Travel Log September 2006

We're off on an adventure to one of our favorite destinations... Catalina!

Our day started early as we caught the Flyer out of Newport Harbor at 9:00am. The sky was bright and sunny and the seas were calm, as we cruised through the harbor at 5 knots. We passed several seals who were splashing about the marina. We waved goodbye to the coast when we passed out of the harbor and slipped by the bouy covered with pelicans, who were resting between dives trying to catch their breakfast.

The sea was full of life. A large pod of pacific dolphins were cruising in our wake and created quite a stir amongst the passengers bringing children to the rail to get a better look. Out popped everyone's camera's, but alas we sailed ahead before we could get a good shot of the activity. It was one of many moments captured only by our memories.

As we approached the Avalon harbor a mere 75 minutes later,

my glee was apparent. You can see the landmark Casino in the background of this shot my husband took of me while the boat was docking.

We were pleased to be starting our weekend on the island with fair weather and a great deal of pep in our steps

Catalina History

Now for those of you who have never been to Catalina, here's a brief history lesson. Native Americans were the first inhabitants 7000 years ago. They travelled from the mainland by wooden plank canoes. In 1542 Spanard explorers "discovered" the island. 100 years later, the US gained possesion of California including the 8 Channel Islands which are approximately 26 miles off the coast. The island has been privately owned since the 1850's. Many successful seasons passed until Avalon was destroyed by a fire in 1915. The Wrigley family acquired it in 1919 and has owned it ever since. Wrigley is responsible for the face of Avalon as we know it today. He built the Casino, the Pier Green and many of the current landmarks. He brought over the Chicago Cubs baseball team for their annual spring trainings. And his family vacationed much of the winter months on the island year after year. The island has prosperred due to the sucess of ranching, silver mining, fishing, movie production and tourism. During World War II the island was closed to tourism, and the US Maritime Service used the island to train recruits. 88% of the island was donated in the 1970's to the newly formed conservancy to protect the native species and to garner over development. The island today is still known as a world-class destination and is full of activities for visitors. It is a close-knit community of residents who have created an island that is known and loved by many. Including my honey and myself!

More About Our Adventure

We always stay at Ye Old Turner Inn. Its a lovely home built around 1946 and it's located just 2 blocks from the Pier Green on Catalina Avenue. The Innkeeper, Krista always takes the best care of us. She makes some of the most delightful breakfast dishes and she prepares a daily happy hour that would keep any lush happy.


Surprise!

This trip was hightened in spirit by our plans to celebrate my 44th birthday! Stepping through the door, we were pleasantly surprised by a beautiful grand gift basket! Who could it be from? My lovely sister-in-law, Ann and our nephew Brian were so considerate to call ahead and arrange for it to be waiting to greet us.

It was filled with all kinds of delightful goodies from chocolate covered graham crackers to chips and artichoke salsa. Our stay was definitely sweetened by their loving gesture.


Exploring the Island

We visited the historic home of Zane Grey located up the hillside from the Casino. It's now a hotel and it afords a spectacular view of the Avalon bay and the hills surrounding the town.

The author of some 89 books, he spent most of his later life in Avalon writing and fishing until his death in 1939 at age 67.

Art Festival

Avalon hosts many festivals throughout the year. The weekend we were there it hosted an art festival. We enjoyed strolling along the boardwalk looking at the paintings and sculptures. We particularly enjoyed the plein-air work of one artist.

She was kind enough to let us admire her work and take this photo. One day when we have a larger home, we'll fill our walls with lovely paintings like this one.

The Mermaid

Catalina is known for the beautiful tile work created there and one of the more dramatic examples of this artistry is the mozaic of the mermaid over the entrance to the Casino.

This is our photo, but we were able to buy a professional picture of the underwater beauty which is now hanging in our home. It's a perfect souvenir to comemorate this fantastic visit to our island getaway - Catalina!

Do you have a favorite place to vacation? Please tell me all about it!