May 2008
This past May, my husband and I went out to southern California for twelve days, and five of those days were spent on the historic Queen Mary Hotel in Long Beach, California. We've stayed there many times before, but this time we stayed longer than we ever had, and really got to know her so much better than ever.
I'm not going to describe the QM's long history, because you can read all about it on their website at http://www.queenmary.com. Without further ado, here are pictures of this beautiful ship that we sometimes call home:
Looking past the life boats, you can see the Hotel Queen Mary entrance below under the blue veranda ~ where the adventure begins!
"The Dome" which used to house Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose, is now used as a cruise terminal. It's just to your right as you're entering the Queen Mary Hotel.
A shot of the lovely Queen Mary from atop the parking garage across the street
Looking up you'll see the lifeboats that were once needed for the Queen Mary's many journeys back and forth across the Atlantic
The sumptuous lobby of the Queen Mary
The portholes that look out on the harbor in our room aboard the Hotel Queen Mary
Have a look out of our porthole ~ That's Rainbow Harbor and the city of Long Beach across the way
Look to the left ~ the city of Long Beach and the Rainbow Marina
Look to the right ~ the way out of the harbor and to the Channel Islands by ferry or boat
Looking toward the Observation Deck from the bow of the Queen Mary ~ Isn't she beautiful?
A stroll inside for a look at the Bridge. These instruments are amazing to see and are always shiny and in "ship shape"!
Strolling down the port side of the Queen Mary and checking out her three gigantic smoke stacks (the Titanic had four but weren't as efficient ~ The Queen Mary cruised at 28.5 knots, and the Titanic at 21 knots)
Looking up on the port side of the Queen Mary ~ the sun beginng to get low in the sky
I'd say it's just the right time to go up to the Observation Bar at the bow of the QM for a snack and drink. We love it up here ~ wonderful 1940s "Art Deco" ambiance, friendly service, and spectacular sunsets...
A view toward toward the bar, which in its cruising days, used to be the band stand with a dance floor in front
Happy Hubby enjoying our time in the Observation Bar
Let's step outside on to the Observation Deck and get a breath of fresh air! Ummm...Lovely!
The sun is beginning to set behind the mast. See the crow's nest up there? How would you like to climb up there while the ship is in motion?
Ah...Here's our gorgeous California sun slipping down over the bow of the Queen Mary
After our walk around the ship and getting a snack at the Observation Bar, hubby was beginning to get tired. After all, he did all the driving from Brea to Long Beach, and this was also a business trip for him, so he went back to the room for a little rest, but I was still chomping at the bit to get more pictures of my "home away from home", so I went off on my own for a while and did just that...
The delightful Promenade Deck ~ They wax this floor every single night to keep it this shiny! They have many shops here that carry excellent souvenirs, apparel, original paintings, oriental goods and clothing, nautical items, historical books and journals, nostalgia ~ you name it, they've got it!
Standing on one end of the ship, looking toward the other end. If another person is standing at the VERY end of the hallway, you can only see their knees and feet because of the way the ship is bowed to provide a more gentle ride. It's really fun to walk to one end and look toward the other just to see how it starts to slope back up again as it goes toward the other end.
The Sun Deck...not much sun at the moment, though! It's still delightful to walk around the ship's sun deck at night, breathe in the salty air, and enjoy all the lights around Long Beach.
A look out the port side...
The smoke stacks are a site to behold at night when they're lit up!
The best view of all...the starboard side to the city of Long Beach and the Pike. Gorgeous, isn't it?
Reluctantly returning from my walk, I snap one more shot, inside now, of a porthole-style window display of old Queen Mary postcards and plates
While we were there, we didn't have the most cooperative weather in the world, and it was usually overcast, windy, and cool (and sometimes rainy), but it was just so exhilarating being on the ship and around the harbor, that we found we didn't really mind it all that much. One day we had a special treat as we looked out of our port hole:
A pretty rainbow over Rainbow Marina across the way...a small one, but lovely, nonetheless!
This is a great seafood restaurant that we've returned to again and again, called "Parker's Lighthouse", that is part of what's called "The Pike" at Long Beach Harbor, and is right across the harbor from the Queen Mary. You can get a free bus ride from the QM to the Pike any time, which is just great! Wonderful food, wonderful view, fast service! We've sat upstairs, we've sat downstairs, we've sat outside...every time we've loved it ~ great memories made each time we've eaten there!!
Just love the Rainbow Harbor Lighthouse!!
"The more traditional-looking lighthouse at Rainbow Harbor is not primarily a navigation device. It was built by the Long Beach Lions Club as a symbol of their fundraising for the visually impaired. The structure was dedicated in December of 2000. The Long Beach harbor master's office is located in the base of the lighthouse." ~ excerpt from "Visit Long Beach" website at http://www.inetours.com/Los_Angeles/Pages/Long_Beach.html.
Looking past Parker's Lighthouse Restaurant toward the Queen Mary (she looks much closer to the restaurant than it appears ~ a perspective issue). Notice the constant dark clouds!
Walking past Parker's Lighthouse Restaurant, closer to the Queen Mary. She's a grand ship!
A casual stroll around the marina, catching seagulls on the wing, and practicing using my fast shutterspeeds and small aperture settings to get nice, clear stop-action shots!
Female seagull in flight between boats
A rather unique boat for sale in the marina ~ I called it the "junket", for lack of better words! I wonder how much they want for this??
The Ferris Wheel which we see glittering so beautifully at night at the "Pike" across the harbor from the Queen Mary.
The Catalina Express, returning from the channel island of Catalina. It runs constantly throughout the day, ferrying people between the island and Long Beach ~ folks who live on, work on, or just take tours to, the island as we did on our last day.
Another day, another experience! On our last day here, we finally agreed to give up waiting for the sun to come out before we took the Catalina Express to Catalina Island, and just said, "Let's go for it, come rain or shine!" This is the "Aqua Link", conveniently located right next to the Queen Mary, where you buy your tickets and board the ferry. The day started out as very overcast and somewhat chilly, but by the time we got to Avalon in Catalina (about an hour's ride), the sun broke through the clouds, and it was a gorgeous, sunshine-filled day! Sometimes you just have to take a chance, and let the chips fall where they may...and this time we really lucked out!
We've now boarded the Catalina Express and we're on our way, just starting to pass the Queen Mary
A close up of the QM's starboard side ~ and the two portholes that are our room!
We had a perfect day in Avalon, Catalina, and did a self-guided tour on a rented golf cart (and map) throughout the mountainous terrain of the island, past the Avalon Casino Ballroom, now used for musical performances. We also stopped and had a delicious seafood lunch while sitting on the harbor there. As always, I took a million photos of this picturesque island with all of its ocean vistas, mountains, beautiful boats and ships, fauna and flora, and the occasional sea bird or two. ...but that's for another time, another photo essay. I'll try to put that together later on so you can see how breathtaking it is and how worth the ferry ride it is to visit.
A day of relaxation and delight was our portion on this day, and we were blessed with another colorful, vibrant sunset as we ferried back to Long Beach, and to our Queen Mary...
Home Sweet Home
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A beautiful photo essay, Nancy.
Ten stars
I worked in the accounting department of The QM from 1978 until 1994. She really is part of my life's story and I wouldn't change a moment of it. Thanks for stirring some of those memories.
I hope you've had the experience of dining in the Sir Winston Churchill restaurant. Intimate and elegant, the restaurant is on Sun Deck and overlooks the stern, providing a panoramic view of the beautiful Long Beach shoreline on the starb'd side and the Dome on port.
One of the most exciting experiences I witnessed while "serving the Queen" was when the Dome was constructed. When the time was right, the great "Spruce Goose" was floated from its hangar from San Pedro through Long Beach harbor and positioned into the Dome. (Having been hidden from public view for 40 years!) When the plane was moved to Oregon, the disassembly of the plane was an historic event of its own.
By the way, (little piece of QM history) when the ship was purchased by the City of Long Beach and sailed into Pacific waters for the first time, she was taken all the way around the Cape ~ being too large to go through the Panama Canal. It was her 1,000th voyage, and sadly, her last. Contrary to popular belief, she is NOT glued into a concrete "dry dock". She rises and falls with the tides every day. Her hull is filled with a large "baggie" containing a slurry of sterile "mud". The weight replaces the humoungous engines and propellors that were removed.
OK, I'll stop now. But she's still as elegant and proud as ever..........
Thanks, Nancy.
My fav is the last photo of her lit up at night.
Are there restuarants on board?
I don't know why someone is picking on you but it's uncalled for. You are a very good photographer, my friend. I know what that's like too. :-(
10 4 u
Congrats on being featured!
I got to see/tour the Spruce Goose while still privately stored in the old hanger there. I worked for Hughes in Culver City at the time, and they let employees go visit it one last time before turning it over to the group that bought it. It was huge!
Hope you show some pictures of Catalina later. I spent many a summer there when I was a teenager and my Dad had a sailboat we would moor there. Good memories.
Thanks again.
Seriously though, great pics from the LBC. Gawd, I miss it sometimes. I lived there for 15 months... Never went on the Queen Mary.
Did spend a bit of time around that area, though. Did you go to the Yard House?
Thanks so much for posting this to
my group
looks like I'm finally back in...so one more time....
Nancy...exciting fun trip...thanks for sharing..my husband said he stayed there years ago....I didn't know it existed....
Great shots and looks like someone impressed with your photos took you for a full fledged professional photographer with Queen Mary...cool.....
I plan on going and checking the photos out more in depth...but don't plan on commenting on all 40 of them LOL
When I was a kid we went to Europe on that ship. The pictures bring back vivid memories.
Your photo article took me on a spendid, but imaginary, trip right along with you. Being from inland NW Mt, I've only seen big ships a couple or few times.. and that even includes when I was in the Army.
As usual.. as I look through pictures such as this set, I am envious that you are so lucky...or I should say... FORTUNATE... to be able to do some travel and see things that amaze a lot of us, who have never made enough bucks to travel and see our own great country. Therefore, I look forward to seeing other people's travels, through their eyes and photos. They mean so much more than watching the same stuff on the TV. Know what I mean?
OK...nuff babble. Great article and great photos, girl. Ya done good!!
thanks for the captures!
Sidenote to Molly O, the Spruce Goose is in McMinnville, OR, not Pendleton.
Never have been there but now I want to!
Simply as fabulous 'n' flatering as your seeming Icon - awatar "Bold and WoW" !!!
As for that little weasel Jeff take no notice of him he is not worth a moments thought any one with a pin prick of a brain can see that they are your photos ,perhaps he thinks the shot of your hubby was a figment of your imagination ,what an idiot ,there is always some one out there trying to put people down ,maybe he should see a doctor for is condition ?well done Nancy
Great photo essay !!!
Looks like a PR piece prepared by the QM staff.
Your photos and captions def reflect the great experiences you have enjoyed at the QM.
Thanks for sharing !!
(Side bar to Jeff: Get a life! Where is your work posted?)
I dont get to travel, but travel to the most beautiful places in the world with my friends.
Nancy, that young man; was my dad.
P.S. I've just found some photos online of the Queen Mary when she was the "Gray Ghost" (her nickname because she was so stealthy), but her official name in WWII was "Trooper":
-Your storm and rain cloud pictures make me think those pictures must have been taken the very day I walked out my office door into a cloudburst and got drenched before I made it to the bus stop (it wasn't raining when I left my desk), about five miles away in Los Alamitos. This is rather unusual for May here, although every out-of-state visitor I talk to seems to get disillusioned about "sunny California" because the coastal cloudiness. All I can say is, come in the fall, when the Santa Ana Winds are blowing (and all the fires start). :) But because of the rain, you got nice, smog-free skies to take pictures of.
-Did you visit the Aquarium of the Pacific while you were strolling around Shoreline Park (or is it Rainbow Harbor now)? My favorite place to take the kids on a weekend. I adopted two of my cats from that park before all the redevelopment; unfortunately, it was a place for people to abandon all their unwanted animals at the time.
-My work's office used to be just on the other side of the bridge, in the same buildings where the Catalina boats leave from. We used to park our cars where the Aquarium is now to avoid the $30 a month in the parking structure.
-My boss and I still attend meetings at the Federal Building downtown occasionally; the last he came he got to stay at the Queen Mary. I was the teensiest bit jealous – since I live nearby, I just went home. But I'd love to stay there sometime myself, even if it is close to home. My husband wants to visit the Russian Submarine right next to it, but the admission seems a little steep.
-And, not to be nit-picky, but the biologist/birder in me has to point out that the gull above may be, but is not necessarily, a female. Adult Western gulls of both sexes look the same. Juvenile birds have that mottled gray plumage until they get their adult feathers at about two years of age.
Anyway, great pictures – it's nice seeing a visitor's point of view of a very familiar area.
(Tried to post a couple of days ago, but Gather ate it. :p )