long beach

Two parades and a movie house

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged holidays 2025 / long beach / outfits / seal beach by

pictured: street scene Seal Beach before holiday parade / pesto pizza from “Slice of New York Pizza” on main street in Seal Beach / wearing: sunglasses / earrings / stripe tee / jeans / sneakers / nail polish / handbag / tote bag /

My daughter was marching in two holiday parades, so I made a quick trip down to Long Beach to cheer her on! The first parade was the holiday parade in Seal Beach. We parked in the beach lot and walked to Main Street where people had already set out chairs two rows deep by 3pm. So, we went back to the car, got our chairs from the trunk, and set up our third row spot. This was a crowded and festive parade!

Thankfully we were right in the middle of the fun and across the street from a pizza by the slice place, so dinner at our chairs it was! The pizza was yummy and we waited patiently for four hours to watch the parade. We brought our heavy coats and blankets since it gets quite chilly once the sun goes down.

If you plan to go next year, get there early with your chairs!

pictured: holiday decorations Belmont Shores in Long Beach / sushi from @Sushi / cookies from Foodology / wearing: sunglasses / earrings / black tee / scarf / jeans / sneakers / nail polish / handbag / tote bag /

Holiday parade number two was in Belmont Shores, Long Beach. After learning from the night before, we got down there at 2pm. Although there were signs stating no chairs until 4pm, people had claimed the front row by 3pm. Thankfully we were prepared and right there with them! We enjoyed a sushi meal near our chairs and then warm, freshly baked cookies at our chairs. What a fun parade!

Pro tip: free parking outside the beach parking lots. Loved that!

wearing: sunglasses / earrings / sweater / nail polish / jeans / handbag / sneakers /

OK, no trip to Long Beach is complete without fan-girling just a little bit. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of my favorite movies, so we found Ferris’s house and snapped a quick tourist pic in front of it. Hopefully the owners don’t mind. We were super quick and stayed on the street.

What I learned from this road trip: Arrive to parades four hours early to get good spots for your chairs. Bring water bottles and enjoy eating at your chairs. Wear sneakers since you will be walking a small distance with gear from your car to the spot you squat in. Have fun and make sure your phone battery is charged!

Looking forward to next year!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy the holiday parades this year in your area.

XOXO

Cathy

pictured below: phone case / coffee and brunch at Zuzu’s Petals in Long Beach /

Cool summer day in Long Beach

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged long beach / outfits / summer 2025 by

From top: Coconut foam iced coffee from Trung Nguyen E-Coffee / Pack A Bowl / wearing: sunglasses / statement earrings / black knit top / purple nail polish / caramel top handle bag / classic cut jeans (old, also love this pair) / black flats / Bottom Photo: Sushi Mafia /

I took a quick trip to Long Beach for some business and got to enjoy a meal at my favorite sushi place in Long Beach, Sushi Mafia. They have a huge menu with so many choices! I try to order a different special roll every time I go. So yummy!

The weather was mild, so I was able to wear this knit top with classic cut jeans. My top is on major sale by the way! Love that!

We stayed at the Westin Long Beach and it was really nice. We could easily walk to restaurants downtown, as well as the beach. It was a quick trip for a couple days and we drove, so it felt like I spent quite a bit of time driving on highway 5. haha

I know I will be back to Long Beach soon, so I wanted to share a few of my favorite places with you! Trung Nguyen E-Coffee is located by Long Beach State Univ. and offers varieties of tea and coffee. It is really good! Also, if you like acai bowls, Pack-A-Bowl is a short distance by car from the University and has an option to build your own bowl; which is what I did. Yum! Lastly, if you like sushi, Sushi Mafia downtown has a large menu and is always yummy. Love!

Well, summer vacation has another month and fall is hitting stores, so stay tuned for more coverage of both!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Places to eat in Long Beach California

 in Travel  tagged long beach / restaurants by

Pictured: Bruschetta from Utopia

Our trip to Long Beach was short and sweet, but that does not mean we didn’t find plenty of yummy places to eat during our stay. We usually try to stay away from chain restaurants we can eat at home. So, we scour the internet and read the reviews of places we want to try. I was able to find a few fabulous restaurants which I am featuring here and are worthy of your time! Next time you are in Long Beach, be sure to try these restaurants! In my opinion, these are the best restaurants in Long Beach, California.

Best Breakfast: East Village Cafe

The coffee always tastes better at independent coffee shops, and the East Village Cafe is no different. They had the freshest brew and many different types of coffee drinks to choose from. I enjoyed a classic latte while my oldest is a vanilla latte kind of girl and my middle child enjoys getting something new and different every day. She loved everything she ordered! Do you know what else we loved? The food! They make the fluffiest, freshest, most delicious eggs! Love! East Village Cafe is a must-try next time you are in Long Beach.

Also want to add: love the local vibe and friendly faces who work there.

Best Lunch: Long Beach Taco Company

Tacos! This place has delicious food in every category. My favorite were the seasoned pork tacos. Long Beach Taco Company is a must-try next time you are in Long Beach. My daughter also loved the Jalapeno Poppers. Yum!

Best Dinner: Thai District

Thai District is tucked around the corner from its’ address, so while slightly tricky to find for tourists like us, it was worth the confusion. The food was SO GOOD! I highly recommend adding toasted tofu and getting your spice level to at least a two. In addition to delicious food, the service was amazing. Everyone was so nice and helpful! The waiter talked us into moving the spice level to a two and I am so happy he did. The rice was perfect, as was everything else. We also enjoyed a chicken curry dish which isn’t pictured. This is a must-eat-at place in Long Beach! Love!

Also Loved: Utopia

Feeling fancy yet chill? Utopia is your place! I would definitely eat dinner here again. The mushroom risotto was to-die-for, and my daughter’s tiramisu was amazing. I highly recommend enjoying your dinner on the patio under the vine canopy. It was relaxing and chill.

Also Loved: Parker Lighthouse

You have to have dinner on the pier at least once! Parker Lighthouse is the best place for both a delicious meal and waterfront views. My daughter had the cauliflower steak and she told me it was absolutely delicious. She would love to have it again! I enjoyed clam chowder and sushi, which were both tasty. I highly recommend indulging one night at Parkers Lighthouse.

Well, there’s my list! We ate at several additional restaurants, but these were our favorites, and the ones we would visit again. I hope you enjoy your trip to Long Beach!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

pictured below: dessert at Utopia