Great California Boat Rides include the
relaxing, refreshing trip to Catalina Island.
Who doesn't love a boat ride in
California. I know we do! So obsessed is our web editor with boat rides, she
actually follows the schedule for the $3 boat road in Long Beach on the
public transportation Catamaran, the
Aqualink. Be forewarned if you take this that the captain and crew
clearly want you to know that this is not intended as a joy ride. Try
telling that to tourists and locals who delight in experiencing one of the
best deals around. The crew makes you get off the boat and spend time
looking around, and the place you really want to spend your time in is not
Alamitos Landing (unless you want to spend beach time at Seal Beach
beaches), but at the Aquarium of the Pacific, where there are dozens of
great restaurants and Pine Avenue shops. While that ride is a favorite trip
across the bay from Seal Beach to downtown Long Beach, there are some boat
rides that aren't strictly public transportation offerings.
But before we get off the "cheap
deals" kick, another Southern California boat ride that's ideal for a thrill
is the little ferry that goes between Balboa Island and Newport Beach's
peninsula. It costs about $1 on foot, lasts only a few minutes and short,
sweet, and nice. Kids like it, too. But if you're walking with little ones,
you may want to skip exploring Balboa Island, and just turn around and go
back. They'll let you do that, but you have to pay each way.
Among these great boat tours, cruises
and excursions there are some popular trips that stand out as hot ticket
trips. Several of the top boat tours in California are the Catalina Island
boat trip. It goes from south to north: Dana Point (1 time/day); Newport
Beach (1time/day); Long Beach (many trips/day); San Pedro (1
trip/day--subject to change). Taking the Catalina trip isn't cheap
anymore. It used to be, but with rising fuel costs, it has nearly doubled in
the past several years. Still, a day or vacation on Catalina is well worth
the expense. For trips out of San Pedro, Long Beach an Dana Point, you'll
need to book Catalina Express.
Here's a full page about the trip, plus photos. And here are
Catalina
Express Tickets.
It can get so darned confusing remembering the boat excursion
names and where they depart from. But to simplify it, if you are leaving
from Newport Beach, here's the boat you need:
Catalina Flyer - Newport Beach.
San Diego boat rides include the
affordable ferry between downtown and Coronado. But for something unique,
take a tour of the USS Midway Museum on the water. If you
need to be moving, then treat yourself to our absolute favorite, the Hornblower Dinner Cruise on the San
Diego Bay. With the warmest bay temps in all California, this is one of the
best spots to enjoy a dinner cruise, and the food is great. Only in San
Diego can you ride the America's Cup Stars & Stripe sailboat.
It is the highlight to any San Diego vacation for us water junkies.
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