Fore..... Friday, August 10, 2007
Immortalized by the Four Preps tune from the 1950s, Catalina Island continues to woo lovers – and cruisers – year-round. As a stop on four-night Baja cruises offered by Royal Caribbean and Carnival from Long Beach/San Pedro, the town of Avalon offers visitors plenty of ways to enjoy the scenic splendor of the island and relish its temperate Mediterranean climate.
Located 22 miles off the coast of Los Angeles, the resort destination began as a Mexican land grant. Over the years, Santa Catalina passed among a variety of ranchers and entrepreneurs until chewing gum magnate William Wrigley took controlling interest in 1919.
Wrigley saw Catalina as a tourist mecca where visitors could experience the unspoiled splendor of the island. The atmosphere that visitors to Avalon and Catalina enjoy today can be traced back to the policies set in motion by Wrigley.
In the mid-1970s, Wrigley's Santa Catalina Island Co. transferred to Los Angeles County 41,000 acres of land primarily for park usage. The one condition was that it remain under the control of the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy, which manages the bulk of the land today.
Grandma, Grandpa & Jonathan Head For The Island For Eighteen Holes
What are these two up to??
Hello Queenie
We will see you soon with Jon
Leaving The Harbor
The Port of Long Beach is the second busiest seaport in the United States and the tenth busiest port in the world. It is in Long Beach, California and it adjoins the separate Port of Los Angeles. It is the fifth busiest gateway by value when compared with all U.S. freight gateways—land, air, and sea.
In 2003, merchandise trade passing through the Port of Long Beach was valued at $96 billion: 12 % of the value of total U.S. international waterborne trade. These freight shipments accounted for more than 9 % of all U.S. waterborne exports and 13 % of imports.
The Port is a major gateway for imports with inbound shipments accounting for 82 % of the value of freight it handled in 2003.
The Dolphins Pay Us A Visit
Dolphins are aquatic mammals which are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in seventeen genera. They vary in size from 1.2 metres (4 ft) and 40 kilograms (88 lb) (Maui's Dolphin), up to 9.5 m (30 ft) and ten tonnes (the Orca or Killer Whale). They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating fish and squid. The family Delphinidae is the largest in the Cetacea, and relatively recent: dolphins evolved about ten million years ago, during the Miocene. Dolphins are considered to be amongst the most intelligent of animals and their often friendly appearance and seemingly playful attitude have made them popular in human culture.
Dolphins often leap above the water surface, sometimes performing acrobatic figures. Scientists are not always quite certain about the purpose of this behaviour and the reason for it may vary, it could be to locate schools of fish by looking at above-water signs like feeding birds, they could be communicating to other dolphins to join a hunt, attempting to dislodge parasites, or simply doing it for fun. Play is a very important part of dolphins' lives, and they can often be observed playing with seaweed or play-fighting with other dolphins. They even harass other locals, like seabirds and turtles. Dolphins also seem to enjoy riding waves and frequently 'surf' coastal swells and the bow waves of boats.
