Field Trip Information

Structured Field Trips

Port of Long Beach Tour

The Port of Long Beach is the second busiest in the nation. Combined with the neighboring Port of Los Angeles, the complex is the fifth busiest in the world. Covering 3,200 acres of land with 10 piers and 80 berths, the POLB handles 18,400 20-foot containers every day. The field trip begins with a walking tour of Shoreline Village and continues with a 90 minute narrated boat tour of the port facilities. Environmental impacts and upcoming mitigation efforts as well as security concerns will be topics of discussion during this trip. Participants must have valid government issued ID.

Leader: Norman Carter, Department of Geography, California State University, Long Beach

Cost per person = $25

Maximum number of participants = 25

Ethnic Neighborhoods of Los Angeles and Orange Counties

This bus tour will visit several of the ethnic neighborhoods of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Likely destinations include Plaza Mexico in Lynwood, Little Saigon in Westminster, Little India in Artesia, and the proposed Cambodia Town in Long Beach. Our route between these neighborhoods will also allow us to explore the changing geographies of the Port of Long Beach/Port of Los Angeles, Compton, and Signal Hill. There will be several opportunities to sample ethnic restaurants and shops along the way; meals are not included in trip cost.

Leaders: Dean Toji, Department of Asian and Asian American Studies, California State University, Long Beach and Rigoberto Rodríguez, Chicano & Latino Studies, California State University, Long Beach

Cost per person = $30

Maximum number of participants = 20

Los Angeles Against the Mountains

This field trips title is drawn from a chapter in The Control of Nature by writer John McPhee. He reports on a variety of government efforts to limit the hazard posed by the flood waters, mud flows and debris flows that irregularly but destructively descend from San Gabriel Mountain canyons onto the foothill settlements of La Cañada-Flintridge, Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, Monrovia and Azusa. As McPhee wryly notes, however, In Los Angeles versus the San Gabriel Mountains, it is not always clear which side is losing. Our field trip will visit a selection of the urban-wildland contact points described admiringly and ironically by McPhee so that we can see and judge for ourselves who is in control.

Leader: Terence Young, Department of Geography & Anthropology, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA

Cost per person = $35

Maximum number of participants = 20

San Juan Capistrano Mission -- CANCELLED

The San Juan Capistrano Mission is known as the birthplace of Orange County. It is over 200 years old, one of the older missions in California. The larger mission, today, stand as a testament to the complexity of ethnic living experience in Southern California. The trip will begin early in the morning and includes a tour of sites throughout Orange County. A tour of the mission itself, and its numerous sites, follows along with lunch in the local community. Lunch is not provided, but there are numerous restaurant choices to explore. Details on the mission can be found at http://www.missionsjc.com/historic.html.

Leader: David Hornbeck, Department of Geography, California State University, Northridge

Cost per person = $45

Maximum number of participants = 54

Palos Verdes, Ecological Diversity -- CANCELLED

Field trip will focus on the unique physical and cultural geography of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Stops will include examples of landscape restoration projects on Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (PVPLC) land holdings, the Portuguese Bend landslide zone, and tide pools and geothermal vents (tides permitting) at Royal Palms County Beach. Historical land use, including Japanese American farming between WWI and WWII, as well as U.S. military presence on the peninsula, will be featured at various sites. A box lunch is included.

Leader: Christopher Lee, Department of Geography, California State University, Long Beach

Cost per person = $45

Maximum number of participants = 20

Brush Fire Tour of the Santa Monica Mountains -- CANCELLED

This tour will follow the path of the Old Topanga Fire that burned 16,000+ acres starting on November 2, 1993 and destroyed over 350 homes. Topics will include issues related to the wildland-urban interface (WUI), fire fighters and home owners perspectives, rebuilding in the WUI, the introduction of exotic plants into the wildlands, and fire ecology and management including the role of biomass as a fuel. Participants should bring water, a hat, sunscreen, and good walking shoes. A box lunch is included.

Leaders: Jim Woods, Department of Geography, California State University, Long Beach and Tony Shafer, retired Los Angeles City Fire Captain and resident of Malibu who not only fought the fire, but also almost lost his home during the fire.

Cost per person = $45

Maximum number of participants = 20

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Self-Guided Field Trips

Long Beach Museum of Art 

2300 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach Ca 90803
(562) 439-2119
Hours: Tues-Sun 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
General Admission: $7; Fridays are free
Claires Café at the Museum has oceanfront dining: Tues-Fri 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sat-Sun 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Directions from Hilton:

Car: Turn LEFT (East) onto W Ocean Blvd ~2-3 miles. Once you pass Junipero, the Museum Parking Lot on your immediate right. The Museum is approx 100 yards further East on Ocean Blvd.

Bus: From the SOUTH side of Ocean Blvd. board the Passport A or D at any Passport sign. Get off at Kennebec Ave stop.

Museum of Latin American Art 

628 Alamitos Ave, Long Beach CA 90802
(562) 437-1689
Hours: Tue-Fri 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
General Admission: $5
VIVA Café at MOLAA serves Latin American fare: Tues-Sat 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Directions from Hilton:

Car/Walking: Turn LEFT (East) onto W Ocean Blvd; Turn LEFT (North) on Alamitos Ave; Proceed north to 628 Alamitos Ave (between 6th and 7th St).

Bus: From the downtown transit mall shelter E (1st St between Pacific Ave and Long Beach Blvd), take the 91, 92, 93, or 94 bus to 7th St. and Alamitos.

Queen Mary 

1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach CA 90802
(562) 435-3511
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.>br> (The Observation Bar is open until 10 p.m. on Thursday and 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday)
General Admission: $22.95 and up depending on package; discount available to conventioneerssee insert in registration packet.

Directions from the Hilton:

Car: Turn LEFT (East) onto W Ocean Blvd 0.2 miles; Turn RIGHT (South) onto Queensway Branch 0.3 miles; Road name changes to Queensway Bay 0.6 miles; Road name changes to Queens Hwy 0.4 miles

Bus: Board the Passport C at Pine Avenue between Ocean and 1st St. The Passport C is free and runs every 12-20 minutes depending on time of day.

Aquarium of the Pacific 

100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 590-3100
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
General Admission: $20.95; discount available to conventioneerssee insert in registration packet.

Directions from the Hilton:

Car: Turn LEFT (East) onto W Ocean Blvd; turn LEFT (South) onto Pine Avenue; turn RIGHT (West) onto Shoreline Dr. The parking structure for the Aquarium is on the water side of Shoreline Drive between Chestnut Place and Aquarium Way. Parking is $6 for Aquarium guests in both the Aquarium and Pike parking structures when you show an Aquarium ticket stub.

Bus: Board the purple Pine Avenue Link bus on Pine Avenue between Ocean and 1st St. The Pine Avenue Link is free and runs every 10-30 minutes depending on time of day.