Off We Go Into The Wild Wet Wonder... 7/1/2016 (Page One)
It is July and we are ready for an adventure. We are off on the water taxi to the Aquarium and then a short walk up Pine Avenue to George's Greek Cafe for a great dining experience.
We Begin With A Visit To Malarkey's Irish Pub
Malarkey's is a terrific location to begin an adventure
Open for pre-boarding business!
NO! That is not today's mode of transportation!
Lot's of patrols going on ahead of the fireworks show on the 3rd
Out in full force... This is a good thing!
Capturing the moment!
One small drink for mankind...
"You don't say"
"Who? Me?"
In the appropriate attire!
"This is my serious look!"
Sue double checks the schedule
Our ship has arrived
Ready for passengers!
"Hold On! Here we come!"
Across the ramp we go! Where we stop, nobody knows!
"Lookout Long Beach here we come"
Can't miss their markings!
The new restaurant, Ballast Point, is now open for business!
We will miss Khoury's dancing!
The Yacht Club looks pretty good!
He is towing a dingy with a cover on it!
Now we see how big the breakwater really is!
Goodbye Alamitos Bay!
What is the Captain doing away from the Wheelhouse?
Did You Know? - The bridge of a ship is the room or platform from which the ship can be commanded. When a ship is underway the bridge is manned by an OOW (officer of the watch) aided usually by an AB (able seaman) acting as lookout. During critical maneuvers the captain will be on the bridge supported, perhaps, by an OOW as an extra set of hands, an AB on the wheel and sometimes a pilot if required.
Wheelhouses are the small enclosed parts of a bridge which historically held the ship's wheel. Today, ship's bridges do not have a separate wheelhouse; the term wheelhouse or pilothouse is used nowadays to refer to the smaller bridges of small vessels, such as tugs.
Irene shows us her nautical
signaling
ability!
We are on our way!
As we leave the channel, we pick up speed!
Did we say "Pick up speed?"
We left them in the dust!
Grissom Island... A tribute to the Apollo Astronauts!
The greenery blocks the view into the business end of the island!
Did You Know? - This is one of the oil islands. Named Freeman, Grissom, White, and Chaffee after the first four NASA astronauts to die in the line of duty.
These are artificial islands which house oil and gas production equipment. The artificial facades are designed to disguise the facility.
Nearby cities: Long Beach, California, Glendale, California, Malibu, California
Coordinates: 33°45'33"N 118°10'52"W
Looks like a large brick!
Looks like a real ship!
Joyriding.... Perhaps our next adventure?
Coming into Rainbow Harbor!
The light house assists us in navigating the waters
Did You Know? - Before the development of clearly defined ports, mariners were guided by fires built on hilltops. Since raising the fire would improve the visibility, placing the fire on a platform became a practice that led to the development of the lighthouse. In antiquity, the lighthouse functioned more as an entrance marker to ports than as a warning signal for reefs and promontories, unlike many modern lighthouses. The most famous lighthouse structure from antiquity was the Pharos of Alexandria, although it collapsed during an earthquake centuries later.
Graphic reconstruction of the Pharos according to a 2006 study is depicted below.
Land is dead ahead!
Bye bye boat... See you in three hours!
Now it is time for a walk up Pine Avenue!
