Catalina Island: A World Apart

by Paris Permenter & John Bigley

Catalina Island is the perfect getaway for couples looking to really getaway without cars and without cares for a few days.

It lies only 26 miles from the crowded beaches of Los Angeles, but Santa Catalina is a world apart. While LA sets the style for a country to follow, Catalina Island clings to a pace and lifestyle right out of the 1920's.

You can begin your journey back in time from ports in Long Beach, San Pedro or San Diego aboard a high speed boat. In less time that it takes to drive across LA, the two of you will find yourselves docking in Avalon, the postage stamp-size town where almost all of Catalina's development is concentrated.

"Development" may be too strong a word to use for the buildings of Avalon. Here you'll see no high rise hotels or big name restaurant chains, only small, personal hotels and bed and breakfast inns. Only 800 cars are allowed on the island, and even these must have special permits to drive in the rugged hills which make up the majority of the island.

Catalina has been spared development because of the foresight of the island's former owner, chewing gum magnate William Wrigley. For many years, the Wrigleys made their home on Catalina in a grand house they named Mt. Ada, now operated as a bed and breakfast inn. Although today most of the island is owned by the Santa Catalina Island Company, the Wrigley influence is still strong.

Because cars are scarce (there are no rental cars), you can rent (by the hour or day) a little "autoette" to drive during your stay. These vehicles, which are a cross between a golf cart and a jeep, are allowed only within the city limits. If you'll be in Avalon just for the day, "foot power" is the perfect way to get around town. Enjoy the slower pace of the island, and walk along the beach-side boardwalk, where many of the shops and restaurants are located.

Whether you're staying for the day or a week, your first stop in Avalon should be the Catalina Visitors Information Center, located on Cresent Avenue. Here you'll find brochures on restaurants, hotels, shopping, and tours of the island and plenty of friendly faces to answer your questions. The center has exhibits on the many tours available, from which you can choose anything from a 30-minute city tour to an all day excursion through rugged wilderness areas.

Directly across from the Visitors Center lies the green Pleasure Pier. Catch a glass bottom boat ride here for a slow cruise over beds of bladder kelp which can grow an incredible six feet a day, and the bright orange Garibaldi, the state marine fish of California. An occasional octapus may also be seen by lucky visitors to Catalina's clear waters.

After your glass bottom boat ride, stop by one of the stands on the green pier for some fresh fish or, if you're adventurous, a "buffalo burger", from Catalina's own buffalo herds which roam in the wild area of the island. If you're in the mood for something a little tamer, stop by the Busy Bee Restaurant where since 1923 visitors have enjoyed seaside dining on an open deck.

The spectacular view from the waterfront has made Catalina famous. Besides the clear waters and the backdrop of blue skies, you'll always see the waters of Catalina dotted with yachts, windsurfers, and even scuba divers. The divers frequent the waters near the Casino, the round, Grecian style building which is Catalina's most distinctive landmark.

The Casino was built during the Wrigley era and was the scene for big band productions and lavish galas, but was never a gambling establishment as its name suggests. In addition to its dramatic architecture, the Casino is admired for the profusion of striking mosaics which adorn its exterior. Fanciful marine and mythological subjects are depicted in brilliant primary colors. The tiles themselves were produced on the island in a tile plant owned by William Wrigley, so you will also see mosaics elsewhere in Avalon.

For a bird's eye view of this charming village, ride up to the Wrigley Memorial, located at the apex of Avalon Canyon. You'll walk to this imposing structure through the Memorial Garden, thickly planted with colorful succulents and many plants endemic only to Santa Catalina Island. The Memorial itself is 130 feet high, dominated by an 80-foot tower. Made primarily from native Catalina materials, this memorial stands as a tribute to the man whose foresight has preserved the natural beauty of the island. Wrigley was once buried here but, with the outbreak of the Pacific conflict in WWII, his body was moved to the mainland.

Standing at the Wrigley Memorial, below which Avalon lies stretched out below like a fairytale town, it's easy to see why the village was named after the island valley in the Tennyson poem where "...falls not hail or rain, or any snow, not ever wind blows loudly; but it lies deep-meadowed, happy, fair with orchard lawns and bowery hallows crown'd with summer seas..."

From atop the memorial, you can also glimpse the wild areas beyond the boundaries of Avalon. To really know Catalina, you must tear yourself away from this beautiful village and venture into the rugged hills where buffalo are a common sight. These animals were brought to the island for the filming of a silent movie many years ago, and they've increased in number ever since. Buffalo are not Catalina's only animal residents. Goats and channel foxes are occasionally seen by hikers in the back areas, and California sea lions and harbor seals are found on the slick rocks at the east end of the island.

To receive information on Catalina's many attractions, see http://www.visitcatalina.org.