Catalina: A playground for all
by Sandra deDubovay
LW contributor
Sandra deDubovay and Joe DiDonato recently took the Catalina Express from Long Beach to Catalina. It was a smooth 70-minute sailing to the 76-square-mile mountainous island located approximately 22 miles away. Avalon Bay’s location on the leeward side, plus its “C” shape, makes it one of the safest harbors in the island.
Spanish explorers discovered Santa Catalina Island in 1542. Don Pio Pico, the last Constitutional governor under Mexican rule, granted title to Catalina to Thomas Robbins in 1846, and in 1848, Mexico ceded Alta California to the U.S. at the end of the Mexican War. In 1850, California—including the Channel Islands, of which Catalina is the third largest—became the 31st state. The principal town of Avalon occupies approximately 2 square miles and has a population of about 3,000; the smaller settlement of Two Harbors has about 120 year-round residents.
Phineas Banning and sons purchased the island in 1885, bringing in tourists. But in 1915, a mysterious fire devoured much of Avalon. No lives were lost but many buildings were destroyed in the flames, and the Bannings, having suffered severe financial loses, eventually decided to put the island up for sale.
When chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. visited in 1919, he seized the opportunity to buy the island. He named the high mountainside south of Avalon for his wife, Ada. It’s where he built a mansion for his family.
Staff from Mt. Ada (aka the Wrigley Mansion) met deDubovay and Joe DiDonato at the pier and whisked them and their luggage up to the six-bedroom bed and breakfast. After a tour of the accommodations, the two enjoyed a champagne lunch on one of the many patios, where they had amazing views of the ocean and Avalon below. Reservations at the inn include a continental breakfast starting at 6:30 a.m., featuring fresh pastries, coffee, tea and juice. A full breakfast is available from 7-10 a.m., and lunch is from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. There’s an afternoon reception with a selection of wine and cheeses available any time after 4 p.m. Plus, there are pantry refreshments with anything you can think of available throughout the day.
In addition to packs of Wrigley’s gum, every room comes with a personal golf cart, plus a remote for gate access, for use during the stay. The duo drove all over the island, including to the Catalina Golf Course to practice putting. The nine-hole executive course is the oldest golf course in Southern California. Tiger Woods has notably played there.
Also worth checking out is Catalina’s most famous landmark, the 12-story Avalon Casino, which opened in 1929. With its height of 140 feet, it was the tallest building in Los Angeles County at the time of its completion. It also featured the world’s largest circular ballroom.
The “Airport in the Sky” lies at an elevation of 1,600 feet on one of the highest parts of the island. Started in 1940, work was halted in December 1941 when the U.S. went to war, but it was completed and operational in 1946. United Airlines serviced Catalina from 1946-1957, but now the airport is mainly used for private aviation.
In 1972, to preserve the island’s interior, Wrigley’s son Philip established the Catalina Island Conservancy. It protects 88 percent of the island and is one of the oldest private land trusts in Southern California. The Wrigleys continue to be members of the conservancy.
Today, the island and its 3,000 permanent residents host more than 1 million visitors annually. Catalina is the playground for all—rich or poor, young or aged. If you haven’t been, it’s a must!
LW residents are invited to submit travel stories for publication in the LW Weekly. Include your name, Mutual and telephone numbers. Articles are subject to editing and will run as space allows. Email submissions to pattym@lwsb. com.
