Avalon

svyodyo

Avalon is a legendary island from an Arthurian legend.  And the island off of Los Angeles is pretty cool, too.

We took a quick 13 nm trip from Two Harbors to Avalon on Catalina Island.  Truly a spectacular tourist trap!

  • Approaching Avalon

Our slip was assigned by a guy in a red boat as we entered the harbor.  “Mooring 192.  Just go down the channel and turn right at 174.”  They pack the boats in here!  Turned at 174 into a 20 to 30 foot wide gap between sterns of boats on the right and moorings to the left.  Went down the lane dead slow, turned too early into an open mooring (184, not 192), then wound our way back out to try again.  2nd try with encouragement from all the neighbor boats, we picked up 192 without additional drama. Picture of the lane does not do justice to the pucker factor. Wind your 46 ft floating home through this!

  • Pucker factor

Avalon proper is loaded with restaurants, bars, shopping of all sorts. Golf carts are the vecturae franca (how you get around) in this town. They have a limit of 800 full sized cars on the island and an 18 yr waiting list.

After a shore excursion we did the obligatory swim in the fairway. No close calls with other ocean voyagers or their dinghies.

  • Avalon from above
  • Downtown
  • Dave floating on what remains of our dinghy
  • Floating party
Santa Barbara YC knows how to party!

We are way to sedate!

9 Comments

  4. Good morning Mary and Dave, We just love Avalon! Open the attachment and enlarge (control +). Even though this doesn’t do it enough justice, we have a signed, watercolor print by the artist Bernard V. Fallon, presented to Bob by the then-instructor at Redondo Beach High School. Google his name and “Avalon” to see a better rendition. I have the framed print over the jacuzzi tub in our master bath. Anyway, we did multiple trips there, including an incredible backpacking trip wherein Bob, Lauren and I took a small boat to the backside of the island, were dropped off at a Boy Scout camp that we hiked from to a beachside camp spot. I remember it was hard to sleep with all the surf but still a tremendous site. After a couple nights, we hiked out ( a tough hike!), up to the top of the spine into the clouds (surreal looking down to shoreside from the spine) and around to Avalon (took a number of hours to do this) and ended an other-than-usual backpacking trip. Just had to share this. Love your pictures! LIPEO,Gail

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  5. Ahoy there Mary and Dave-So great to meet you for happy hour at one of our local watering holes ” The Sandtrap”!
    I am so jealous of what you get to do. I have such fond memories of my live-aboard, blue-water days aboard a 36′ cutter-rigged sloop called Sarah Frazier that became home in Belize to New Zealand 1999. What a fantastic adventure that was.As said for pirate protection, Spam and cookies! Wishing you great adventures, wonderful new friendships, cooperative conditions and beauty beyond compare! Carpe Diem!-K

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    1. It was wonderful to meet you as well. To new friends! Hope to get back to the island before we take off to Mexico. We will be in touch.

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      1. I think Kelly and I would like to join you on your adventure!. We’ll be following your travels. Hope to meet up with you in Puerto Vallarta in January. Blue skies….Carole

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