Los Angeles Harbor by Thomas Routzong
The Port of Los Angeles & San Pedro
Pre & Post Cruise Food & Fun
by Steven Skelley & Thomas Routzong
The Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro is the largest cruise and commercial port on the West Coast. If you are planning a cruise from here, we highly recommend that you schedule a few additional days before and after your cruise to enjoy the small town charm of San Pedro. You'll be glad you did.
Historic downtown San Pedro is wonderfully walkable. Carol Martinez of LA Inc. says that San Pedro, "Blends small-town charm with seafaring roots and delights visitors with its abundance of historical sites, art galleries, shops and restaurants."
San Pedro offers a lot of great places to eat and fun things to see and do. Many of them are very near the port and are accessible by the free San Pedro Downtown Trolley.
Our favorites places for food and drinks –
Ports O’ Call Restaurant
If you enjoy dining on the waterfront while watching ships of all types and sizes pass right in front of you, you'll love Ports O' Call Restaurant. Owner Jayme Wilson, who also operates Spirit Cruises, has created a fantastic waterfront restaurant just a few minutes walk from the port. He calls it “everything waterfront dining should be...simultaneously cozy and classy.”
http://www.portsocalldining.com
San Pedro Brewing Company
If you are looking for a great place to eat with the look and feel of an old timetavern, this is it! Owner James Brown calls it “great food, fresh ales and lagers brewed on the premises…and the friendliest staff in San Pedro!”
http://sanpedrobrewing.com/index.html
Whale & Ale Restaurant
If you want to enjoy a meal and a pint in an English pub, Whale & Ale is the place for you. Fashioned in the classic English Victorian Style with oak panels and brass bar fittings, the restaurant is located in the heart of the harbor downtown district in a classic brick building.
http://www.whaleandale.com
Off The Vine
Wine lovers will enjoy this small boutique wine shoppe located in historic Downtown San Pedro. It specializing in "small production wineries from around the world" and offers over 200 wines under $25.00, weekly wine tastings and free delivery to local hotels for cruise line passengers!
https://offthevinewines.com
Our favorite things to see and do -
Los Angeles Maritime Museum
The Los Angeles Maritime Museum is the largest maritime museum in California. It offers "an in-depth look at the maritime history of coastal California with exhibits that include ship models and navigational equipment." The museum is located in the art deco Municipal Ferry Terminal. Exhibits include ship models, navigational equipment and figureheads.
http://www.lamaritimemuseum.org
Cabrillo Beach Marine Aquarium
Adjacent to Cabrillo Beach Coastal Park, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium has been aleader in marine science education, aquaculture research and community recreation since 1935 providing visitors "with both a natural and interactive approach to learning about the marine environment of Southern California." http://www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org/visit-cma.asp
San Pedro Trolley Red Car
The Red Car Line is a 1.5 mile long, vintage trolley line connecting San Pedros World Cruise Center with other popular attractions along the waterfront including 6th Street, the LA Maritime Museum, Ports O' Call Marketplace, Fisherman's Wharf and 22nd Street Landing. The Red Cars operate from 12 noon to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (And on select Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays when cruise ships are in Port). A $1 all-day fare includes unlimited rides for that day.
http://www.sanpedro.com/spcom/redcar.htm
Pointe Vincent Lighthouse
The Pointe Vincente Lighthouse is a short drive away in Rancho Palos Verdes. The historic lighthouse was built in the 1920s but its lens had already been in service in Alaska since the 1880s ! The lighthouse has been under the direction of the U.S. Coast Guard since the 1930s. The gleaming white tower is 67 feet tall but its cliffside setting means the main beam of light shines from a height of 185 feet above the ocean.
http://www.palosverdes.com/pvlight
Spirit Cruises
Jayme Wilson, owner of Ports O' Call restaurant, also operates Spirit Cruises which offers a one hour Harbor Bay Cruise, a one and a half hour World Port Cruise, a two hour Super Circle Cruise, a two hour Whale Watch Cruise, and several Public Dinner Cruises. Jayme is a very friendly and outgoing person who made our harbor cruise very enjoyable.
http://www.spiritmarine.com/public2.php
Warner Grand Theater
The Warner Grand Theater originally opened in San Pedro in 1931! It was the first theater equipped to offer sound in the South Bay area. It has been called "an art deco masterpiece." Jack Warner of the Warner Brothers christened it "The Castle of Your Dreams."
http://www.grandvision.org/warner-grand.asp
Accommodations -
Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel
The Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel very convenient for cruise ship passengers. It is located within walking distance of both the historic downtown San Pedro and the Port of Los Angeles. The Crowne Plaza has 244 guest rooms including 56 Suites and recently completed a remodel that includes all-new furnishings and "a new and unique modern bar, Blu Bar & Lounge." We enjoyed our stay at the Crowne Plaza and even got to look out our window to watch a television commercial being filmed nearby.
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/san-pedro/laxpv/hoteldetail
Terranea
Less than twenty miles from Los Angeles International Airport, poised artistically on one of Southern California’s most scenic coastlines, with unobstructed and amazing views overlooking the Pointe Vincent Lighthouse, the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island, the Mediterranean influenced Terranea Resort is THE choice for luxury accommodation seekers. The 582 room resort, which boasts a 360 room hotel, 326 guest rooms, thirty-four suites, twenty two-bedroom bungalows, fifty three-bedroom ocean view casitas and thirty-two villas, is located on more than one hundred acres in Rancho Palos Verdes on a majestic seaside cliff.
http://www.terranea.com
If you are cruising from the Port of Los Angeles, be sure to schedule a few extra days to explore San Pedro. The historic downtown, the waterfront marketplace and the unique local attractions and eateries are something you don't want to miss!
Watch our video of San Pedro and the Port of Los Angeles below.
By Steven Skelley & Thomas Routzong. Copyright 2010 Sunny Harbor Publishing. Contact Us: PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956. Phone: 321-446-7552. Email: [email protected]
Keywords: Port of Los Angeles, San Pedro, Terranea, Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel, Warner Grand Theater, Spirit Cruises, Jayme Wilson, Pointe Vincente Lighthouse, San Pedro Trolley Red Car, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Los Angeles Maritime Museum, Off The Vine, Whale & Ale , San Pedro Brewing Company, Ports O' Call Restaurant, Ports O' Call Marketplace, Carol Martinez, LA Inc, Steven Skelley, Thomas Routzong,
