I let the boys sleep as late as they could. It had been a few late nights and our younger one especially needed an extra hour or two of shuteye. We slept in until almost 8:30 before we got up and went to breakfast in the lounge.

How Long is Long Beach?

After breakfast we walked down the the ShoreLine Village across the street from the hotel. There was a bike rental place and we wanted to go for a bike ride since this was our last full day of our trip and our last chance to do this.

We got to Wheel Fun Rentals just as they opened. We signed our paperwork and paid within just a few minutes. Tomatico and I got the cheapest bikes which were called “cruiser bikes” that have the big handlebars and pedal breaks. Neither of us were big fans of those types as we find them to be unstable and the lack of hand brakes took a lot of getting used to. My youngest got a kids bike which squeaked a lot. On the flip side it was really cheap as it was just over $30 for the three of us for two hours. I believe the person at the store applied a “second hour free” coupon for us which I appreciate. For Tomatico and myself we should have upgraded to a nicer bike, though. Next time!

Just off the parking lot was a bike and pedestrian path that went along the marina and towards the beach. We followed this path for the whole time and never got within sight of the end. While we weren’t going fast, after an hour we still weren’t at the end. The road was smooth and completely flat. The lanes were well marked and after the first part the bike path was separate from the walking/running path. There were quite a few walkers out but only a few bicyclist at this early hour on a Friday. It was quite relaxing and comfortably cool.

We stopped at a few places to take pictures and drink some water we had gotten in the lounge at breakfast. We turned around after about 45 minutes of riding as our legs were getting tired. We make it back in slightly less time. Our legs were quite tired and our butts were quite sore but we had a lot of fun and it was worth it.

We didn’t get to the end so I guess we still don’t know how long Long Beach is!

Gym Time and Lunch

We didn’t do a gym session in the morning because we slept in, but Tomatico was itching to get in do some more so the three of us went in for a mid-morning session. We still had enough energy for a 90 minute workout even after our bike ride.

By the time we were done my wife was winding down with her work so we decided to all grab lunch together. We decided to go back to the Island Burger place the boys and I had gone to the previous day. It would be the third time for us and the second time for my wife. The fresh French fries were calling us again and didn’t disappoint!

Santa Monica

After lunch we decided to go to Santa Monica Pier and see what it was all about. It was about 45 minutes away and seemed like it would be a happening place. Traffic was moderate and we were able to find parking in a garage a couple blocks from the pier.

There was a throng of people who had the same idea. We made it down towards the pier and eventually on it. There were street (beach?) performers playing a violin and drum set together that was surprisingly relaxing. There wasn’t much else relaxing about the area, though. Walking around towards the amusement park the boys saw an ice cream place so we waited in line for it. After 15 minutes and $25 for 3 small ice creams and a water we were a bit disillusioned. Between the crowds and the chaos this seemed like a place that was better on paper than in practice. We decided to cut our losses and head back to the relative peace and quiet of Long Beach.

By this time is was closing in on 5:00pm on a Friday so traffic was becoming an issue. It took us over an hour to get back, though it could have been worse if we didn’t have access to the carpool lane. I guess the traffic gridlock gave us the full LA experience!

Dinner and Dessert

Back at the hotel Tomatico and my wife weren’t terribly hungry so we checked out the lounge to see if they had any interesting snacks or appetizers. The choices were disappointing but they found something to munch on. My youngest and I went across the street and split a small pizza as we weren’t very hungry, either.

After we finished, they all decided they wanted one last churro from The Funnel House in the Shoreline Village across the street. We all headed over there and they enjoyed their freshly fried churros dipped in chocolate and/or marshmallow one last time. I suspect they were saving room for that instead of having a proper dinner.

Back at the hotel we watched some TV while my wife did some work. This was our last night in Long Beach and we’d be heading home mid-morning tomorrow. It would be nice to get home but we would miss Long Beach and being on vacation. The real world awaits!