The 21-mile long Catalina Island is a European escape just off the coast of LA. An hour-long ferry ride from Long Beach is the cheapest and easiest route and will take you to the tiny town of Avalon. Once there you can either relax, unwind and enjoy the beach and dining by foot. For the more active at heart, you can bike, hike, kayak, scuba, para-sail, golf cart or even do a day on the zip line that takes you from mountaintop to oceanfront.