Wrigley Stage Christmas Tree On the mainland, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season is Black Friday, a notorious maelstrom of materialism that tends to dampen even the brightest of holiday spirits. Crowded malls, overflowing parking lots and teeming big box stores are just not the way to start the Christmas season. Catalina Island […]
Two Harbors can be a great Thanksgiving destination. Catalina Island may not be the first thing people think about when it comes to Thanksgiving, but the island can be a perfect way to reconnect with family, friends and loved ones on this most grateful of holidays. With most employers offering a four-day weekend for Thanksgiving,
Photo courtesy Catalina Island Museum One of Catalina Island’s most popular holiday traditions is also one of its most recent. The Catalina Island Museum’s Holiday Symphony Concert fills the Avalon Theatre with the classic sounds of a world-class orchestra. The Stanford Music Ensemble, which includes members of the Stanford Symphony Orchestra and the Stanford Philharmonia Orchestra, includes
The buffalo milk is Catalina’s signature cocktail Like lobsters in Maine, barbecue in Texas and sourdough bread in San Francisco, many spots on the globe have their own signature cuisine. Other locales, however, tend toward more adults consumables. Whether it’s margaritas in Mexico, Cabernet in Napa Valley or pina coladas in Hawaii, certain spots have
A Catalina Island raven’s view of Avalon One of the most familiar sights in Catalina Island’s skies are the coal-black shapes of common ravens. Avalon is home to both ravens and crows, but the crows are recent immigrants. Pairs of ravens have played in the thermals above Catalina Island’s hills for generations. Ravens are distinguished
Parasailing with Island Water Charters While Catalina Island abounds with land-based activities, including hiking, shopping and relaxing, the Pacific Ocean calls to most visitors. Whether they are drawn to soar above the waves or plunge beneath the surface, Island Water Charters and Catalina Divers Supply can provide the adventure. Island Water Charters is home to three
Catalina’s prolific kelp forests will soon reappear Catalina Island’s waters are nearly devoid of one of their signature species. Simmered by warmer sea temperatures and battered by surges from a pair of hurricanes, nearly all of Santa Catalina’s kelp forests are gone. The amber fronds of the kelp forest fill a role very similar to
Explore population numbers of Catalina Island fox. Photo by Jack Baldelli, Courtesy Catalina Island Conservancy. If you’re missing your favorite island and just can’t seem to schedule a getaway soon enough, there are plenty of ways to get a dose of Santa Catalina Island from anywhere in the world. While it certainly won’t compete with
A gift membership includes admission to the Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden. Photo courtesy Catalina Island Conservancy During the season of giving, Catalina Island offers a wealth of opportunities. Sweeping vistas, dramatic seascapes and flora and fauna found nowhere else on earth make Catalina’s interior one of the most awe-inspiring gifts of all. Thanks to
