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Look at all the fishys...
Location:
100 Aquarium Way,
Long Beach, CA 90802
Just about 140 miles from Bakersfield is a great place to go for a quick day trip. If you ever get a chance you have to go down to the Long Beach Aquarium of The Pacific. I took my son and his fiancé down to Long Beach for their birthdays yesterday. A day planned out: first to the Aquarium then to Venice and then finally over to Cheesecake Factory of Marina Del Ray, for dinner over the harbor.
I was not sure what to expect but decided to just go for it. Driving to the Aquarium was quick and easy with no problems at all. Parking was not a problem and ticket office and entrance were quick and easy, very little time standing in line for anything really. We choose to purchase the “Behind the Scenes Tour” which included the admission to the Aquarium. If you have a chance, take this tour. We looked around for awhile before our tour started. It was overwhelming on how you just could not get up close to see much of it since there were so many little children running around, lots of groups of school kids. I was preparing for a day of chaos. Once we got our bearings on the layout and what we all wanted to see, it was time for our tour. I thought it was going to be a large group but to my surprise it was just the three of us and our tour guide. I was astonished at the 1 1/2 hour tour we were given.
John our tour guide was awesome. He first explained the way the Aquarium works. He explained the architecture and the floor plan. He then told us the BEST TIME to visit the Aquarium, which is mid week during the school year and after 12 noon – The place is quiet and easy to get around. This is the best time to go if you wanted to get up and close to all the petting pools and really see everything with out all the noise and screams of little kids (Not that I don’t mind kids but in large numbers they can be very crushing). He also explained the best places to go whale watching and what to do over in Catalina. Next trip to plan is a day over at Catalina.
We were then guided behind the doors which read Employees Only. We were now behind the large aquariums and were able to see just how everything worked. We meet the divers, the feeders, the Vet and many more. We also had a personal viewing of a tide pool. We were shown the feeding of the Archer Fish aka Spitting Fish. We were shown Garibaldi “California’s State Fish”, Bamboo Sharks, a Guitar Shark, and so much more. It could not have been better. We did not have to elbow anyone to see what they tour guide was talking about. We were all given the chance to pet everything. It was so cool. One of the final parts of the tour was for us to feed the fish in the largest part of the aquarium. This was amazing. It was so surprising to see above, what all goes on at the aquarium. The tour also helped us figure out just what we were looking at. Not just the fish but the entire tanks and how and what to look for.
The time went by so quick and after the tour we had a better understanding of just what we were looking at. We ended up staying another 4 hours looking at everything. I would suggest this place to everyone. The cost was not bad and it was well worth going down to see it. Make sure you take the “Behind the Scenes” tour before really exploring the Aquarium since it will give you a better understanding and you then can look for all the stuff the guides tell you about.
We never got a chance to go to Venice because we spent much more time at the aquarium then we had expect. It was well worth missing out on Venice. We ended the afternoon with a dinner over looking the harbor in Marina Del Rey at the Cheesecake Factory.
Why can’t Bakersfield get a “Cheesecake Factory”?
9 comments from 6 users
1
posted by
sagefever
on Aug 22, 2007 at 01:04 PM
Looks like fun,thanks for sharing a great day trip.
posted by
jasonsperber
on Aug 22, 2007 at 01:47 PM
Thanks for this. We took our toddler to the aquarium a while back when they were having discounted admission after-hours, and she loved it. The behind the scenes stuff sounds cool. (We got to do a behind-the-scenes tour of the Monterey one once, awesome.)
posted by
bakonative
on Aug 22, 2007 at 10:03 PM
Damnit Janet, you got to go on a day trip and have fun while I suffered the heat in Bako. Ha ha - I will have to make that a place to go next time I want to get out for the day - thanks for the info!!!
posted by
woofwoof
on Aug 23, 2007 at 01:21 PM
We had a package thingy where we stayed at the Queen Mary overnite and the fee included tickets to the Long Beach Aquarium. Great times..... Venice Beach has changed quite a bit since I was there twenty years ago, we went this summer.....they've added a parking lot.....all the crazy people are still there and that's half the fun... posted by
JandS
on Aug 23, 2007 at 01:54 PM
We use to play hide-n-seek on the Queen Mary back in the 70's when it was "free" ... oh what memories! I did do a tour of the ship back in the 90's and actually found it quite boring...guess the memories of roaming were still too vivid. I've heard the rooms & service are fantastic...so maybe one of these nights I'll get to see :o) posted by
bakonative
on Aug 23, 2007 at 03:47 PM
I went to Venice Beach and Hollywood over the summer. I always enjoy it, the people, oh my, what fun it is - I call it the freak show! posted by
damitjanet
on Aug 24, 2007 at 08:53 AM
Hey Jands We played hide and go seek on the Queen Mary years ago in the 70's. I was hoping to go through the haunted tour the other day but we were all too tired. WE atleast drove by it. It doesn't look as big as I remember it did when I was a kid. I try to go to Hollywood as much as I can. They have the neatest theater down there. It one that you have asigned seating for the movies so you know exactly where you are sitting and everyone is 21 years of age or older. I got to see Happy Feet, Man of The Year, and many more just to name a few. The Arclight Theater Its a cute little theather that also has a cafe/diner in it. Great place to go for a quick out of town trip. posted by
JandS
on Aug 24, 2007 at 09:52 AM
Janet: sounds like you grew up in my neck of the woods or close to it! Monroe, DeMille, and Lakewood Lancer Alumni here...you? posted by
damitjanet
on Aug 24, 2007 at 10:11 AM
Jands... I was in Bakersfield up until the mid 80's and then back in the late 90's. But escaped btown as much as I could and still do. Not that I don't like it here... but I don't have any issue with driving over the hill several times a months if not several times a week to find stuff to do.
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