Long Beach, California’s fifth largest city, is located just 21 miles south of Los Angeles, at the southern end of Los Angeles County. Long Beach offers all the amenities of a sophisticated, cosmopolitan city, while retaining the charm and tranquility of a seaside community. Visitors seeking the California dream of beach, sun and ocean need look no further.

Long Beach is the perfect spot for people who enjoy the sun.  Sea kayaking, sailing, windsurfing and jet-skiing are popular year round. Early in the year, whale watchers observe the migrating California Gray Whale, and year-round harbor cruises entertain young and old . The city’s well-designed beachside bike path is ideal for in-line skating, jogging, bicycling, or a quiet walk. 
 

Long Beach became popular in the late 19th century as a seaside resort. Long Beach Harbor and the neighboring Port of Los Angeles are two of the busiest shipping centers on the Pacific Coast. The entire area is rich in petroleum resources, both on land and offshore.

California State University, Long Beach, is home to 27,000 students. Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center at Ocean and Long Beach boulevards encompasses the Long Beach Arena, Terrace Theater and Center Theater, where concerts, plays, trade shows and sporting events are held.

 Boat cruises to Catalina Island leave from near the Queen Mary and from downtown.  Long Beach AquaBus and AquaLink provide regularly scheduled service to Long Beach's major attractions such as the Queen Mary and the Aquarium of the Pacific daily from mid-June to mid-September, and Friday through Sunday the balance of the year.

The roar of Grand Prix race cars echoes through the city streets in early April during the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Most Saturday mornings, the Long Beach Heritage Society conducts narrated  two hour walking tours: of the downtown area the first and third Saturdays of the month, and of the East Village, (which is being developed as an arts district), the second and fourth Saturdays. Nearby, eclectic boutiques welcome shoppers seeking rare treasures, and international cuisine is served alfresco. Along the waterfront, more than 12,000 marine animals welcome you and your friends to their aquarium home  

The Queen's Marketplace, near Pier J, is an open-air mall designed to resemble an old English village. Shoreline Village, at the foot of Pine Street, is a harbor side shopping center with specialty shops, restaurants, a restored Looff carousel, and occasional live boardwalk entertainment.

Bring along a good book you’ve been wanting to read.  Get ready to stretch out, relax,  and watch the waves of the Pacific Ocean roll gently toward shore.  Whether it’s a leisurely stroll along the beach, the roar of world-class stock cars racing in the shadow of glittering skyscrapers, a picnic at one of the many local parks,  or a concert under the moonlit sky, Long Beach is a  perfect vacation getaway.  You can even experience a  serenade by gondoliers rowing an authentic gondola in the Venetian style on a  cruise through local canals.  Ocean breezes waft gently off the Pacific  along a stretch of coastal paradise, while in the distance, a tall ship sets sail..  These sights and many more await the visitor to romantic Long Beach.   Time to pack!