Catalina’s Famous Avalon

Avalon Bay - Catalina Island

Tight Moorage at Avalon Bay

Avalon Bay

Village of Avalon and Catalina Casino 

Condos near Avalon - Catalina Island

After spending three nights at Two Harbors, we motored south along Catalina’s mountainous coast, arriving at the famous resort village of Avalon around 11am.  We repeated the procedure for a mooring buoy, but this time with the added challenge of much tighter quarters.  Several rows of buoys follow the curved shape of the bay with a narrow channel between each row; add in factors like the wind, people kayaking, dinghies running around, and boats coming and going, it gets pretty interesting!  The Harbor Patrol assigned us to buoy number W25; but before we could get there, another boat pulled into the same spot – that was ok with us since the space was better suited for a smaller boat.  We flagged down another patrol boat and asked if we could take buoy no. W23 since someone had taken our previously assigned spot.  He gave us the go ahead and noted the change – patrol boats certainly keep busy checking buoys and collecting fees!  Catalina became a prime tourist destination in the 20^th century with Avalon as its commercial hub.  In 1846 the Mexican Governor gave Catalina as a land grant to sea captain Robbins and the Island became part of the state of California in 1848.  The Island had several owners and for many years was owned by the Wrigley Family, who operated a sheep, cattle, and horse ranch.  Today, the Island is largely owned and managed by the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy, which acts as steward for its lands through a balance of conservation, education, and recreation.  Boaters moored at Avalon use the water taxi service to go ashore or they can bring their own dinghy into shore and tie-up at the busy dinghy dock – we used both options during our 2-day stay.  The village of Avalon is filled with boutiques of all kinds along with various restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops - Leonard even found a Catalina T-shirt for his souvenir; yes, he seems to have become the shopper!  Activities at Avalon include both land tours and water sports like para-sailing and glass-bottom boat tours plus the ever popular sandy beaches.  The most recognizable landmark at Avalon is the Catalina Casino, a historic movie house and dancehall – more about that in a later blog.  In the heyday of the 1930’s, Catalina Island was a popular getaway for Hollywood stars like Clark Gable and other notable actors.  It is interesting to note that Marilyn Monroe lived on Catalina Island for a period of time.  Many films and movies have been shot at Catalina locations beginning in 1920 to the present.  In 1924, fourteen bison were brought to the Island for filming of the silent movie “The Vanishing American.”  Scenes of the bison were cut from the final production and because of cost overruns, the film company decided to leave the American Bison on the Island – today the herd’s population is maintained at 150 animals.  Plants and animals that are endemic to the Island include the Catalina Manzanita, two species of mice, a special species of squirrel, the Ornate Shrew, and the Island Fox.

Busy Beaches at Avalon

Community of Avalon

Negotiating the Busy Dinghy Dock