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LAST-MINUTE
AFTER-HOURS DAY-OF-TRIP PROBLEMS?
CALL KEN KURTIS ON HIS PERSONAL CELL - 310/995-3639
OR ON THE REEF SEEKERS PHONE (text OK too) - 310/652-4990
CATALINA
EXPRESS
(San Pedro & Long
Beach)
SAN PEDRO TERMINAL:
From the intersection of the 405 and 110 freeways, take the 110 south. Go
to the next-to-the-last exit which is "Harbor Blvd./Vincent Thomas
Bridge" (by the flashing yellow "End of Freeway" lights).
Take this exit and stay to the right for Harbor Boulevard. DO
NOT GO OVER THE VINCENT THOMAS BRIDGE!!! At
the bottom of the ramp is a traffic light and Harbor Boulevard. Don't turn,
but go straight through the light. Continue straight ahead to the parking
lot entrance. Get a ticket and go all the way to the end of the lot. At this point you will be at the Catalina Express Terminal
(Berth 95) and you will literally be under the Vincent Thomas Bridge. Drop
your gear in front of the terminal, find a place to park, and then come
back to hook up join the group. Terminal (and bathrooms) are to the left.
Ken will get all the tix so you don't need to do that. We'll usually be
found at the boarding gates, which are to the right. Ask an Express
employee if we're leaving out of Gate 1 or Gate 2.
LONG BEACH TERMINAL - CATALINA LANDING:
From the intersection of the 405 and 710 freeways, take the 710
south. About three miles down, the freeway splits. Follow the LEFT side
that says "Downtown/Aquarium." DO
NOT HEAD TOWARDS THE QUEEN MARY!!! Pass a couple of exits and then a
traffic light. Almost immediately after the light, take the Golden Shore
exit which will be on your right. At the top of the ramp, turn right.
You'll come around a large building (one stop sign) and then the road will
"S" curve down and through another complex. At the end of this complex, on
your right, you'll find the Catalina Express Catalina Landing Terminal. Drop your gear at curbside,
then go park
your car (go forward from the unloading zone and then left - you'll likely
have to park on one of the upper levels), and then come back and inside to hook up with
the group. Bathrooms are inside the terminal to the left behind the ticket
counter. The boarding gate is through the doors in the back of the
terminal and is laid out with small crowd-control barriers.
Lost or running late? Call Ken Kurtis on his cell at 310/995-3639.
GIANT STRIDE, PACIFIC STAR, & BOTTOM SCRATCHER
(22nd Street Landing, San Pedro)
OPTION 1 - Take the 110 freeway south all
the way to Gaffey Street (last exit) and turn left. Go south on Gaffey to
22nd Street. Turn left. Cross over Pacific (traffic light), Mesa (stop
sign), and then come down the hill past another traffic light (Whaler's
Walk, I think). Past the traffic light, look for a neon marlin on the
side of the building marking 22nd Street Landing. Turn right into the
parking lot and pull around to the loading zone near the gangway down to
the docks. Once
unloaded, park your car in the one of the big lots across the street, or
in the smaller lot on the far side of 22nd Street Landing (nearer to
Miner). Asante, Giant Stride, and Hattitude are
docked nearby and only pick up at 22nd Street. So check with them just
before your trip to find out exactly where the pick-up spot will be.
OPTION 2 - Take the 110 freeway to the next-to-the-last exit which
is Harbor Blvd. (like you're going to the Catalina Express San Pedro
Terminal or Ports 'O Call). Turn right on Harbor (heading south). Go
past the fireboat house, the Maritime Museum, Ports 'O Call, and the
Little League field. At the stop sign by the field, Harbor turns in to
Miner and bends just a tad to the left. Stay on Miner down to the
traffic light which is 22nd Street. Turn right. Look for 22nd Street
Landing on your left (you won't see the neon marlin) and pull in as
above.
VETERANS
PARK, REDONDO BEACH
(Squid, Night, & Daytime beach dives)
Veteran's Park is a few blocks (SW) from
the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Torrance Boulevard, just
south of the Redondo Pier.
From the Westside, take the 405 south, get off at Rosecrans West (the
first Rosecrans exit), turn right and go almost half a mile to Aviation
(look for the overhead railroad trestle). Turn left on Aviation and go
three miles south to Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). Turn left on PCH and go
about another two miles south. You'll pass the big "Redondo Beach -
King Harbor" arch on your right, then a little further down you'll
pass the Redondo Public Library on your right, and the next big street is
Torrance Boulevard. Cross that and continue south on PCH for one more
block. There's a Smart & Final on your left and a used car lot on
your right. This is Pearl Street. Turn right on Pearl. Pass the stop sign
(there's a fire station on your left), and then you'll come to a traffic
light. Continue straight through the light (wait for it to turn green, of
course) and almost directly in front of you (as the road starts to bend to
the left) you'll see the large parking lot for Veterans Park. Pull in and
find a spot. We usually meet/park at the far end of the lot on the left so
we're fairly close to the stairs. Bring plenty of quarters for the parking
meters as they're in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including
weekends. (You can also buy an annual permit - good November 1 to October
31 - from the City of Redondo
Beach.)
If you get lost, call Ken Kurtis on his cell phone (310/995-3639).
If he's got his phone on (which is usually is), he can
guide you to the proper place.
CEE RAY, BIG BLUE, & ISLAND CLIPPER
(Queen's Wharf, Berth 55, Long Beach)
From the intersection of the 405 and 710
freeways, take the 710 south. About three miles down, the freeway splits.
Follow the RIGHT side that says "Queen Mary." You want the very
first exit (it comes up pretty quickly) which is marked "Pico/Piers
B C D E." Take this exit and you'll come up and around (almost a full
360º) a long, looping exit ramp. At the bottom of the ramp, turn right
and you'll be on Pico. About 200 yards ahead on your right, you'll see
Queen's Wharf. Look for the sign on the building that says "Queen's
Wharf Restaurant" (all the neon letters don't work at night but
you'll get the idea). Pull in and unload between the two big buildings by
the chain-link fence. To walk to the Cee Ray, go down the ramp and hang a
sharp left. After
you've taken your gear down to the boat, move your car back into the large
parking area that you passed on your way in. Then come back down and sign
in.
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