Avalon, Catalina Island, California
29 April - 1 May 2008

Approaching Avalon one sees Long Point to the North-West

Avalon Harbor looking South-East. Long Beach would be about 26 miles to the left.

Crescent Avenue and the hill to the West of town

Avalon Harbor as seen from the West hill (see picture just above)

Palms along an Avalon street

Vegetation seen on a hike around the edge of Avalon

This house is made from the cabin of one of the old 19th-Century steamships
that used to bring passengers to Avalon. Note that it's on Third Street,
which brings up one of Avalon's interesting facts: there is no First or
Second Street in the town -- and Third Street is only a block from the beach!
Also, there's a Bird Park with no birds. There is a Rose Garden with
no roses (named for the Rose family who donated it). There is a Casino where
gambling has never been allowed. And the U.S. Post Office doesn't deliver
mail (residents have to go pick it up!). Furthermore, all the tour guides enjoy
telling you, Descanso Beach Club has a private beach that's open to the public.
And the island is home to birds that swim, and fish that fly.

One of the GREAT activities on the island is a tour of the iconic Casino.

The Casino entrance faces away from the city . . .

. . . and is an Art Deco masterpiece. The Casino was built in 1929.

The murals and box-office details have been carefully restored.

These postcard images (not my photos!) show the overall interiors
better than I could photograph them in available light (flash photography
is not allowed, of course).

Still, I did OK in "available light" on the portion of the
murals just to the right of the main stage . . .

. . . and the mural just to the left of the main stage. (OK, so I used
my flash on this one; the guide had gone upstairs with the rest of the group!)

This is a working movie theatre -- a new, first-run movie each week -- and
they say there is an added organ concert every Friday evening just before
the movie! That alone would be worth a trip to Avalon in my book.

The Casino tour ends at the top, ten stories up!

SCROLL TO THE RIGHT to see the entire panorama of Avalon Harbor.