In the 1910s, a trip to Catalina Island began aboard elegant steamships departing from San Pedro, Long Beach, Redondo Beach, or Wilmington, carrying well-dressed passengers on a scenic three- to four-hour ocean voyage. The ferries featured open decks, indoor salons, and dining rooms, making the journey part of the vacation experience.
As the ship approached Avalon Bay, visitors caught their first view of white buildings climbing the hillsides, giving the town a Mediterranean, storybook feel. Steamers anchored offshore, and passengers transferred by small launch boats, creating a lively and memorable arrival.
Most visitors stayed overnight, often for days or weeks. Accommodations ranged from the luxurious Hotel Metropole to private cottages and the popular Tent City, where canvas tents with wooden floors, beds, and electricity housed families for entire summers.
Guests spent their days swimming, fishing, hiking, and riding glass-bottom boats, while evenings featured music, dances, and lantern-lit strolls along the bay. For early 20th-century travelers, Catalina Island offered a true escapet to an exotic resort just a few hours from the Southern California coast.




