Wimberley Wrigley Jr and one of his horses. Photo courtesy of the permanent collection of the Catalina Island Museum Horses and horse culture have a long history on Catalina Island. For hundreds of years, horses were an essential component of life on the island: cowboys used them to work cattle for several generations, teams of […]
Three Palms Avalon Arcade For generations, growing up has frequently involved a trip to the arcade. With a soundtrack of rumbling skeeballs, tokens are transformed into tickets and then carefully traded into trinkets and treasures. Those treasures and trinkets echo with the skill and luck that accompanied their acquisition – making their value as a
Avalon’s green Pleasure Pier attracts visitors and locals alike Catalina Island’s Moorish-inspired architectural wonder is known throughout the world – its red tile roof and distinctive circular shape creating a landmark that instantly identifies Catalina’s place. While the Catalina Casino is Avalon’s most iconic landmark, it is far from its only one. The Avalon Pleasure
JazzTrax in the Casino Ballroom is one of Catalina Island’s most popular events. Catalina’s fall schedule is full one. Festivals, concerts or sporting events happen nearly every weekend, but one of the most popular events happens over two weekends in October. JazzTrax has brought some of the top names in smooth jazz to the island
Daredevil flyers will take to the skies during the Catalina Air Show. Catalina Island’s connection to aviation stretches back more than a century to when the first amphibious landing took place in Avalon Bay in 1912. Since that time, aviation played a crucial role in Catalina Island’s development as a tourist destination. Passenger service to
Avalon Harbor’s calm waters are perfect for stand-up paddling. Stand-up paddling has become one of the more popular Pacific sports. Little known a decade ago, the sport has taken water sports by storm, with participants hitting the water on lakes, rivers and protected bays. Stand-up padding is more challenging in the open ocean, especially when
Photo courtesy Santa Catalina Island Company Catalina Island’s potential as a resort destination is something that has been recognized for more than century. Back in 1894, the Santa Catalina Island Company was formed to help maximize that potential. Over the intervening 120 years, SCICo was the entity responsible for bringing a wide array of services
The Catalina Island Museum uses water totes to bring fresh water to the island. Photo courtesy Catalina Island Museum Catalina Island has been bustling with construction projects over the last several years. New restaurants, a new spa and renovated hotels are all in the works or completed, as is an expanded golf course, new activities
Rotary’s Halloween Bash on Catalina Island will add some fun for adults. Catalina Island has long been a popular destination for Halloween. Avalon’s school kids take part in a annual parade that attracts visitors and locals alike before scattering to fill their bags with Halloween loot. After dark, the town’s watering holes attract plenty of
