SITE OF THE
2009
N AT I O N A L S Q U A R E DA N C E C O N V E N T I O N
NOT J UST ANOTH ER PRETTY BEACH
B E P R E PA R E D
The staff of Square Dancing Today have written about many unbelievable destinations worldwide. Locations run the gamut of any imagination—majestic, quaint, trendy, and so on. When we elected to include Long Beach, California in this edition—after all, it is the site of the 2009 National Square Dance Convention—we knew it would impress. But take one look at the images on these pages and you immediately understand why this pristine, West Coast wonderland has us teeming with excitement. Read and discover the balance of historic and modern attractions—it’s indeed a trip we can’t wait to make with all of our square dance friends.
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W o r l d W o n d e r s and N at i o n a l N o v e lt i e s From the world’s largest number of beers on tap to the world’s biggest mural, Long Beach holds its share of world records and unique treasures. The following record setters, rare treasures, and mysterious marvels can all be found in Long Beach:
WORLD WONDERS World’s largest mural. It took four weeks and 3,000 gallons of paint to create it. And when environmental marine artist, Wyland, completed Planet Ocean, the Guinness Book of World Records certified it as the world’s largest mural. The life-size mural is more than 10 stories high, 1,180 feet in diameter and covers the entire 116,000 square-foot surface of the Long Beach Arena. World’s largest selection of beer on tap. Earn a world record of your own by sampling beer from around the world. More than 250 tap handles of draft beer can be found at the Yard House, located on Rainbow Harbor in Shoreline Village. Their draft beer selections range from Dead Guy Ale to Guinness Stout, making any beer lovers choice a tough one. World’s longest breakwater. Long Beach’s breakwater, a man-made rock jetty constructed in the 1920’s to slow wave action and create a calm harbor, stretches nine miles, making it the longest in the world. World’s Largest Selection of Hats. The Village Hat Shop at Shoreline Village boasts the world’s largest selection of hat and carries everything from Panama hats to berets. Fish with wings? Experience the world’s only flying fish boat trip, with a day trip to Catalina Island just 22 miles off the coast of Long Beach. Santa Catalina Island Company
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Discovery Tours offers seasonal tours aboard 50-passenger vessels to view these unique fish that don’t only jump out of the water, but fly across it for many yards.
N AT I O N A L N O V E LT I E S House of style. The nation’s skinniest house, shown on Ripley’s Believe it or Not, is located at 703 Gladys Avenue. The Skinny House was built in 1932 by Nelson Rummond on a bet that he could not build a inhabitable residence on the lot which measured only 10 feet by 50 feet. He went ahead and built the compact house, which is 3-stories high and 860 square feet. Full speed ahead. More than 200,000 racing fans flock to Long Beach each year to witness the nation’s biggest race through city streets, the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Bikestation demo now a permanent delight. The city of Long Beach’s Bikestation at the First Street Transit Mall is the first full-service bike transit facility in the United States. It opened as a transit-demonstration project in 1996 and mimics the bicycle facilities that are so popular in Europe. Since it’s opening, it has parked more than 20,000 bikes. Egypt or Long Beach? Cal State Long Beach’s on-campus sports and athletic complex opened in 1994 to
become one of only three true pyramid structures in the United States, and is the largest space-frame structure in North America. Oil islands in disguise. The THUMS Company operates offshore drilling rigs on the islands just off the coast of Long Beach. To make the islands soundproof and pleasing to the eye, the THUMS Company surrounded them with condo-like highrises, curving walls, colorful lights, waterfalls, and swaying palm trees. They’re the only oil islands in the U.S. decorated as such. Take a Gondola ride through picturesque canals. Gondola Getaway features authentic Venetian gondolas manned by costumed gondoliers who may even croon an Italian love song for you. Sip on your favorite beverage as you glide past the beautiful homes of Long Beach’s exclusive Naples Island neighborhood. Run, bike, or walk through 26 scenic miles of Long Beach. The International City Bank Marathon takes place every October and is a truly unique event. It is the only marathon in the world where 80 percent of the racecourse is adjacent to water. The marathon winds around downtown Long Beach’s Rainbow Harbor, passes near the Queen Mary and travels for 5 ? miles along a beachfront bike path, and also gives participants scenic views of the Colorado Lagoon, Marine Stadium and picturesque Alamitos Bay.
THE QUEEN MARY
GET TO KNOW
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS
LONG BEACH
475,460* (Fifth largest in California) gathered from US Census 2003
Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific; Queen Mary; Soviet-built Foxtrot-class submarine, Scorpion; Shoreline Village; The Pike at Rainbow Harbor; Pine Avenue; Museum of Latin American Art; Long Beach Museum of Art; Gondola Getaway; Rancho Los Cerritos; Rancho Los Alamitos; Alamitos Bay; and Belmont Shoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Second Street.
L O C AT I O N
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
I N C O R P O R AT E D
1888 P O P U L AT I O N
Situated along the scenic shores of the Pacific Ocean, Long Beach is 22 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, 10 miles southwest of Anaheim and 90 miles north of San Diego. The city of Long Beach spans 5.5 miles of sandy beachfront and totals 50 square miles in area.
Catalina Island, Disneyland and Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s California Adventure, Universal Studios Hollywood, Getty Center, and Hollywood, Downtown Los Angeles, and Beverly Hills.
R E C R E AT I O N A L A CT I V I T I E S
Sailing, jet skiing, windsurfing, scuba diving, parasailing, water skiing, fishing, kayaking, harbor cruises, whale watching, rollerblading, biking, horseback riding, tennis and golf. HOTEL ROOMS
2,000 in Downtown, more than 5,000 citywide. Room Tax: 12 percent. Room Rates: $60 to $150 Hotels with Meeting Facilities: 15