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Catalina Island
Departures & Arrivals
Getting to Catalina Island is a first consideration for taking a vacation to this special destination. From Long Beach to Island Express Helicopter take the 710 freeway to the Queen Mary (follow the signs that say Port of Long Beach or Queen Mary) enter the Queen Mary parking lot entrance. Keep to the right and follow the signs saying heliport. Continue to the last parking lot. Park on the right side and the offices are about 200 feet from the parking area. You may take the service road on the right side of the Queen Mary parking lot ticket entrance for pick up and drop off. The Catalina Express departs from its Queen Mary location.

From San Pedro Catalina Classic Cruises, Catalina Express and Island Express Helicopter Service are all located in the Catalina Air Sea Terminal Building, directly beneath the Vincent Thomas bridge.

From Marina Del Rey Catalina-Marina Del Rey Flyer From 405 Fwy, take CA-90 WEST toward Marina Del Rey. Turn left onto Lincoln Blvd. Turn right onto Fiji Way. Ferry departs from the El Torito Dock directly in front of the restaurant.

From Newport Beach Catalina Passenger Service leaves from the Balboa Pavillion, a Southern California landmark.

From Dana Point Catalina Express departs from Dana Point Harbor on Golden Lantern, which dead ends at the Harbor parking lot. Catalina Explorer departs from Dana Point, turn left at Harbor Drive, then left at Puerto Place.

Festivities Abound
On June 26th The Catalina Island Museum celebrates Hollywood's connections to the Isle of Romance at a special Hollywood Tribute. Kicking things off, legendary actor Mickey Rooney will screen one of his many films made on Catalina Island (10 AM, Avalon Theatre). The Museum will honor Mr. Rooney for his contributions to Catalina's Hollywood heritage and he will share his special stories and memories of being on the island. Then, relive the glory days of Hollywood! See the fabulous silent film The Man In The Iron Mask starring Douglas Fairbanks with live organ accompaniment by award-winning Robert D. Salisbury. Enjoy the art deco opulence of the incomparable Avalon Theatre. Truly an unforgettable experience! To cap off the Hollywood Tribute, Mickey Rooney will present his delightful stage show, One Man, One Wife, co-starring his wife of over 30 years, Jan Rooney. A trio will accompany the couple as they present a musical overview of Mr. Rooney's amazing career (7:30 PM, Avalon Theatre). Catalina Island Museum (310) 510-2414.

Conservancy Walks and Historic Tournaments
These are held various dates-last week of June through Labor Day. Catalina Island Conservancy naturalists will lead you through a wonderful outdoor learning experience. FREE programs include nature walks & hikes and campground programs. Reservations are not required, for schedules and details visit: www.catalinaconservancy.org

September 12-15, the Zane Grey/Cabo Yachts Invitational Marlin Tournament will test the skills following the tradition of the island's famous author, Zane Grey. Striped marlin-fishing tournament limited to 40 teams. Check in Sunday, fishing Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday. Awards banquet following at a location are to be announced with $60,000 as the 1st place prize. For information call 714/258-0445.

Window to the West, by Joy Lanzendorfer
In the 1920s, best-selling Western writer Zane Grey began exploring Catalina Island, 22 miles off of Los Angeles. He would hike up above the town of Avalon and stand on a particular peak, looking out over the water. Then he would shut his eyes and give himself over to sensorial perceptions, taking in the ocean, the clean air, and the chatter of sea birds. At such a time, he said, he was always filled with a sense of swift joy .

After finding so much inspiration from one spot, it was only natural that Grey would build a home for himself there. In 1926, he built a Hopi Indian-style Pueblo on the same place that he had visited so many times before. With its warm teak-beam ceilings and view of the sea, the home was a place for rest, dream, sleep. I could write here and be at peace.

That anyone could find peace in a place so close to Los Angeles was remarkable back then and even more so nowadays. But Catalina Island takes pride in being remarkable, claiming in an ad campaign that it's not just an island, it's a whole other world. And for complete transportation into that world, you can stay at Zane Grey's former home, now the Zane Grey Pueblo Hotel.

Catalina Island covers 76 square miles and has a permanent population of 3,500, though at certain times of the year it can see over 10,000 visitors. Getting to the island can be difficult. There's no bridge, so your options are limited to helicopter, private boat, or one of the ferries that depart daily from Long Beach, San Pedro, or Newport Beach piers. The ferry system assumes that visitors will come to the island in the morning and leave at night, so it can be difficult to get a ferry that works with your travel plans. Only one ferry line, Catalina Express, offers transportation both to and from the island all day long.

The ride to the island does indeed feel like going into another world as you leave the industrial San Pedro pier. Like me, you might be lucky enough to see a school of dolphins riding along with the boat, bursting out of the water in unison. As the ferry approaches the island, Avalon comes into view with its bustling boats and houses clinging to the hillsides like barnacles. On a typical day, parasailors float as serenely above the harbor as leaves falling from a tree.

Catalina Island has two towns, Avalon and Two Harbors. Avalon is the biggest and has most of the shops and restaurants. The other 88% of the island is owned by a nature conservatory.

Avalon, named after the town in the Arthurian Legend, is designed to look like a European city with its fountains, Italian tile, and quaint shop fronts. And for the most part, the town does succeed in capturing a certain old-world charm. The main street, Crescent Avenue, has your typical tourist fare of tee-shirt and knick-knack shops, but the real pleasure comes from drinking in the atmosphere. People stroll along eating ice cream and holding hands. Children play on the white-sand beaches. Golf carts zoom by.

Yes, that's right -- golf carts. Cars have been banned from the island. In fact, Catalina Island is a Luddite paradise. Few people talk on cell phones and many hotels have banned TVs. There aren't even clocks in most of the stores since a bell tower on the hill rings every quarter of the hour. The idea is to get away from the hectic Southern California lifestyle, and for the most part, you can (though you can't always get away from the Southern California attitude).

To get to Zane Grey Pueblo, you can walk or take one of the free golf-cart rides that are offered throughout the day. To take the free ride, walk halfway down Crescent Avenue until you get to the taxi kiosk and explain that you're staying at the hotel and need a ride.

Walking to the hotel is not for the faint of heart. While the hotel is less than a mile away from the ferry dock, it is sitting on one of the highest hills in town. On the way, though, you can observe the island up close and exercise your calves.

The hotel is perched ten feet from a cliff overlooking the ocean, so it provides some of the best views on the island. Half of the rooms look out on the water and the other half look down at the hills and town. On one end of the building is a large living room with the hotel's only TV and fireplace. In the center of the hotel, a hallway divides the guestrooms, each named after one of Grey's novels. One the other end of the Pueblo is the office where you can check in. Grey's brother lived in the house adjacent to the adobe, which today is part of the hotel. The dirt patio that used to separate the two buildings is now the pool area.

When Zane Grey built the house, he was a best-selling author living out what can only be described as a dream life. He spent half the year adventuring -- traveling, fishing, and camping -- to gather inspiration for his books, and then the other half of the year writing. He was prolific, writing over 90 books in his lifetime. The most famous of these was Riders of the Purple Sage, published in 1912. Though he started out as a dentist and had to self-publish his first book, by 1910, his breakthrough hit Heritage of the Desert launched his career. Grey is one of the most well-known Western writers, and in many ways, he defined the genre.

When Grey built the adobe, he already had several other homes, including one in Altadena, California, and a cabin in Arizona. But he spent much of the last 13 years of his life at the Pueblo and wrote many books there.

I stayed in the Purple Sage room. It was a large, pleasant room, with a color scheme of (you guessed it) purple and sage green. It had a wide bed, a wicker living room set, and a shower, toilet, and sink in what must have formerly been two closets. Above the bed was a painting of cowboys on horses, completing the Western theme to perfection.

The view from the room's large bay window and two side windows was simply spectacular. Before you lies all of Avalon -- the harbor, boats, hills, and buildings. The room is high enough up that you don't have to worry about people seeing in, so you never have to draw the curtains for privacy. You can spend the whole afternoon lazing on the bed, reading and napping, while a perfect 70-degree breeze caresses you.

In keeping with island tradition, you won't find a TV, phone, or even a clock in the room, but the lack of distractions add to the sense of peace that Grey so loved. In the evening, sitting by the pool, you may, like me, get to see deer come down from the woods and graze along the hillside above the ocean.

Though Catalina Island has many beaches, you're likely to see more beautiful wildlife than sunbathing beauties there. With most of the island left to nature, there's ample opportunity to hike, ride horses, and bird watch. You might see a variety of native California wildlife, like bald eagles or sea lions, as well as one prominent non-native animal. In 1925, 14 buffalo were brought to the island for the filming of the Western The Vanishing American. They were left to roam the island's rugged interior and now number more than 200. To see them, you can take a Jeep Eco Tour by the Catalina Island Conservancy, which will take you on the back roads and behind locked gates to the rarely seen parts of the island.

Zane Grey originally came to the island to fish. He wrote about his experiences in the book Tales of Swordfish and Tuna. But fishing is just one of many ways visitors can interact with the island's marine life. In fact, the waters around the island have been called Southern California's largest aquarium. Catalina Island has some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the state. You can also take the glass bottom boat ride by Catalina Adventure Tours, which lets you see the underwater world of brightly colored fish, spiny lobster, and the occasional octopus.

Grey isn't the only famous person to come to the Catalina Island. It used to be owned by chewing gum magnet Phillip Wrigley and regular visitors included Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Stan Laurel, and Gene Harlow. Many movies, including Mutiny on the Bounty and The Ten Commandments, were filmed here.

In 1929, Wrigley built the town's famous Casino, a 12-story circular art deco building on the edge of the town. But don't expect to find slot machines there -- the word casino is meant in the traditional Italian sense of the word, as a gathering place. It was once a popular destination for the rich and famous, who danced the night away in the casino's ballroom under a Tiffany chandelier to music by Glen Miller and Benny Goodman. Today, you can tour the casino, watch a movie in its theater, and browse a gallery of original artwork by local artists.

Most restaurants on the island serve pubgrub like burgers and fish n chips, though many places also offer good German beer. Armstrong's Seafood's menu offers fresh cuts of mahi-mahi or thick slabs of grilled swordfish. Though the service at Armstrong's lacks a bit, it's still pleasant to dine outside by the water or inside, looking at historic pictures of triumphant fishermen showing off their latest catch. While you're there, try the Buffalo Milk, a blend of vodka, Kahlua, fresh banana, and coconut milk.

Even though the island lacks in the gourmet food you might expect from a place surrounded by yachts, no one seems to mind. After all, sitting on the Pueblo's balcony, enjoying the quiet and the beautiful view, it's easy to see why Zane Grey said that Catalina Island means enchantment to me.

Venice Beach
If it hadn't been for Abbot Kinney's asthma, Venice may never have been founded. Kinney, born 1850 in Brookside, New Jersey, was on a three year trip around the world when a snowstorm prevented his return to the east coast. He journeyed, instead, to Sierra Madre and was so impressed by the climate he developed a citrus ranch called Kinneloa.

After his marriage in 1884, Kinney began purchasing land to the south with Francis Ryan. The partners developed Ocean Park with a walk pier and a country club. A streetcar line was extended to the site.

After Ryan's untimely death in 1898, and a succession of partners with whom Kinney couldn't agree, it was decided that the land speculator would toss a coin and the winner would choose which half of the district would be his. When Kinney won the toss, he startled the other four partners by choosing the barren, marshy property. Kinney soon announced that his sand dunes and marshland would soon be a cultural city patterned after Venice, Italy. The public laughed and dubbed the plan Kinney's Folly.

They stopped laughing when trenches for canals were dug and Venetian-patterned buildings began to spring up. By July 4, 1905, Venice-of-America officially opened with a wonderful pier and exciting attractions: Italian gondoliers poling their boats down fairy-lit canals, a concert orchestra supplying music that could be heard nearly all over town, camel rides, exotic hotels catering to the best tastes, a miniature railroad circling the entire scene. Cultural diversion never flourished in Venice. The public came to ride the camels and the little train and to see the sideshow. The Doge of Venice-of America had built a cultural Renaissance by the sea.

This atmosphere still prevails today.