MEMORIES:
luckycharm remembers...I lost my first front tooth while playing in the water at Avalon Bay in 1961. I was there with ... More »
Posted on 07/05/09
PHOTOS:
"Twenty-six miles across the sea
Santa Catalina is a-waitin' for me
Santa Catalina, the island of romance
Romance, romance romance..."
While they may have had the romance part down, Catalina Island is really only about 22 miles out of San Pedro California. Visible from the Southern California coastline (when the weather is good,) Santa Catalina Island plays host to a number of visitors each year, including campers, hikers, divers and those just looking to have a fun and relaxing time on the famous island. Once upon a time (archaeologists estimate it to be roughly 7,000 years ago) the island was inhabited by the Tongva tribe of Native Americans, who also lived in and around the Los Angeles area. In 1542, Europeans discovered Catalina and over the next 300 years, the island was host to a variety of visitors, from Russian otter hunters to Spanish smugglers and even Chinese pirates. During the 1860s, there was a brief gold rush on the island. To the dismay of prospectors, there was no gold to be found. Soon, the native populations were nearly wiped out and the island went largely uninhabited, with the exception of a few cattle herders.
At the height of the real estate boom at the end of the 19th century, a real estate speculator from Grand Rapids, Michigan, named George Shatto purchased the island for $200,000. He created what we now know as Avalon, the major port that services the lovely island. After defaulting on the loan, a few years later, the property was purchased again. The island soon found itself in a flurry of development. Tourism, however, was dampened as a result of a fire that destroyed the city of Avalon, leaving hotels and homes charred to the ground. Though there were plans to rebuild, tourism remained in decline during World War I. After the war was over, William Wrigley, Jr., founder of Wrigley's Chewing Gum, bought controlling interest in the island. Investing millions into the infrastructure and tourist attractions, including the beautiful Art Deco dance hall, The Casino. While there was never gambling on the premises (a common misconception among first-time visitors,) The Casino brought a touch of flare and panache to the increasingly popular vacation destination. On the bottom of The Casino sits the famous Avalon Theater. The theater, the first to be built for films with sound, was made complete with a theater pipe organ, delighting audiences who longed for a nostalgic view of the finer things in life. At the top of the circular ramps (influenced directly by Wrigley Field,) is the ballroom.
Baseball fans may be interested to know that for a decade, between 1927 and 1937, the Chicago Cubs used Catalina Island for Spring Training. These days, the island plays host to a number of kids each year - from school-based science camps, to the YMCA and Boy Scouts campgrounds that are located on the island, providing kids with the opportunity to learn about marine life and the environment at large. The island's natural inhabitants, the Catalina Island Fox (which has been plagued with illness, although it’s coming back in steady numbers) and the Beechey Ground Squirrel, share roaming grounds with a herd of American Bison. Initially brought to the island in 1924 for the filming of the silent Western, The Vanishing American, the herd has grown to as many as 600 bison. Many have been relocated to their original home in the Dakotas, through the efforts of the city as well as a handful of California's Native American tribes. Bald Eagles were also once on the island, and efforts continue in the hopes of restoring their population.
Approximately 1 million visitors come to Catalina each year, many of them arriving on ferries that depart daily from towns such as Dana Point, Newport Beach, Long Beach, San Pedro and Marina del Rey. The trip each way takes about an hour, and while the waters are occasionally rough, they certainly provide an unforgettable experience for your average landlubber. Most visitors never leave the city of Avalon, the one area where (only a handful of) vehicles are permitted. With a restriction on the number of cars on the island at any given time, waiting lists for residents often take up to 10 years, leaving many with no choice but to travel by bike or golf cart. While in Avalon, there's much to do, from shopping and dining, to glass-bottom boat tours. For the more adventurous, there is even snorkeling and scuba diving available, with Pacific lobsters and other sea life to explore. It would seem that there is something for everyone on Catalina Island.
While it may be a tad bit closer than the famous “26 miles across the sea”, to those who have come to know and love this magnificent island, Catalina is a world away from the ordinary.
