Long Beach

Long Beach, once a rough-and-tumble Los Angeles naval and mercantile sailor’s area, is now a premier destination for vacationers. The City Beach is a long stretch of soft sand much loved by Californian sun worshippers, volleyball players, and joggers.

If you tire of the sun, sand and sea, there’s an art museum just off the beach as well as one that’s dedicated to contemporary Latin American art. There’s an aquarium at Rainbow Harbor that has a huge collection of ocean animals and plant life, with highlights that include a giant kelp forest and a giant Pacific octopus tank.