Naples canal (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)The harbor area of southwest Los Angeles County -- the closest thing we have to a blue-collar coast -- is where the cruise ships call, where global cargo gets loaded and unloaded, where ton upon ton of maritime machinery hums and looms. It's where the Queen Mary passes her awkward retirement. Close at hand, the Pacific pounds the bluffs and pebbles of the Palos Verdes peninsula and 22 miles off the mainland, the island of Santa Catalina primps and sparkles for weekend admirers.
This territory "to me, is like a secret," confides Anthony Geich, who works the desk at Hostelling International's LA/South Bay hostel in San Pedro. "You're in L.A., but you're away from all the bull..."
Here's the sixth installment of our yearlong series of Southern California Close-ups --11 beach, peninsula and island micro-itineraries that cover Long Beach, San Pedro, the Palos Verdes area and Catalina.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,......................
