Avalon Harbor on Santa Catalina Island off the coast of California

Most of us dream of getting away on a deserted tropical island, away from all day to day pressures. Except for the deserted part, Santa Catalina may be it. Just twenty six miles west of Long Beach, California, Catalina is an easy island getaway.

We went over the Fourth of July weekend to see the golf cart parade led by the University of Southern California Trojan Marching Band, a tradition that has been going on for twenty-five years. One thing is for sure, the folks on Catalina know how to have a good time. The parade consisted of hundreds of golf carts decorated in patriotic themes, people throwing candy and beads, accompanied by lots of music.

My first car was a 1952 Pontiac Catalina, but I didn’t see any Catalinas on Catalina. In fact, there are very few cars and no service stations. The island is twenty-miles long and eight mile wide with few roads, so golf carts, boats, and bicycles are a better choice.

The city of Avalon with about 1,600 permanent residents, is crowded with restaurants, funky shops, and boutiques. No chains or cookie-cutter stores here.

There are lots of recreational opportunities such as hiking, horse-back riding, and a nine-hole golf course.

Scheduled ferries leave from Marina del Rey, San Pedro, Long Beach, and Newport Beach. For those in a hurry to relax, you can catch a helicopter. Medical emergencies are airlifted to Long Beach Medical Center a short fifteen minutes by helicopter.