Beat the Heat this Summer – Here’s a fresh idea – Long Beach, California
Traveling With Françoise Road-trippin’ to Long Beach – By Françoise Rhodes
No two trips are ever alike. In this case, my trip to Long Beach, California took me back to my childhood as I was raised on the outskirts of Long Beach. I remember the shoreline, beaches and the Pike…..what fun my brother and I had at the Pike, I even lost a front tooth while slamming everyone on the bumper cars.
Years later as an adult, I docked my sailboat at Shoreline Marina across from the Queen Mary. Such great times I had at Parker’s Lighthouse, Shoreline Village, and watching down town Long Beach grow and change into an amazing international destination offering something for everyone.
However, for some reason when Southern California visitors and even natives think of coastal beaches and communities, Long Beach rarely comes to mind. Let’s see if I can change your mind!
Queen Mary, Long Beach, California
Long Beach is made up of several communities, but for travelers taking a cruise on the Carnival line, going to Catalina, fishing, visiting the Queen Mary, or maybe looking for stunning skyline views, Long Beach has it all. I stayed at the Hotel Maya, down the harbor from the Queen Mary and across the bay from downtown. The rooms are spacious, comfortable with big sliders that open onto your private balcony offering stunning views, perfect weather and a great place for people watching.
Getting around Long Beach is easy, from the Hotel Maya I could either take the water taxi across the harbor, the free Passport bus that stopped out in front at the Hotel Maya, or a taxi cab. I tried them all, and never used my car while there. Once down town everything near the marina is in walking distance, or again take the free bus to all of the points of interest.
Beautiful murals are everywhere, hundreds of restaurants, trendy shopping areas, the convention center and the Aquarium of the Pacific. For golfers, its only minutes away to several historic golf courses. Long Beach also offers an International Airport, an RV campground along the harbor shores, beautiful buildings, a trendy East Village area, and a lot of friendly people.
Daytrippen to Long Beach, California by Traveling with Françoise.
What makes Long Beach so friendly is that the locals do all of the things the tourists do, so instead of t-shirt shops galore, visitors will find boutiques, coffee shops, breweries, hotels, bungalows and apartments.
As much as Long Beach caters to business travelers, adult vacations and the teen movement, the area also welcomes families with small children making sure there is plenty for them to do.
For those with furry family members you’ll love Long Beach, they love their pets and have many awards to prove it. I could go on for pages about why you should visit Long Beach on your next adventure, but I won’t. Instead I’ll say don’t think about, hop in the car and experience Long Beach, you’ll be glad you did.
Links to help plan your trip
Long Beach, California
Hotel Maya, Long Beach California
Queen Mary
Aquarium Of The Pacific
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