I had the pleasure of joining a 3-day creators trip with Visit Long Beach back in August. Long Beach is a coastal city and port of Southern California, right outside of Los Angeles. So if you are looking for things to do outside of Los Angeles, definitely check out Long Beach.
I used to go to Long Beach often as a kid, but just the beach part. So I was delighted to join this trip and explore more of what the entire city offers.
Here are some of the things I really enjoyed, with photos of course:
1. Gondola Ride with Gondola Gateway -
The gondolas operate in Naples, a neighborhood of Long Beach, or the “Dreamland of Southern California.” It consists of three islands and is divided by canals. PERFECT for gondolas! Gondola Gateway was established in 1982 and is the oldest and largest fleet of Gondolas in America!
We got on a gondola just a little before the sunset. I felt like it was the perfect time to go, and I caught some incredible sunset shots.
Gondola Gateway offers cruises for couples all the way up to groups of 14 people. You can even have an Italian dinner, catered by Domenico’s Italian Restaurant, during your experience. We certainly did 😋.
2. Cozy Boat Ride with London Boat Rentals -
Unlike touring on gondola boats, you have to drive the boats you rent with London Boat Rentals. You don’t need a license to operate the boats, and their speed maxes out at 5 mph. You may think it’s slow; I certainly did (since I never drove a boat before), but it actually felt quite fast. I would bring at least a few friends with you on this boating experience, just in case you drive a boat the way I did (like a noob😆).
3. Chocolate and Wine Pairing with Romeo’s Chocolates -
Some of you may know that I am not a big chocolate fan because I don’t enjoy sweets as much. BUT this experience blew me away. The chocolate served during the tasting was all so amazing.
Chef Romeo started off the tasting by sharing his journey with us. He fell in love with making chocolate and went to Belgium and Las Vegas to master and develop his craft. Today he owns his own brick & mortar shop where he sells and teaches chocolate making. A genuinely yummy success story!
DIDN’T have good photos from the experience because…..I ATE THEM!! But you can definitely see some stories I did of the incident in my Instagram Story Highlights.
4. POW! WOW! Long Beach Murals Hunting -
POW! WOW! Long Beach is a week-long, city-wide event in the summer and is part of the globally recognized POW! WOW! The worldwide series of street art events started in 2010. They brought murals to public spaces in Honolulu, Seoul, Washington DC, Taipei, and Tokyo. Most businesses in Long Beach try their best to preserve the murals long after the event, which is why there are so many murals now in Long Beach. These murals are perfect for taking pictures in front of. Some even represent the history of the stores they decorate.
The name came from comic books “POW!” and “WOW!”, so fitting! Definitely want to come back with Sen to look at them from a different perspective. Here is the Mural Map for those of you who want to visit now.
5. Vintage Shopping at Retro Row -
Retro Row is situated on 4th street, between Cherry and Junipero.
Sen and I go vintage shopping more often than you think. The best ones are found on the side of a road while traveling, not on purpose, and are in the middle of nowhere. We go vintage shopping on purpose sometimes, and I love it when the stores are all in one area, even better when restaurants and bars nearby like Retro Row.
6. Touching Sharks and Jellyfish in Aquarium of the Pacific -
The aquarium is number 6 (and Queen Mary is number 7) because they are well known to be on the bottom.
The Aquarium of the Pacific had recently completed its Pacific Vision wing. It offers a state-of-the-art immersive theater, interactive art installations, engaging multimedia displays, and live animal exhibits. The space is so thoughtfully designed that there are things do to for kids and adults at the same time. The best part of the new wing is that it focuses on educating the public about climate change, the effects and what we can do about them.
7. Exploring the Historical Queen Mary -
The best way to learn about and fall in love with a place is through stories, and believe me, Queen Mary has many levels.
Although Queen Mary is not as famous as The Titanic, it is 1.5 times larger. I was told that the Queen Mary would not have sunk if it hit the same iceberg that The Titanic did because of its size and unique build.
Queen Mary was completed in 1935; she served as a passenger ship most of her life at sea, except serving as a troopship during the Great War from 1939 to 1946. Queen Mary officially retired from ocean travel in 1967 due to the rise of popularity in air travel and was moved to Long Beach, California, docked there ever since, as a landmark, attraction, and hotel.
Yes, rumor has it that the Queen Mary is haunted. The most famous story is of a woman in a red dress. I am getting goosebumps as I write about it, so that is all I will say. Check it out for yourself if you are curious. And for those of you who are extra brave, check out Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor during the Halloween Season. I had someone DM me on Instagram about the Dark Harbor; the advice is to bring a group of friends with you. You get the hint.
8. Sleeping the weekend away at Hyatt Centric The Pike Long Beach -
Okay, fine. I didn't sleep the weekend away, but I could have. This hotel is definitely more on the boutique side; not sure if this is a Hyatt Centric thing? If so, I need to pay more attention to this brand! This hotel offers valet only, but there is a public self-parking garage right across the street. The property is charming, with a business travel vibe. There is a rooftop pool and bar area. Still, it is also super close to the beach and The Pike Outlets, which offers more than 30 retailers & restaurants, a carousel & a Ferris wheel. The location is so great it basically sells itself.
