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Story and Photography by Priscilla Lister valon really feels like a
AVALON A time warp.
Catalina Island’s main
town lies just 22 miles
west of Southern Califor-
nia in the Pacific Ocean,
where it has been a singu-
lar destination for well over 100 years. In all
that time, it has changed very little. It cov-
STEP BACK IN TIME IN CATALINA ISLAND ers just about 12 square blocks, which
makes it entirely walkable.
Its cottages hotels and landmarks
mostly date from the 1920s and 1930s, so
the architecture is historic and charming.
Its footprint can’t be increased because
nearly 90 percent of the island itself is held
by the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy,
formed in 1972 to protect and restore
Catalina.” Fewer than 4,000 people call
Avalon home.
Very few cars are allowed on the island,
so golf carts are the favored transporta-
tion mode, for visitors as well. It makes for
a wonderful getaway in Southern Califor-
nia, free from crowds and traffic. Mostly.
I’ve been going to Catalina since 1958, so I
really can attest to how little it has
changed. But one thing on my recent trip
was new to me: cruise ships.
Cruise ships now count Catalina’s
Avalon as a port of call, which brings thou-
sands of additional day-trippers to the is-
land. When we were there in early May, one
day brought a Royal Caribbean ship while
the next brought a Disney ship, with thou-
sands of passengers embarking for day
trips to Avalon. I have never seen Avalon so
crowded.
Left: A bird’s-eye view from above the
bay on our golf cart tour.
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