Destination: Long Beach

Yes, I admit that leaving at 1:50pm classifies as a late start to a Friday off from work. But on days when you should be in the office, staying in bed past noon is the icing on the cake.

Anyways, on a sunny September afternoon, we set off to go to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA. The Long Beach harbor area is quaint and quite walk-able, completely redone to commemorate the town that was built around the bay in the '50s and '60s. Perhaps my favorite part of the previous establishment was that the town rented bathing suits on the beach. Can you imagine—renting a bathing suit?

The city itself is apparently the fifth-largest in California, and the 36th largest in the country.  Long Beach is also known for producing Olympic athletes, including the beach volleyball great Misty-May, a previous student at UCLA Long Beach and a current resident.

The Aquarium displayed a myriad of fish that live along the Tropical Pacific to the Northern Pacific coast. My favorites?

• The Anthias species, in which the females, if put under too much stress, will grow male organs and change gender.

• The stingrays that like being petted on the back by dirty human hands.

• The wormy-looking eels that dig holes into the sand and stretch their heads up from the wholes, appearing to be sea-grass, swaying in the current.

• The eel species that pick one mate for life.

• The jellyfish that can’t choose their direction but can only bump off of things as they pulse through the water.

• The Harlequin Sweetlips, just because of it’s name.

• Miller, the seal that was wrinklier than a pickled raisin, and almost reaching it’s 30th birthday.

• The coral tank filled with anemones and coral that had been confiscated during illegal importation and then donated to the aquarium.

• And of course, the seahorse that looks like a flowery bunch of kelp. Honestly, it looks like a floating sea-bouquet.

My least favorite?

• The Lorikeet (a type of small to medium-sized parrot) that bit me so hard with it's iron little beak that it broke the skin between my index and forefinger when I tried to extract it from my purse (Why are there birds in the aquarium, anyway?)

Walking along the picturesque harbor, we also saw the true Queen Mary, and the docks where all the coastal scenes from the TV show Arrested Development was filmed. The Springbok Bar & Grille ended up being an interesting place to eat-- Tommy got to introduce me to a Rugby bar, and educated me about the Tri-Nation with the framed jerseys on the wall adding a nice touch of authenticity-- and I quite enjoyed the margarita-- it had Chambord in it, how could I not?

I can't forget to mention the cooling presence of the Coldstone in town (I mixed Raspberry and Lemon sorbet, obviously). Next door we almost rented a Segway, but at $45 per 30 minutes, we decided we ought to save the money for gas to get home. Once the sun had set the harbor lit up with a beautiful vista of romantically-lit yachts and sailboats, illuminating the Pacific skyline. The dock curls all the way around the harbor, offering an array of cuisine (Mexican, American, Japanese, Texan, South African), in addition to a penny candy shop and a "Hot Licks," where you can get choosy about your favorite hot sauce varieties.

For a place whose previous significance in my mind consisted of "The place with an airport that may get you a cheaper flight than LAX," Long Beach has now become a symbol of an escape from the "LA feel" and a step into a quaint, almost New England-esque harbor-side town where you can even pet a Manta Ray if you want to. Once I earn a little money I'll come back to take the Endless Dreams cruise out into the harbor for an adventurous and picturesque evening of fine-dining and lulling relaxation.

And maybe some day I will keep sea-horses at home in my own salt-water aquarium.

links:
http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/