TRAVELPHOTOBOX

Signal Hill is a city in California located in Los Angeles area . Situated on a hill, it remains the only city in America completely surrounded by another city: Long Beach . A great oil field was discovered in 1921. Soon, Signal Hill was covered with derricks  which produced 250,000 barrels a day. Signal Hill was covered with over 100 oil derricks and because of its prickly appearance became known as "Porcupine Hill". The mountain of Signal Hill has been cleaned up and its slopes now host more houses than oil wells. The hill is a quieter place now, although a few wells are still pumping oil. You can explore this place walking along the Signal Hill Trail . There are different dirt and paved paths around the hill so you be able to improvise your own route. This loop visits Signal Hill’s most scenic parks : Hilltop Park and Discovery Well Park .   Hilltop Park  is at the top of  Signal Hill  and is very popular for its great views of the...

Shoreline Village  is a family friendly destination in  Long Beach (California) . This place is located on the waterfront within walking distance of Downtown . Styled after a quaint Cape Cod fishing village , Shoreline Village is a shopping, dining and entertainment center. There is also an arcade, perfect for bringing kids to. The Village has spectacular views of the  Queen Mary , the city buildings and the  Shoreline Aquatic Park . The Shoreline Village offers several events during the year.    

Chiquito Trail to Chiquito Falls is a 9-mile loop trail located in the Cleveland National Forest , near Lake Elsinore (California) . The trail leads us to a seasonal waterfall and offers a great views of Orange and Riverside counties . This hiking route can be quite hot, so bring sunscreen, hats and plenty of water. The start point is in the big parking in front of The Candy Store on Ortega Highway. A Forest Adventure Pass is required for each vehicle parked which can be purchased at the candy store. You can eat a delicious apple pie in the Candy Store on Ortega Highway. 😍🍰 The Candy Store on Ortega Highway The Chiquito trail can be accessed from the San Juan Loop . At the northeast corner of the parking lot you’ll see a sign marking the San Juan Loop trail head . The path climbs for a short distance and then descends to the  San Juan Falls , which are dried up during the drought season. San Juan Falls Great Basin fence lizard ...

Ruta y Video 🗺️ Route Map 🎬 Video Just off the coast of Long Beach, in San Pedro Bay, lies one of California’s most unusual landmarks: the THUMS Oil Islands . Built for oil drilling, they don’t look anything like the typical industrial platforms. Thanks to their tropical landscaping, waterfalls, and sculptures, many visitors mistake them for private resorts or even luxury residential islands. Among them, Grissom Island stands out as the closest to the shoreline and the most heavily disguised. The THUMS Islands: oil drilling in disguise The  THUMS Islands were constructed in 1965 to tap into the Wilmington Oil Field , one of the richest petroleum reserves in California. The project was overseen by Disneyland architect Joseph Linesch , who was tasked with designing a landscape that would camouflage the massive drilling towers and reduce the noise. The island...

El Dorado Nature Center is an oasis in the middle of the city. Located on the banks of the San Gabriel Rive r, it is a great place to get some fresh air and walking. There are trails around the two lakes and forested areas. There's plenty of benches along the trails so you can sit, rest and relax. El Dorado Nature Center provides a perfect place for families and kids of all ages to learn about wildlife. You can see different animals as you walk: squirrels , ducks , ospreys and turtles . In the Visitor Center there is an educational display, an art gallery and a small gift shop. South lake Osprey  

The Queen Mary ship   is an icon of the Southern California coastline and a beloved historical landmark in Long Beach.   Between 1936 and 1967, the Queen Mary was considered the most beautiful and stately ship in the world. It was called “The Ship of Beautiful Woods” because of the spectacular woodwork created from the rarest trees in the British Empire. In 1967, it was sold to Long Beach and made her last journey from Southampton (UK). The Queen Mary was converted for military use during World War II for the Allies . It earned the nickname Gray Ghost for its naval camouflage. 

The Colorado Lagoon is a body of saltwater in east Long Beach and one of California’s few surviving wetlands . It is part of the Los Cerritos Wetlands .This place has a sandy beach with restrooms, picnic areas and parking on the north and south shore. A floating footbridge in the middle allows you to walk across the lagoon. The Colorado Lagoon remains a habitat for animals and plants. Walking around this environment you can easily become a bird-watcher . It’s a rest stop for all kinds of migrating birds . Herons, gulls, ducks and pelicans live in this place. There're benches to relax and a few informative signs with info on the lagoon and the various birds that inhabit it. Great Egret

Shoreline Aquatic Park is a city park on Queensway Bay near downtown Long Beach . The park has some amazing views of the  Queen Mary Ship , the  Long Beach skyline  and the  Aquarium of the Pacific . All the park is a wide open green area that is used for picnics and special events. At the center of the  Shoreline Aquatic Park , on a grassy hill, is a  lighthouse tower  with a paved spiral walkway leading to it. It was built for aesthetic reasons and serves no navigational purpose.