Fun in the Southern California sun: Long Beach offers many creative ways to spend your time away from conference. Just don't forget your sunblock.

• Author: Swartz, Nikki

Nearly six miles of sandy beaches, sunshine, and ocean breezes beckon you to Long Beach, site of ARMA International's 49th Annual Conference and Expo, October 3-6, 2004.

This year's conference will offer essential educational sessions focusing on electronic records, legal and compliance issues, as well as a special executive track that will address records and information management issues from a strategic perspective. No matter your conference schedule, be sure to plan time to relax and enjoy all that Long Beach has to offer. Whether you will be visiting alone or bringing the entire family, there are many ways to have fun in the Southern California sun and even after the sun goes down.

The oceanfront city of Long Beach is centrally located in the heart of Southern California. Situated along the scenic shores of the Pacific Ocean, Long Beach is 22 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, 10 miles southwest of Anaheim, and 90 miles north of San Diego. The city of Long Beach spans 5.5 miles of sandy beachfront and totals nearly 100 square miles. It is home to more than 450,000 people, making it the fifth largest city in California.

Long Beach residents enjoy a cool ocean breeze with nearly 345 days of annual sunshine. Temperatures average 50-73 degrees Fahrenheit October through December. While Pacific breezes cool off the land at night, bring your shorts for the sunny days.

Long Beach's Best

The Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center is ideally located downtown, within steps of first-class hotels, fine dining, and shopping. Getting around is quick and convenient due to the flee shuttles that run throughout the downtown area with stops at the convention center, hotels, restaurants, and attractions. The center faces the Pacific Ocean and offers more than 300,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting and exhibit space.

But you must get out of the convention center and experience the city. There are many, many great ways to pass the time and enjoy Long Beach.

At more than 1,000 feet long, the historic Queen Mary (www.queenmary.com) oceanliner is quite a sight. The floating ship, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, remains one of the most famous ships in history. Commissioned in the 1930s, the Queen Mary features 365 hotel staterooms, award-winning restaurants, a wedding chapel, 16 art deco reception salons, tours, and a great view of Long Beach. This historical landmark made 1,001 transatlantic crossings in her day, ferrying soldiers to the United States during World War II.

Some have claimed to encounter strange and unusual sights while visiting the Queen Mary. It is said that wet footprints are commonly found near a swimming pool that has been dry for decades. There is also the occasional sighting of a long-ago worker who was crushed in one of the ship's watertight doors.

Nearby, you will find the "Scorpion" a 299-foot, Soviet-built Foxtrot-class submarine. Stepping aboard is perilous: there are steep ladders, small hatches between compartments, narrow corridors, raised thresholds, and lowered ceilings.

On the other side of the Queensway Bay, the renowned Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific (www.aquariumofpacific.org) houses more than 550 species from three Pacific Rim regions. Visitors are greeted by an overhead full-scale modal of a blue whale. Explore the Southern California and Baja Gallery areas, whose inhabitants include seals, sea lions, and jellyfish. Upstairs, view diving birds including puffins and murres, as well as sea otters and giant spider crabs. The Tropical Pacific area features dazzling recreations of coral reefs, angelfish, puffer sharks, and the stars of the aquarium sea dragons, which are bred here in one of the most successful pro grams of its kind. Also popular is Shark Lagoon, home to 150 sharks and the world's first exhibit that allows visitors to touch the sharks--if they dare.

Beyond the hustle and bustle of the convention center and the bay, Long Beach's history- and diversity-rich neighborhoods offer a different perspective of the city. Every neighborhood tells its own story, from the funky East Village Village Arts District to the many historic districts scattered throughout the city.

Within walking distance of the convention center, the East Village Arts District boasts myriad art galleries, museums, and antique shops, as well as cafes, coffee houses, and ethnic restaurants. This is a great place to stop for lunch and explore the creative side of Long Beach. Architecture buffs can set their sights on St. Anthony's Church and the Lafayette Building, both state historical landmarks. Don't miss the vintage chic and retro shops that dot 4th Street.

Just north is the Museum of Latin American Art (www.molaa.com), the only museum in the western United States dedicated to the work of contemporary Latin artists. The permanent collection illustrates Latin society from the cultural (religious icons and ironic figures) to the fantastical (mythological beasts and surrealistic themes).

Long ago perceived as merely the harbor and freight handler for Los Angeles, Long Beach has become a cultural center and a top-rated destination in its own right. The proof is situated on Ocean Boulevard, between the convention center and the East Village Arts District: the Long Beach Museum of Art (www.lbma.org). The museum, which recently received a...