Fires Threaten Hollywood Sign and Catalina Island

If you plan to visit Southern California this summer or have friends or family living there you may be concerned about all the wild fires. Recent reports and video on TV showed the fires which continue to plague the drought-ridden area.  Last week fires raged in Griffith Park in Los Angeles. This area is home to the L.A. Zoo, Observatory and also the famous Hollywood sign.

Having spent many idyllic days on Santa Catalina Island (located approx. 20 miles off the coast) I was sad to see the fires had struck there too. If you’ve never been there make sure you visit next time you’re in S. California.  Ferries from Long Beach or San Pedro will take you there, or go by helicopter. There are high speed ferries and slower boats, depending on how much you want to spend and how much you like being on the water – you may spot whales and dolphins. We used to take a sailboat to Catalina Island for weekends, drop anchor in a cove and go ashore for barbecues. Once you’re there in bare feet, shorts and tee-shirt it’s hard to believe the metropolis of L.A. is so close.  It’s another world, and you could easily believe you’re in the Caribbean or other tropical island paradise.

Catalina has facilities and boat trips for scuba divers, plus kelp beds you can access off the waterfront close to the Casino. It’s a bit scary trying to lower yourself down over the slippery rocks into the water with a heavy tank on your back, but once you’re in and weightless it’s well worth it to explore the tangled and mysterious world of the kelp forest. To the other side of Avalon, where the ferries land, there’s a lovely beach for snorkelling. You’ll see the bright orange native Garibaldi fish and many others.  I was lucky enough to swim above a baby octopus as he played hide and seek with me, peering shyly from behind rocks as he tried to evade my masked admiration. 

The town of Avalon is a great place to stroll with its restaurants, shops and quaint inns, and then there’s the lovely old 1920’s casino on the waterfront. The former Wrigley mansion sits on a hill overlooking the pretty horse-shoe shaped bay of Avalon. You could rent a golf cart or bicycle or take a Jeep Eco-Tour of the island and see the American Bison (left over from filming a movie). Other activities include kayaking, fishing, swimming, horseback riding and parasailing.  Or you could take in a round of golf or just relax in the sun. 

The island was once owned by William Wrigley Jr. (chewing gum fame) who turned it into a glamorous resort and opened the Casino which attracted the likes of Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, and Jean Harlow and still attracts modern-day celebs.  Films such as Mutiny on the Bounty and The Ten Commandments were shot there.  Tours are available of the working ranch where the Wrigley family bred Arabian horses.  For such a small island there is so much to do and see.  Don’t forget the Museum located in the old Casino.  Website:  www.catalina.com.