Fireworks With Friends
We decided to go to the harbor and watch the Queen Mary fireworks from the patio at Gladstone's restaurant. Sue, Vicky, Del and Paul are off for an adventure!
Fireworks were originally invented by the Chinese, for entertainment purposes, as a natural extension of the Chinese invention of gunpowder. In China, they were first made by firework masters who were well respected for their knowledge of the many complex techniques used to create firework displays. Such important events and festivities as New Year's and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival were and still are times when fireworks are guaranteed sights.
China is the largest manufacturer and exporter of fireworks in the world. China is estimated to have exported over 6 million cases or 120,000 tons of fireworks to the US in 2005
To Long Beach With 1,000,000 Others....
View from the parking structure... It was so crowded we had to park 7 floors up! Great view!
Looks like the Queen is behind bars!
Long Beach is a city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific coast. It is situated in Los Angeles County, about 20 miles (30 km) south of downtown Los Angeles. Long Beach borders Orange County on its southeast edge.
Long Beach is the 35th-largest city in the nation and the fifth-largest in California. As of 2006, its estimated population was 466,718.The Port of Long Beach is one of the world's largest shipping ports.
The city also has a large oil industry; oil is found both underground and offshore. Manufacturers include aircraft, automobile parts, electronic and audiovisual equipment, and home furnishings.
It is also home to headquarters for corporations such as Epson America, Molina Healthcare, and Scan Health Care. Long Beach has grown with the development of high-technology and aerospace industries in the area.
We were in the Pike Parking lot... The new Pike s in the area where the original Long Beach Pike used to be located in the 1930-1950's.
Can You Find Us On This Arial View? ( Click It )
Long Beach from the air is impressive. The shoreline was also a good place to see the fireworks but nothing beats being in the middle of the action!
It's fun to stand on the bridge when the Long Beach Grand Prix is going on!
Fireworks Start Promptly At 9:00 OM
The Queen Mary said they start PROMPTLY at 9:00 so we planned of Gladstone's visit accordingly!
We Made Reservations At Gladstone's In Rainbow Harbor For 8:30
Gladstone's was mobbed but the professional staff was coping very well. They took excellent care of us and we met the Manager, Vanessa Graser, who made our reservations come true! Even tough she was going 90 miles an hour all evening, she found a few seconds to stop by to see if all was OK! We have dined there on many occasions and it is always a delight with great food and service!! Next time will be there is when Pete comes home from Iraq!
We Had A Great View And We Dined As It Got Dark!
People people everywhere and hundreds of small boats going out into the area aft of the Queen Mary so see the fireworks up close! This exhibition can be seen from the miles of beach and bluff opposite the historic ship as well as from Shoreline Village.
We could sit in our seats and see the displays... It was hard to take pictures and go "Ohhhhh" at the same time!
My little camera was not doing well this evening... But we were there for sure!
Del and Vicky Hosted This Evenings Dinner And Made It A Memorable Evening
Party Time For Vicky!
Sangria (Vicky's favorite) is a wine punch typically from Spain and Portugal . The word sangría comes from the Spanish sangre meaning blood ("sangue" in Portuguese). It typically consists of
- red wine ,
- chopped or sliced fruit (often orange, apple, and/or peach; occasionally kiwi or banana),
- a sweetener such as honey or orange juice,
- a small amount of added brandy , triple sec , or other spirits .
- gaseosa (carbonated water).
Dinner And Entertainment Is Over... Walk To The Car And Wait!
The restaurant cleared out quickly and next year we will wait and have another drink while the parking lot clears out also... The views were fine!
The Long Beach Pike... Past And Present
Read about the history of the
Long Beach Pike
. Nicely done collection of pictures and stories of times gone by and about the man who created the Pike.
We all remembered the Pike and the old wooden roller coaster... the Cyclone!
The Pike was an amusement park and arcade near the beach south of Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach, California. Started in 1902, The Pike ran until 1979, when a long-term contract with the city ran out. It was most noted for its large wooden roller coaster, the Cyclone, that extended out over the water. The area surrounding the pike also went by the names of Silver Spray Pier and after World War II, it was expanded and renamed Nu-Pike.
In the 1950s, the area underwent another facelift , giving it a post-World War II modern look and the park was re-named "Nu-Pike." A Kiddieland was installed. In 1954 there were 218 amusements in the park, but during this time the area faced stiff competition from Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm (both less than 20 miles away) and the rough "free-for-all reputation" may have discouraged some families from attending.
We didn't realize that on the seventh floor meant the bottom six had to go before us! Lucky for us it was a warm evening!