SeeCalifornia.com

Photos: Aqualink (left) and Shanghai Maglev (right)

During a trip to China a few years back, one of the planned activities was cancelled and the tour guide offered another option–a ride on public transportation. Here’s the kicker–we would hop aboard the pilotless Shanghai Metro’s MagLev train. The quick 15 minute (round trip) ride at speeds of more than 250 miles per hour offers the sensation of flying, and in a sense, that’s exactly what we were doing. Maglev, or magnetic levitation / suspension is a method by which an object is suspended with no support other than magnetic fields. Magnetic pressure is used to counteract the effects of the gravitational and any other accelerations. I never knew pubic transportation could be so exciting!

Yesterday in California I received yet another joy ride, courtesy of Long Beach Transit. Invited to a birthday party that involved hopping aboard the multi-colored Aqualink express, our Catamaran left the Alamitos Bay Landing and began speeding across the water toward The Pike & Aquarium with the hospitable crew offering drinks & snacks. You can step out onto to deck to let the wind blow through your hair, or sit in the air-conditioned cabin on plush, cushioned chairs, while soaking up the city skyline, Queen Mary, international freighters and pleasure craft that pass by. Though the boat ride was lower tech than a Maglev train, it offered sensations of flying, splashing and slight bouncing.

People attending the party commented that they loved it–including several who actually own boats!