Black Meetings and Tourism

LOS ANGELES In dynamic, multicultural L.A., the African-American heritage attractions alone could fill up a meeting group's leisure time itin- erary. The list includes the California African American Museum in Exposition Park, the Museum in Black, Leimert Park Village — an Afrocentric shopping and dining district — the William Grant Still Community Arts Center and the African American Firefighter Black Meetings & Tourism February/March 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 68 The RMS Queen Mary is another contender for your "must see" list. Check out some of the ship's 360 converted first-class staterooms and catch the Ghosts & Legends show and tour, then go and see theScorpion, a Russian submarine docked next door. With 5.5 miles of waterfront, beachcombing, boat- ing and other waterside adventures are big draws to Long Beach. Favorite things to do include strolling through beach communities like Belmont Shore, sail- ing on Alamitos Bay, riding a gondola through the canals on Naples Island, and shopping at Shoreline Village, whose design mimics an old California sea- port. Art lovers can gaze at the Pacific Ocean on breaks from contemplating the exhibits at the Long Beach Museum of Art. Two of the best places to get a glimpse into the city's past are the Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch and Gardens and the Ranchos Los Cerritos Historic site. The city's largest meeting venue, the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, contains more than 400,000 sq. ft. of flex- ible exhibit and meeting space — including 34 meeting rooms and a grand ballroom — plus the Long Beach Arena and the Terrace theater. There are more than 5,000 hotel rooms citywide, including more than 2,000 rooms within walking distance of the conven- tion center. Easily accessible from Los Angeles International Airport and John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Long Beach also has its own full-service airport with service from four major airlines. The Metro Blue Line light rail system connects Long Beach to down- town Los Angeles. Many Long Beach attractions are accessible via the free Passport Shuttle. Aerial view of Long Beach Harbor Photo Credit: Long Beach CVB

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