Santa Catalina Island

" Twenty six miles across the sea, Santa Catalna is a waitin' for me. Santa Catalina, the island of romance, romance, romance."

"Twenty six miles in a leaky old boat. Any old thing I can get to float. Santa Catalina, the island of romance, romance, romance."

Does anyone else remember that blast from the past? Catalina is a desert island that once was owned by the Wriggly family of chewing gum fame. Mr. Wriggly also owned a baseball team. Heard of wriggly field? Mr. Wriggly built a winter training camp on Catalina Island and proceeded to develop the primary harbor as a resort called Avalon.

This big white edifice is a dance hall. It was a wildly popular dance hall and at one time over three thousand people rocked out to the big band sound of Kaye Kaiser and his band. It's a fabulous building and now serves as a movie theatre and museum.

The town of Avalon is explicitly a resort town. It's clean and pretty and packed solid with Gifte Shoppes.

RW who was in the Navy told us to see if the Blue Marlin bar was still in operation. Looks like it. Just the name has been altered to protect the guilty.

There is a tile company on the island now. This fountain displays some of the wares. There are lovely tile benches and mosaics all over.

The happy Matthews in front of the Casino (the dance hall.) The mosaics around the front are glorious art deco works of art.







We had onion rings and beers at a quirky hotel/bar on the waterfront, sat back in the shade and watched our fellow tourists come and go. Then we headed back to the ship before the water got too rough and the tenders got too crowded.

We found this waiting on the bed. what could have delivered that was so special, so carefully presented?

Clean socks! We sent a few things to the laundry, and all the "underthings" evidently are returned discretely.

That night we returned to the room to find this charming little towel pet. DH tells me it's a peacock. to me, it looks like a penis with a frill.