America on Foot — The Lions Lighthouse in Long Beach

I noticed that the Los Angeles mornings were always somewhat hazy. The day was young and the wintriness was gentle. In fact, it felt almost as if California was still easing into the fall. For it was even warmer than Hong Kong at this time of the year.

Looking at the haziness, I figured that I could first have an early lunch and then wait for the sun to clear up the sky. After lunch at I walked toward the shore for about 40 minutes, and by the time I got there, sunshine was plenty and the day was good for photographs.

Perhaps all that is worth seeing for a tourist in Long Beach are all concentrated in the shore. I passed by the Pike Outlets, which features some common brand names like H&M, Nike, Cotton On and GAP. Having passed the footbridge, I arrived at the shoreline area.

There are a few things in this area that are worth seeing. The first is the Aquarium of the Pacific. There were groups of school age children there when I passed by. Across from the Aquarium is a marina. The whale watching yachts stand by there for commission.

Then there is the Lions Lighthouse. Across from the Lions Lighthouse (not accessible by foot over the waters) is the Shoreline Village, which is very touristy with a little bit of photogenic quality. Then, again, across the waters, but to the south, is docked the RMS Queen Mary. It has been renovated recently, and reopened its doors for tours and visits.

I took a walk all around the Lions Lighthouse this morning.

The Lions Lighthouse

Situated at the estuary of the Los Angeles River is the Shoreline Aquatic Park. Shaped like a half-enclosed thenar space, the Shoreline Aquatic Park is a bay where the Los Angeles River meets the ocean. The Lions Lighthouse glistens under the midday sunshine. The vibe was relaxed. People took walks, jogged, biked, and living life there in as Californian a manner as it could be.

The Lions Lighthouse is a decorative lighthouse of the Downtown Long Beach Lions Club International, which set it up to commemorate their dedication to the blind. The lighthouse was first lit in 2000.

The fact that it was not a historic relic in the real sense of the word did not make it any less valuable. Its charitable purpose was plenty interesting to me. Besides, it was at the lighthouse that the love for Long Beach as a community shines. There are captions there explaining various aspects of Long Beach at the Light House.

A Brief History of Long Beach

Early Settlement

It is said that this area was long inhabited by the Native Americans, as early as the 1500s. At the time, the people called it “Bay of the Smokes,” referring to the smoke signals that the Native Americans used for communication at what is now the Signal Hill area. During the late 1700s, the area was owned by the Spanish, and it was divided into Rancho Los Cerritos and Rancho Los Alamitos (thus the beach being named Alamitos Beach).

In the 1880s, the residents voted to incorporate the city as Long Beach.

A Fortune Befallen

In 1921, with discovery of oil in Long Beach came an enormous economic boom. Long Beach also became a popular seaside resort and port town. The Pike was the area of recreational activities and boardwalk entertainment. Between 1902 and 1979, the Pike was first an amusement park, then throughout the years was the designated venue for different configurations of entertainment. Its main walkway was lined with hotdog stands, arcades, shooting galleries, and cafes. It stood for the best of all fun in Southern California, and was known as “Walk of a Thousand Lights.” As I walked in the shoreline area, I figured that perhaps a lot of the old Pike has retained its historical role to this day.

Another interesting history of Long Beach is that Calbraith “Cal” Rodgers, who flew the first airplane across the continental U.S., landed in Long Beach as the final destination for his flight that began in New York. This 1911 fanfare was known as Vin Fiz because Armour & Company, the sponsor of the flight, wanted to use the occasion to advertise its grape soda.

A Community Dedicated to the Nation

Yet Long Beach is much more than fun and adventures. Between 1943 and 1997, this is the site for the major naval base on the West Coast. The shipyard served fully its patriotic function during WWII, having done 303 major repairs on 9 battleships, 14 cruisers, 31 destroyers escorts, 46 destroyers and 30 oil tankers.

The story of Long Beach is a decorated one, and it really ought to be proud as a community.

After an easy walk at the Shoreline Aquatic Park, I decided to return to the hotel. That was a nice first day in Southern California.

Sources

The Wikipedia on Lions Lighthouse.

Descriptions on site at the Lions Lighthouse.

The City Government of Long Beach, Long Beach History.