6-17-2019
Long Beach, CA, situated approximately 30-minutes south
of LA, is a coastal gem with more than its share of
lures for the traveler. The city, deemed one of the most
ethnically diverse big cities in the country, has an
average high of 82˚ and low of 64˚ with negligible
rainfall. It was named Long Beach in 1888 because the
beach winds 22-miles bordering the Pacific Ocean along
San Pedro Bay. Today it offers a 3.5-mile bike trail,
11.5-miles of inland waterways and bays and greater than
30 water view restaurants. The city has world-class
attractions and provides metro and free bus service as
well as water transport, AquaLink and AquaBuses, for
easy access to sites. ridelbt.com/routes-and-services
The city’s uniqueness extends to its history. When Juan
Cabrillo sighted the coast in 1542 Native
Americans had inhabited the region for more than 10,000
years. They inhabited three large settlements,
Tevaaxa'anga, Ahwaangaand and Povuu'nga, but were moved
to Spanish missions in the 1800s and became known as the
Gabrieliño after the San Gabriel Mission.
A 1784 Spanish Land Grant
provided the land laid out as Long Beach in 1880 and the
1884 Rancho Cerritos. Cogged stones were uncovered at
Rancho Cerritos in 1930 that dated from 2-5,000 BC,
verifying an early indigenous presence. The
Monterey-Colonial 2-story adobe rancho interprets the
intersection of Spanish, Mexican and North American
cultures. Tevaaxa’nga to Today: Stories of the
Tongva People relates the story of
the Tongva through artifacts and displays in the visitor
Center. Constructed by Native Americans, the rancho is
furnished with antiques from the 1870s sheep ranch era.
Guided tours, an orientation film, special programs, a
reference library and 4.7-acre garden are on-site.
rancholoscerritos.org
Long Beach’s most renowned resident is the RMS Queen
Mary, regally docked since December 1967, in the
harbor. Since its maiden voyage in 1936 it has served as
an exquisite symbol of art deco and the Gilded Age and
was once the largest, fastest and most luxurious ship
afloat. It is 1,019-ft. long, 36-ft. taller than the
Eiffel Tower, has over 300 original guestrooms, 400
fireplaces, 25 public rooms and made 1,100 crossings.
The ship served in WWII in a variety of functions.
Winston Churchill sailed aboard 10 times and in suite
M114 was briefed on the D-Day plans.
The Queen Mary is one of the world’s most
haunted sites. Paranormal Investigations and Haunted
Encounter tours and Illusions of the Past, a theatrical
séance are offered in addition to a menu of specialized
tours. Note: stateroom B340 is said to be the most
“active” room.
The ship is a hotel featuring online reservations, a
museum and offers shopping and dining. Sir Winston’s
Restaurant and Lounge and the Queen Mary Royal Sunday
Brunch are singular culinary experiences. QM TIP: All of
the guides are excellent but for a truly awesome tour
request Commodore Everette Hoard. queenmary.com
Rainbow Harbor is home to the Aquarium of the Pacific,
Southern California’s largest aquarium. Over 50 exhibits
include more than 11,000 animals in the main galleries
and exterior display areas including an interactive
Shark Lagoon. The 2019, $53-million, biomorphic glass,
wing, Pacific Visions, was created to foster an
understanding of modern environmental challenges using
displays, interactives, exhibits, educational
programming and a 130-ft. wide and 32-ft. tall theater.
aquariumofthepacific.org
The 1996 Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) is the
sole museum in the country dedicated to the presentation
and preservation of modern and contemporary Latin
American art. The complex encompasses interior
galleries, a screening room, art studio, library and a
15,000-sq. ft. sculpture garden.
Shoreline Village, reminiscent of a fishing village,
provides some of the area’s best shopping and panoramic
viewing options. Here you can dine, stroll, rent a bike
or watercraft, ride a carousel and shop in a variety of
eclectic stores. Louisiana Charlie’s BBQ & Cajun Cuisine
is a waterfront eatery that puts a southern spin on
seafood you will long recall.
Naples is an Italianesque community established in
1905 on 3 islands. It has winding streets lined with
gracious homes fronted by circuitous canals. You can
stroll the streets, pause in the plaza and take a 1-hour
Gondola Getaway Cruise on Alamitos Bay in an authentic
gondola. GGC TIP: Request serenading gondolier Andrew
McHardy.
Two musts are trips along Retro Row and a visit to the
Long Beach Antique Market. Fourth Street between Cherry
and Junipero, Retro Row, is a recognized source of
vintage-inspired clothing and furnishings. Film set
designers are known to purchase items there. The antique
market has more than 800 vendors spread over 20-acres.
Plan to spend substantial time at both venues.
Lola’s Mexican Cuisine crafts authentic Mexican dishes
homemade with fresh ingredients from Family heirloom
recipes. Eat retro in Lola’s.
Before Ferris Bueller took his day off, Gilligan set
sail for his 3-hour tour or Star Fleet Academy were
filmed in Long Beach in 1910 it was the first West
Coast movie center. By 1918 Long Beach’s Balboa Studios
was the world’s most productive independent studio.
Numerous silent films were made with Fatty Arbuckle and
Buster Keaton. Arbuckle’s home still stands. The
industry relocated to Hollywood around 1921 when oil was
discovered on Signal Hill and Alamitos No. 1 became the
most productive oil field in the world.
Unique tours require unique dining experiences to round
out your adventure. Hangar Marketplace’s restaurants
fill the bill. The Marketplace complex is 266,000 sq.
ft. of mixed use including shops, restaurants, indoor
climbing gyms and outdoor spaces. The newly established,
16,800-sq. ft. Hangar currently features 8 restaurants
inside a repurposed airplane hangar and options are
representative of the multiculturalism of Long Beach.
Long Beach is a great hub for touring the area and you
can channel your inner royalty by plunging headfirst
into all the city has to offer. Long Beach is a
traveler’s dream.
www.visitlongbeach.com/
Renee Gordon has written a weekly travel column for the Philadelphia Sun Newspaper for the past fifteen years and has published articles on local, national and international travel in numerous publications. Her columns focus on cultural, historic and heritage tourism and her areas of specialization are sites and attractions related to African American and African Diaspora history. Renee has been a guest radio commentator on various aspects of tourism and appeared in a documentary, "The Red Summer of 1919". As an educator for thirty years she was an English teacher, event and meeting planner, served as an educational consultant and intern-teacher mentor. She contributed to textbooks on women's history and classroom management and has facilitated workshops on both subjects. Renee considers herself a "missionary journalist" and as such she continues to promote heritage and sustainable tourism.
2013 Recipient of African Diaspora World Tourism Flame Keeper in Media Award for Travel Writing
Affiliations
IABTW- International Association of Black Travel Writers
PBJ - Progressive Black Journalists
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