Travel to the community of Avalon or the quieter Two Harbors on Santa Catalina Island for free on your birthday. Catalina Express offers the gift of a free round-trip crossing from Los Angeles, Long Beach and Dana Point.
The deal: Catalina Express gives away free birthday rides every year, but the terms of this deal have changed for 2017.
Here’s how it works: You must travel to Catalina on your birth date, and you must bring a second person who buys a full-fare adult ticket (even if they are a senior, minor, etc.).
After that, you can choose to make the return trip (it takes about an hour each way) anytime within 30 days. Spend the day, a weekend or a week exploring on foot along the Trans-Catalina Trail or in the air on a zip-line. Kayaking, swimming, scuba diving or just lounging on the beach can be part of the itinerary too.
When: The offer is good year-round, based on availability.
Details: To take advantage of this deal, there are several steps to follow: Register on the company’s website, receive a confirmation email and make a reservation for two when you do your booking.
And you need to present a valid ID that shows your date of birth to take advantage of the free ride. Tickets cost $73 to $75, depending on which port you leave from. That’s the amount you’ll save — and the ticket price your companion will pay.
But that’s not the only reason to spend your birthday on the island. You also can get discounts on items and activities including mini-golf, bicycle rentals, massages and hotel rooms. Check out Birthday Island discounts here.
Info: 2017 Share Your Birthday Ride
Plant enthusiasts catalog wildflowers blooming at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Plant enthusiasts catalog wildflowers blooming at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Plant enthusiasts catalog wildflowers blooming at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Plant enthusiasts catalog wildflowers blooming at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
The National Park of American Samoa, a haven of rainforest and empty beaches that includes pieces of three South Pacific Islands, is about 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii.
The National Park of American Samoa, a haven of rainforest and empty beaches that includes pieces of three South Pacific Islands, is about 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii.
Giant snow dump in the Sierra
Giant snow dump in the Sierra
Botanical wonders abound in the wild Sonoran Desert of Organ Pipe National Monument and Saguaro National Park. Just mind the heat. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Botanical wonders abound in the wild Sonoran Desert of Organ Pipe National Monument and Saguaro National Park. Just mind the heat. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
The next president will find a Washington, D.C., that’s dramatically different from the city Barack Obama saw at his inauguration in 2009, or even the one in 2013. Museums and hotels, new and renewed. Restaurants left and right. Lower crime and rising neighborhoods, too.
The next president will find a Washington, D.C., that’s dramatically different from the city Barack Obama saw at his inauguration in 2009, or even the one in 2013. Museums and hotels, new and renewed. Restaurants left and right. Lower crime and rising neighborhoods, too.
travel@latimes.com
Twitter: @latimestravel
ALSO
Mid-March may be the sweet spot for spectacular wildflowers in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Need inspiration for your next California trip? Here’s a free guide with 607 reasons to go
Fly round trip to Toronto from LAX for most of the year for $359 on American or WestJet
See super-low hotel deals, in private, with GetSnapTravel.com
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.