Day 2: Long Beach

I had a combo Aquarium and Queen Mary pass. The Aquarium of the Pacific has added a new exhibit, it is all water play with giant ocean animals that squirt water at unsuspecting guests and a large fishing boat that can be climbed and explored.


In my past life it would have been hard for me to sit by open water without grabbing a fish and eating it. Now I know about ocean conservation and have eliminated many animal products from my diet, including those that live under the sea.


I have been hearing about the Queen Mary for years and have wanted to visit and I finally got the chance to do so. What I really wanted was to ghost hunt on this supposed haunted ship.


I went on the Ghosts and Legends tour. I was really looking forward to seeing apparitions, hearing ghostly sounds, and feeling cold spots. I have read so many stories about tragic deaths that have occurred on board and wanted to feel the paranormal activity for myself. I figured the tour would give me some insight to the ghostly history. We did go to the boiler room, the interior pool, the bow... and it was all staged. Bummer. It was all sound effects and story telling. One thing that was kind of creepy, though: there are rumors that photos don't come out while in the jaunted areas. Even with the use of flash or high speeds, all one gets is a black photo. I found that to be true in my experience. I used two cameras and none of the pictures came out. Supposedly the ghosts don't like to be photographed by tourists!


I wasn't disappointed with the attraction as a whole. It is a very nice ship and there is a lot to explore. Guests are given the freedom to wander around all the decks and various rooms on board. I climbed to the topmost deck for a great view of Long Beach.


The Queen Mary was originally a passenger transatlantic cruise line and lost its popularity when commercial air flights picked up. The ship was then used in the war and after it was a warship it was permanently docked in Long beach. It is now a hotel with shops, restauarants and entertainment. I would visit again but not in the immediate future.