Monday, September 22, 2008, the Day's activity included meetings for
Owners, but I was scheduled for The Catalina Island Excursion:
8:00 a.m.
Registration, Company Store and Vendors
Crowne Plaza Hotel
9:30 a.m. Catalina Island Boat
Trip departs from Long Beach to Catalina
10:00 a.m. Catalina Express departs
from Long Beach to Catalina
11:00 a.m. Arrive in
Avalon, Catalina Island
Noon
Lunch on your own
3:45 pm
Catalina Group departs Avalon for Long Beach
5:15 pm
Cataling Group arrives at Crowne Plaza
6:00 pm Car
Party - Margaritas and Mexican Fare (Jalisco Mariachis)
6th Street Yard
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Boat Trip from Long Beach to Catalina
Island.
Our bus from the Crowne Plaza delivered us to the Catalina Express
pier just in time to step on for departure for the 26-mile boat trip to
the city of Avalon on Catalina.
Leaving the breakwater, we passed the Queen Mary, where we would
enjoy the Gala Banquet and Dance, later this week, as well as a
Carnival ship. The dome behind the Queen Mary used to house the
Spruce Goose. It is now a Carnival Terminal.
Also leaving the Long Beach Harbor at the same time was a 3-master that
we would later see in Avalon.
(Double click any photo to see
a double-sized copy; Click BACK in your browser to return to this page.)
Waitress on the Catalina Express
Chef Bill from The Observatory.
The waitress was not saying No to
Bill, but rather to my taking her picture.
Arriving in Avalon
Harbor, Catalina Island.
Jerry Angier
AAPRCO Members head to Catalina Adventures
Julie King
David Schramm
Kelly and Tom Marshall
Garibaldi
(California State Saltwater Fish) welcomed us to Cataling Island.
Avalon city sights, Catalina Island,
California.
Mermaid over
the box office in the Casino has become an icon associated with
Avalon - her image appears on event posters all over town. This
one was in the golf cart rental office.
Original tiles at the Casino in Avalon, one of the world’s
greatest Art Deco treasures.
Above Avalon
Tom Marshall, Depot Inn & Suites,
La Plata, MO, suits up to drive the rented golf cart.
A nice white
stucco place with red tile room overlooks Avalon Harbor from the drive
above the city. Brochures for the places we saw for sale on our
drive were $1.2 and $1.7 million.
Former home of
chewing gum millionaire William A. Wrigley, is now a bed and breakfast
inn called The Inn at Mt. Ada (named for Wrigley's wife).
AAPRCO Associate Members from Missouri take a photo to send home
pointing to their supposed Catalina Island home.
Birch Grove owners and guests
check out the Avalon sights.
The Observatory owners
sightsee as well.
Every turn on the golf-cart-approved
route provides another picture perfect view.
At the Dive Park behind the Casino, we met Andy and Ashley of the
ECO Dive Center, 4027
Sepulveda Blvd. Culver City (West Los Angeles) Southern California
90230 310-398-5759
They were kind enough to answer all our newbie questions
about diving. They offer classes each weekend.
Ashley Tindall, Instructor, ECO Dive Center.
Some
condominiums have been tucked into the first bay north of Avalon.
An alternative
to renting a golf cart or walking downtown, is to go on a guided tour
of the rest of the island.
Avalon
Activities
Heart Attach cheeseburger is Fine Food?!
The Holly Hill House
The charming Queen Anne style cottage on the
bluff over looking Avalon Bay has been a local landmark since 1890. The
third oldest house in Avalon, its history mirrors that of the town. The
house has always been a private residence, and Vlctor Kreis, the
current owner, has restored it and furnished it with
turn-of-the-century antiques.
The Queen Anne style Holly Hill House was
originally known as Lookout Cottage, on Catalina, Island of
Romance. Built in the late 1800's almost single handedly by Peter
Gano using his horse, "Mercury", to haul large timbers and
lumber. It was to become home for him and his betrothed who lived
on the mainland. Her fear of isolation on the island ended their
wedding plans and made Peter an embittered man. Legend has it
that he posted a sign on his property saying, " No women allowed", and
lived in the house alone for several years until he sold it and moved
back to the mainland.
The house can be seen up and to the left as you
walk from the pier to downtown Avalon.
Two things Catalina Island is known for:
Buffalo and Bald Eagles
It was time to reboard our boat back to Long Beach and a bus to San
Pedro in time for the first Car Party.
We joined other
boat people on their way back to the mainland. One male and one
female...I think.
A California
Brown Pelican perfers not to get involved.
Local artist
was painting the Casino, using a dozen colors.
It was like
we'd visited an Italian Village except that all shop owners spoke
English and used American Dollars. Many guests thought they'd
return some day.
The Carnival Paradise was still tied up.
Locals knew
this was a disguised oil derrick (right) on an island with palm trees
and a water falls on the beach side.
A couple of day
markers that look like lighthouses as we reentered Long Beach Harbor.
