The SS CATALINA should have become a National Historical Monument

A retro look at the SS CATALINA and SS AVALON. They were called the BIG WHITE STEAMERS. These day tourist steamships operated together from 1920 into the early 1950s — except for WW 2. The SS CATALINA (shown above) continued running into the mid-1970s. They provided daily service throughout the summer from Los Angeles to Catalina Island. The SS AVALON lies at the bottom of the Pacific off the coast of Southern California. The SS CATALINA, after a valiant attempt to rescue it, was taken to Mexico where she is rotting in Ensenada Harbor. There was a big deal about making the SS CATALINA a National Historical Monument. But like most "historical" endeavors in California it got lost in financial problems and endless legal action. Cheers to the memory of these ships and the great people who tried to save the SS CATALINA.