Headed to Catalina!!!

tobyocc

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Going to Catalina for the weekend so be back Monday. I will get some pics of the sad-ass arcade they have left. Have a good weekend guys and gals!!!
 
I miss Catalina....

Moved to the east coast - I miss the scuba, buffaloes, and great weather!
 
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Thanks, Had a blast, pics will be up tomorrow, very sad!!!!! (ARCADE SAD)

The machines look to be in average routed shape. The arcade itself looks good. I guess it could be worse and it could be gone altogether like most these days!
 
Back in the early 80s they had two arcades loaded full of great games (of course). The last time I was out there in 2000, only one arcade remained, probably the one you went to, there was a Computer Space (i think red version) to the left right when you walk into the arcade.

Around that time I made a few calls and asked about what happened to all the 80s games from BITD. They said it would cost too much to send old games back to the mainland so they crushed and dumped most the old stuff. :( I wonder who scored that Computer Space or if its still hiding on the island?

I wonder if Ken needs it for CAX? :eek:
 
Yeah,

I pretty much spent every summer from 1977 till present. My Grandparents lived there for 58 years. When the 2 arcades still worked it was awesome. Tons of ol EMs, 20 or so of the really big skeeballs along the back walls, looked sick. Games upstair, games down stairs. I have very good memories of the island, we still have our house there so thats nice. By the way, my Grandfather ran the Casino/Movie theater since the day they moved there. My Grandma was the first female sheriff there. Her badge had the #1 on it.

Sorry for the life story!!!
 
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Sailed to Catalina with my uncle and his family a few years ago. Didn't even know there was an arcade. Cool island though, for sure! Me and my cousin were all about renting golf carts to zip around on! :D
 
Wow....that IS a life story...and f'n cool one. That movie theater/casino was so much fun even though the movie selection was about a few months behind the mainland.

I remember those ski balls along the back wall vividly. Playing Jack-the-Giant Killer and Crazy Climber will remain forever ingrained. What was the name of the arcade closest to the area where you arrive on the ferry? That arcade always seemed a bit better than the other one, which is of course the one that's still open today.

I f'n love Catalina.... driving golf carts around town all day, the private beach on the far end past the casino, the constant flow of bikini clad tourists.


Yeah,

I pretty much spent every summer from 1977 till present. My Grandparents lived there for 58 years. When the 2 arcades still worked it was awesome. Tons of ol EMs, 20 or so of the really big skeeballs along the back walls, looked sick. Games upstair, games down stairs. I have very good memories of the island, we still have our house there so thats nice. By the way, my Grandfather ran the Casino/Movie theater since the day they moved there. My Grandma was the first female sheriff there. Her badge had the #1 on it.

Sorry for the life story!!!
 
Avid,

They just overhauled Descanso Beach over there. It is awesome. Huge central outside bar, rentals, massages, tons of seating, food, zip-line, games. It is a really cool place to hang, when I was younger it was pretty run down, looks great now.
 
I just remember paying a couple bucks to use that side of the island's beaches...was nice because it wasn't that crowded compared to the Walmart beaches right when you arrive.

I'd imagine Descanso is a bit busier now after the remodel. They had a pretty large park with a baseball diamond IIRC.
 
Catalina Arcade

I was at the arcade about a week ago. It had about a dozen older games. It had a big row of skeeballs on the back wall and another long row of older type "roll the ball in the hole" games. It was expensive for what it was. I played a couple games of Ms. PacMan, a game of Centipede (graphics problem). I put a quarter in the SkeeBall game, and found out it needs 75 cents to play using tokens.
Marv
 
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