adventures in Long Beach

One of my favorite things to do with my husband is travel. Seeing new places with him is such an adventure. We were both born with an urge to travel and we try to take on big trip a year and a few little ones spread out throughout as well. 

California is a regular place to visit for us, because not only is my record label and magazine based there, but it's where I'm from. I've lived in Orange County, Northridge, Valencia, Pacific Beach in San Diego and near Mission Beach in San Diego so I'm no stranger to the City of Angels.  What I DO love is when we explore something new.... and that, for us, was Long Beach.

Of all the years I lived in California you'd have thought i'd explored Long Beach. But nope, it was one of those drive through places for me when I lived here. We SO take the places we live for granted don't we?  No, I do take that back, I shot a commercial for MTV here, years ago, on the beach, but didn't stick around to sample the fare or see any sights. Our call time was REALLY. EARLY. And I just wanted to be back home in bed when we wrapped. 

Mr. Charming & I were in California for his birthday a couple of years ago when we decided to discover a city we hadn't before and we landed on Long Beach. We spent the day grabbing breakfast then heading to the Queen Mary to take the tour and take some photos on the ships bow. 

For food, Long Beach has quite a wide range of options for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan & paleo. (Gotta love California.)  One of the top breakfast places for Celiac's and those looking for Paleo options is The Breakfast Bar on Atlantic Ave. They have a dedicated kitchen and a wide range of yummy items to choose from, including GF pancakes.

After spending a few hours on the ship and enjoying the scenery of the surrounding waters, we grabbed some mexican food for lunch. There is a Chipotle nearby which also offers yummy options that are gluten-free, dairy-free and Paleo if you skip their rice. One of the best of the best places to visit and grab a dairy-free latte or gluten-free lunch is Roots Gourmet. The earthy cafe offers extensive gluten-free and dairy-free options. 

After lunch we walked around the shops & checked out the amazing Long Beach Aquarium. Since we decided to park by the ship and walk the whole city, we got plenty of excercise! We always like to work in something healthy wherever we go. We walked and walked until the sun went down and as we perused the local hotels and shops we came across a hotel with a rooftop bar where I ordered another latte. I can't even remember the hotel, because it was dark and we were just exploring and not really paying attention, but I do remember, Mr. Charming and I taking a look at the hotels chapel. Which was adorable, because we weren't engaged yet at the time and it made me dreamy, and swoony, and all the other feelings we women get when your boyfriend starts talking about marriage. 

Snap of me on the bow of the Queen Mary

After we explored for hours and hours we grabbed some Italian fare downtown. Some of the best gluten-free/dairy-free Italian eateries include ZPizza, that offers gluten-free crust and Daiya cheese veggie pizzas, and certain cafes tucked within the city streets will usually offer a gluten-free pasta if you ask. They usually take a lot longer to prep, but its worth it to have something yummy if you aren't on the Paleo diet. If you are, opt for a yummy salad packed with veggies. Even better if you can find an organic cafe. 

We were super-tired from the day and our feet were exhausted so we hopped on the local city bus to take us back to our car. (Also a first experience for me!) All in all, an amazing and adventurous day that we still talk about often. Spontaneity always wins in my book.