Every once in a while, a trip goes so smoothly that we just can’t believe our luck. That’s exactly how we felt during our early summer stay in Southern California with two days at Disneyland/CA Adventure and two days in Long Beach.
Why did we visit Long Beach? It had never been on my radar, but when we decided to take our kids to Disneyland, we wanted to add a couple of days somewhere else. We don’t get to Southern California very often (that’s an understatement!), so we wanted to make the most of it. We found that flying into Long Beach was the easiest way to get to Disneyland, so it just made sense to add a stay in Long Beach before flying home.
Here’s what we did and where we ate and drank with two days in Long Beach:
Where to stay in Long Beach:
We booked a room at the waterfront Hyatt Regency, located right in the heart of downtown Long Beach. There was so much within walking distance — the aquarium, restaurants and the water were 10 minutes or less on foot! We loved being able to leave our rental car in the lot and just walk everywhere. The room was comfortable and modern, the breakfast was excellent and the location couldn’t have been better. Plus they gave us a very early check in and we upgraded to a water view for about $15.
Tip: Book the hotel through Booking.com. Not only does the site give the best rate, but we also got free breakfast that way. Normally the breakfast buffet is $29 per adult, so that was a big savings!
Oceanfront trails:
Just outside the hotel are the shops and restaurants of the new Pike at Rainbow Harbor, and on the other side, the shorelines trails meander along the waterfront. On the water there are small shops, places to eat and an old-timey arcade, a fun stop with kids if they’re into that type of thing.
The trails have separate pedestrian and bike paths. There are bikes to rent on the street — we didn’t rent bikes but would definitely add that to the list next time. The waterfront is flat and with quiet bike paths away from main roads. As we continued on the paths, we got a great view of the Queen Mary and ended up at the beach.
I’ve heard that there are nicer beaches near Long Beach (like Huntington and Torrance), but this beach works for a short visit. The view isn’t the best because of short coastline and the ships in the distance, but the beach was uncrowded and clean enough for some play time.
The Aquarium of the Pacific:
On our second full day in Long Beach, we decided to walk over to the Aquarium of the Pacific. It was a Monday, so I thought we’d avoid the weekend crowds, but the opposite was true — the aquarium was packed with school groups! Lesson learned! But the aquarium was very nice and definitely worth spending the bulk of the day.
The aquarium is not huge, but there are many different exhibits and plenty for kids to do. We started with the shark and ray touch tanks and then headed to the Lorikeet Forest (not water-related but so fun). These lorikeet exhibits pop up in zoos, conservatories, etc. around the U.S. If you haven’t visited one before, it’s a fun activity — you hold a small cup of nectar, and soon lorikeets land on you and drink the nectar. They’re so beautiful and sweet!
The aquarium also has exhibits of penguins, sea otters, sea horses, octopuses, many kinds of jellyfish octopuses, and, of course, mesmerizing tanks full of colorful fish.
There are also several touch tanks, some in out-of-the-way areas, so there’s plenty of time to explore the tanks without the crowds that we’ve experienced at other aquariums.
The aquarium is open daily 9-6 and is a 5-minute walk from the Hyatt. Tickets are $29.95 per adult, $17.95 per child, and can be combined with tickets to other attractions (like the Queen Mary) for a bundle discount.
Downtown Long Beach Walkways:
One of the reasons we enjoyed our time in Long Beach so much was the elevated walkways downtown. I’d certainly heard of cities repurposing old spaces to create new, pedestrian-friendly areas. Of course New York City’s High Line comes to mind, but I had no idea that we’d get to experience this concept in Long Beach.
The Hyatt is connected to the elevated walkways, so we could walk right out of the hotel and let the boys run while exploring downtown from above. One section of the walkways is a pedestrian bridge meant to look like an “abstract breaking wave” — it connects the convention center to the Performing Arts Center. Besides landscaping and places for people to sit, I’ve heard that there are even charging stations (which encourage people to stay a while, I suppose).
I appreciated not only the convenience of being able to walk downtown above the hustle and bustle of the streets, but also the feeling of the spaces — they’re thoughtfully designed with color and pattern, green spaces, and outdoor art.
We used the walkways to walk to and from meals and activities. One evening we walked to Rock Bottom, a nearby brewery for dinner, and took our time walking back in the evening while the boys “practiced” Parkour.
Belmont Shore:
The Belmont Shore neighborhood is just a short drive from downtown Long Beach. We had just a couple of hours here before heading to the airport, so we’d would love to return. Elegant streets of colorful, quintessential Southern California homes are bordered by the sea in one direction and Second Street in the other. Second Street is more than a dozen blocks of boutique shopping and dining.
Fortunately we found the perfect place for lunch in Belmont Shore. Saint & Second was opened in 2015 by the Hofman family, who have had a restaurant on this site for three generations. The restaurant serves New American cuisine that’s typical of California upscale restaurants now — think locally sourced, organic, seasonal ingredients for elegant burgers and flatbreads, perfect salads, fresh seafood and artisan cocktails. We especially appreciated the exceptional beer selection and ordered a sour and an IPA from SoCal.
After two fun-filled days in Long Beach, we took our Mitsubishi Outlander Sport back to the airport and boarded our direct flight back to Sacramento. Even though there’s still so much of Southern California for us to explore, we plan to come back to Long Beach and get to know the food and arts scene better.
Have you been to Long Beach? What pedestrian-friendly cities have you visited?
What we wore in Long Beach:
