I've been busy lately with work, but with summer school over, my family and I have been taking quick trips to try to get out of the house and out of the heat. Recently, we took a day trip to Long Beach and explored the Aquarium of the Pacific. I hadn't been to the aquarium since it first opened 20 years ago, back when I was in middle school, or maybe a freshman in high school. It's changed a lot over the years and there's so much more to do there now. We had a great time and hope to do it again sometime. Tickets normally run $30 for adults and about $20 for kids. Through an employee incentive program, we were able to get a "buy 1 adult ticket get 1 child free" plus $10 off adult admissions. For 6 of us, 3 adults and 3 children, the total only came to $65 including handling fees, processing, taxes, and whatever else is rolled into "fees."
I don't have a huge report to make on the place. There are a lot of cool touch tanks including a place to touch moon jellies. I have never seen an aquarium that allows people to touch jellies before, so that was cool. There were a lot of hands on exhibits and it was very educational and fun for the kids. But word of warning--get there early. When we left at 2PM, it was bumper to bumper traffic with people trying to find parking. Arriving at 8:30, we had no problem parking and getting in to the aquarium for the 9AM opening. Here are some pictures from our day:
While you're in the area, check out whale watching tours and harbor tours, or just take a walk around the area. There's plenty of shopping and some great dining opportunities. Unfortunately, with limited time (and I get seasick), there just wasn't a chance to check out more. The Queen Mary is also located in Long Beach and is just a short drive away. It's a beautiful ship if you're into seeing a piece of nautical history.
