Our next stop on our #CaliforniaWeekends road trip took us to Long Beach, California to The Westin Long Beach. A trip to Catalina Island was on the itinerary as part of the hotel’s Catalina Island package, but the ferry times didn’t work with our timeline, so we changed plans and explored Shoreline Village and the “Retro Row” vintage shopping district on 4th Long Beach instead. While The Westin Long Beach definitely caters to business travelers, the spacious rooms and suites, proximity to the Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach waterfront make it very easy to stay in Long Beach with kids. Here’s how we spent the day at the Westin Long Beach:
A leisurely morning in the Westin Long Beach spacious rooms and suites
The Westin Long Beach is definitely geared towards the business convention crowd, but the spacious executive suites and connecting rooms made traveling with kids super comfortable. After three intense days at Disneyland, we pulled the black-out shades and all caught up on some much needed rest, nestled in the slumber of our Westin Heavenly Beds. 
Rent a Surrey at Shoreline Village
The Shoreline Village Boardwalk is just 2 blocks from the hotel, with an endless amount of shops, bike rentals and places to eat that will keep your family busy for hours. We rented a beach surrey (a four-wheeled bike) and peddled down the Long Beach boardwalk past a volleyball tournament and stopped to play in the sand. Back at Shoreline Village, you can grab a funnel cake at The Funnel House and watch the boats come in and out of the harbor. On September 14 from 1-7pm, the annual Long Beach Pirate Festival will return to Rainbow Harbor with fun activities for families.
Shop 4th Street Long Beach “Retro Row”
After lunch we headed to the 4th Street Long Beach, otherwise known as “Retro Row” to check off one of my Expedia Viewfinder A-Z California Road trip bucket list trips. There are only a handful of shops on this short street between Cherry and Junipero Ave, filled with mid-century modern, retro furniture, clothes and collectibles. The kids had fun seeing vintage Smurf lunchboxes, Dad looked at old records, and I found my happy place with the furniture and vintage clothes. I will definitely be back to do some serious shopping (and shipping!) While all of the vintage stores had fabulous stuff, our favorite was the small boutique, inretrospect. Check it out on your next trip to Long Beach!
Disclosure: We received complimentary accommodations at the Westin Long Beach and have an ongoing consulting agreement with Starwood Hotels and Resorts. We were not required to express any opinions about our stay. As always, the opinions here are our own.