Greetings from the Parents of EEP (PEEP)! We are excited to help once again to organize the annual camping trip to Catalina. This trip has been a wonderful tradition of welcoming new freshmen, bonding, and generally good times for our hard-working students! As always, Rich, EEP Staff members, and a group of responsible Senior adult counselors and parent chaperones will supervise the trip and each are ready and willing to help the campers have lots of fun while keeping an eye on their collective safety.  

Fees must be sent directly to the PEEP c/o the Early Entrance Foundation (16311 Ventura Blvd., Suite #1298, Encino, CA 91436) no later than Friday, August 15th. A portion of the $200 goes toward a campgound-mandated security charge designed for youth groups who naturally take more wear and tear on the grounds and the ground personnel, as well as campground fees, Catalina Express fees, taxi fees, one group dinner, etc. Please note that the signed permission slip (pdf) should still be brought to the EEP Office by the last day of Summer Quarter.

This trip has always been fun and, best of all, it allows Mom and Dad some EEPster-free time! If you have any questions or concerns, you can call Nora in the EEP Office at 323-343-2287. Below is lots of information about the trip -- itinerary and contact numbers, miscellaneous information, as well as a variety of interesting links such as the Catalina Island Visitors Bureau website. And here are links for the permission slip (pdf) and packing list. Let me know (Ned Fenton, 323-906-0300) if there is something else you need. Thanks!

Have a great summer and we hope to see all the EEPsters on the Island!

Sincerely, PEEP

Itinerary

• Leave Long Beach on Catalina Express at 10:00 am Thursday, September 9th.

• Antonio's Pizzaria - Saturday Night

  We will meet in front of Catalina Express between 8 and 9 am at the Catalina Landing Terminal. Take the 710 freeway South into Long Beach. Stay to the Left to follow signs to 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 a right onto Golden Shore Blvd. Turn right at the stop sign, and follow around to the Terminal on the right. Parking is available in the structure to the left. Click here for a map.
• You may drop off Field Trippers in front of the building by the steps. The Catalina EEP Staff Counselors will be there to assist you in un-loading your student and their bags. There is a lobby if parents wish to wait to see the boat off.
• Arrive on Catalina approximately at 11:30 am. Taxi to Hermit Gulch campground.
• Thursday - Saturday: Various Relaxing & Fun Activities
• Saturday: Group Dinner (mandatory bonding and expressions of general goodwill to all) at 4:30 pm at Antonio's Pizzeria and Cabaret on the waterfront next to Big Olaf's.
• Sunday: Pack-up camp at 10:00 am, head to the dock and depart on Catalina Express at 11:45 am. We will taxi students to the dock and this process takes about 45 minutes.

  NOTE: Students must be packed and ready to leave Hermit Gulch by taxi no later than 10:00 am on Sunday. Students who have not properly packed all their belongings, including cleaning their camping area, will be left on the Island. Students who leave the campground to go to Avalon for breakfast before 10:00 am risk being left on the Island. Students are responsible for carrying ALL their belongings. Parents are responsible for arranging transportation off the Island should their students be left behind.

• Arrive in Long Beach at approximately 1:00 pm Sunday, September 12th.

Contact Numbers and Information

• You may send treats, snacks or other miscellaneous supplies ahead of the crowd to
  General Delivery - PEEP
  U. S. Post Office
  118 Metropole Street
  Avalon, CA 90704-9998
  We will assist in delivering all packages to the Campground by taxi.
  
• Catalina Express (310) 519-7971 ext 1020 - Roni Felando
• Catalina Transportation (Taxi service) (310) 510-0342
• Messages may be left at the: Hermosa Hotel (310) 510-1010, Reference: Rich Maddox
• The Catalina Holding Company is a general contact number for the Island, including Hermit Gulch campground: (310) 519-2500 or 1-800-322-3434
• Emergency calls to the: Sheriff's Department (310) 510-0174
• Antonio's Pizzeria and Cabaret: (310) 510-0008 - Augie
• Avalon Boat Rentals (310) 510-0455
• Browns Bike Rental (310) 510-0986
• Email can be checked on the Island at the Library. Students should have an L. A. County Library Card to check out books.
• There are two Vons grocery stores on the Island. You may loan your Vons Card to your student(s) for sale prices and/or you may provide a credit card to purchase food or emergency items.
• There are ATMs on the Island but they may not be serviceable for some bank accounts.

More Facts and Information Regarding the Camping Trip From Rich

Above: 2008 EEPsters with Rich at Catalina. For more 2008 pictures, see the Sep 2008 Peep newsletter.

• We will have one Group dinner on Saturday evening at Antonio's Pizzeria and Cabaret at 4:30 pm. We will also try to obtain the large Fire Pit (located within our site) for a campfire event on both Friday and Saturday nights, TBA.
• The kids typically form their own groups for activities like biking, hiking, sunning, etc during the day. There is a movie theater and numerous gift shops in addition to the physical recreational activities available in Avalon. The Staff Counselors will be there to ensure the kids have something to do and are often active participants in their various activities.
• The Island is very safe and we have plenty of EEP Staff along to supervise, plus the Fire Department is about 300 yards down the road from Hermit Gulch. Also, since the campground and Avalon are so small, there is nowhere an EEPster can hide without running into one of the adult staff members. Avalon's population and shopkeepers are now familiar with our little group and have always been quick with reports to staff and counselors.
• Staff and Students will arrange the tent assignments and the campers will be responsible for all equipment they bring. Staff Counselors will disperse their tents between and among the student campers and have been advised to keep the area quiet after 10:00 pm. If you are sending the family tent, please teach your student how to set it up before we get to the Island. I suggest you practice in the backyard. No co-ed tent assignments.
• All students must be in camp by 10:00 pm each night and each must report in to a Staff Counselor upon arriving and departing. Any student causing a disruption, leaving camp without a staff member's knowledge and permission or any other unsafe or immature behavior will result in their being asked to leave early at the expense of the student and/or parents. Parents will be contacted should this occur and EEP staff will walk the student to the dock until picked up.
• The Island can be pricey so discuss responsible spending with your student. I believe a prudent amount to bring would be between $100 and $150 spending dollars for food, treats and maybe a gift for dear old Mom and Dad. The rule of thumb is, if it has "chateau" or "bistro" in the title you probably can't afford it! Parents can mail stuff (i.e., food!) ahead of us to the Avalon Post Office (see above address).
• Email can be checked at the Island Library with an LA County Library Card.
• There are two Vons grocery stores and several ATMs on the Island.
• The Staff Counselors, all either EEP Seniors, Alumni or adult staff members, have volunteered their time to assist the EEP. Attending the trip this year are: EEP staff Dr. Richard S. Maddox, Nora Perez; PEEPs Mrs. Urpa, Mrs. Sorenson, Mrs. Bhandari, Mr. Puiu; Elders Millie Grimes, Jake Pacheco, Caitlyn York, David Wang; and alum Lubabah Ben-Ghaley, Lea Urpa.

Interesting Online Links to Websites, Pictures and Maps

Just 22 miles across the sea, it's another world - with its Mediterranean charm and myriad of fun activities. There's a reason Catalina Island has been said to have "the perfect climate," with warm, sunny days (the average temperature is 75 degrees) and cool evening breezes. The sun shines an average of 267 days a year, and the average rainfall is 14 inches per year.

Catalina activities: camping (of course! - See camp website below), s'mores around the campfire, sunbathing, swimming, fishing, sports (EEPsters plan touch football and other games), and mostly just hanging out with friends. Other activities available (at a price) are miniature golf, snorkeling, scuba-diving, bike-riding, golfcart-riding, parasailing, fishing, rafting, kayaking, jetskiing, golf. Special boat and land tours are available: glass-bottom boat, nautilus, snorkeling trip, scuba trip, bus tours, walking tours, wild dolphin excursion, seal rock boat tour and whale watching. And in 2010 there is a new option for the adventurous: the first zip-line in SoCal, costing about $90/person in 2010 -- see website and video at right. Picture page of EEPsters on past Catalina Island camping trips Catalina Island information website Catalina Island Visitors Bureau website Hermit Gulch Campground website Catalina Express website Catalina Island Maps - trails and also maps of the island and Avalon or a fun interactive map of Avalon.