Long Beach, California--is a tough city
to write about. For locals, it makes for a
great overnighter when attending a
conference, seeing a favorite play or
tripping the lights fantastic. But travel
writers particularly have a hard time
knowing what to say. They are usually
directed or shuttled to half a dozen
restaurants where they sample international
foods, are taken to one of Long Beach's
ranchos, the Museum of Latin American Art,
Queen Mary, Aquarium, and when time permits,
given a ride to Catalina Island. Doing all
those activities will keep you busy for two
days. But many opt to stay on Avalon
overnight once they take the boat to
Catalina. And as for visiting Disneyland,
Universal Studios Hollywood, and several
other theme parks and attractions in
Southern California, Anaheim hotels offer
daily buses providing hotel pick-up to
Hollywood. It is tough for Long Beach to
compete as a home base for a theme park
trip.
While Long Beach and bordering Seal Beach both at one time were seaside
attractions to rival Coney Island, The Pike
in Long Beach was torn down decades ago, and
is remembered with some decorative
adornments and the namesake. You wouldn't go
to Long Beach specifically to ride the one
Ferris Wheel on a grass lawn next to Borders
book store, where you get have a distant
view of thd harbor on one side, and the
concrete wall of the Borders building on the
other.
You probably wouldn't choose a hotel stay
in Long Beach for its beaches, as it takes a
little work to reach them from most hotels
(the bulk of the beaches are in Belmont
Shore which is primarily business and
residential.)
So why would anyone stay in Long
Beach? Here are some reasons:
- Long Beach Convention Center is the
number one reason
- Special events also bring folks to
town--The Grand Prix in April is a huge
draw
- Carnival Cruises to Baja Mexico
depart Long Beach
- Trips to Catalina Island & Avalon on
Catalina Express provide the most
extensive schedules with severa trips
daily
- Long Beach Airport nearby with a
wide range of Jet Blue flights
- Dining downtown nightlife &
entertainment features international
cuisine, entertainment and flair
- Port of Long Beach or Port of Los
Angeles side-by-side are two of the
busiest ports in the U.S.
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