Catalina Island - golf carts and body parts
Written: Mar 19 '01 (Updated Mar 19 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: enchanting fun for the whole family
Cons: ahoy, rough seas ahead
The Bottom Line: Historic Catalina Island is great one-day diversion for tourists
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| psugrowler's Full Review: Catalina Island |
Have you ever been on an island? Catalina Island is a 76 square mile island located 22 miles off the coast of Los Angeles. On a clear day, I can see this monstrosity from my porch. Ominous and shrouded with mystique, the island warrants a closer look.
Everyone who has ever seen this enchantment jutting up from the floor of the Pacific Ocean wants to know two things: What is that? Have you ever been there?
In the 1800’s, smugglers left their undeclared cargo on the island while they checked in with customs to pay taxes on their goods. Later they would sail back to the Island, grab their loot, and trade up and down the California coast.
Catalina Island, once owned by Wm. Wrigley Jr., of Wrigley’s chewing gum fame, has been home to inhabitants for at least 7,000 years. Mr. Wrigley even brought the Chicago Cubs here to field spring training.
In 1929, Wrigley built the Casino, Italian for place of gathering, where, not gambling, but ballroom dancing took place. In the 1930’s, the island saw moonshine stills crop up as an answer to Prohibition. During World War II anti-aircraft guns were set up at the Casino to protect our shores against possible Japanese attack.
There’s a lot rich history packed into this notable island. Today it serves mainly as a tourist attraction. The island is accessible by boat or helicopter. My family and I departed from San Pedro on the Catalina Express boat, ($38 per adult roundtrip, $28.50 per child) and arrived at the island within an hour. If you are the least bit seasick, a forewarning, the waters can be choppy.
Once on the island there are plenty of things to do at your leisure. The beauty being that the town of Avalon is small and easy to get around. We sent the parents to hit the shops while my brother and I rented a golf cart so we could cruise the island to find human remains for his shrunken head collection. I never really knew of this hobby beforehand and highly suspect to this day that it was a decoy so he could sprinkle the powdered remains of a body he was trying to dispose of.
Catalina Island offers a multitude of events from fishing, golf and hiking to camping, dining and boating. A Jeep Eco-Tour will take you to the uninhabited parts of the island where you can witness bald eagles flying high above the shoreline paradise.
The island features over 100 species of bird and 396 species of plant life. 300 American Bison still roam Catalina as a result 14 of their ancestors being left on the island after a filming in 1924. Water attractions offer everything from scuba, snorkeling, kayak and Jet Ski.
Accommodations on the island range from quaint bed & breakfasts to commercial hotels. The more adventurous can even camp at Hermit Gulch which accommodates 200.
We did Catalina Island in a day. We cruised to the island. Road the golf cart, ate a nice lunch, and even did a little window-shopping. Catalina Island was a fun diversion that the whole family seemed to enjoy.
Disclaimer: Please don’t phone the authorities. The body thing was just a joke to test the alertness of my fellow reader . . . and to make my brother really nervous.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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