off-the-beaten-path - Hyatt The Pike Long Beach

OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH
Is it really off‐the‐beaten‐path or just some wondrous discovery? Well, you can decide for yourself. One of life’s many lessons is that some secrets, especially the best‐kept kind, are just too good not to share. Long Beach has many claims to fame, from the Queen Mary and Toyota Grand Prix to historic architecture and savory restaurants. But there are a few things we prefer to keep under wraps including those little undiscovered city nooks that make living here so spectacular. Oh, but how could we not reveal them to you? And so now you’ve discovered one of our little secrets…we were never really good at keeping secrets to begin with. TUCKED ON A LUSH 1.3‐ACRE PLOT ON THE CAMPUS OF LONG BEACH STATE UNIVERSITY IS A LITTLE OASIS KNOWN AS THE EARL BURNS JAPANESE GARDEN. WITH EASY ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC (ENTER ONTO BEACH DRIVE FROM BELLFLOWER BOULEVARD) AND TOWERING BLACK BAMBOO CONCEALING ITS EXISTENCE, THE GARDEN HAS A SURREAL QUALITY TO IT. PEOPLE FLOCK HERE TO MEDIATE, FEED THE HUNDREDS OF KOI FISH DARTING BACK AND FORTH IN THE LILY‐PADDED POND, OR ATTEND ONE OF THE MANY YEARLY EVENTS. IT’S LIKE TAKING A MINI‐TRIP TO JAPAN. CLOSED MONDAYS AND SATURDAYS. FREE ADMISSION. 1250 BELLFLOWER BLVD. LONG BEACH STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS. 562.985.8889. LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS – OH MY. WELL, NOT EXACTLY, BUT AT THE 100‐ACRE NATURE CENTER AT EL DORADO PARK YOU’RE LIKELY TO SPOT TURTLES, FROGS, SKUNKS AND, PERHAPS, A WONDERING COYOTE IN THE DISTANCE. FAR REMOVED FROM URBAN INFLUENCES, THE NATURE CENTER IS A GREAT PLACE TO SPEND AN AFTERNOON WANDERING ALONG THE TWO‐MILE DIRT TRAIL OR THE SHORTER PAVED TRAIL WHICH WINDS THROUGH A WOODED AREA OF MATURE TREES, PAST A PAIR OF PLACID LAKES, OVER A BRIDGE OR TWO AND ACROSS A STREAM. A WOODEN BRIDGE NEAR THE ENTRANCE LANDS YOU ON A SMALL ISLAND WHERE THE VISITOR CENTER IS FOUND. HERE YOU CAN PERUSE THE EDUCATIONAL DISPLAYS, WANDER PAST A GALLERY OF ARTWORK CREATED BY LOCAL ARTISTS OR VISIT THE GIFT SHOP. 7550 E. SPRING ST., EAST LONG BEACH. 562.570.1745. WWW.LONGBEACH.GOV IT’S NOT EXACTLY A LANDMARK, BUT LOCAL BOY TURNED MOTORCYCLE MOGUL JESSE JAMES MAY THINK OTHERWISE. HIS RESTAURANT CISCO BURGER, NAMED FOR HIS BELOVED PIT BULL, IS AN OLD‐SCHOOL HAMBURGER JOINT THAT’S EASY ON BOTH YOUR WALLET AND THE ENVIRONMENT. REAL PLATES AND SILVERWARE ARE USED FOR DINE‐IN ORDERS, AND BIODEGRADABLE PAPER PRODUCTS TAKE CARE OF TO‐GO ORDERS. MUCH OF THE ELECTRICITY IS SOLAR POWERED AND THERE IS NO DRIVE‐THRU TO CREATE POLLUTION OR WASTE FUEL FROM IDLING CARS. OH, AND THE FOOD, WELL THAT’S PRETTY GOOD, TOO. IN ADDITION TO BREAKFAST, SANDWICHES, SIDES AND SALADS PRETTY MUCH SUMS IT UP. JAMES’S WEST COAST CHOPPERS, WHICH BASICALLY PUT HIM IN THE SPOTLIGHT, WAS, UNTIL RECENTLY LOCATED NEXT DOOR. 620 W. ANAHEIM. WEST LONG BEACH. 562.590.5470. WWW.CISCOBURGER.COM GOT SOME EXTRA TIME TO SPARE AND HAVE AN INTEREST IN LEARNING HOW TO InsiderItineraries sm – Off‐The‐Beaten‐Path Page 1 of 3 SAIL SABOTS OR OTHER WATERCRAFT? LEEWAY SAILING & AQUATICS CENTER, A CITY‐RUN OPERATION SINCE 1929, OFFERS RENTALS EVERY SATURDAY FROM 12‐5PM AND ON THURSDAY EVENINGS DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. PARTICIPANTS MUST HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A COURSE CONDUCTED BY THE SAILING CENTER OR PASS A SKILLS CHECK. YOU CAN ALSO RENT SAIL BOARDS, KAYAKS, AND CANOES. PRIVATE AND SEMI‐PRIVATE LESSONS, SUCH AS WINDSURFING, SABOT SAILING, AND KAYAKING, ARE AVAILABLE IN ONE‐WEEK INCREMENTS FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS. 5437 E. OCEAN BLVD., BELMONT SHORE. 562.570.1719. WWW.LONGBEACH.GOV IF YOU WANT TO BE PRIVY TO THE BEST VIEWS IN LONG BEACH AND, PERHAPS, ENJOY A CHILLED MOJITO AT THE SAME TIME HEAD ON UP—WAY UP—TO LA CANTINA DEL CIELO ATOP THE BREAKERS HOTEL. GUESTS ENTER THE BAR FROM THE GROUND FLOOR, ARE WHISKED UP IN A VINTAGE ELEVATOR TO THE TIP‐TOP FLOOR WHICH OPENS ONTO THE MORE FORMAL SKY ROOM RESTAURANT. FROM THERE IT’S A STEEP CLIMB TO THE OPEN‐AIR, COLONNADE‐FLANKED BALCONY WHERE LA CANTINA DEL CIELO IS LOCATED. THE TAPAS BAR IS HOUSED IN THE SNUG LANDMARK TOWER WHERE YOU CAN SIT AT THE TILED BAR OR GRAB A CORNER TABLE. SIPPING AND SUPPING ON THE BALCONY IS ANOTHER OPTION. BRING A CAMERA AS THIS WILL BE ONE FOR THE DIGITAL PICTURE FRAME! 40 S. LOCUST. DOWNTOWN – ATOP BREAKERS HOTEL. 562.983.2703. WWW.SKYROOM.COM HIDDEN WITHIN THE FOLDS OF TINY WATERWAYS IS THE PICTURESQUE NEIGHBORHOOD OF NAPLES ISLAND. PUNCTUATED BY ARCHED BRIDGES, NARROW CANALS, PAVED PATHWAYS, AND MILLION‐DOLLAR HOMES, THIS TRULY IS THE CRÈME DE LA CRÈME OF LONG BEACH. SKILLED GONDOLIERS NAVIGATE AUTHENTIC VENETIAN GONDOLAS THROUGH THE CANALS STOPPING UNDER AN ECHOING BRIDGE TO SERENADE PASSENGERS AND PASSERSBY. IN THE CENTER OF THE ISLAND IS LA BELLA FONTANA DI NAPOLI, A THREE‐TIERED FOUNTAIN AND CENTERPIECE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ROUNDABOUT. CHOOSE TO EITHER WALK THE ISLAND OR ENLIST THE HELP OF GONDOLA GETAWAYS FOR A TRULY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. TO REACH NAPLES ISLAND TAKE 2ND STREET TO NAPLES PLAZA AND PARK AT THE END OF NAPLES PLAZA. FOR INFORMATION ON GONDOLA GETAWAY, CALL 562.433.9595. WWW.GONDOLAGETAWAYINC.COM IF YOU REALLY WANT TO EXPERIENCE LONG BEACH AS A LOCAL SLIP BEHIND THE SWINGING DOUBLE DOORS OF JOE JOST’S, LONG BEACH’S OLDEST WATERING HOLE. FOR 85 YEARS REGULARS HAVE BELLIED UP TO THE SMALL WOODEN BAR TO SHARE AN ICE‐COLD SCHOONER OF BEER OR DEBATE THE POLITICAL ISSUES OF THE DAY. IT’S STILL PRETTY MUCH BUSINESS AS USUAL EXCEPT FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THAT NEW‐FANGLED GADGET, THE TELEVISION, FOR WATCHING THE LATEST SPORTING EVENTS. THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF BOOTHS AND TABLES LINING THE WALL, AND IN THE BACK ROOM ARE POOL TABLES. THE MENU IS SIMPLE: JOE’S SPECIAL (A POLISH SAUSAGE BETWEEN TWO PIECES OF RYE BREAD WITH A SLICE OF SWISS CHEESE, MUSTARD AND A PICKLE), ROASTED PEANUTS, PICKLED EGGS, AND A LIMITED SELECTION OF SANDWICHES. KIDS ARE WELCOME TO ENJOY AN ICE‐COLD ROOT BEER SERVED IN A FROSTY MUG. JOE JOST’S HAS BEEN USED AS A BACKDROP FOR MANY MOVIES, INCLUDING LICENSE TO WED, WIN A DATE WITH TAD HAMILTON, AND THE VANISHING, JUST TO NAME A FEW. 2803 E. ANAHEIM. ANAHEIM CORRIDOR. 562.439.5446.WWW.JOEJOSTS.COM Insider Itineraries sm – Off
‐The‐Beaten‐Path Page 2 of 3 IF YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE A LITTLE HISTORY IN LONG BEACH, GO TO LA RIZZA’S PIZZA HOUSE, OPEN SINCE 1960. THIS FAMILY OWNED ITALIAN RESTAURANT MAKES AUTHENTIC PIZZAS AND TRADITIONAL SAVORY PASTAS THAT YOU WON’T SOON FORGET. NEARLY HIDDEN WITHIN THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF THE CITY, LA RIZZA’S IS A LOCAL’S FAVORITE. 1837 EAST 7TH ST, LONG BEACH, 90813. 562.599.1080. WWW.LARIZZAPIZZAHOUSE.COM Insider Itineraries sm – Off‐The‐Beaten‐Path Page 3 of 3