Although known to many, and not known to quite more, Long Beach ranks among one of the most important cities in all of California. I’ll get to that part in another story. For this story I wanted to see for myself what Long Beach is all about. I must confess that I’m still in the second category of not really knowing Long Beach but I’m being coy.

Long Beach is probably the biggest most important and least written about major ports, cosmopolitan centers, and locations for education, shopping, commerce, finance, and all things Southern California that I’m still in a state of shock.

Back to the beginning:

After getting off the train at W. 1^st and Pacific Ave., I nonchalantly just started walking toward the ocean. I wanted to go here without any prior research about the city because I wanted to be able to cover and shoot my story as a traveling correspondent.

It didn’t take long for me to discover that in Long Beach, there is literally so much to see and do.

But that’s grist for another set of stories. The plain fact is that to truly know the great city of Long Beach, one needs weeks, months, probably years to fully see and capture all that it has and offers.

Pushing forward I used the two hours I had to its fullest potential. What did I see in my short visit there? What can you do? Where can you visit?

Of course, there’s the Long Beach Convention Center

I found a low key place to stay

No shortage of water sports to have fun in the sun with

A lifetime of our nation’s history to discover

The Aquarium of the Pacific

Bike Trails alongside the beaches

A majestic and poignant lighthouse

World Class Restaurants

Did I mention large yachts?

And what self-respecting Los Angelino goes anywhere without plenty of shops and stores?

That was just the teaser introduction to Long Beach.

When I return, I’ll report on the never ending amount of events, stories, sights, sounds, and history of the city because when Travelin’ Local in Southern California, that’s what we do.

Just sit back, look, listen, and discover what we have so when it’s your time to visit you’ll be in the know as much as the Travelin’ Local’s are.

View Walking in Long Beach in a larger map

Check out a few of the places that I visited during my walk. By the way, be sure to email and share this story with all of your friends and family because, the City of Long Beach is one of our national treasures.

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