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Long Beach, California
The Port of Los Angeles is something to behold. It is enormous; in fact, it is the busiest seaport in the Western Hemisphere.
Steve sat on the balcony for a long time watching the loading and unloading of containers. A minute before we were going to meet Trevor and CJ to disembark, he was inside and ready to go... but still watching.
The four of us got off the ship and took a short ride to Long Beach. It's home to the Aquarium of the Pacific.
We arrived a few minutes before opening, giving us time to enjoy the beautiful Rios de la Vida mural out front.
Impressive!
And I don't just mean the enormous whale in the lobby. The entire aquarium is impressive. Spectacular, actually.
I especially loved the puffins, penguins, and puffers.
And this octopus.
It was really interesting watching the keepers do morning health checks with the seals and sea lions.
There's a cute play area outside that became very popular with kids as the day went on.
If you've ever wanted to touch sharks and rays, you're in luck.
Sharks feel like sandpaper. Rays feel spongy.
This model of the local water cycle is really cool. I'm standing near the mountains; that red button makes it rain. The grooves are rivers.
Steve is standing on the opposite side, where the water drains into the ocean.
Other nearby hands-on exhibits are all about water conservation.
I love the attention to detail at this aquarium. Instead of plain concrete, there are scale models of sharks. This one looks like it's sneaking up on Trevor.
The side of the snack bar has Fun Facts. So smart to use what would otherwise be a plain wall! We also enjoyed all the fun viewing areas.
It was absolutely fascinating watching a vet perform surgery on a shark. We didn't photograph that; this is next door, with a stuffed animal patient for educational purposes.
There are so many things to see and do at the Aquarium of the Pacific. And so much to learn!
Of all the wonderful exhibits we saw at the aquarium, my absolute favorite was the Lorikeet Forest. This enormous outdoor aviary is filled with dozens (and dozens) of lorikeets. Feeding them nectar was the highlight of the visit for me.
The Aquarium of the Pacific might be my new favorite aquarium, right up there with the New England Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
After a wonderful visit to the aquarium, the four of us went our separate ways. Steve and I wanted to check out the lighthouse in the distance.
During the short walk to the lighthouse, we spotted this adorable bike rack...
... and ended up in the middle of the California Turkish Festival! We enjoyed the music, dancing, and smells as we walked amongst the booths.
I've never been to Turkiye, but I have no reason to believe I wouldn't love it.
The views from the lighthouse are well-worth the visit. That's the Queen Mary in the background.
We walked back toward the aquarium on this boardwalk. A lovely stroll!
We passed the aquarium, stopped to photograph this cool statue...
...and continued on to this unique overcrossing.
We passed the mall and went to the Convention Center. Out front is the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame.
We enjoyed reading about each inductee. There were quite a few names that I recognized, which is surprising given how little I know about motorsports.
After a fun day in Long Beach, we made our way back to the ship...
...and enjoyed a busy evening, full of fun activities. Steve returned to the balcony to watch our sailaway.
Next stop: San Diego! I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.
