Catalina Island is 22 Miles off the coast of Southern California, San Pedro being the closes point on the California coast to the island. Over a million visitors visit Catalina Island annually.
William Wrigley Jr. purchased vast amounts of land on Catalina Island in hopes of developing it into a worldwide tourist destination.
Do to Wrigley's ownership in Catalina Island, Avalon was once the training ground for the Chicago Cubs (from the 1930s to the 1940s when the draft caused a postponement in major league baseball).
Ronald Reagan travelled to Catalina Island in 1936 to cover the Cubs Spring Training and was asked to do a screen test where he was offered his first acting role.
From 1927 to 1937 clay tiles were made on Catalina Island at the Catalina Clay Products Company. Today these rare pieces are worth hundreds of dollars and are highly sought after collectables.
In November 1981 actress Natalie Wood drowned off the coast of Catalina Island (near Lovers Cove) when she allegedly fell from a yacht that she was sharing with then husband Robert Wagner and friend Christopher Walken. Walken is said to have heard the couple arguing the night before and then Wood went missing the next day. Her body was found several days later in one of the many coves that line the island.
Marilyn Monroe briefly lived on the island with her first husband, James Dougherty in the 1940s and had a short stint working at Llloyds Candys shop (Still in business today) on Avalon.
Nicholas Cage and and Lisa Marie Presley while on vacation to the island in 2001 got into a fight where she is said to have throw a ring once owned by her father (Elvis Presley) into Avalon bay. The ring has an estimated value of $65,000.
United Airlines once served the Airport In the Sky on Catalina Island.
Catalina Island has been home to countless TV and Movie Shoots including most recent "The Bachelor" starring Brad Wolmack. Other shows that have filmed on the island include "Bachelor Pad", several MTV reality shows, "Air Wolf" from the 1980s,"Code R" on CBS was set on Catalina Island (from the 1970s) as well as countless westerns and silent films from the 1920s.
Catalina Island has a court house where once a week a judge is flown in from Long Beach to preside over civil and traffic claims.
Catalina Island is home to a fire department that is operated by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Catalina Island is home to just one gas station. The gas station can be found by the heliport off of Pebbly Beach Road (on the south side of the island near Lover's Cover). Gas prices can be up to $5.00 a gallon!
The island maintains a limited number of permits for residents to use cars. There is a waiting list that is said to be years long to bring cars onto the island. Most residents of the island use gold carts instead to transverse Avalon.
There are two schools on Catalina Island. A K-5 single school room in 2 harbors and a larger K-12 in Avalon. Students residing in the Two Harbors are bused to Avalon for 6-12 education. The schools on Catalina Island are administered by the Long Beach Unified School District.
The island is home to just one grocery store, a Von's located in Avalon. The island receives a food shipment via a barge from the mainland once a week in the winter and up to three times a week during the busy summer months.
Journey Continent Travel Guides: Los Angeles, Catalina Island
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