Besides being Copperchick in my next life, I am also going to live on Catalina Island (or Santa Catalina Island, as she is officially known). Having lived in Laguna Beach for almost two years and vowing, every time the sun set behind the Island (every night, strangely enough), that THIS would be the week I would pull finger and book a trip to the island, I finally got around to it last weekend. My excuse is that there is just too much to do in California, a view shared by many. Anyway, I took the ferry from Newport Beach and after a stunning hour and a quarter trip (very smooth – no seasickness, despite a few glasses of wine the previous night), we arrived in Avalon. No whales to be seen en route, although the captain kept pointing into the middle distance and insisting that they were ‘just over there’ (I think he was just keeping himself amused, watching all us tourist-types craning our necks to see the non-existent mammals).
Immediately upon disembarking from the ferry, there was a flurry of activity as passengers shouldered each other out of the way in an attempt to be first in line to hire a golf cart – the main method of transportation in Avalon are these small gasoline-powered motorcars. Interestingly, it is very difficult to get a permit to have a full sized vehicle in Avalon, which translates into a 10-year-long wait list to bring a car to the island. The city has its own strict permit program with which local vehicle owners must comply, in addition with the usual requirements imposed by the statewide Department of Motor Vehicles. I couldn’t help but think how much more advanced this is when compared to Laguna Beach, for example – another quaint seaside village just across the water which is crying out to have at least some of the town pedestrianized, and in which this golf-cart policy would surely work wonders to go some way towards reducing the congestion in the town, if carefully planned and managed…
Avalon itself is a very charismatic rural waterfront town with the usual tourist-oriented businesses and services lining the coastline – more reminiscent of a Spanish or Greece village than a Los Angeles county town (I’ve checked: it is the southern-most city in Los Angeles County). After an hour of sightseeing on our golf cart (there are a number of scenic drives that you can take to get a quick overview of the town and what’s on the other side of the hills that surround it), we took to foot and pounded the pavements for a few hours, exploring every little nook and cranny of the town, including the beautiful Art Deco dance hall, the Casino, which was constructed in 1929. Apparently William Wrigley, Jr. (of chewing gum fame) was a major force in the development of Avalon as he bought controlling interest in the Santa Catalina Island Company in 1919 and devoted himself to preserving and promoting it, investing millions in needed infrastructure and attractions.
We then hired a couple of single kayaks and took advantage of the beautifully glassy and crystal clear water. This was definitely a highlight of the trip – reminded me of kayaking on the Sea of Cortez, so calm was the water.
After a well-earned lunch of some very fresh fish and chips and a shared bottle of chilled Sauvignon Blanc, we were summoned back to the ferry by the rather rude but very effective foghorn they blast to get you running back to the port, and then we were heading back to the mainland. I insisted on sitting outside and it was cold but well worth it as we were treated to the most spectacular sunset as the sun (once again) set over the Island, and this time I felt very content in the knowledge that I had experienced at least a sampling of what this special island has to offer. Next time I am going to go for longer (and I found some ideas for itineraries on another blog) so that I can explore the rest of the island, camp on the west side where the rocky cliffs are supposed to be spectacular, visit Two Harbors, check out the bison that were supposedly first imported in 1924 for the silent film version of Zane Grey’s Western tale “The Vanishing American” and then left on the island. So much to see, so little time…
