By Kimberley Lovato

TRAVEL

Island In the Sun ’s best-kept secret is actually just a short flight off the coast. Full of charm, beauty, nature and an abundance of attractions, CATALINA ISLAND is a destination in itself. With the crowds abating but the weather still delightful, the ideal time to go is now.

the southern california heat radiates through Yet many Angelenos have never the helicopter’s glass cockpit, and the pilot hands me been there. a pair of headphones with an attached foam-tipped As a middle school student, I ­microphone that presses against my lips. envied classmates who ventured “First time to Catalina?” I hear him ask. to Catalina Island Camps’ sum- “No, not the first time,” I say, “but it’s been awhile.” mer program each year. When I was a junior in high T“Enjoy the 14-minute flight,” he says. “It’s just across school, I visited for the first time, taking the ferry over the channel.” for the day with friends. In college, I completed my scuba It sounds close, and it is. Actually only 22 miles across certification there, and I sailed from Marina del Rey the sea (with all due respect to The Four Preps) — a short to Avalon, which is Catalina’s only incorporated town.

helicopter ride, or less than two hours by ferry — sepa- My aunt and ­uncle got married on the island. And in COASTAL CHARM: rate the mainland from Santa Catalina Island. In the the 1980s, my dad, a television producer, shot several The harbor and casino time it takes a morning commuter to navigate Los An- episodes of Riptide there with the show’s star, a lumber- in the town of Avalon on Catalina Island; yel- geles’ ­notoriously clogged highways, one could travel to ing pink helicopter named Screaming Mimi. The island low, pink and vermillion

a laid-back island where there’s not a single traffic light. scatters throughout my remote memories, but for no good beach houses BRICE/ALAMY GEORGE CRANDALL/ALAMY; ROB BOTTOM: TO TOP

36 SEPTEMBER 2014 AA.COM/AMERICANWAY 38 SEPTEMBER 2014 SEPTEMBER 2015 as the Ada Blanche Wrigley Schreiner Schreiner Wrigley Blanche Ada the as 2015 AA.COM/AMERICANWAY Chicago is now a parking lot, and the Cata the and lot, aparking now is Chicago exception the with 1951, to 1921 from Cubs Chockablock with vintage photos (a photos shot vintage with Chockablock Building of the Catalina Island Museum, Museum, Island Catalina of the Building in opening nearby, built being is Museum It was conservancy. anature and Hollywood, the —like behind far left is upbringing L.A. 76-square-mile rocky island in the Pacific Pacific the in island rocky 76-square-mile year-round residents. It was William Wrig William It was residents. ­year-round watch, watch, Ocean into a coveted California destina California acoveted into Ocean golfer, Saldana said he once impressed Char impressed he once said golfer, Saldana golf trophies, children’s drawings and Cubs Cubs and drawings children’s trophies, golf dimensions as the famous in in Field Wrigley famous the as ­dimensions abaseball As of 1942-1945. years war of the of a 5-year-old Tiger Woods among them), among Woods Tiger of a5-year-old city itself. It turns out he’s the founder and out and he’s founder the It turns itself. city don’t-take-rides-from-strangers tenet of an of an tenet ­don’t-take-rides-from-strangers the field,” Saldana remembers. “He hit a few hit a few “He remembers. Saldana field,” the mainland. for the use locals the aword “overtown,” he travels amonth times flew. just we He’s which with company the tion, after he ­ after tion, Santa ­ Santa a local barber born on the island. on the born barber a local an invitation had me alighting anew. mealighting had invitation an lina Country Club, once the team’s club team’s the once Club, Country lina Chicago for the ground training spring also lived on the island 28 years, and several several and years, 28 island on the lived and Lolo’s Barber Shop could be an annex. annex. an be could Shop Lolo’s Barber and lie Grimm, the Cubs’ manager, by beating a a beating by manager, Cubs’ the Grimm, lie attraction, a movie set and playground for playground and set amovie ­attraction, Cubs Chicago and gum Jr.ley of chewing remains to showcase the island’s baseball baseball island’s the showcase to remains memorabilia. But then I meet Lolo Saldana, Saldana, Lolo Imeet then But ­memorabilia. imately $3 ­ $3 imately me if I had a glove and could meet him out on him meet could and aglove Ihad me if until Catalina reconsidered Ihadn’t reason pedigree. The diamond built in the same same the in built diamond The pedigree. house, has only a small collection of Cubs of Cubs collection asmall only has house, memorabilia, the collection is a precious aprecious is collection the memorabilia, hair for more than 60 years. As a high school school ahigh As years. 60 for than more hair piece of Catalina’s colorful mosaic. colorful of Catalina’s piece fers me a ride from the heliport, and the the and heliport, the from mearide fers fan, I’m disappointed to discover that little little that discover to I’m disappointed fan, favorite in a local tournament. alocal in favorite former owner of Island Express ­ Express of Island owner former fame who cast the die and expanded a expanded and die the cast who fame balls to me and that was that.” was that meand to balls TRAVEL “He told me, ‘I like your style,’ and asked asked and style,’ your like ‘I me, told “He “Why would I?” he smiles. “This is paradise.” is “This he smiles. I?” would “Why “No plans to move back?” I ask him. Iask back?” move to plans “No A permanent home for the Catalina Island Island Catalina home for the A permanent John Moore, a fellow passenger, of passenger, afellow Moore, John The island is home to about 4,000 4,000 about home to is island The I sit in his shop, where he’s been cutting he’s cutting shop, where been his I sit in Catalina Island Co. in 1919 for in approx Co. Island Catalina Catalina became an alluring tourist tourist alluring an became ­Catalina million. Under the company’s Undercompany’s the million. purchased it along with the the with it along purchased Helicopters, Helicopters, ------A - win the in peer and Confectionery Avalon candy.com www.catalina (310) 510-7266 Ave. Crescent 315 Confectionery Avalon of Lloyd’s spacatalina.com www.island 163 Crescent Ave. Island Spa Catalina museum.org www.catalina (310) 510-2414 seum opening in 2015) Museum Catalina Island If You Go: Beach Newport from ferry daily One info.com www.catalina Catalina Flyer Dana Point and Beach Long Pedro, San from Multiple daily ferries express.com www.catalina Express Catalina Pedro San Santa Ana and Beach, Long from Multiple daily flights express.com www.island Helicopters Island Express There: Getting Encanto Marketplace used to be, but I stop but Istop be, to used Marketplace Encanto Popsicle colors, and shell wind chimes spill spill chimes wind shell and colors, Popsicle dow. The silver-armed mechanism turns and and turns mechanism dow. silver-armed The drag along the main beach, is saturated in in saturated is beach, main the along drag - sun of coconut smells air the and cones tan oil. Crescent Avenue, the palm-fringed Avenue, palm-fringed the Crescent oil. tan it’s due to open this month. This is where The The where is This month. this open it’s due to melts down the arms of children carrying carrying of children arms the down melts school, a piece of it loosened my “permanent” my “permanent” of it loosened apiece school, has as it taffy waxy of pink, strands stretches swanky Island Spa Catalina is being built; built; being is Catalina Spa Island swanky cream ice town, behind hillside shrubby for more than 70 years. When I was in high high in Iwas When 70 years. for than more from boutique doorways. I notice that the the that Inotice doorways. boutique from beneath the turquoise awning of Lloyd’s of awning turquoise the beneath valon looks the way I remember it. way the Iremember valon looks Crayola-hued houses stack up the stack houses Crayola-hued (new mu (new

- (310) 510-0179 Way 1 Casino Catalina Casino island.com www.visitcatalina 626-1496 (800) and Sumner Avenue. tween Catalina Avenue be beach the from block one is which Discovery Tour Plaza, Island Catalina the at located is adventure) off-road extreme Expedition Cape Canyon island.com www.visitcatalina (310) 510-7410 Descanso Beach Way, Catherine 1 St. Descanso Beach Club island.com www.visitcatalina larrys.com www.luau (310) 510-1188 Ave. Crescent 509 Luau Larry’s island.com www.visitcatalina 626-1496 (800) canso Beach Club Des behind Located Tour Eco Line Zip sandtrap.com www.catalina (310) 510-2505 Road Canyon Avalon 501 Sandtrap Restaurant (an (an

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MICHAELA HART “secret summer,” when crowds have thinned thinned have crowds summer,” when “secret American 1924. There are around 150 of them roaming roaming of them 150 around are There 1924. AMERICAN AIRLINES Catherine’s Hotel used to be there, but now but now there, be to Hotel used Catherine’s Park, once home to thousands of exotic thousands home once to Park, The Vanishing Vanishing The novel his version of a film was Zane Grey’s former house-turned-hotel. It house-turned-hotel. former Grey’s Zane visit the island’s rugged interior is via the the via is interior rugged island’s the visit cially in September and October, the island’s island’s the October, and September in cially 2010. Thrill-seekers in opened line, zip only course over five consecutive zip lines at lines zip consecutive five over course the sky is the starting point for the island’s island’s for the point starting the is sky the the backcountry now, but the only way to to way now, only but the backcountry the Ava into jutting and Watermelon-green too. time. The Green Pleasure Pier is still there there still is Pier Pleasure Green The time. and a well-marked map handed out upon handed map awell-marked and and the weather is still warm. still is weather the and up in High preschool. local the by used and was learn Ilater that aviary agiant across come I Restaurant, Sandtrap the Near afield. lon Harbor, the pier is a hub of water activ ahub of water pier is the lon Harbor, is the stunning red-roofed Catalina Casino, Casino, Catalina red-roofed stunning the is ity and beckons beleaguered urbanites to to urbanites beleaguered beckons and ity rental leads to sites and curiosities further further curiosities and sites to leads rental it’s a place to lounge, swim or kayak, espe or kayak, swim lounge, to it’s a place numerous hiking trails or by organized tours tours or organized by trails hiking numerous this of that but there’s no worry retainer, part of the now-closed Catalina Island Bird Bird Island Catalina now-closed of the part shores of the Descanso Beach Club. The St. St. The Club. Beach Descanso of the shores sandy end on the mph and 40 of up to speeds three-quarters-of-a-mile the down scream dive. and paddleboard parasail, fish, snorkel, species. Today it’s filled with sand and toys toys and sand with it’s Today filled species. built in 1929, which is used as a gathering agathering as used is 1929, in which built bookable online or in Avalon’s or in Tour Plaza. online bookable flights from 50 airports worldwide to Los to Angeles (LAX) worldwide airports 50 from flights Also along my cart path is Western author author Western is path my cart along Also Catalina’s most recognizable landmark landmark recognizable most Catalina’s Golf carts buzz about like summer flies, flies, summer like about buzz carts Golf that brought 14 bison to Catalina in in 14 Catalina to bison brought that operate a combined 179 peak daily daily peak 179 acombined operate AIRWAYS and US - - - They are always present, preserved in place, place, in preserved present, always are They

Way years gone by or the desire to re-create them. them. re-create to desire gone or by the years films and hosts the Catalina Film Festival Festival Film Catalina the and hosts films ways. A few days later, a photo arrives in my my in later, arrives a photo days Afew ways. glamorous round where ballroom, mainland each September. Above, I can almost hear hear almost Ican Above, September. each catapults us decades back, and sometimes it it sometimes and back, decades us catapults of cockpit the in sitting It’s Fitzgerald email. ’40s and ’30s the in ship steamer by came ers first-run shows acoustics, perfect and ceiling on theater movie 1,184-seat The tours. daily thought you might like to see that Scream that see to like might you thought that memories don’t need to be measured in in measured be to don’t need memories that us remind to encounter aserendipitous takes her well.” treating am “I hewrites. thriving,” painted curved, its with level, bottom the the tapping heels on the wooden floor of the the of floor wooden on the heels tapping the anytime. anytime. Mimi. Screaming a now-orange ing Mimi is in good hands these days and and days these hands good in is Mimi ing much like Catalina, and we can revisit them them revisit can we and Catalina, like much place instead of a gambling house. I’ve never never I’ve house. of a gambling instead place seen the inside, so I sign up for one of the I sign so inside, the seen suntan oil or a piece of saltwater taffy that that taffy of saltwater or a piece oil suntan for big-band-fueled dinner dances. Annual Annual dances. dinner for big-band-fueled KIMBERLEY LOVATO American American of 1issue March the In California. to home ing the Zip Line Zip the “Since your dad worked on Riptide worked dad your “Since Have fun at at fun Have .

Sometimes it’s the whiff of coconut whiff it’s the Sometimes , she wrote about being a redhead in Ireland. in aredhead being about wrote , she To learn more about the Catalina Film Film Catalina the about more To learn To learn more about Catalina Island, visit Festival happening Sept. 24-28, visit Eco Tour. Eco www.catalinachamber.com www.catalinafilm.org Aaron Fitzgerald. I’m wel Fitzgerald. Aaron Wacker, rum apotent Eve Celebration and ball, ball, and Celebration Eve events, such as the Ava the as such events, comed into their close- their into comed concoction. A group of Agroup concoction. the era. the lon Ball and New Year’s New and lon Ball a helicopter pilot named named pilot a helicopter them among a wedding, invite visitors to don their don their to visitors invite night swapping stories stories swapping night knit clan, and we pass the the pass we and clan, knit until we go our separate separate our go we until stop into Luau Larry’s Larry’s Luau into stop friends are ­ are friends Wiki famous for its bar relive and garb black-tie travels the world but loves com loves but world the travels On my last night, I night, my last On AA.COM/AMERICANWAY gathered for gathered

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