A long time ago I visited Catalina on a day trip with my family. We took the ferry and walked the main streets, ending up at the landmark round Casino Building that had been built as a temple of dance back in 1929. I played in the sand, and then we boarded the ferry and went home. This time around I came with my traveling partner, Dede, to take another look, spend a few nights and experience Catalina as a natural wonderland.

Our plan was to be active each of our four days on the island: bicycling, kayaking, diving in the 40-foot-tall underwater kelp forests and riding Catalina's new zip-line over Descanso Canyon. We'd been told if we managed to keep our eyes open we'd get stellar views of the ocean and the coast of California beyond.

We rented 21-speed mountain bikes at Brown's Bikes, located across from the Catalina boat landing. The owner, Mesa, handed us bicycle helmets and a map that was color-coded, showing the difficulty of some of the rides around town and the way to the Botanical Gardens, the Wrigley Memorial, several hiking trails and the most romantic restaurant on the island, the Inn at Mount Ada.

At midday we set out for the inn, which was originally the Wrigley Mansion, stopping along the way to take in the great views. Another incredible view welcomed us on the back deck of the inn, where a light, delicious lunch was served. Dede had the vegetarian sandwich consisting of a Portobello mushroom and fried zucchini. I had a hamburger with pastrami and Provolone cheese on top, all washed down with champagne. Lunch includes an open bar of champagne, wine, beer and soft drinks. It begins at noon, and guests are asked to tear themselves away by 3 p.m. Breakfast is served between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Our first night on the island we checked out one of the newest restaurants in town. Located on the waterfront road known as Crescent Avenue, the Avalon Grille opened in May 2010 and has garnered a reputation for its calamari shrimp in mustard vinaigrette sauce and the crispy Brussels sprouts with almonds. The restaurant has exposed wood-beam ceilings, lots of ocean-view seating and an inviting U-shaped bar.

The next morning we headed out along Crescent Avenue, a pretty red-brick road that leads around the Casino Building to Descanso Beach Ocean Sports. The company offers a kayaking class for beginners at 10 a.m. daily. The guided trip goes to Frog Rock and lasts two hours. After our lesson we paddled on with the kayaks to explore three more beaches. On the last beach we encountered buffalo that were descendants of the original 14 buffalo brought to the island for the filming of "The Vanishing American" in 1924. The buffalo were left on the island, and today, managed by the Catalina Conservancy, their population has ballooned to about 225 animals.

While we were kayaking we enjoyed seeing bright orange Garibaldi scooting through the water. Dede was already excited about diving the next day through the kelp forests around Casino Point. I felt ready, too — after my refresher dive with a dive master from Catalina Scuba Luv, a company that has operated on the island for more than 20 years.

Everything is close in Catalina. We stayed at the recently renovated Hotel Pavilion and enjoyed the newly landscaped gardens around the ground-floor rooms. The Pavilion is now a post-modern 1950's-style abode. Palm trees dominate the back of the courtyard, and a fire pit in front makes for a great social atmosphere during the free nightly wine and cheese pairings.

Within a couple of blocks of our hotel we came across a second romantic dining spot with a harbor view in Avalon — Steve's Steakhouse. The ahi we ordered was expertly prepared, as were the coconut shrimp. Dede loved the view from the upstairs window: "Fairytale-like," she said of the Casino Ballroom lit up at night. People — some obviously sweethearts — strolled on the streets below, and the small sandy beach was the perfect spot for a moonlight walk.

We happened to be on the island the same weekend as the first annual Catalina Jazz Dance Festival. Classes were available during the day Friday through Sunday with big dances and live bands Friday and Saturday nights. Some of the dancers were decked out in the fashions of the 1920s and 1930s. This year's dance event is scheduled for Nov. 18-20. The scene is worth the price of admission, even for people who don't dance.

Saturday night, our last night on the island, we ventured into the patio seating at one of the newest restaurants in town, the M Restaurant, and dined under the stars. The M adheres to a farm-to-table philosophy that was evident in the taste of the spinach salad with mandarin oranges and a light balsamic vinaigrette dressing. We had been told by one island resident to try the Chicken Curry Spring Rolls With Plum Sweet and Sour Sauce. They were scrumptious. Two of the other standout dishes were the Nieman Ranch baby back ribs and for dessert the mango cheesecake.

Sunday morning we launched out of bed and headed back to Descanso Beach for the new zip-line tour. There we met Ronnie Hendricks and his girlfriend, Cassandra, who liked it so much they said they plan to do it again.

"That was our favorite of all the activities we did on the island," said Hendricks, a San Diego resident who was visiting the island for the first time.

The zip-line has been a big success, attracting 27,000 riders in its first six months of operation. Riders are comfortably strapped into the line and a metal bar extends down from the twin coils for hands to grip. Though some of the first-time riders were skittish at the start of the five runs, just about all of them were hot-dogging on the last two speedy jaunts down the canyon.

Eyes open or closed, Catalina provides exhilarating adventure. It's also the perfect place for a romantic getaway.

WHEN YOU GO:

Catalina Ferry: www.catalinaexpress.com, Pavilion Hotel: www.visitcatalinaisland.com (then click on "hotels"), Brown's Bikes: www.catalinabiking.com, Descanso Beach Ocean Sports: www.kayakcatalinaisland.com, Diving: www.scubaluv.com, Zip-line: www.visitcatalinaisland.com, Catalina Jazz Dance Festival:www.2plyswing.com

Photo's courtesy of Stuart Wasserman.

Stuart Wasserman is a freelance travel writer.