Last weekend my neighbors invited my wife and I to go to Catalina Island with them. We have never been and thought this would be a great chance to see the island with friends. They bought the tickets and we headed to Dana Point to board the Catalina Express. The boat took off at 7:45 am and we were coming home the following day at 6:45 pm. Since it only about an hour boat ride, this gave us almost two full days to enjoy Catalina.
Here is a little history about the island. The first Europeans came to the island in 1542. It was already inhabited by Native Americans. In the early years, Catalina was used by otter hunters, smugglers, and ranching, mining, and military operations. Fast forward a couple hundred years, and the island was owned by William Wrigley, Jr, the chewing gum industrialist. When Wrigley owned Catalina, this is when it became a resort destination. He also owned the Chicago Cubs baseball team and would bring the team to Catalina for spring training from 1921-1951. Hollywood has used Catalina as the exotic back lot to over 500 motion pictures, documentaries, television programs and commercials. In fact, the island has doubled as the coast of North Africa, Tahiti, and the lost continent of Atlantis. One movie filmed in the 1920’s brought 14 bison to the island and left them there. There is now approximately 150 bison that roam the interior of the island.
Avalon is filled with activities on land and sea. There were many exciting tours that we enjoyed during our visit. One of my favorite was the Inside Adventure Tour. This took us away from the crowded downtown and into the unspoiled countryside. With all the rain that California had this last winter, the hills were green and the views of the canyons were spectacular. We saw native plants and lots of wildlife including deer, bald eagles, wild turkeys and even the infamous Catalina bison.
Another excursion we took was the Glass Bottom Boat tour. Aboard the “Sea View”, we cruised along the harbor to a marine preserved sanctuary. We could feed the fish through a specially designed food drop tubes and watched the fish feed through the “window” at the bottom of the boat. Truly an interactive experience.
The second day we were there, we took our last tour. It was a walking tour of the famous casino. Even though there is no gambling at the facility, it is called the Casino from the Italian term meaning “gathering place.” It is the most visible landmark in Avalon Bay when coming in by boat. The Casino houses a movie theater, ballroom and an art and history museum. From the Art Deco murals to the 1929 pipe organ in the Theater, it is a trip to the past where when there were big bands and silent movies. The Catalina Casino epitomizes the glamour of the island.
When we got back home, I wanted to thank our neighbors for such a great weekend. I know they love wine, so I got them one of their favorite bottles and I attached a Penless Wine Tag. The Wine Tag has a QR code on it. I uploaded a picture onto the QR code of all four of us in front of the casino. Not only was my neighbor appreciative of the wine, but when they scanned the QR code, they loved the picture. Sharing memories is easy and fun with the Penless Wine Tags!
English
French
Spanish