After a 6 hour drive and pleasant night’s stay in Redondo Beach, we drove 30 minutes to Long Beach to watch for ocean life. Technically, it was a whale watching tour, but I knew from the sighting logs on the tour boat’s website that we most likely would not encounter whales on this trip.
We boarded a Harbor Breeze tour boat and sailed off into the waters of the Pacific Ocean. We sailed for about 30 minutes before actually leaving the harbor.
Once we got out into the open ocean, we were met by Risso’s dolphins.
Next, we encountered a pod of common dolphins.
Finally, we encountered a second pod of common dolphins. This pod swam up right next to the boat and seemed to race with us while also surfing the wake. I don’t need to tell you how fantastic it is to watch dolphins swimming and playing in the deep blue waters right off the side of your boat!
The cherry on top was watching the sun set on Redondo beach next to the Veteran’s Center in the old Redondo Public Library, a nationally registered historic building.
The people in both Long Beach and Redondo were friendly and accommodating. We became fast friends with everyone we interacted with. I think I’m in love! 😍
Tips for out of towners:
Take Dramamine an hour before getting on a boat. Kid’s, too.
Driving during the weekend within Los Angeles county to this area has lots of twists and turns, but the other drivers were sane and didn’t even speed! 😮
Use a booking app like Booking.com. Our room was 100 dollars less than the normal price. Be sure to bring your confirmation email.
Stock up on food and water at the grocery store to keep in your hotel room. Eating every meal out adds up quickly.
If you eat on the Long Beach pier be sure to get your name on a waiting list ASAP. We ended up waiting an hour for a table at a family friendly restaurant.
Expect to pay for parking. We paid $15 to park at the aquarium in Long Beach which gave us access to the pier. There is metered parking at Redondo beach.
Tomorrow, it’s back to Arizona! Wish us luck!!
Adventures and Camping With Kids! 