When the Spanish arrived in the LA basin in the 16th and 17th centuries, there's a story we've heard that they were shocked by the happy indolence of the GabrieleƱo and Chumash natives who then occupied the area.
It isn't difficult to picture the newcomers miserably weighed down in the hot, sweaty desert sun by their heavy armor, thick, woolen robes, and medieval religious modesty. And it isn't hard to picture the scantily clad natives hanging out on the beach, scooping lunch out of the fabulously teeming ocean with their bare hands, and singing and celebrating away their days.
If we can put aside for a moment the uglier cultural implications of this clash of civilizations, weāll quickly spot a dichotomy that still lies at the heart of Southern Californiaābetween the manically industrious landscape of the working world and the fun, relaxed, and even sloppy California that exists right along side of it.
Catalina Island could well be designated as the capital of the latter. Our favorite hotel on the island, the former residence of the Western novelist Zane Grey, used to sport a swimming pool and breathtaking ocean views, but no television in the rooms and just one phone in the lobby.
By the time you clambered off the slow ferry from Long Beach and dragged your suitcases through town and up the endless mountain road, you were guaranteed to have forgotten your boss's Friday harangue and to have rid your mind of all the neuroses that drove you here. A stroll back down to dinner, a drive to nowhere in a speed-controlled golf cart, and you were primed for a weekend of doing absolutely nothing. Who knew? You might even open a book!
If Catalina could serve as LAās Capital of Indolence, it's a fact that the city and surrounding counties are littered with escapist enclaves--Lake Arrowhead and Idyllwild to the east, Buellton up to Los Olivos in the west, the Angeles National Forest, San Gabriel Mountains, and even the Mojave Desert to the north. Closer in to the madness of the city, you can easily hide out in the breathtaking beauty of the Palos Verdes Peninsula or laze away your days along the endless beaches of Orange County.
We're not huge fans of chewing gum, but can't thank the masticators of America enough for enriching the Wrigley family, who bought and developed Santa Catalina Island into the still-lazy paradise we know today.
Avalon is the closest thing to a town on the island. If you arrive by boat, the isthmus at Two Harbors is the preferred destination for local yachting enthusiasts. But be prepared to entertain yourselvesāthere are minimal services at that end of the island.
The Zane Grey Pueblo Hotel has gone upmarket and added televisions to the rooms (cue the outrage!), but still boasts some of the best views in LA County.