California hotspot named among top summer travel destinations by USA Today
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 nominated by a panel of experts, USA Today says, but only one will be named the No. 1 summer trip destination.
Competing for that title is one beloved California travel 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, and world-famous seafood.
Luxury hotels, mid-range bungalows and cheap overnight stays are all among the accommodations travelers can book when visiting Catalina.
The island is also a hotspot for film and television production, particularly in the early days of Hollywood and the silent-film era. Multiple episodes of “Baywatch” were filmed on site in the 1990s, and portions of the classic Steven Spielberg thriller “Jaws” were also filmed there.
For the younger generations, its most indelible pop culture moment might be from 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 that turned into a real event held every year.
Catalina, the only California spot to crack the list, is just one of the summer destinations vying for the title. Readers can vote for their favorite now.
Other well-known cities and tourist traps to make 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 complete top 20 list of summer vacation destinations, and to vote for your favorite, click here.
Readers can vote once per day until voting ends on May 13. The top 10 will be revealed on May 22.
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