The Grande Dame of the Sea

Memorial Day Weekend was a memorable getaway for me.

Good morning, it's Sara Celi.

Once again, I found myself in sunny SoCal, but it will be my last visit there for awhile. So, naturally, Sean and I had to make this one count.

One of the things we did was visit the Queen Mary. She's docked in Long Beach and open daily for public tours. We'd both talked about seeing this historic cruise ship, but wanted to wait until a warm day to make the trip.

Saturday proved the perfect choice. Sean and I spend the afternoon walking the ships grand decks, exploring her art deco beauty, and lunching in the dining room where the famous and rich used to take their meals. If you don't know her history, the Queen Mary launched in 1936, and was considered by may to be "the only way to travel". She sailed the world for more than 40 years before docking in Long Beach. As you walk around the ship, you get the distinct smell of antique wood mixed with salty sea air.

She's a gorgeous ship, and a must see.

Plus, there's a pretty good ghost tour that takes you through the bowls and furnaces on board. It's not for the easily scared, but it's fun.