We haven't been hearing much about the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department investigation into Natalie Wood's death, which was reopened with great fanfare last November. That is until yesterday when someone from Access Hollywood asked the Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore about whatever happened to that Natalie Wood case. more ›

An L.A. artist includes a photograph of the site of Wood's death in her series, "Transgressing the Pacific, LA-Like." Zoe Crosher, now based in New York, captured seven spots along the Pacific shore where people have vanished into its waters. more ›

News that actress Natalie Wood's 1981 drowning death case was being reopened sent a shockwave through the newswires last night. Wood, 43, died in the waters off Catalina after a day of boating--and drinking--with her husband, actor Robert Wagner, and their friend, actor Christopher Walken. Classified as an accident, new information could change the course of Hollywood history. more ›

Nearly 30 years ago, actress Natalie Wood, wife of actor Robert Wagner, drowned while boating with her husband and actor Christopher Walken. The Wagners' yacht, Splendour, was anchored in Isthmus Cove off Catalina. Though Wood's death was ruled accidental, today the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced they have re-opened the case. more ›

Donating items like clothes, kitchenware and sports equipment is quite common among friends, neighbors and co-workers. But donating an organ is not. Two Harbors' Baywatch Captain Lance Dempsey will donate one of his kidneys to Two Harbors Harbor Patrolman Dave Coiner, granting Coiner a new lease on life. more ›

U.S. Coast Guard received a distress call around 9:45 on Tuesday night from the Midnight Star, a 61-foot fishing vessel. The boat sank in 90 feet of water and left six people in the chilly Pacific. more ›

Today's video lunch is a nostalgic look at the SS Catalina and SS Avalon known as the Big White Steamers -- passenger steamships that operated summer tourist service from Los Angeles to Catalina island beginning in the 1920s. The SS Avalon retired to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean in 1964 when an anchor chain broke loose during a storm, while the SS Catalina, despite being listed on the National Register of Historic Places (and being named California Historical Monument #894), was sentenced to rust in an Ensenada Harbor after running aground in the 1990s and was ultimately cut into scrap metal. more ›

A 2.5 microquake struck the seas yesterday morning. It's doubtful that anyone felt it because it was in the middle of the ocean, 81 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles. But what's fun about its location is its proximity to the four southern Channel Islands. Since the mere presence of islands off the coast of Southern California seems to perplex a lot of people, we thought it was a good moment to at least identify them. more ›

Blame pollution: 2008 was another banner year for troubled waters at our nation's beaches, according to the results of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) annual study. Although last year was a dry one, "aging and poorly designed sewage and stormwater systems hold much of the blame for beachwater pollution [and] stormwater runoff contributed to two-thirds of the closing/advisory days in which a contamination source was reported." more ›

We've spent a bit of time on Catalina Island lately, enjoying the food and drink, checking out the "nightlife," or taking in its newest nature trail, but we thought we'd give you one more glimpse of the beautiful place, this time with a little romance in mind. Enjoy these serene black and white shots of Avalon. more ›

The California Coast is arguable one of the most beautiful places in the world. Sitting on a cliff overlooking a gorgeous sandy beach with tide pools and surfing spots is The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, who this summer season is slicing a few hundred dollars off weekday room rates for a nice recession deal. Prices start at $199 from Memorial Day through Labor Day, but you must reserve by tomorrow to take advantage of the offer. more ›

Starting Saturday, outdoors fans of Catalina Island, just 22 miles off the coast of San Pedro and Long Beach, will have a new trail check out. more ›

Believe it or not, Southern California's San Clemente was once a sea serpent haven. The June 1934 issue of Esquire Magazine For Men featured an intriguing article by a Ralph Bandini who spoke quite openly of his two encounters with the San Clemente Monster. In his article "I Saw A Sea Monster," Bandini commented, "San Clemente Island is a lonely, wind-swept bit of rock and sand lying some fifty miles south of Los Angeles Harbor. It is little frequented except by fishermen. Its waters are lonely too...The Thing itself appears to like this remote bit of ocean - that windy channel between San Clemente and Santa Catalina." more ›

According to KFWB, the crash took place "on the west end of the island and caused a small fire that was quickly doused." The chopper hit the ground near the Banning House Lodge in Avalon. It is believed the the engine failed while flying over Isthmus cove. KNBC.com describes the incident as a crash or "hard landing." more ›

So I have this pretty fun tradition (aside from Three Rivers in the holidays), of going camping at Two Harbors on Catalina Island every Labor Day Weekend. The tradition originally began as a Jugglers' Festival, oddly enough, of which I was only a part due to my friend and her husband who are amateur jugglers, and because they are friends with some fairly accomplished ones. There was a juggling volleyball game on one of... more ›