Avalon, Calif.--Pleasure piers in California come in the handfuls--well maybe just a hand or two summarizes how many piers actually offer entertainment and beverages such as beer.

One California pier makes the others green with envy--Catalina Island's Green Pier. Painted a unique green, it can be seen from airplanes flying overhead, and when you arrive on the island by boat, there it is! After you set food on land from the Catamaran boat that brings you to the island from either Long Beach, Newport Beach, Dana Point, Marina del Rey or San Pedro, stop by Eric's on the Pier at 2 Green Pier & Crescent Ave. to continue your relaxing daytrip or vacation.

Eric's serves a delicious beverage, foam-topped beer to accompany buffalo burgers and fries. Although Catalina is known for its wild buffalo that roam the island's protected areas, you can be confident that the buffalo burger meat doesn't come from the permanent residents who enjoy the island--and consider you a visitor.

Eric's is basically a burger stand with bar stools and tables set inside a section of the pier near the entrance, and is marked off with a white paint stripe. Eric's is ideal for watching tourists and the colors of the island. You can chomp on meal in the sunshine, sip an iced brew or beverage, and enjoy it all in your grunge clothes or swimsuit. Breakfast burritos are great morning pick-me-ups, and there's an assortment of affordable snacks and sandwich meals. Call: (310) 510-0894.

There are several restaurants on the pier, boat rentals, tours, bait & tackle for fishing, and a visitors kiosk. The wooden planked pier is around 300 to 400 feet long, and sits at the City of Avalon's bay, surrounding by ocean, mountains, and tourist attractions.

Making the California Top Five Pleasure Piers List, Avalon Green Pier is a blast… and so is getting to it. You can fly in a helicopter from Long Beach, which requires a ride from the Avalon airport into the city.

The next time you fly over L.A. during the daylight hours on a commercial flight in or out of LAX, Orange County Airport or Long Beach, you often will fly directly over the Green Pleasure Pier on Catalina Island. While it's a little hard to spot, train your eyes and you may get a whole different perspective as you look of this fun place to be as you dream about your island getaway from the clouds.