Long Beach

Today, I figured I'd write about Long Beach since I ran around the city today as part of a half marathon (my first!).

I was surprised to see how much there is to do in the city. I knew about the Queen Mary (http://www.queenmary.com/) and the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific (http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/), but I didn't know about a lot of other places.

If you enjoy art, Long Beach features both the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA, http://www.molaa.com/) and the Long Beach Museum of Art (http://www.lbma.org/). Additionally, there is the Long Beach Opera (www.longbeachopera.org/) and the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra (www.lbso.org/), which you may enjoy.

If the arts aren't your thing, you may like to take a trip on the Rocket Speed Boat (http://www.rocketboat.net/). Trips are available for $15 adults and $10 children (there is a $2 coupon on their website). If you're interested in a party boat, they offer that, too!

Another thing that caught my attention was the Murder Mystery Dinner cruises (http://www.dinnerdetectives.com/). For about $60 you get a 3 course meal and live entertainment.

The Tall Ship American Pride (http://www.americanpride.org/) definitely stood out from the other boats in the area. You can board this tall ship to take a trip to Catalina, to go whale watching and various other fun excursions depending on the time of the year.

If shopping is your thing, they have that, too! There are many shops and restaurants, including:
http://www.shopthepike.com/ and http://www.longbeachcityplace.com/. At the Pike, you'll even find a ferris wheel!