Long Beach Transit features a comprehensive system that shuttle tourists by land and sea. Among its fleet is the bright yellow, red and purple Aqualink boat that travels back and forth between Alamitos Landing, Queen Mary and Rainbow Harbor where the Aquarium of the Pacific and Shoreline Village are located.

Aqualink is a high speed boat that makes you want to ride public transport systems. The bright, multi-colored Catamaran stands out on the water because of its striped paint job with canary yellow, purple and red. It wasnn't a joy ride, they said. Trouble is, Long Beach Transit made it fun. And in so doing, Aqualink became an attraction. If you don't believe it, just take a ride and watch the people line up to get on the boat. It's taken a few years, and unfortunately, they feel it isn't supported enough during the winter months to run more than weekends. But maybe that time will come.

For now, you can hop aboard most weekends all winter long then around June, take a ride any day of the week. Of course they charge around $6 round trip, but it's subsidized, and you'd pay a lot more if it wasn't. We have actually discovered all kinds of things to do in Long Beach the revolve around that joy ride. They make you get off the Aqualink boat each direction, and once you do, you find out there are things to do, especially at the Aquarium stop. Grab a lunch at P.F. Chang's is one option. Check out the Aquarium of the Pacific, too!

The joy of riding California's public transportation boats is the ride out on an ocean or bay. From San Francisco ferry boats between Oakland, Vallejo and San Francisco, to the very small ferry boat in the Newport Bay, or this beautiful catamaran that shuttles people around Long Beach, actually connecting the nation's largest municipal harbor's several regions, the ride on these vehicles offers what some tourists consider an attraction.

AQUALINK SCHEDULE  It only goes on Saturday & Sunday, running from around 11 a.m. to closing at 6 p.m.   (see www.lbtransit.com for updates)

Summer Schedule

Cost: $3/each way; kids under 2 free with paid fare

(beginning May  - September.

In Long Beach we've spoken with tourists who can't believe the affordable boats and buses that connect the attractions to each other through a network you'll find via big signs, purple or bright red vehicles and lots of maps and marquis.  Affordable on some portions and free on others, Long Beach is one of the great cities to visit and get out exploring.  An awesome night life allows guests to walk up Pine Ave. to dine and enjoy concerts, dancing, drinking and fun.

Update for 2009: I rode the first week's re-launch of the Aqualink and found the traffic to be pretty good, considering it had been out of commission for several months. See my review.

There's also a station to hop aboard the MetroRail Blue Line train that goes to downtown L.A.