New to do in Catalina

Just 26 miles across the sea, Santa Catalina has lots to see — enough fresh offerings, in fact, to fill a long weekend or more. Among them:

Get ready for adventure. Catalina has a burgeoning adventure hub, including the new Aerial Adventure in Descanso Canyon, which challenges you to scale, swing and slide five courses, from beginner to advanced. It has joined the Catalina Climbing Wall and Zip Line Eco Tour, which carries participants from 600 feet above sea level to the valley floor. Looking for water-based adventure instead of landbased? You can flyboard over Avalon Bay at Action Flyboarding, which lets you hover, glide or do turns above the Pacific Ocean on jets of air and water.

Check Check out out the the expanded expanded Catalina Catalina Island Island Museum, Museum, and catch the “Chihuly at the Catalina Island Museum” exhibit, which closes in December.

Hike some or all of the 27 more miles of trails that are being added in the backcountry.

Try a tour. Twilight at the Casino explores the Avalon Casino; the Avalon Canyon Trail Tour offers sweeping views of Avalon; a biofueled Hummer goes into the backcountry; and the Avalon Harbor Lights Tour takes participants through the city and up Mt. Ada as the sun sets.

Say yo-ho at the new pirate

ship playground, a.k.a. Knabe Park. It’s meant for kids, but who doesn’t want to be a buccaneer?

Tune up and tone your body at the workout stations on the Avalon Fit Trail on Avalon Canyon Road.

Climb aboard the white Avalon Transit electric bus at the dock parking lot and get a ride to town for $2 per person.

Lunch at Mt. Ada. You can take advantage of the views but avoid a pricey overnight stay by enjoying a threecourse luncheon at Mt. Ada.

Try the renovated and now pet-friendly Holiday Inn Resort, formerly the Catalina Canyon Resort. It has a new lobby areaand meeting space.

Visit rustic Two Harbors, which has a new sandy beach, plush palapas, lounge chairs and food and beverage service on the beach.