Revisiting enchanting Catalina Island has been a priority since our first trip 2½ years ago. Just as King Arthur longed to go back to mythical Avalon in Tennyson's "Idylls of the King", John and I wished for our return to Catalina's tiny "major (as in only!) city"....although hopefully this won't be our final encounter, as it was to be for Arthur.

Our first journey to Catalina is documented in our "West Coast Roadtrip" pages: http://www.jans-journeys.com/roadtrip/catalina.htm.  As you'll discover in that article, we fell completely in love with this beautiful piece of California's Channel Island chain.  You'll also find that we stayed in a less than impressive hotel then (to put it politely!).  But we thoroughly enjoyed our visit, which indicates just how delightful Catalina is...overcoming all hindrances!!  This time we removed that one snag by staying at the lovely Hotel Metropole (more on it later)...and all was well on the little island.

As before, we took a Catalina Express boat out of Long Beach for the less than 25-mile crossing.  This time it was aboard their newest and largest vessel, the Starship Express, which made the passage in under an hour. [Unfortunately they were still working out the baggage unloading process, which wasn't as speedy as the catamaran was.]  A note to those who fly into LAX and need transportation to Long Beach or San Pedro: Care-A-Van is an excellent option.  You can contact Robert Williams, the owner, at 1-888-488-6767.

When the island came into view and we approached Avalon Bay, the dearly familiar sights of the Casino and the Green Pleasure Pier filled us with excited anticipation.

To our relief, Avalon is still the funky little beach town that we fondly remembered; it seems wonderfully suspended in time.  Covering 1 square mile; home to a little over 3,000 full-time inhabitants; with strict restrictions on the number of cars allowed (residents are on a 10-year plus waiting list for auto permits)...it's quirky and eccentric and totally appealing.  And golf carts still reign as the ubiquitous vehicle of choice.  We rented a cart one morning and puttered happily around, although our little coupe didn't have a lot of energy.... joggers were passing us on the Mediterranean-like hills!

We went on a "moonlight tour" one evening, in an open-air tram with Big Band music (in honor of the Casino's illustrious beginnings).  Our guide must have been a school bus driver in a former life, since she kept ordering everyone to keep quiet and behave themselves!!  But we had a pleasant time in spite of Brunhilda (as a fellow passenger dubbed her).  Catalina is captivating at night...we so enjoyed our strolls at the end of each day!

Of course Catalina is just as enticing in the morning, with fog suspended from the hills...

We spent one afternoon on a tour through the interior of the island to the western side; most of this land is protected by the Catalina Conservancy and will forever remain in its natural state. The road is, therefore, as non-invasive as possible....meaning narrow, twisting, dusty and bumpy; it makes the road to Hana on Maui seem like a freeway!!  Catalina Discovery Tours' distinctive tractor-trailer rigs are well-equipped for the sharp and tight curves. From our seats in the very front of the upper portion, we had a clear view of the limited clearance and sheer drop-offs...too clear at times!  In addition to the pristine landscape, we saw bison (originally brought in for a movie set, they're now permanent fixtures); Catalina's rather remote "Airport in the Sky" (the island of Molokai's airport is no longer the smallest we've seen).  We stopped at El Rancho Escondido for an Arabian horse performance and some exploring around the peaceful enclave.  And there was Little Harbor on Catalina's western edge, with views of the Pacific reaching for Hawaii...this made us forget all of the bumps in the road and shakes on the bus!!!

We also took a guided tour of the Casino.  First of all, there is no gambling in the Casino; never has been.  The name was taken from the Italian word which translates to "gathering place" or "place of entertainment" (its meaning was corrupted by usage in Las Vegas et al).  The building was a world-famous engineering marvel upon its completion in the 1930s...and it still is.  The theater (with its amazing acoustics, star-studded ceiling, artistic wall panels, and lighting system which can be adjusted to simulate various times of day) shows movies which change on a weekly basis.  The ramp leading up to the top of the 10-story building is a marvel on its own.  At the top rests the fabled Avalon Ballroom.  All sorts of concerts and events are still staged in this stunning room (one romantic gentleman rented the entire thing for an anniversary dinner for his wife...just a single table in the middle of that gorgeous wooden dance floor, with serenading musicians....sigh!).  Listening to our guide's description of the Big Band glory days, it was easy to hear the echoes bouncing off the gilded walls and imagine the dancers silhouetted underneath the dazzling ceiling fixture (capable, of course, of all types of mood lighting).  Gazing from the outside balcony, one sees the palm-fringed walkway leading to the Casino...and thinks of the generations of fun-lovers who have made their memories here.

Now about the Hotel Metropole.  During our last visit, while suffering at the "forever to be nameless" lodging, we dropped in at the Metropole as we wandered around Avalon.  It looked much more suitable, so we decided that's where we'd stay when we returned; and we did; and we weren't disappointed.  It was originally built in 1888 as Catalina's grande dame.  The renowned landmark was destroyed by the 1915 fire that devastated much of Avalon.  The current Hotel Metropole was built on the same site.  It's fairly small, 48 rooms and the luxurious 2-bedroom Beach House.  The balcony of our "king deluxe" room had views of the lively courtyard and a peek at the Bay and the Green Pleasure Pier.  There's a rooftop sun deck and jacuzzi, a complimentary continental breakfast (which we enjoyed on our balcony each morning); and there are several shops, quick eateries, and a couple of restaurants in the surrounding Metropole Market Place.

You can contact the Hotel Metropole at 1-800-300-8528 (in California); 1-800-541-8528 (nationwide).

I don't want to repeat myself, so I haven't included the history, background, facts, legends and lore that we gathered on our first Catalina journey...you can find all of that information (and more of John's vivid photos!) in our original article at http://www.jans-journeys.com/roadtrip/catalina.htm.  Then take a step back to a slower, easier-going time and enjoy Santa Catalina!

Links:
Catalina Express
Catalina Discovery Tours
Hotel Metropole

Copyright © 2000 - 2008: Jan Hight
All photos are the property of Jan & John Hight and may not be copied or used in any way without our written permission.

Published -- June 18, 2000
Last Revision -- Sunday, 13-Aug-2006 03:38:13 GMT