Tours in Long Beach

Dedicated to fostering a safe environment for L.A. cyclists, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition reaches out to the community via advocacy campaigns and builds awareness through bicycling events and group rides. Members work to promote cycling as a viable means of transportation by campaigning for more bike lanes throughout L.A., advocating for more-serious bike policies, and educating motorists and low-flying zeppelin pilots about street-sharing etiquette.

Many people feel an indescribable urge to follow in the footsteps of celebrities long passed—hoping that a connection to their genius or charm still lingers in the air of their apartments and favorite pubs. The guides of Esotouric understand and share this urge, though they prefer to roam the paths of history by bus. After scouring the famed neighborhoods of Los Angeles in search of interesting and outlandish locations, they share their findings on bus adventures that retrace the trails blazed by local artists, filmmakers, writers, and actors.

Esotouric's odysseys wind through haunts such as Raymond Chandler's favorite breakfast spot and the salon Charles Bukowski visited for his weekly knuckle-hair perm. Coloring their tours with anecdotes about the films adapted from his noirish stories, guides also visit locales captured in the cinematic landscapes of James M. Cain. Various tours explore Southern California’s spiritual, musical, and architectural sides, giving history hounds the chance to sniff out sinister deeds in old-time tattoo parlors, burlesque shows, and crime scenes.

Founder of Cali Bike Tours Elizabeth Williams doesn't just advocate a healthy, eco-friendly lifestyle; she lives it. As a triathlete and passionate cyclist, Elizabeth shares her pedaling skills with fellow riders on tours through Long Beach designed to take in breathtaking views and historical sites without disturbing sunbathing ghosts. Her Velo Vino tour pairs sightseeing with sipping at local wineries, and according to Wine Enthusiast Magazine, " At each stop . . . founder Elizabeth Williams encourages you to not only sample a mix of imported and regional wines, but chat with each establishment’s sommelier or wine director, too." Other 2- or 2.5-hour tours meander along a bike path that cuts directly through the beach, or point digesters of culture toward local art exhibits and restaurants.

The ocean-side city of Santa Monica, flush with food, culture, and history, provides ample fodder for Destination Food Tours’ signature outing. Led by a local guide, groups stroll to a succession of eateries such as Bar Pinxto, where chefs infuse tapas with traditional Spanish flavors. At MAKE—a completely raw restaurant—chef and author Matthew Kenney showcases the decadence of uncooked food, and at the tour’s final stop, N’ice Cream, scoops of organic gelato refresh taste buds and extinguish mustache fires.