Five Easy Day Trips from Long Beach California

If you are staying in the Long Beach California area, there are many different activities to do. There are different day trips to take and what you choose to do really depends on what your interests are. There are different shows available, different museums to visit and different shopping destinations. But if you are up for something more adventurous or even for something that is a Southern California must-do, check out this list of some of the best and most easy day trips in and around the Long Beach California area.

Easy Day Trips from Long Beach California #1: Catalina Island

Catalina Island is a beautiful island not far off the coast of Southern California. You can visit shops beside the ocean, eat local island foods, see the island's fantastic beauty by hiking trail or bus or you can see ocean life by kayak, sailboat, snorkel or even submarine. There's a lot to do on Catalina Island.

Getting to Catalina Island can be an exciting adventure in itself. And one of the boating companies that can take you to Catalina Island in style is the Catalina Express. They have been in business for more than twenty years and carried 15 million passengers to and from Catalina. They offer up to 30 round trips daily from Long Beach, San Pedro, or Dana Point and it takes about an hour to reach Catalina Island. With experience like that, Catalina Express is a company you might want to check out.

While you are on one of the Catalina Express boats, you can sit on deck and watch for schools of dolphins or just enjoy the ocean breezes. If you get tired of that, you can go inside the cabin for drinks or something to eat and enjoy the journey in airline-style seats. The boats dock at either Avalon or Two Harbors on Catalina Island. You will need to buy your tickets on the mainland and reservations are a good idea to get the time you want because seats do sell out.

Since this is a day trip, you will want round trip tickets. Adults, ages 12 to 54 years are $66.50. Seniors over 55 years are $60.00. Children, ages 2 to 11 years are $51.00 and infants under 2 years are $4.00. There is an additional fee to take along a surf board or bike; a round trip ticket will be $6.00 for one of them.

These are prices as of July 21, 2008 and are subject to change by Catalina Express. Ticket prices from Dana Point are slightly higher. Check out their website for dates, times, baggage restrictions, upgrades and to make your reservations.

CATALINA EXPRESS
Berth 95
San Pedro, CA 90731
Toll-Free: (800) 315-3967
Phone: (310) 519-7971
Alt. Phone: (310) 519-1212
Fax: (310) 548-7389
Website: www.CatalinaExpress.com
Email: mail@CatalinaExpress.com

Once you arrive at Catalina Island, there is one company that can help you to see all that Catalina Island has to offer and that is Catalina Adventure Tours. They offer both land and sea tours with their expert guides. You can travel the island in comfort aboard an air-conditioned bus or you can go under the sea in their submarine, The Nautilus. If the submarine is a bit too adventurous for you, you can tour the ocean aboard a glass bottom boat.

Inside Catalina Island bus tours last for about two hours and prices start at $35.00 for adults, $30.75 for seniors and $25.50 for children under 11 years old.

The prices to go on the Nautilus submarine tour starts at $37.00 for adults. Seniors over 55 years are $32.75 and children ages 3 to 11 years are $26.00. Submarine tours last around an hour.

Glass bottom boat tours, which last about 45 minutes, cost $16.00 for adults, $14.00 for seniors over 55 and children 3 to 11 years old are $11.00. Prices for nighttime glass bottom boat tours are slightly higher.

Check out the Catalina Adventure Tours website for more information, more tour opportunities, and contact information.

CATALINA ADVENTURE TOURS
P.O. Box 92766
Long Beach, CA 90809
Contact Name: Annette Phillips
Toll-Free: (877)510-2888
Phone: (562) 432-8828
Fax: (562) 435-9464
Website: www.catalinaadventuretours.com
Email: aphillips@islandenterprises.biz

Easy Day Trips from Long Beach California #2: Helicopter Tours

How about seeing the ocean or coastline, Catalina Island, Los Angeles or Hollywood by helicopter? Island Express Helicopters is a helicopter company that can offer you tours of all that and more. You begin your tour at their heliport located by the Queen Mary and they offer several different tours. You can see Hollywood and Los Angeles by helicopter on their Hollywood and LA Tour for $750.00 per person. Flying time is about 35 minutes and the tour can be customized to meet your needs.

Or you can choose the Natural Beauty Coastal Tour where you fly along the Southern California coastline for 18 minutes at a price of $390.00 per person.

There is a Catalina Island for Island Express' Day in Catalina Package. For $240.00 per person, you get a 15 minute helicopter trip to Catalina Island, a casino tour of Catalina's famous art deco landmark and a tour aboard a glass bottom boat. You also get the 15 minute helicopter trip back to the mainland. How long you want to spend on the island is up to you.

Island Express Helicopters have other tours available so check out their website for availability and prices.

ISLAND EXPRESS HELICOPTERS
1175 Queens Highway South
Long Beach, CA 90802
Contact Name: Derek Moore
Title: Marketing and Sales Director
Toll-Free: (800) 2-AVALON
Phone: (310) 510-2525
Fax: (310) 510-9671
Website: www.islandexpress.com
Email: info@islandexpress.com

Easy Day Trips from Long Beach California #3: Aquarium of the Pacific

A day can be spent at the Aquarium of the Pacific where there are over 12,500 animals on display. Not only does the Aquarium of the Pacific offer the usual giant aquariums full of ocean life, you can take a tour on their Wildlife and Whale Cruise (Spring only) or see their film, AnimalVision 3-D. The Aquarium of the Pacific hosts different events throughout the year so check out their website for more information.

Aquarium admission fees start at $20.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors over 62 years old, and children ages 7 to 11 are $11.95.

AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC
100 Aquarium Way
Long Beach, CA 90802
Phone: (562) 590-3100
Fax: (562) 590-3109
Website: www.aquariumofpacific.org

Easy Day Trips from Long Beach California #4: Disneyland Park and Disney's California Adventure Park

Disneyland is practically a must for anyone visiting Southern California and if you are in the Long Beach area you are very close to Disneyland in Anaheim. It's not just for the kids but for the kid in all of us. There are rides and shops and shows galore to see. Plus now there are actually two Disney parks side-by-side, the original Disneyland Park and Disney's California Adventure Park. Both parks have their own separate admission fees and are best seen on two different days.

Disneyland Park and Disney's California Adventure Park cost the same. A one day admission ticket is $66.00 for adults and $56.00 for children 9 and under.

Disneyland Park hours are 8AM to 12AM and Disney's California Adventure Park hours are 10AM to 9PM.

Both parks offer guided tours for an additional fee, check out the website for more information and the different behind the scene tours.

One tour at Disney's California Adventure is before the park opens to the general public and you travel on your own Segway Personal Transporter. This tour last approximately three hours and cost $99.00 per person. You must be at least 16 years old and weigh less than 250 pounds to sign up for this tour.

Disneyland Park & Disney's California Adventure Park
1313 S Harbor Blvd
Anaheim, CA 92802
http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/home/home?name=HomePage

Easy Day Trips from Long Beach California #5: The Queen Mary

The Queen Mary is a famous ocean liner that sailed for the last time in 1967 and is open for tours to the public in Long Beach California. No day trip would be complete without seeing the Queen Mary. In addition to touring the Queen Mary, there are restaurants and shops available and you can even spend the night in one of the original staterooms.

One Queen Mary special event is the Ghosts & Legends show which dramatizes real paranormal historic events that have been reported as happening on the ship through the years.

A First Class Passage Package tour of the Queen Mary starts at $32.95 for adults, seniors over 55 years and military cost $28.95 and children under 11 years are $19.95. This price includes the Ghosts and Legends show, a self guided ship walk tour where you see 12 decks of the Queen Mary, and a self guided tour aboard the Russian submarine, Scorpion.

General Admission to the Queen Mary is $24.95 for adults, military and seniors over 55 are $21.95 and children under 11 years are $12.95. This includes the self guided tour of 12 decks of the Queen Mary and the Ghosts and Legends of the Queen Mary show only.

Each Sunday, the Queen Mary hosts a Champagne Sunday Brunch from 9:30am to 2:00pm in one of the original First Class dining rooms. Their website boasts that this is the most spectacular Sunday brunch in Southern California. At a cost of $39.00 per adult, they offer different foods from around the globe. Children even have their own special buffet island for a cost of $12.00 for children under 11 years old. There is even special music, a harpist.

There is a special package available for a combination ticket to both the Queen Mary and the Aquarium of the Pacific available for $35.00 for adults and $19.00 for children under 11. Tickets can be purchased at either the Queen Mary of the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Parking at the Queen Mary is additional and cost $12.00 for one to 12 hours. For information of different events, different shows, overnight stays and more, visit the Queen Mary website.

QUEEN MARY
1126 Queens Highway
Long Beach, CA 90802
Toll-Free: (800) 437-2934
Phone: (562) 435-3511
Fax: (562) 437-4531
Website: www.queenmary.com

Whichever day trip that you decide to take, just keep in mind that Southern California is a truly beautiful place with so many different activities that you may need to take a whole bunch of different day trips to enjoy them all!

Sources:
Long Beach California, The Official Online Travel and Entertainment Guide.
http://www.visitlongbeach.com/index.cfm?action=cover&contentID=2&navID=30