lights and the huge Christmas tree situated on the Wrigley Plaza Stage on Crescent Avenue. Winters are typically quiet here in Avalon, but it has been especially quiet, even called a "Ghost Town" because Southern California has been under a regional Stay at Home Order. This has resulted in some businesses and restaurants temporarily closing, and the restaurants that are open have changed their hours and only serving takeout. To get a list of what's open in Avalon check out the link: Open Catalina Island Restaurants (lovecatalina.com)
If you work up an appetite, I suggest trying Mrs. T’s Chinese Kitchen and Avalon Bake Shop. One of the unique restaurants in Avalon. It is located inside the Original Jack’s Restaurant Building on Catalina Ave, tucked between Avalon Liquor and the Lobster Trap, both open to the public. The Bake Shop usually open at 7am and offers tasty breakfast sandwiches, coffee, and pastries but due to Stay at Home order, The Chinese Kitchen opens at 11:30am and closes at 7pm daily offering savory, authentic Chinese food. Last night Chad and I had the Chicken Fried Rice, Beef and Broccoli, and the Kung Pow Chicken with Chow mien. It was made fresh and service was fast. It was exceptionally delicious and satisfying. The chicken and beef were tender and the cooked veggies were crunchy and fresh. The portions were hefty for a good price. The restaurant is clean, the staff is wearing masks and gloves and social distancing is enforced. To view their menu, go to Mrs. T's Chinese Kitchen - Catalina Island (catalinahotspots.com)
Across the street from Mrs. T’s Chinese Kitchen and Avalon Bake Shop is Coyote Joe’s. Coyote Joe’s is open between 12pm-8pm daily. We ordered the Coyote Burrito, with carnitas and the Chicken Wing Starter. Burrito was packed with fluffy rice and carnitas melted in our mouths. The chicken wings were crispy and spicy served with dipping sauces and carrots and celery. For more on their menu go to coyotejoesrestaurant.com.
The conditions at Casino Point Dive Park vary this time of year. The water can be wavy with strong currents and low visibility some days. But on a calm sunny day the water can be perfect for diving with pool like conditions and high visibility. Many people are still diving and snorkling with DivingCatalina despite the cold and the Ginger Mocha from Lloyd’s Confectionary is a perfect addition to that winter dive or to just sip on while looking at the snowy Sierra Madre Mountains across ocean. To see some of the sea life at Casino Point dive park check out Chad’s video. Follow the link…(63) 2020 Fun on Santa Catalina, CA 2 - YouTube
Lloyd’s Confectionary is the famous candy shop of Avalon where you can buy fresh fudge of all kinds of flavors, taffy, ice-cream, and hot drinks. They also sell a variety of candy and is great place to take the kids for a pick me up. After the cold winter dives at Casino Point in Avalon, the Ginger Mocha warms me up completely. I am addicted to that spicy taste of the ginger and chocolate with a double shot of espresso. It wakes me up after a chilly dive under the ocean. Due to the Stay-at-home Order, their hours are constantly changing. The recently posted their hours on their pickup window: This week Monday and Tuesday they are closed, Wednesday to Sunday they are open from 8:00am- 3:00pm. Check out www.catalinacandy.com for more of what they offer.
We hope you had a safe New Years and continue being safe this year. We thank you for visiting our website as we will continue to promote local businesses and share our adventures under the ocean here on Santa Catalina.
Commentaires