Embrace the pace of Catalina Island this season with Bellanca’s Go & Play Winter Getawayoffering discounted ferry tickets aboard the Catalina Express and a room or suite of your choice.
Embrace the pace of Catalina Island this season with Bellanca’s Go & Play Winter Getawayoffering discounted ferry tickets aboard the Catalina Express and a room or suite of your choice. What’s even sweeter is a welcoming bottle of champagne to toast all the good decisions that led you to this vacation moment.
Departing seven days a week from both Long Beach and Dana Point, the Catalina Express is your ticket to SoCal paradise. Sit back and relax and in just under 90 minutes (and potentially a cocktail and a few magical dolphin pod sightings later) you’ll arrive at an island beaming with possibility.
Situated just footsteps from the sand of the Avalon Harbor, Bellanca Hotel is blushing with an all-white façade and pops of blue details that give this recently remodeled hotel a vintage European charm while appealing with modern comforts. Sink into your cozy digs featuring a memory foam mattress with the option of quaint courtyard views or stunning ones of the sea. No matter which you choose, all guests are invited to enjoy the hotel’s private sundeck, the perfect place to lounge while marveling at the sailboats swaying in the harbor and the surrounding mountain-scapes.
With package rates starting at just $309, this perfect pair of lodging and transportation are simple click away. And now that you’ve done all the planning, you’ve freed up time to dream about the outdoor activities you’ll participate in once the ferry ports in Avalon. Catalina Island is the ultimate way to keep your 2025 resolution of upping your vitamin D intake by making the most of the great outdoors.
Biking
Explore the island on two wheels with complimentary beach cruisers offered during your stay at Bellanca Hotel. Or if you want to go electric (boogie woogie woogie), e-bikes offer a speedy, gas-free option that are great at traversing hills. Whichever you choose, both come happily equipped with baskets for hauling beach gear or fun shopping finds.
Hiking
By foot the Trans Catalina hiking trail provides over 38 miles of exploration and sweeping views from its highest peak. Become immersed in the nature all around you and perhaps even experience the magic of spotting some of the signature wildlife including bison, bald eagles, or the island’s native foxes, to which the Naughty Fox (Bellanca’s on-site restaurant) was cheekily named after.
Paddleboarding & Kayaking
Get out on the water via kayaks or paddleboards and enjoy the unique opportunity to view abundant marine life through the area’s crystal-clear waters. While gliding along at your own pace, admire the spectacular reef and kelp forests stunning just off the shore.
Whisk yourself away this winter by booking the discounted Go & Play Winter Weekday Getaway at Bellanca Hotel available now through March 14th, 2025.
Most homeowners want two things before they commit to a remodel: a realistic sense of cost and a clear picture of what the finished space will look like. Milan Design + Build helps deliver both through its online remodeling estimator and personalized design consultations, supported by a showroom experience and 3D renderings.
“The online estimate gives homeowners a starting number in about a minute, and the showroom and 3D renderings let them see materials and layouts before anything is built,” says David Noriani, CEO of Milan Design + Build. “Keeping design, permits, and construction with one team helps us manage expectations and keep everyone working toward the same vision.”
Courtesy of Milan Design
Modern design is a particular focus for Milan, with an emphasis on clean lines, natural light, functional layouts, and carefully selected materials. The team adapts each design to the homeowner’s lifestyle and the character of the property. Milan Design + Build combines thoughtful design with construction expertise, creating spaces that are as functional as they are beautiful.
The online estimator covers kitchen remodels, bathroom renovations, full-home remodels, and ADU construction. At Milan’s showroom on Carroll Road, visitors can review real materials, finishes, and design options, meet the design-build team, and discuss project scope, budget, and timing. Consultations can also be held virtually for homeowners who prefer to start remotely.
At Milan Design + Build, one integrated team works on the entire project. Design and construction aren’t divided between separate firms. The process begins with a consultation and feasibility review, followed by design, space planning, and 3D renderings developed from detailed measurements and digital scans. The team also coordinates architectural plans, structural engineering, city approvals, and material selection, with construction overseen by a dedicated project manager.
Homeowners can explore their remodeling options, get an initial estimate, or request a design consultation at MilanBuild.com.
At any given time, there are roughly 200 research investigations and clinical trials being conducted at Scripps Health in as many as 25 medical specialties. Research and patient care go hand-in-hand at Scripps. Those studies can be categorized as clinical trials of a medication or device that are conducted by Scripps physicians and studies designed by Scripps’ physicians and clinicians. Click here to learn about three exciting studies underway at Scripps and the benefits to patients.
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Scripps has recently unveiled new features in the MyScripps patient portal and mobile app to help patients connect with their primary care team and simplify the payment process. Among the recent updates is the addition of primary care E-visits for minor conditions. Patients who have an established primary care physician can schedule an E-visit, complete an online questionnaire and, if needed, send a photo. Their doctor can then advise and prescribe medication, when appropriate. Autopay is also now available through MyScripps. Patients can enable or disable autopay, allowing them to more easily manage payments. Learn more about MyScripps and how it helps patients stay connected here.
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Farrah Adams had a persistent dull ache in her lower back that her massage therapist suggested might be caused by the way she sat or drove. That explanation seemed reasonable, but when coupled with heavy, painful periods led the then 46-year-old to seek answers. When she looks back on it now, she’s beyond grateful she trusted her gut. She made an appointment with a Scripps OB-GYN, who determined she had Stage 3 cervical cancer that had spread to several lymph nodes. Farrah was overwhelmed, but immediately found a “champion” in Scripps Clinic gynecologic oncologist Jo Marie Tran Janco, MD. After undergoing successful treatment at Scripps Cancer Center, Farrah is now using her story to inspire other women to make time for care. Read more of her story here.
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In the last several years, there’s been a surge in FDA approvals for what’s known as oral oncolytics. Oral oncolytics are targeted cancer therapies that come in tablet, capsule or liquid form that patients can take at home, rather than in an infusion clinic. Scripps physicians have seen exponential growth using this approach, with patients citing convenience as a major quality-of-life enhancement in their cancer treatment. This approach also allows treatments to be customized based on specific genetic mutations and a patient’s unique disease biology. Find out more about oral oncolytics here.
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Meet San Diego’s leading healthcare professionals, delivering exceptional medical and dental care through innovation, expertise, and dedication to patients.
Unio Specialty Care is a multi-specialty practice specializing in urology, gastroenterology, and radiation oncology.
Unio’s Radiation Oncology team—Dr. Donald B. Fuller, Dr. Tahir Ijaz, Dr. Reza Shirazi, and Dr. Siavosh Vakilian—combines extensive clinical experience with a commitment to personalized cancer care. The RO team treats cancerous and non-cancerous conditions using precision therapies including SBRT, IGRT, and the CyberKnife® S7 System, the only system of its kind in Southern California. Their expertise spans prostate, breast, lung, gastrointestinal, pancreatic, and central nervous system cancers, as well as low-dose radiotherapy for osteoarthritis.
In 2026, Dr. Shirazi and Dr. Vakilian were recognized as San Diego Top Doctors, joining Dr. Fuller and Dr. Ijaz, who have previously received this distinction.
