Shoreline Village, Long Beach. ( With a short skip over the Terminal Island Bridge))
The second happiest place on Earth.
Although I agree that Disneyland is the number one happiest place on earth, for this story we are talking about Shoreline Village in Long Beach, California.
Why Shoreline Village for the second happiest place? I don’t know. All I know is that while we were there it was as if everyone was on happy pills. Everyone walking by, or on rental bikes, or surreys waved and hooted as they passed by us. Even while we were sitting in the patio having a beer, people came up to us, just to say hi.
It was weird, but a good kind of weird.
However, it wasn’t hard to understand why everyone was so happy, it was a one of those perfect, beautiful days in California. The soft wind was a perfect temperature, the weather was warm and sunny, and the harbor was a calming blue/turquoise tint. The majestic Queen Mary was moored across the harbor and nearby, the convention center stood tall while showing off it’s huge underwater mural. Add a park and a lighthouse and you have the perfect setting.
There were festivals happening across the street and there were tons of people strolling around the village area. This place however, had something most beach cities don’t have, plenty of parking.
We walked around the quaint village with all of the packed shops and restaurants and were still able to find seats at the bar overlooking the bay. To continue our quest into happy land, the waitress didn’t care that I had my dog on my lap while sipping a cold one.
In the center of the village a band was playing sultry blues and the schedule of performers goes on through summer with various types of music. We decided we will go there again and at that time we will rent a boat and tool around the harbor.
While I would have stayed longer, the meter was up and it was time to explore some more of that area. So on toward San Pedro and across the Terminal Island bridge. This is where commerce begins. There were hundreds and hundreds of shipping containers stacked 6 high in the shipping yards along the way. We were amazed at this massive area with all of the cranes and cargo ships and we wondered how they kept track of it all. We even saw one enormous ship leaving the bay off to who knows where to deliver goods made in the good ole U.S.A. It is a fascinating area and something you have to see.
Beyond the shipping area you pass by Los Angeles harbor with Cabrillo Beach nearby. Looking down from our vista point you can see a long jetty with fisherman dotted along the way. At the end of the jetty is a lone lighthouse leading the way for homeward bound ships and boats. Inside the harbor is a perfect spot for kayaking and SUP’s.
Just around the corner heading north we stopped for the day but will return for another staycation story on Palos Verdes.
From its old historic buildings, bustling port, recreation area. harbors, special events, and to its odd oil rig islands, we recommend exploring Long Beach and Shoreline Village. We also hope it will bring a smile to your face as it did ours and everyone else that day.
Staycations California 