A historical landmark, close & free to visit…read more Originally part of the ancestral village of Povuun'nga, the traditional place of origin of the native Gabrielino-Tongva people of the Los Angeles Basin, named Rancho Los Alamitos when the land was conceded to Manuel Nieto, and finally to Fred & Florence Bixby, whose children donated the family ranch to the City of Long Beach in 1968. To enter, visitors proceed to the Bixby Hill residential security gate at the intersection of East Anaheim Road and Palo Verde Avenue. Entrance is strictly at 1pm, as the guard will not allow entrance prior to that. Operating hours are 1pm - 5pm Wed - Sun. Initial visit, the barn area w/ the livestock was closed off due to a water main break. Tours of the Adobe Ranch is via a docent-led tour, which can be made at the Rancho Center. No photography is permitted. Tom was the docent, and he was quite knowledgeable of the history of Rancho Los Alamitos, allowing passage into each room on the first floor. Second floor was closed to visitors. My favorite room was the kitchen, as I marveled at the various appliances, such as the still operational refrigerator, with the condenser on top, instead of bottom. Also, the heavy, built to last stove, which probably served a countless number of meals for the family & staff working the ranch. There were a few objects which were available to touch, such as an early proto version of a View-Master. The cherry on top of the Adobe Ranch visit was pulling the rope attached to the dinner bell, signifying everyone to "come & get it!". The handsome, well-maintained garden landscape surrounding the property provides natural beauty & plenty of photo opportunities. Second visit was more fun, as the barn & livestock areas were open to the public, again! Preston, a magnificent Shire horse, towers over almost all visitors, and stuns with his majestic beauty. In the world record books, a Shire horse named Sampson is the largest recorded horse ever, at 7' 2.5" tall & 3,360 lbs. Not to be outdone, Fred the donkey bombastically greets people with his hee-haws. A few rescue horses, sheep & a coop full of chickens provided plenty of enjoyment. A pleasurable afternoon can be had at Rancho Los Alamitos. Visitors gaze back in time upon a working ranch, experience how things were built to stand the test of time, opposed to planned obsolescence of most machinery & appliances, today. Visiting Preston, Fred & the other animals, alone, is worth the drive. I look forward to coming back & I highly recommend giving Rancho Los Alamitos a visit.

I absolutely love Rancho Los Alamitos--it truly feels like a hidden gem tucked away in the Bixby…read moreEstates area. Getting there is part of the experience: you check in with the guard, receive a permit, and drive up the hill before checking in at the front desk. Once you're in, it opens up into this ranch beautiful historic space that feels worlds away from the city. The grounds are stunning. There are lush gardens, a tennis court, and even livestock--horses and chickens--which add so much charm. The ranch sits up on a hill, and it's the perfect place to just relax, sunbathe, or wander and take everything in. One of my favorite spots is the massive tree in the front yard, with its roots stretching out--it's incredibly impressive and peaceful to sit near. What makes it even more special is that it's free, which honestly feels unbelievable given how well-maintained and meaningful the space is. There's also a deep sense of history here, especially tied to the Bixby family and the legacy of the women who helped shape it, which adds another layer of appreciation when you visit. Part of me almost wants to keep it a secret because it feels so personal and serene--but it truly deserves all the praise. I feel lucky to have a place like this right in our backyard

my Fiancé and I had a great time last night on the Getaway our Gondoliers was Omar Lino and he was…read moresuper dope, great customer service, Smooth Ride. i recommend him 10 out 10 times

My husband I were celebrating our 20-year anniversary & were hoping to be able to go to Italy…read more Since that wasn't in the cards, we came up with Italian themed ideas throughout the week for our Italian staycation celebration. I came up with the gondola ride since I had gone on it many years ago & was so happy that they were still around. We booked it at sunset & I actually surprised my husband with a custom-made song of our 20 years together. I wanted it to be a surprise, so I called the company to let them know of my plan and Julia made sure to send the link of the song to my gondolier. We got Jack for our gondolier and let me tell you, he was perfect. He made our night very special and was very informative of the houses and history of the canal. He picked the perfect time to play the song and made the entire experience perfect. I highly recommend this for any special occasion. I definitely want to go back for the holidays to see the lights.

Beautiful house!! We had tea this morning and got a tour of the house afterwards. The food was…read moregood, if a bit heavy on the sweets. Hibiscus and English Breakfast tea was served with all the little fixings. We also got to meet Charlotte the cat, who is SUCH a little sweetheart. She's a real people lover and won't say no to a good pet. Everyone was so friendly and the tour was very interesting. I think I'll pay another visit sometime, it was so awesome :)

I attended a great community event here today thanks to the #willmoreassociation for a fantastic…read morebreakfast. The Bembridge House is a hidden gem in Long Beach if you haven't visited , it's totally worth it. The only thing is that parking is very impacted in the area, I was lucky today to secure a parking spot. I was told by a very nice lady there will be a Halloween party here this year. Put on your list for a place to visit check the website for tour info....

I've never done this type of tour before, but we really enjoyed it and the best part is you get to…read moreenjoy the whole ship before and after. I'd recommend hitting a bar and grabbing a cocktail and walking the ship to take photos. Parking was pretty easy outside the ship we didn't have any issues at all. It wasn't too spooky and definitely family friendly.

My daughter and her friends went on this tour after the ghost tour was sold out. The fact that I…read morepaid $350 for five girls to walk around a boat is asinine. I mean, we believe in all of that stuff but to charge that much is really highway robbery. If it hadn't been my daughter's 16th birthday, I never would have showed out that type of dough. Never again!

This exhibit "experience" was more then a forensic analysis, very sad to see how Titanic faltered…read moreand then sank. Here at the exhibit, true stories of most of the passengers were told. Artifacts and images , jewelry, furniture , life jackets, letters helped to tell real stores of the passengers who decided to board the titanic . I found it to be very interesting. Although if I could change one thing it would be the headset and earbuds, kept falling off ( due to excessive wear ) I enjoyed this experience, I feel you will too !

This was my first visit to any Titanic show and it was such a fantastic event!…read more According to their Yelp event, Titanic in Photographs is "The in-depth story of the world's most famous ship, told through an exhibition of unique, period photographs, brought to life with a world-class display of priceless original artifacts & images. Located near the engine room on the famous RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA." The photos that have been blown up to mega sizes are a real treat. They are not grainy and there's a ton of detail to pour over while walking through the exhibit. John White and his small crew of tireless workers setup the entire display in a matter of a few weeks and their efforts show. After the exhibit, take a stroll around the Queen Mary. From the bridge to the bilge, you can spend literally all day aboard this massive ship (bigger than the Titanic even). Gift shops, restaurants and a few of bars make the tour much more enjoyable too.

I am so glad I stumbled upon this charming tour on Groupon. Even without the deal I found on…read moreGroupon I would have booked this tour just for the experience of meeting Tom and learning from all of his experiences in Naples. Tom is a lovely man who is just as genuine as he is kind and knowledgeable of Naples. He is a local at heart as he grew up in one of the houses along the canal which is continuously being supplemented by research and inquiries he makes of the other locals he has met in the community. His love for the history of Naples exudes from him and his excitement is contagious. I do not know how many times he has done this tour but it truly sounded as if he was just as invested and excited as if it were his first. The Huell Howser of Naples, this tour is worth the money solely based on Tom. It is an experience well worth the time and money and I look forward to coming to visit Naples again.

We had a wonderful time with Tom. He was obviously a nostalgic local who knew the area. He seemed…read moreto know every person we saw on our tour. Thank you, bro!

We came to Bixby Knoll's First Friday and it was a great event. Live music on every corner, lots of…read moretabling from local organizations and the chance to check out wonderful displays at the Historical Society. We spent a lot of time her speaking with the very knowledgeable gentleman/docent. He showed us all the cool models, pictures, and mostly just told us all kinds of Long Beach stories. It was fascinating. They have a giant old timey map on the wall to see how things used to look in Long Beach. We definitely want to come here again to spend more time looking at all the details!

I finally had the opportunity to check out HSLB during Bixby Knoll's First Fridays. It is located…read moreamong the shops of Atlantic Ave. and the space used to be an old fur coat shop! What initially caught my eye was women's suffrage movement on its window display, and when I walked in, I was busy looking at a model replica of the pike rollercoaster, history timeline of Long Beach, Cambodian population of Long Beach, children's artwork on COVID-19, etc. Every piece inside tells a story about Long Beach, and the historians working there are so knowledgeable. We spent most of our time with Jesse, and he wowed us with many cool stories. For example- did you know that there was a gorgeous auditorium called Crest Theater right across the street from HSLB that is now a shopping mall? Jesse showed us a picture of the old theater at its glory in 1930s, and I was amazed. You can tell that all the historians are excited to share the history and memories of LB to visitors, and I really enjoyed my time here. HSLB is a living archive of Long Beach, and I can't wait to share the word so more people can visit. If you are in the area or want to learn new history about Long Beach, please visit HSLB!

My tour to Saudi Arabia with Distant Horizons and sponsored by The National Trust was a premier…read moretrip and I highly recommend it for both new and experienced travelers. The tour introduced me to a fascinating mix of tradition and modernity, with significant cultural and historical sites. We saw major cities, deserts, and oases. What made the trip special were the knowledgeable guides - local and American - and the meetings they set up with significant people in the governance and development of the country. The Saudi people are warm and welcoming, and the country is safe. It was an honor to explore Saudi Arabia with Distant Horizons.

For 25 years now, Distant Horizons has been taking me to the world's most fascinating places--Iran,…read moreCuba, Uzbekistan, Syria and Jordan. It's the only agency I trust when it comes to rich and distant cultural centers and wherever I'm going, I know its master owner will introduce me to remarkable locals, the deepest and most interesting guides, the most colorful hotels and dozens of sites I would never have known about otherwise. I can't imagine how my life as a traveler would have unfolded without the guidance and brilliance of Distant Horizons. Pico Iyer

There are two options to get to Catalina island: ferry or flight…read more We bought a one day two way ferry ticket from Long Beach to Avalon. The weekend tickets sells out fast, please reserve at least one month ahead. I could not find any regular tickets by the time I booked our seats and had to change our plan to a Sunday with inside cabin seat. I had seasickness while seating inside and had to come out to the desk to sooth myself. The regular open air ticket costs about $88 but the inside cabin is about ~$134. The inside cabin ticket includes a free drink and a small snack ( cookies vs pretzels). There is restroom conveniently located inside. Staffs are courteous and friendly.

I have been using Catalina Express for quite some time, but today's experience was absolutely…read moredisappointing. I went to the refreshment counter to grab a drink. When I approached the counter, the employee with blonde hair was focused on texting on her phone and did not acknowledge me for an extended period of time. Even after finally greeting me, her attention still seemed to be on her phone rather than assisting me. I simply asked whether they offered a matcha drink. Instead of providing a helpful response, she told me to look at the menu and pointed out that they only served regular coffee. What was frustrating was that I had already reviewed the menu and was only asking a follow-up question for clarification. As some time servers can offer other options. Had she been paying attention, she likely would have recognized that. The issue wasn't that matcha wasn't available it was the lack of awareness, attentiveness, and basic customer service. As a regular customer, I expect to be treated with courtesy and professionalism. Unfortunately, this interaction was dismissive and unwelcoming. I hope management addresses the importance of customer engagement and professionalism, as experiences like this can leave a lasting negative impression.