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Twenty-six miles across the sea, separated from you and me, by the gray waters that lie in hand, is a jewel of an island by the name of Catalina.

CATALINA, CA

Dave
2004-02-21 13:55:20

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to the main land were gear rentals, such as dive, snorkeling, kayaks and other water sports related gear.

A great memento from your stay on Catalina is a Von’s Club card. There are two Von’s on the island to serve your shopping needs. There is a Von’s Express (a small Vons) on lower Catalina Ave and a larger Vons one street over. These two locations are the best places to stock up on groceries. The Von’s sandwich, while small, yet still filling, is a cost of only $3.59. Several lunches on Von’s sandwiches will allow you to save those extra few dollars for that tequila later that evening.

Sunbathing seems to be a popular pastime on the area’s beaches. Often during the busy times, people will get up very early and lay their days sunning gear on a towel on the beach. The idea behind this is that during the day the beaches fill up with people, so they are saving a space to come back to later in the day.

Sometimes you may see people sweeping the beach with brooms. This was the first time I had ever seen anyone sweep a beach with a broom, so I had to find out what was going on. Apparently the garbage collectors think that a broom is the best way to collect dried seaweed and other debris from the beaches of Avalon

If you get a chance be sure to play a round of miniature golf at the Miniature Golf Gardens. This 18 hole, very challenging course is located one street over from Catalina Ave (the main street perpendicular to the water). The official course record is a 46. Unless you have played this course or are very good at miniature golf you might not get close to this score. They are open every day of the year, weather permitting.

Be sure to take a walk along the main pier in the harbor. Whenever I am in Catalina I enjoy picking a stool at Eric’s on the Pier and reading a morning newspaper while every once in a while, glancing up to watch tourists stroll by.

An excellent walk (about an hour to 1.5 hours) is from Avalon to Pebbly Beach and then back to Avalon. Golf carts normally drive this road, but it is also easily accessible by foot as well. Bring plenty of water for your hike. From Catalina Ave head west until you hit Tremont Ave. Turn left and follow this road on up to The Inn on Mt. Ada (this is the beautiful inn perched on the side of the hill directly above Avalon). This is a fairly steep windy road but you are afforded excellent views Avalon. Once you pass the Inn on Mt. Ada the road soon turns into a one-way road for the golf carts. Continue on to the top and you will be rewarded with excellent views of the sides of the island, and if it is a clear day you will be able to see all the way to the mainland. Continue down the other side until you enter Pebbly Beach, which is a small cluster of buildings and an electricity generating plant. Take a left and follow the road all the way back to Catalina. This road is set right above the ocean.

The casino is one of Avalon’s most recognizable and famous landmarks. It sits at the edge of the harbor on its own small peninsula. There is an excellent walkway that leads from the main town of Avalon to the casino. It parallels a small road for the golf carts and also the harbor.

One of the most impressive historic movie theatres I have ever been to is contained within the walls of the casino. Ornately decorated walls contain large paintings and murals. This is a huge theatre. Before the movies begin an organist plays about a ½ hour of tunes on a huge organ. The audiences love this and give him a healthy ovation after each piece. As you walk out of the theatre above the central door - note the neat two faces, one smiling, and one grimacing. I guess these could be a representation of whether you enjoyed the movie or not.