From my outing today. Took only the 18-55WR which I had used only once before.

At the Long Beach marina, with the Queen Mary in the background. Just behind that is a big white dome which used to house the Spruce Goose airplane and now is a cruise terminal and sometimes a movie stage.


This is a non-operational lighthouse. Red-topped Parker's Steakhouse in the background is on the other side of the marina entrance.


Sprucing up. I'm told boats are a money pit.


Like most American businesses, closed for the day.


Chili's restaurant.


The Pike used to be an amusement park with an awesome roller-coaster. Today, it is mostly a retail area of restaurants, shops and movie theater.


This sometimes is in operation.


The Laugh Factory comedy club.


Long Beach convention center.






Historic Long Beach photos.




No access.


You don't see streets like this very often.


Renovation Hardware patio furniture.


Aquarium patio.


This 3-dimensional sign shows the old undeveloped countryside when viewed from one side, and today's development when viewed from the other side.


Pierpoint Landing is a little store at the marina. Soda, fishing essentials and long-term parking permits, mostly.


Inland a bit at Hilltop Park in Signal Hill, a town surrounded by Long Beach.


Downtown Long Beach is near the left. The port of Long Beach/Los Angeles is one of the busiest in the world. The big hill in the background is the Palos Verdes Peninsula, which used to be the home of Marineland until it closed and was developed into condos, and a Nike missile site which is now a sort of park.


Looking toward downtown. Long Beach is rather...long, and has fingers of land going much farther north than you would think. Long Beach used to house the Spruce Goose airplane (which I was in and stood on top of one night, thanks to my security guard friend) in a big dome, has the Queen Mary museum/hotel, three barely-offshore oil-drilling islands camoflaged to look like hotels or something and named for the astronauts Grissom, White and Chaffey, and hosts the Grand Prix, among other things.


Signal Hill gained its name from Signal Oil and Gas, which developed the oilfield below it. There is an operating well at the corner of the park, and it's not unusual to see a fenced-off well in a parking lot or residential area.


The signs on the rectangles describe the view through the openings. The fluted chimney sometimes emits steam or water spray. There are also bricks, with a short message or peoples names, which you can get placed by donating to the park fund.

[Eric Auer]

Fun Shots. This lens is so under rated. You did great

[SpecialK]

Fun Shots. This lens is so under rated. You did great

Thanks! As I mentioned, I only used this lens once before. I bought it used, thinking it might help to sell as a combo with my back-up K-20 (which I have not quite decided to do). I have a Sigma 17-70 v1 that I bought used previously for such a walk-around occasion, but I wanted to give this one a shot. All shots were at f8 (except the first at f5.6) which is approaching the sweet-spot - if it has one :-) I also got the 50-200WR at Fry's open-box blowout, which turned out to be better than what I remember from the original version I had (and sold after getting the 55-300, also subsequently sold).

[Bob Harris]

very interesting series Kyle, loved the Pike and Marineland in the years way back. They have really done a great job renovating Long Beach from the old days of sailors and bars but there are some very seedy parts of the city that you stay out of. You proved you only one lens for a days outing, hope you got some turkey today.

[scratchpaddy]

Thanks for taking us on your walk. I love walking around the city here, so it's fun to see other people's cities, and your shots don't disappoint. I've never been in L.A. before. It's so huge, it scares me.

I'm told boats are a money pit.

A boat has three dimensions: length, width, and debt.

[slowpez]

Now I don't feel so guilty about not walking off yesterday's turkey. Thanks for taking me along.

[crewl1]

Nice work with the kit lens K. I didnt think you even owned one
Hope you had a nice dinner with family.

[SpecialK]

They have really done a great job renovating Long Beach from the old days of sailors and bars but there are some very seedy parts of the city that you stay out of. You proved you only one lens for a days outing, hope you got some turkey today.

Some areas are bit dumpy, but the downtown/marina area is pretty nice.

I've never been in L.A. before. It's so huge, it scares me.

Well, LA and Orange County to the south have a lot of suburbs that all run together. It's why traffic is so bad.

A boat has three dimensions: length, width, and debt.

Thanks, I could not remember the formula.

Now I don't feel so guilty about not walking off yesterday's turkey. Thanks for taking me along.

You should visit the area someday if you have not. There are some good things to do.

Nice work with the kit lens K. I didn't think you even owned one Hope you had a nice dinner with family.

I bought the lens from tcbubbleleo when he bailed from Pentax. My family is a bit too far away (Pacific Grove, San Francisco and further in Santa Rosa) for a one-day drive up and back. Mrs Stouffer provided a nice box dinner, though :-)

[GeoJerry]

Nice shots, a couple of them in there especially are really very cool.
Never been up on Signal Hill, I should get up there sometime.

[SpecialK]

Nice shots, a couple of them in there especially are really very cool.
Never been up on Signal Hill, I should get up there sometime.

Thanks, I was pretty happy with the results. The sky helped :-)

[bigted]

Wonderful series, I really felt like I had been on a site seeing walk.