Beachgoers relax at Descanso Beach Club, offering Avalon’s only beachfront restaurant and bar on Friday, June 25, 2021, in Catalina Island, CA. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Travelers planning a summer getaway may want to consider one of this year’s top summer destinations listed as part of USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
The 20 summer destinations were named by a panel of experts, says USA Today, but only one will be named the No. 1 destination for summer travel.
Competing for that title is a beloved California tourist destination: Catalina Island.
The 22-mile island located off the coast of Southern California welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors every year and is home to pristine beaches, some of the region’s most unique plant and animal species, as well as world-famous seafood.
Luxury hotels, mid-range bungalows, and cheap overnight stays are among the accommodations travelers can book when visiting Catalina.
The island is also a hot spot for film and television production, especially in the early days of Hollywood and the silent film era. Several episodes of “Baywatch” were filmed there in the 1990s, and parts of the classic Steven Spielberg thriller “Jaws” were also filmed there.
For younger generations, its most indelible moment in pop culture may be the 2008 comedy “Step Brothers,” in which characters played by John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell discuss the importance of the fictional “Catalina Wine Mixer,” a joke which turned into a real event held every year.
Catalina, the only California location to make the list, is just one of the summer destinations vying for the title. Readers can vote for their favorite now.
Other well-known towns and tourist traps that made the list include Cody, Wyoming; Juneau, Alaska; Mackinac Island, Michigan; and Capitol Reef Country in Utah, which incorporates Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches national parks.
For the full list of the top 20 summer vacation destinations and to vote for your favorite, click here.
Readers can vote once a day until voting closes on May 13. The top 10 will be revealed on May 22.
