Long Beach is a coastal city known for its scenic ports and beaches ideal for the whole family. The resort town of Long Beach is the second largest city in the region and is located at the southern end of Los Angeles County. Long Beach owes its name to its 11 km long sandy beach. The Downtown is very sophisticated, which is mainly due to the exclusive boutiques, shopping centers, restaurants and hotels.
The Golden State is aptly named: the glitter of stars’ dresses that sparkle, the blond sand that caresses your feet and the tanned complexion of the inhabitants, all are gilded in California. California is also a state where the lifestyle is healthy, where you can travel from the sea to the desert and mountains to the plains in less than 2 hours, where all nationalities are represented, and where the weather is jealous.
Visit the Queen Mary – and other attractions
The most famous attraction of Long Beach is the discarded luxury passenger steamer Queen Mary (external link). This over 300m long ship with 12 decks was the pride of the English Cunard line. The ocean liner docked at Pier J can be visited (open daily from 10am to 6pm, the guided tour costs $ 8 and the sightseeing tour costs $ 17). You get to see the luxurious ballrooms and cabins of the first class. Very revealing is the difference between the first class and the cramped conditions of the third class. The Queen Mary serves as a floating luxury hotel (356 rooms).
In the immediate vicinity of the Queen Mary you can enter the interior of the Russian submarine Scorpionget off (open daily from 10am to 6pm, entrance fee: $ 10). The 100 m long submarine sailed with a maximum of 78 men crew and sailed under the Russian flag until 1994, the oceans. The easiest way to get around is to take the South Freeway 710 (Long Beach Freeway) to Queen Mary. Because at the southern end of the freeway you drive directly to the Queen Mary parking lot. From there it is only a few minutes walk to the ship. From the harbor there are many opportunities to take a boat trip. From January to March, you can also set sail for whale watching, and there are plenty of opportunities for deep-sea fishing.
From the Queen Mary is the Aquarium of Pacific(external link, 100 Aquarium Way, open daily from 9am to 6pm, entrance fee $ 14.95) just minutes away. All you have to do is cross the Queensway Bridge and you’re almost at this fantastic aquarium. The aquarium unveils the secrets of the underworld of the tropical ocean and the Pacific in an impressive way. It is divided into three divisions: Tropical Ocean, Southern California Pacific and North Pacific. More than 12,000 marine animals and 550 species are housed in the Aquarium of Pacific. Among them are the big sea creatures like sea lions or sea otters, but also the little creatures like seahorses. Of course, sharks and rays are also missing. If you are in Long Beach, you should absolutely pay a visit to this fascinating aquarium.
Port city directly on the Pacific Ocean
Long Beach is administratively an independent city. Geographically, however, borders are blurring in a metropolitan area that is still developing dynamically. So Long Beach could almost be the southernmost district of LAgo through. The location right on the Pacific derives from the fact that here is the second largest port in the United States – and after all, the tenth largest in the world. Goods worth nearly a hundred billion dollars are being transacted here year after year. Who likes ships, who is interested in state-of-the-art container technology, is more than right here. But even if both are not true, you should at least go to the harbor during a stay in Long Beach in the evening. Then there is such a colorful, huge sea of lights unfolding, that many a skyline could hide its attractiveness behind it.
Where inter-nationality shapes the face and heart of the city
“The International City” – that’s the name of Long Beach. On the one hand, of course, this has to do with the port and its ships from all over the world. Second, but also with the aircraft industry, which plays a significant economic role in the city. Above all, and most visible to the visitor, it is the internationality of the people who live here. Long Beach seems to attract people of many different races and nationalities in a unique way. The average age is well below 35 years. This characterizes the attitude to life in the city, where it is always happy, “busy” and in a good mood. In this industrial city, people work, they make good money and spend good money. The posh residential areas,
Parks and leisure attractions
If you work in California and earn a lot of money, you want to get something offered. Of course, the tourists also benefit from this attitude. You can really relax in Long Beach. The city has already received several national awards for the number and excellent condition of its parks and recreational areas. The Aquarium of the Pacific (100 Aquarium Way) is also home to one of the largest artificial water worlds in the US and the world. An absolute must for animal lovers and anyone traveling with children. Over 12000 different fish species and other sea creatures can be admired in this aquarium. Of course, sharks are among them – and not just the small species! Whether penguins or sea otters, Whether dolphins or Barracudas – animals can be observed in this amusement park up close and with high entertainment value. Live shows, restaurants and shops make their contribution to ensuring that you can spend at least half a day, if not a whole day, feeling very comfortable here. If you have a taste, you can take a drive out to the Pacific. “Whale Watching” and “Dolphon Watching” are certainly among the most beautiful, what a stay in Long Beach has to offer.
Hail Queen Mary!
Another attraction in Long Beach is the “Queen Mary” (1126 Queens Highway). The once proud passenger steamer and cruise liner has finally anchored in the harbor of Long Beach and serves today as a convention center and as an original hotel. In addition, a museum was set up for the general public, in which prewar transcontinental passenger shipping could be a worthy monument. However, you do not have to be a hotel guest or a museum visitor to experience pure cruising romance on the “Queen Mary” or to understand the feudal mood of first-class passengers on an Atlantic crossing. On the ship, you can just have dinner or enjoy a British “high tea” at the five o’clock hour.