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Santa Catalina Island â€”  THE assignment: Check out the hotel and restaurant scene on Catalina. I hadn’t visited the island in perhaps 20 years and my recollections were a bit fuzzy -- fish and chips on Green Pleasure Pier, a glass-bottom boat, a night at an awful hotel. Luxury boutique hotels? Fine dining? Those weren’t concepts I associated with Catalina, but I learned on a recent spring visit that some of my impressions were wrong.

Neither restaurants nor hotels are in short supply in Avalon. (There are 28 lodgings and about the same number of restaurants.) Family-friendly hotels with kitchen facilities are also available. Location is a major consideration. Are peace and quiet more important than being beachside? Avalon can get so noisy that some hotels supply earplugs. Hotel shuttles don’t run 24/7, and taxis are expensive, so a central location may be important for those not wanting to do a lot of walking.

I saw almost every one of Avalon’s lodgings on my spring visit. (The Atwater and Buena Vista hotels hadn’t opened for the season, and no one answered the bell at Catalina Beach House.) On my reacquaintance trip, I stayed in four hotels and ate as many meals as I could.

I found some surprises.

The first was the high price of Catalina hotels, especially in season and on weekends. As one hotel manager told me, “You’re not only paying for that night but for the nights in winter when nobody’s here.� And many hotels have a two-night minimum on weekends.

I also learned that, on Catalina, “old� doesn’t necessarily mean “charming.� Several turn-of-the-century hotels I visited were more musty than marvelous.

Not all hotels are air-conditioned either, so it pays to ask. Many have stairs, but few have elevators, and only two (Zane Grey Pueblo and Best Western Catalina Canyon Resort & Spa) have swimming pools. If hotel prices induce sticker shock, the good news is that package deals abound. They may include boat fare from the mainland, taxi fare to the hotel and/or island activities.

Eating on the cheap is easier than sleeping on the cheap. There’s no shortage of fast-food places, mostly local, or ice cream and sweets shops.

Cruise to the island

MY Catalina adventure began with the one-hour, 22-mile Catalina Express boat trip from downtown Long Beach to Avalon, pleasant and smooth.

In Avalon, I boarded the Safari Bus, a van that took me across the island to sleepy Two Harbors, where I had reserved a night at Banning House Lodge, the hamlet’s only hotel.

It was a white-knuckle ride on a narrow, winding mountain road above cliffs plunging 2,000 feet to the sea. It rained steadily, and fog started rolling in. Inland, we passed an oasis of palm trees, planted for filming the 1935 movie “Mutiny on the Bounty.� And we had two bison sightings. (The island has about 300 head, most descendants of 14 animals imported in 1924 for a western in which the bison were edited out.)

It was still raining and the dirt roads had turned to red muck when the hotel shuttle came to take me down the hill to Two Harbors’ only restaurant, the South Seas-themed Harbor Reef. Despite its captive clientele, its food is surprisingly good; I had a well-prepared halibut dinner.

The rooms in the main lodge were sold out, so I got a large room with queen and twin beds in the annex. The plaid-spread decor was strictly summer camp, and the plumbing was balky. I didn’t mind that there was no phone or TV, but it was cold and damp and the only heat was an ineffectual roll-out radiator.

The lodge itself has a certain rustic charm, from the great room with a buffalo head over the fireplace to the trellis-covered bay-view terrace. If I return, it will be in summer, and I will try to snag Room 11, the bay-view Crow’s Nest.

I was happy the next morning to learn that the road to Avalon was impassable, and we would be taken by boat, in my view a much better choice. The hourlong trip became an adventure when we detoured to see dolphins putting on a show.

I spent most of my time in Avalon scoping out hotels, but I did factor in some fun. There’s not a lot to do when it’s too cold to go in the water and you neither golf nor fish. The most fun was a trip on the Nautilus, California Adventure Tours’ semi-submersible yellow “submarine.� ($35.50). As we glided through the kelp beds, the fish -- lured by food shot from our “torpedoes� -- swam right up to the portholes.

I also took a one-hour scenic drive at the wheel of a golf cart ($35). Catalina, which limits private cars, has no rental cars, only these carts, which can be rented by the hour.

In the afternoon I joined the guided tour of the iconic 1929 Art Deco casino, where big bands once played, and its fine little Catalina Island Museum. I learned that Avalon was once called Timm’s Landing and that Bruce Belland and Glen Larson of the Four Preps composed “26 Miles (Santa Catalina)� while attending Hollywood High in the ‘50s. (Go to latimes.com/catalinaisland for a sample.)

There was time for shopping, but -- jewelry stores aside -- most shops offered the usual T-shirts, mugs and seashells. Two places that have great gifts are the Steamer Trunk, at 121 Sumner Ave., and C.C. Gallagher, 523 Crescent Ave.

Restaurants and pubs

EATING and drinking were a large part of my assignment, so I stopped for a drink at Luau Larry’s on Crescent Avenue, where the music was loud, and fake parrots, each swilling a beer, were hanging from the ceiling.

I also found a couple of quiet bars for grown-ups, notably at Villa Portofino restaurant, where Sinatra was crooning “Night and Day� as I entered the lounge. Several locals had recommended the reasonably priced place, an attractive space with booths and soft lighting, and I wasn’t disappointed with my chicken-filled pasta. I had a great view of the passing scene on Crescent Avenue from my window table.

Two other places I tried that also got accolades from islanders: Armstrong’s Seafood Restaurant and Steve’s Steakhouse.

There’s nothing fancy about the waterfront Armstrong’s, but the fish (on my server’s recommendation, I had swordfish) is very, very good. The decor? Bare tables, paneled walls, captain’s chairs and mounted game fish. The prices? Moderate. Catalina strives to recapture an earlier era, so I wasn’t too startled to hear “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition� as background music.

Steve’s is upstairs overlooking the harbor and Avalon’s busy waterfront pedestrian hub, Crescent Avenue. It’s a pretty space with vintage island photos and windows overlooking the harbor but also not exorbitantly priced. And there’s a civilized bar. I went cholesterol crazy, ordering the Wedge (iceberg lettuce with blue cheese dressing) and a petite filet with bearnaise sauce. Food and service were excellent.

For fast food, I chose lunches at Flip’s Saltwater Bar & Grill and the Buffalo Nickel at Pebbly Beach, a mile outside of Avalon.

Flip’s isn’t much on decor, but the half-pound burger with fat French fries ($6 at lunch, $7 at dinner) is great, thick and juicy and well-seasoned. Flip’s boasts “the only sushi bar between Los Angeles and Hawaii.� Owner Flip Savitt operates Cheapo Charters for fishing. Flip’s frequently has evening entertainment, which might be stand-up comedy by his wife, Mary.

The Buffalo Nickel, out by the island heliport, has green leatherette booths, plastic plants and good food. Mexican is a specialty, but you’ll also find buffalo burgers, buffalo wings and buffalo milk -- a cocktail with vodka, creme de cacao, cream and banana. (The restrooms? “Buffalo heads,� of course.) My lunch was a first-rate salad with lots of grilled jumbo shrimp for $8.95.

Another tip sent me to Katie’s Kitchen one noon, a hole-in-the-wall in the Metropole Marketplace. Katie’s eclectic menu includes subs and Asian food, but I’d been advised to order the $6.50 burrito, stuffed with a choice of meats, beans and rice. It was so big, I could eat only half.

One sunny day, I joined the boating crowd, including divers in wetsuits, for lunch at the casual outdoor Casino Dock Cafe near the casino. The food was reasonable and just OK, but the ambience and views of Avalon and the harbor were the draw.

And it’s far from the madding crowd. On summer weekends, Avalon’s population may swell from 3,500 to 10,000, turning Crescent Avenue into a sea of sunburned sightseers.

A good choice for upscale dining is Catalina Country Club. It’s more festive at lunchtime on the lovely patio, but it wasn’t patio weather, so I went for dinner. The dining room was big and formal with high ceilings and lots of tables but few patrons, so I headed for the clubby bar, which has the same menu (entrees $26 to $35), and ate salmon -- very good -- at the bar.

The club is a legacy from the time when chewing gum king William Wrigley Jr., who bought Catalina Island in 1919, owned the Chicago Cubs, brought them here to train and built this as their clubhouse. The bar, which connects to the team’s old locker room, houses Cubs memorabilia.

Hotel choices

THINKING about where I would want to stay -- both on a splurge and on a budget -- I narrowed my choices. (See related story, at right.)

Some places didn’t make my list but do have some things to recommend them: The hilltop Zane Grey Pueblo has great views but small, outdated rooms. The Best Western Catalina Canyon Resort & Spa seems rundown and the room I was shown was dark, with passe decor. But I did peek into Rooms 110 through 118, where renovation was underway, and saw updated baths and a pretty sand and celery color palette.

And for a budget hotel, there is the beach-close Hermosa Hotel & Catalina Cottages, whose slogan is “Sleep Cheap.� Weekend rates for two, in season, start at $50. The catch: small rooms with shared baths and no heat or air-conditioning.

And there’s one place that’s in a category of its own: the serendipitous Clark Gable Suite at the otherwise tattered Glenmore Plaza Hotel. The suite, which sleeps up to six, has tropical decor; an ocean view; and spiral stairs leading to a king bedroom, living room with queen sofa bed and an updated bath. It’s on the fourth floor, and there’s no elevator. On summer weekends, depending on the month, it starts at $599 a night.

Did movie king Gable, who starred in the original “Mutiny on the Bounty,� actually sleep here? Absolutely, a hotel rep assured me.

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Island experience close to home

GETTING THERE:

By air: Island Express has 14-minute helicopter flights daily from San Pedro and Long Beach from 8 a.m. to sunset. The adult fare is $170 round trip.(800) 2-AVALON (228-2566), www.islandexpress.com.

By sea: Catalina Express offers frequent daily trips of about one hour from Long Beach and San Pedro to Avalon and less frequently from Dana Point to Avalon and from San Pedro to Two Harbors. Round-trip adult fare is $54, $2 more for the Dana Point trip. (800) 481-3470, www.catalinaexpress.com.

Catalina-Marina del Rey Flyer has resumed 90-minute daily sailings from Fisherman’s Village to Avalon and Two Harbors on a new high-speed catamaran. The adult round-trip fare is $67. (310) 305-7250, www.catalinaferries.com.

Catalina Passenger Service’s Catalina Flyer makes a round trip daily between Newport Beach and Avalon, departing at 9 a.m. from Balboa Pavilion and returning at 4:30 p.m. It’s 75 minutes each way. Adult round-trip fare is $49. (949) 673-5245, www.catalinainfo.com.

WHERE TO STAY:

“In season� on listings below means different dates at different lodgings. Be sure to ask.

The Inn on Mt. Ada, 398 Wrigley Road; (310) 510-2030, www.innonmtada.com. Wrigley’s onetime vacation home is now a six-room luxury hotel. Doubles in season from $375.

Snug Harbor Inn, 108 Sumner Ave; (310) 510-8400, www.snugharbor-inn.com. Six beautiful ocean view rooms. Doubles in season from $250.

Avalon Hotel, 124 Whittley Ave.; (310) 510-7070, www.theavalonhotel.com. Lovely wood and stained-glass Craftsman details. Doubles in season from $295.

Hotel Metropole, 205 Crescent Ave.; (310) 510-1884, www.hotel-metropole.com. Most of the 48 newly renovated rooms have fireplaces and balconies. Doubles in season from $179.

The Old Turner Inn, 232 Catalina Ave.; (310) 510-2236, www.ecatalina.com. An antique-accented home a block from the beach. Doubles in season from $175.

Vista del Mar, 417 Crescent Ave.; (310) 510-1452, www.hotel-vistadelmar.com, has 14 recently redecorated rooms. Doubles in season from $215.

Pavilion Lodge, 513 Crescent Ave.; (310) 510-1788, www.pavilionlodge.com. Occupies a recently renovated two-story 1950s motel-style building wrapped around a garden patio. Steps from the beach. Doubles in season from $249.

Villa Portofino, 111 Crescent Ave.; (310) 510-0555, www.hotelvillaportofino.com. I spent a night here in a small standard courtyard room that was seemingly decorated by committee. But I liked the sunny Portofino suite, which has a fireplace and full ocean view. (There are eight suites.) Doubles in season from $109.

Hotel Mac Rae, 409 Crescent Ave.; (310) 510-0246, www.hotelmacrae.com. Upstairs on the bay, 24 pleasant sea-themed rooms. Doubles in season from $170.

Cloud 7 Hotel, 137 Marilla; (310) 510-0454, www.cloud7hotel.com. An uphill hike from the beach, it has 18 small but cheerful rooms. Doubles in season from $110.

For families:

El Terado Terrace, 230 Marilla Ave.; (310) 510-0831, www.elterado.com. A steep climb from the beach. Eighteen well-maintained rooms, 11 with kitchens, and two nice, family-friendly townhouses. Doubles in season from $110.

Hotel Vincentes, 108 Marilla Ave.; (310) 510-1115, www.catalina.com/vincentes.html. Not posh but beach-close. Has two spacious suites, each sleeping four. Doubles in season from $135.

Hamilton Cove villas. Several agencies list rentals, including Hamilton Cove Vacation Rentals, 615 Crescent Ave.; (310) 510-0190, www.hamiltoncove.com. About $300 to $1,000 nightly. In a quiet location a mile north of Avalon is a Mediterranean-style waterfront condo complex with pool, tennis courts and exercise facility.

Seaport Village Inn, 119 Maiden Lane, (310) 510-0344, www.catalinacatalina.com, is somewhat inconvenient, but it has units that connect townhouse-style for families. Doubles in season from $79.

For dog lovers:

Edgewater Beachfront Hotel, 415 Crescent Ave.; (310) 510-0347, www.edgewaterbeachfronthotel.com. This eight-room hotel is dog-friendly. Doubles in season from $195.

In Two Harbors:

Banning House Lodge, 1 Banning House Road, Avalon, Two Harbors; (310) 510-2800, www.visitcatalinaisland.com. Doubles in season from $184.

WHERE TO EAT:

Ristorante Villa Portofino, 101 Crescent Ave. (310) 510-2009. Dinner entrees $14.95-$29.95.

Armstrong’s Seafood Restaurant, 306 Crescent Ave. (310) 510-0113. Dinner entrees $15-$31.

Casino Dock Cafe, 2 Casino Way. (310) 510-2755. Breakfast and lunch. Moderately priced.

Catalina Country Club, 1 Country Club Drive, (310) 510-7404. Dinner entrees $26-$35.

Flip’s Saltwater Bar & Grill, 128 Catalina Ave. (310) 510-8585. Dinner entrees $12-$23.

Buffalo Nickel, 57 Pebbly Beach Road; (310) 510-1323. Dinner entrees $9.50-$16.

Steve’s Steakhouse, 417 Crescent Ave.; (310) 510-0333. Dinner entrees $12.95-$29.95.

Harbor Reef Restaurant, Two Harbors; (310) 510-0303. Dinner entrees $14-$28.

TO LEARN MORE:

Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, No. 1 Green Pier, Avalon; (310) 510-1520, www.visitcatalina.org.

-- Beverly Beyette