Category Archives: All other recreation

Local Color

Posted on by in All other recreation, Beach and Ocean Recreation, California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Misc., Visitor Guide  |  Comments are closed
Capt. John, Afishinados Charters AVALON, CATALINA ISLAND - One of the great things about living on Catalina Island is that you meet some very interesting people who have decided to make this rock their home. You can’t spot them by the cars they drive or the shoes they wear, or even by their choice of tie. Since we all tend to run around in our flip-flops and shorts with our Catalina shirts, it is sometimes difficult to get a read on the people you meet, which means you have to talk with them to get to know them. That is kind of novel in today’s world. Sometimes we meet these folks because our friends just know that we would get along, sometimes we meet them at mixers, or meetings, and sometimes it is just by chance. In a town this small, it is always amazing to me how many new people I come across in the course of a season....
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Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival 2013

Posted on by in All other recreation, Beach and Ocean Recreation, California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Coastal Dweller Reference, Misc., Visitor Guide  |  Comments are closed
SmoothJazzBuzz The annual Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival, one of the west coast’s foremost fall music events and premier smooth jazz festival returns to Catalina Island every October. JazzTrax is a three-day, three-weekend showcase of contemporary jazz entertainment, featuring the newest and best in smooth jazz. The Festival, which starts the first weekend in October and continues until the 3rd weekend in October is held in the legendary Casino Ballroom on Catalina Island, with special Thursday performances held at the ocean-side setting of Descanso Beach. Continue Reading... ...
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Trips Worth Taking: 50 million visitors later: She’s still the Queen of the Seas

Posted on by in All other recreation, Beach and Ocean Recreation, California Coastal Notes of Interest, Coastal Dweller Reference, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Misc., Orange County, Visitor Guide  |  Comments are closed
By WARREN RESEN – Member of NATJA - Tampabaycurrent.com Long Beach, CA — With much fanfare, the Queen Mary arrived in Long Beach Harbor in December 1967 to begin its well-deserved retirement after 30 years as the premiere luxury liner sailing the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. The conversion to change Queen Mary from an ocean-going luxury liner to a floating hotel, tourist attraction and venue for special events began almost immediately upon its arrival. The retired “Queen of the Seas” opened to the public at her now permanent home in 1971 and more than 50 million visitors have since walked its decks. Continue Reading... ...
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Catalina Film Festival a Success

Posted on by in All other recreation, Beach and Ocean Recreation, California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Los Angeles, Misc., Visitor Guide  |  Comments are closed
eCatalina.com AVALON, CATALINA ISLAND - The Catalina Film Festival continues to grow and returned this year with and expanded festival featuring quality films. parties, bigger crowds and celebrity attendees. On Day 3 of the Catalina Film Festival, Patricia Arquette was honored with the Career Tribute Award before the West Coast Premiere of Best Man Down. Arquette graciously accepted her award, dedicating it to the generation of actors in her family and her daughters in attendance. On Day 4, rising young actress Bailee Madison was honored with the "Catalina Crest" award before the screening of her non-profit film, The Magic Bracelet. Continue Reading... ...
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Island to Island Relay Raises Money to Fight Cancer

Posted on by in All other recreation, Beach and Ocean Recreation, California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Misc., Orange County, San Diego  |  Comments are closed
SUPConnect.com SANTA BARBARA, California - Giles Finlayson recently beat cancer. ·Now his life's work is to raise money for other people stricken with the horrible disease! You can help out in the cause in less than three weeks by participating in the Island to Island Waterman Relay! Saturday October 12th, 2013 will be the Island to Island Waterman relay!  It's a 28 mile relay for 14ft. stand up paddleboards, prone paddleboards and outrigger canoes made up of 3 people per team. Continue Reading... ...
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Video: Backpacking The Trans-Catalina Trail

Posted on by in All other recreation, Beach and Ocean Recreation, California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Coastal Dweller Reference, Misc.  |  Comments are closed
laist.com The 37-mile Trans-Catalina trail opened in early 2009, affording hikers the chance to make the cross-island trek and take in some spectacular vistas. The trail goes as high as 1,752 feet in elevation in some spots, with the lowest point at a mere 10 feet, and includes a mixture of terrain from Class I to Class III (relatively flat and easy to some rough terrain, may be steep, difficult). Continue Reading... ...
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Catalina Island Film Festival to return on Wednesday

Posted on by in All other recreation, California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Misc., Visitor Guide  |  Comments are closed
By Andrew Edwards, Press-Telegram The Catalina Island Film Festival is set to return to its seaside venue on Wednesday. “You have this Hollywood reverence and history on this beautiful gem of an island,” festival director Ron Truppa said. “It’s the closest thing we have to the Cannes Film Festival in the United States.” Catalina Island’s history as a location for film shoots dates back more than 100 years. D.W. Griffith’s “Man’s Genesis,” was filmed on the island in 1912, according to the Catalina Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau. It’s virtually impossible to venture around the island city of Avalon without seeing black-and-white photos of old-time movie stars at local businesses. Continue Reading......
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Summer Report Card Shows 90% of Beaches Earned “A” and “B” Scores

Posted on by in All other recreation, Beach and Ocean Recreation, California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Coastal Dweller Reference, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Misc., Orange County, San Diego, Surfing, Visitor Guide  |  Comments are closed
By Ashley Cordes - Long Beach Post Beach waters in Long Beach were healthier than ever this summer, according to Heal the Bay's most recent End of Summer Beach Report Card. Of the 15 beaches monitored weekly by the Long Beach Health Department, 14 received "A" and "B" grades for the period between Memorial Day through Labor Day, meaning more than 90% of beaches received excellent marks. Last summer, only 77% of Long Beach waters received "A" and "B" grades. The one beach that faltered from the positive scores this summer was the testing site at 55th Place, which received a "D" for its exceedance above state water quality standards. Nelson Kerr, Manager of Long Beach's Bureau of Environmental Health, says that the location received weekly "A+" grades until June 25 when a single bad sample earned it a "D." Continue Reading......
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Escape to Catalina

Posted on by in All other recreation, Beach and Ocean Recreation, Boating, California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Coastal Dweller Reference, Fishing, Misc., Visitor Guide  |  Comments are closed

By Doug Hansen, Special to the U-T

This mid-September trip to Catalina doesn’t even compare with the last one I did, 25 years ago. What’s different this time? Everything. My wife and I have been traveling a great deal, and I’m familiar with 75 countries, but I have to tell you that our four-day stay in Catalina rivals any trip we have done.

During my last visit to Catalina, I made the mistake that many do — of just walking around Avalon, shopping and eating, spending the night and then leaving.

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Film Festival Benefits Protection and Restoration of Catalina Island

Posted on by in All other recreation, Beach and Ocean Recreation, California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Coastal Dweller Reference, Misc.  |  Comments are closed
eCatalina.com AVALON, CATALINA ISLAND - Tickets are now on sale for the five-day Catalina Film Festival (CFF) starting on September 18 through 22. Now in its third year, the festival continues its celebration of foreign and domestic independent films, shorts, animation and documentaries. The festival benefits the protection and restoration of Catalina Island. CFF is a competitive festival and film market with awards in up to 10 categories, including the prestigious Charlie Chaplin ICON Award, Stanley Kramer "Social Artist" Award and the Isla Earth Award. “I am very proud of the Isla Earth conservation documentaries that provide young filmmakers an opportunity to bring pressing ecological issues into focus.” said Ann Muscat, president and CEO of the Conservancy, a non-profit dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Island’s wildlands. “We once again welcome the Catalina Film Festival. Several of the Island’s beautiful locations have been used in many memorable motion pictures.” Avalon Mayor Bob Kennedy said he always enjoys seeing the Catalina...
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