Long Beach: where the Queen Mary rests

The former British luxury ocean liner Queen Mary remains permanently moored in Long Beach as a floating hotel and museum.

The light rail remains the most convenient way to move between Long Beach and Los Angeles.

The Queen Mary, British ocean liner that transported celebrities and heads of state in the 1930s, now remains moored in Long Beach as a hotel and historic museum.

A few minutes away, the Pacific Aquarium, among the most important in the western United States, displays Pacific Ocean marine species in large themed tanks.

Continuing along the harbor, one observes the operations of the Port of Long Beach, one of America's busiest ports for trade with Asia.

Toward evening, the Belmont Shore district animates with restaurants and venues along the city's waterfront.

The Queen Mary, launched in 1934, transported Allied troops during World War II camouflaged in grey paint, earning the nickname "Grey Ghost" for its ability to elude enemy submarines.

The Port of Long Beach, among America's busiest alongside nearby Los Angeles, together handles nearly half of all U.S. container imports from Asia.