Still Crazy Over : CATALINA : Newer hotels have taken hold and the activities now include even para-sailing, but : Southern California’s favorite island getaway hasn’t lost any of its charm.

It was a brisk, windy spring day in the San Pedro Channel. An occasional whitecap sent spray flying over the bow of the small ferry as we passed surfacing California gray whales on the way toward Avalon and Southern California’s very own Mediterranean isle.

Except for the swift one-hour crossing, our trip was not much different than our first passages to Catalina in the 1950s, when flights of flying fish and convoys of dolphins would accompany the Catalina and Avalon--the “great white steamers”--on their two-hour voyages from San Pedro.

The aging ships were taken out of service many years ago, but generations of Californians will remember dancing and romancing their way across the moonlit channel.

“I found my love in Avalon, beside the bay,

I left my love in Avalon, and sailed away.”

We all knew the lyrics.

For reasons not entirely nostalgic, we often return to Avalon. Although the town has new attractions, it still holds great charm for us because it changes so slowly. These days we go either in the spring or late October to avoid the summer crowds and the higher summer rates.

On our recent trip, it was evident from the range of our fellow passengers that the resort has lost none of its appeal for visitors of all ages and interests. There were young scuba divers and backpackers; a former Church of England vicar and his wife from Lancashire, intent on photographing buffalo in the back country, and a young vacationing couple from Boston, Roberto and Annetta Gallinelli.

On first sighting Avalon, Roberto was struck by its resemblance to Amalfi, the seaside town south of Naples. “My people are from Amalfi,” he said, “and this looks like it.”

This sense of being in a distant place, though it is only 20 miles from the mainland, affects many first-time Avalon visitors. After many visits over many years, we, too, have a sense of being far from home. Islands do that to the imagination.

Steve Geier, who runs Avalon’s newest hotel, the Metropole, told us it is not uncommon for foreign passengers from cruise ships that now stop here to ask island shopkeepers if they accept American currency.

And although the island is part of Los Angeles County, visitors from the East and Midwest have been known to ask if it’s in the same time zone as California.

From the sea, Avalon does have a European appearance, similar to resorts along the French or Italian rivieras. A backdrop of mountains . . . a cameo harbor with racing yachts and fishing crafts swinging to their moorings . . . hotels and cafes lining the seafront . . . the chiming of a campanile . . . a casino on a promontory.

(Unfortunately, the white, Moorish-style Casino is no longer the first landmark visible from approaching ferries. That distinction now belongs to a massive terrace of condominiums built on a steep slope at Hamilton Cove, just west of Avalon.)

Once ashore, the city looks much the same as it ever did. Rows of palms and silvery olive trees, set in large planters amid hot bursts of flowers, still run the length of ocean-front Crescent Avenue.

There are still more electric golf carts on the streets than passenger cars. The bell tower still tolls the hours from high on a mountain slope, just steps away from Western novelist Zane Grey’s former home, now a small hotel.

The quaint Victorian Holly Hill House still sits precariously on a stone ledge above the harbor. And a bright array of pennants still flies from the yardarm at the end of the wooden green Pleasure Pier, survivor of many northeast gales that have swept large yachts onto the beach.

Old-timers still gather at the foot of the pier every morning, sipping their carry-out coffee and arguing over subjects from town politics to Dodger Manager Tommy Lasorda’s latest dumbhead decision. And the saltwater-taffy-pulling machine still flails away, year after year, in the window of a candy shop.

Despite first impressions, the town is changing. The Hotel Metropole on Crescent Avenue is the first to be built on the beachfront in many years. The adjoining Metropole Market Place, a small maze of boutiques, tourist gift shops and a florist, also is new.

Many restaurants and older hotels have undergone complete remodelings, while others are scrambling to catch up. Historic homes are converting to bed and breakfast inns.

In all its history, Avalon has had two grand hotels that drew the rich and famous from around the world. The first, the original Metropole, was left in ashes after a fire swept the town in 1915. Its much smaller namesake stands on the same site.

The other great hostelry was the St. Catherine, just around Casino Point on Descanso Beach. It gradually fell into disrepair and was torn down in 1966. But the Santa Catalina Island Co., Avalon’s largest land owner, is planning to build another hotel on the same site and promises it will match the Old World luxury of its predecessor.

The city, also caught in the remodeling and new construction spirit, is repaving the streets and topping off the small swimming beach with 160 tons of softer sand from the mainland.

There appears to be a strong commitment on the part of city officials, including the energetic young city manager, Chuck Prince, to preserve the quality of life and services for its 2,500 permanent residents (about half of them Latinos), while enhancing the city’s attractiveness to tourists.

Avalon has always been a bit more expensive than similar resorts on the mainland, for the simple reason that the island is dependent on cross-channel barges for all of its supplies.

But on this visit, the latest escalation in prices left us with the impression that the town is courting a more affluent, resort-minded clientele than in the past--those who wish to stay longer than a day.

One could spend a week or longer in Avalon and not exhaust its recreational and sightseeing possibilities.

As they have for years, glass-bottom boats drift over kelp beds teeming with fish. There is scuba diving and snorkeling off Casino Point in an underwater park with artificial reefs and the sunken hulks of ships. Even para-sailing--that sporting staple of beach resorts everywhere--recently has been added.

The Pleasure Pier is the departure point for deep-sea fishing. And the enterprising captain of the King Neptune will lower you among the sharks in “a safe and secure cage.” Warning: The sharks in his brochure look suspiciously like the murderous Great Whites.

A daytime cruise takes visitors to the east end of the island to observe seals and sea lions cavorting in the water or sunning on the rocks. After dark, a launch with a powerful searchlight illuminates schools of flying fish just outside the bay.

There are also many land tours, including the inland wilderness, where the vicar is very likely to find his buffalo, and a skyline drive to the city’s mountain-top airport.

But it’s possible to explore most of Avalon’s one square mile by foot in a single afternoon. On a walk along the sea wall toward the Casino, one passes the Old Tuna Club, from where Zane Grey and proficient anglers set out in pursuit of the broadbill swordfish and tuna that were once found in large numbers in the deep waters just off the coast.

You can go on daily tours of the Casino, with its Art Deco theater and huge circular ballroom, where 1,500 couples at a time once danced to the Big Band sounds of Count Basie, Bob Crosby, Jimmy Dorsey, Kay Kyser and Stan Kenton.

But that era ended after World War II, and the major musical event now is the annual jazz festival, which this year will be held Oct. 5-7. (There will also be Sunday afternoon tea dances in the Casino on May 20 and Oct. 1, with music from the 1930s and ‘40s.)

The Casino has a free museum that displays ancient Pinungan Indian artifacts, turn-of-the-century deep-sea fishing gear, Catalina pottery and photographs of the town dating to the 1880s.

A longer walk (1.7 miles) up the canyon first takes one into Avalon’s main residential area, just a block inland from the coast.

Property values have soared. Standard lots, measuring a tiny 20x40 feet, were sold in the 1920s as tent sites for $150. But the narrow cottages, no two alike, now sell for as much as $350,000.

Just beyond the residential area is the nine-hole municipal golf course, where one tees off across the main road.

Adjoining the first fairway is the baseball diamond to which the Wrigley family, chewing gum millionaires who were then owners of the entire island, brought their Chicago Cubs baseball team in the years 1922 to 1952 for early spring training.

Lolo Saldana, born on the island 60 years ago, is the unofficial historian of the Cubs era. Pennants, bats and balls and old team photographs cover the walls of his barber shop in the Island Plaza, the tour bus terminal.

Saldana confesses to switching his latter-day loyalties to the Dodgers, “But, oh . . . how I still bleed for those Cubs!”

The canyon road runs along the fairways of the golf course until it reaches the town’s softball diamond, where the competition is tough on most weekends.

Our walk ends at the 40-acre botanical garden, a living laboratory for the study of plants native to California and the Channel Islands. An impressive monument to William Wrigley Jr., the patriarch of the famly and chief developer of the island, overlooks the gardens.

Happily, the walk back to town is downhill. But watch out for errant drives as you pass that first tee of the golf course.

We spent the first of two nights in Avalon at the Hotel Metropole and the second at another of the newest hotels, the St. Lauren, a long block inland from the bay.

The Metropole is an elegant, 47-room hotel with a New Orleans French Quarter atmosphere. The cheerful lobby has a glistening marble floor, hot-pink-and-moss-green fabrics and displays of exotic silk flowers.

Many of the rooms front on the sea and have Jacuzzis and fireplaces. Although small and without a bay view, our room was comfortable and the furnishings and fabrics were tasteful.

The most impressive amenities, however, were super-thick towels and luxurious white terry-cloth bathrobes. (A sign in the bathroom told us we were welcome to take a robe home for $100.)

The St. Lauren is a large pink Victorian that overlooks the town. Many of its rooms also face the sea. We found the gingerbread exterior appealing and the antique-filled lobby warm and colorful. Our room on the sixth floor also was attractively furnished and of good size.

Unfortunately, the staff was rather indifferent, and the continental breakfast came with muffins but no butter, and coffee but no cream. We had to settle for that unmentionable powder substitute.

On past visits to Avalon, our favorite hosts have been Vince and June Scaramucci, owners of the beach-front Hotel Vincentes. But the couple, longtime residents of the island, have been leasing the hotel to Kirk Terry and Sherry Absulour since the first of this year. We were shown several rooms by the new operators, who appear to be maintaining the same high standards as the Scaramuccis.

Just below the Vincentes on Crescent Avenue is the Villa Portofino, an airy hotel with a Mediterranean flavor. The rooms are large and the view dramatic.

It came as a surprise, while looking at other hotels, that the old Campo Bravo is now the upscale Hotel Vista del Mar, with wet bars and fireplaces in all the rooms. It, too, has a Mediterranean flair, with an open-air atrium where guests gather for their morning coffee and croissants.

In the past, we also have found the Catalina Canyon Hotel a congenial and quiet place to stay. It’s in the foothills above Avalon, but has its own van to shuttle guests into town and back. It also has its own restaurant, a sauna, a gym and tennis courts.

The Pavilion Lodge, although just steps from the beach, still charges moderate rates. Almost every room opens onto a garden courtyard bright with flowers, where guests can sunbathe or socialize.

The rooms are nothing special, but they are clean, comfortable and affordable. The Pavilion is also renovating. “Keeping up with the Joneses,” the manager said.

We have had pleasant stays in both the MacRae and the Edgewater, two of the traditional beachfront hotels, and they remain under the same management.

Avalon also has many charming B&Bs.; The best known, and by far the most expensive, is the Inn on Mt. Ada, built in 1921 as the Wrigleys’ summer home.

A classic of Georgian architecture, it commands a spectacular view of the city and harbor. But even those who can afford it must wait many weeks for a booking.

You don’t need to stay at the inn, however, to enjoy the cuisine, described as “American Pacific with a French flair,” in the main dining room. Reservations are a must for this romantic setting.

One of the most enchanting of the B&Bs; is the “Old” Turner Inn, just a short walk from the center of town. It has many antiques, plump sofas, hanging baskets of greenery, a cheery fireplace and a touch that would endear it to former President Ronald Reagan: An ever-present bowl of jelly beans.

In recent years, condominiums have been built that are available for weekly or monthly rental. Many permanent residents leave the island for the summer and lease their apartments or houses through local realtors.

Avalon’s restaurants, most of which line Crescent Avenue, are from moderate to expensive.

The islanders recommend the Ristorante Villa Portofino to gourmets, but warn that the tab will be the highest in town.

We tried Cafe Prego, a smaller Italian restaurant at the opposite end of Crescent Avenue that serves generous portions, but found the cooking was unexceptional.

We had an excellent lunch at Armstrong’s Seafood restaurant by the water. The chef broils fish, shellfish and steaks over mesquite. But you may have company for lunch--a sea gull looking for a handout.

Channel House, the most attractive restaurant in town since its recent remodeling, has modern decor with a profusion of greenery and a massive oak backbar. Our salads and fish-and-chips were first-rate.

Among the many bars along the shoreline, Buoy 205 near the Metropole has the most sweeping view of the harbor. But we always spend at least one evening at El Galleon, where the locals hang out.

The often boisterous conversation along the bar confirms the truth of the Irish proverb: “If you marry an island girl, you marry the whole island.” Everyone seems to know everyone else’s business, and to have strong opinions on the public and private morality of others.

Year after year we have found much the same crowd lining the bar at happy hour during the off-season, and all very willing to confide in strangers. We went there our last night in town to conduct an informal restaurant poll.

The results: Antonio’s for pizza, the Busy Bee for salads and hamburgers, Pirrone’s for veal, the El Galleon for steaks and Cafe Metropole for pastries.

Is Avalon changing? Not all that much. Let the tourists come and go by the hundreds of thousands through the long summer days and nights. But visit the off-season, our season. It’s still the same small town.