Okay, don't laugh. I am recovering from surgery and cannot drive. I decide last Wednesday to take the L.A. Subway for the first time since I moved here last August to go places.

I live in Koreatown, so I took the Purple Line from 4 stops from Wilshire/Western to 7th/Metro Center, and then switch to the Blue Line lightrail to go to Long Beach.

I bought a $5 day pass, which covered all my rides on the Metro system. The Purple Line used to be called a branch of the Red Line, but it got a separate color in 2006. Quite confusing because on many signs and brochures, this branch is still called the Red Line. [At 7th/Metro Center, I didn't see ANY sign for the Purple Line. One has know either Purple = Red, or that one's going towards Wilshire/Western.]

Second stupid thing is that there's no transfer on the Metro system if you buy a $1.25 single-ride ticket. This is one of few systems in the world where you don't get to transfer from one line of a subway to another for free. So, technically, you need to buy another ticket at Wilshire/Vermont, if you just want to go from Wilshire/Western to North Hollywood.

Third problem is the frequency of the trains. West of Wilshire/Vermont, the Red and the Purple trains are only once very 12 minutes. Even during rush hour! That is way too infrequent for a major city's subway system. In contrast, I often see the 720 Rapid bus on Wilshire every 5-6 minutes.

[In another recent thread, someone recommends some visitors to take the Red Line from Downtown to Hollywood and back, even though they have a car and are continuing to other areas in West L.A. later on. Since the ride is 20 minutes each way, plus up to 12 minutes to wait for the train, it's simply not a great idea.]

More later.

The transfer to the Blue Line at 7th/Metro Center is pretty easy. The Blue Line platforms is right above the Red/Purple platforms, at 90-degrees. Just like Metro Center in Washington DC.

The Blue Line is a light rail, similar to the Green Line in Boston. Trainsets are made by Nippon Sharyo, and they are surprisingly quiet and smooth, compared to various lightrail cars I've rode on. This line has very good ridership, and they run 3 sets (total 6 cars) together, every 8-10 minutes. Still, it was standing room only at various stretches.

I later found out that in the 18 years it's been in service, it has killed over 70 people, making it the deadliest lightrail system in the US by far. No surprise as most of the route is at grade, and it runs in the middle of the street just south of downtown L.A. and inside LB. That also means stopping at some stop lights as well. It takes just under an hour to get to Long Beach.

It was around 2pm when I got to the so-called "Transit Center" in downtown LB, at 1st and Pine. Yes, it was a weekday, but the place was absolutely dead. Very few pedestrian or vehicular traffic anywhere.

I walked out to the Rainbow Harbor area and had lunch at Island Burger (very good lunch deal), and then continue to walk along the water to the lighthouse, where I could see the Queen Mary. There were a couple of tall ships (sailings on weekends), and harbor cruises (about 3 sailings on that Wednesday, $12 for 45 minutes). And there's the Aquarium of the Pacific (~$25). The Aquabus that goes to the Queen Mary across the water was out until February.

Again, the area was very quiet. But also very pleasant to walk around, with many dining choices - though most are chains like P.F. Chang, Chilis, Outback, etc.

More...

Before I go on, I do want to point out that the Blue Line goes through some of the poorer parts of Southern California. It's not a pretty ride, and not much to see. But it is not unsafe.

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Now, one of the best things in LB is their Passport shuttles, which are free! The C shuttle goes from the transit center in downtown to the Rainbow Harbor, Aquarium and to the Queen Mary. Every 8-10 minutes, which is frequent enough.

I rode it to the Queen Mary and back. Because you need to pay for parking just to be "near" the QM, definitely take the Passport-C instead of driving out. [Or the $1 Aquabus if it's running.]

The QM is a hotel, but one can only pay to go inside and see some of its exhibits. There's also an old Russian sub, if one's interested. It's over $20 to just go inside the QM, but on the day I went, they had a sign that says "Califonia ID/DL holder FREE admissions". Not sure if that's only during off-season or what, but I didn't investigate and I didn't go in.

I took the Passport-C back, and walked around another side of the Rainbow Harbor called Shoreline Village with some more restaurants and shops. It was very very quiet, and a few of the shops seem to be on the edge of shutting down.

It was getting pretty late. Took another Passport-C back to the transit center, and took the Blue Line back to L.A., and switched to the Purple Line home.

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I found the LB harbor area to be very nice. It's like Inner Harbor in Baltimore - no surprise as it's developed by the same people. The Blue Line from L.A. was okay, while the free Passport shuttle at LB is great.

The Queen Mary is a really beautiful ship, with its classic lines. I think it's worth the trouble just to go down and take a look at it.

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My pictures are still being uploaded, but they will all be in this album:

http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/p627111773/

I've been thinking about taking a similar trip, but from south to north. Now I won't have to do it because your report tells me what it is like.

One of those Passport buses comes down here to Seal Beach, but I don't think it is free.

I've seen a bus on the PCH with a banner of San Clemente. I don't know where it originates, maybe Long Beach, or it may be an OCTA bus. Assume it must go down the PCH 43 miles from Seal Beach, thru Surf City, Newport Beach, etc. to SC. Would be a unique and cheap way to see the OC coast.

Then take the Pacific Surfliner from San Clemente back to Union Station.

Only the few Passport buses around downtown LB are free. The other Long Beach Transit buses are $0.90.

There are many transit authorities in Southern Cal, and each can go into others' territory. Pretty interesting, but can be confusing to some.

Anyways, I'm planning on either a day trip next week to Oceanside by commuter train, or an overnight trip to San Diego by the AMTRAK Pacific Surfliner.

And then thinking about Hawaii the week after. Airfare is under $400 from LAX.

Ray...glad you are feeling better!

Fares on Hawaiian Air are $149 each way LAX-HNL! $300 RT for many dates in Jan and Feb. Perfect time to come.

Yes, I see that fare, for $312 all in. Other airlines are slightly higher, but some have red-eye that give me more time; and can give me about 5,000 miles.

Still, I may just do a short 2-night trip at HNL... just for walking around a little bit.

You could also go to Santa Barbara on Amtrak as an overnight trip. It's $16-21 each way, takes 2.5-3 hours, and the SB Amtrak station is at the bottom of State Street near Stearns Wharf. SB has a pretty good transit system.

www.sbmtd.gov

BTW, the last time I took the Green and Blue Lines to downtown L.A., I think I paid a transfer fare ($1.35?) in each direction. I didn't buy four tickets.

Jean - I went to Santa Barbara with my sister just before my surgery. I thought about riding the train all the way to San Luis Obispo, but it's 5.5 hours, and it's not that easy to go around SLO without a car.

I cannot find info on transfer on the Metro system on any website. I'll check again next time at the station.

When I use the journey planner on the LA Metro website, it'll gives me the route and the fare for the trip.

Every time it involves a "transfer" (be it one bus to another, or one metro line to another), the total fare is shown as $2.50, which equals 2 rides.

I went to mta.net to see if I could figure out the fare I've paid. Ha! I think I've been buying a one-way metro plus metro-to-muni transfer. Wrong! Good thing I haven't been caught! I've never had my ticket checked, although I've seen the transit cops ask to see others' tickets. I must have an honest face.

We rode the Gold Line on New Year's Day from Union Station to Old Town Pasadena. They were selling tickets that day at a podium near the platform, and exact change was required. Well, my husband and I only had dollar bills (no coins), so they sold us two tickets for $1 each. Bargain!

A bit off-topic, but since we're talking about exact change for the LA public transportation, here's my 2 more cents:

1) The LA Metro should really come up with some sort of stored-value card (like Metrocard in NYC, Charlie card in Boston), where you can load a certain $ onto the card, and when you board a bus, the card reader will automatically deduct the fare from the card. During my stay in LA, I was hoarding dollar bills and quarters all the time so that I won't run out of change when I take the bus.

2) The FlyAway Bus from Westwood/UCLA to LAX does not give change. The bus driver said it's policy, so even though he had a handful of dollar bills (it was $4 one-way, but I think the new fare for 2009 is $5), he said he could not make change. I ended up handing him two $1 bills and the rest in quarters. OTOH, the FlyAway Bus from Union Station does give change. The only difference there is there is an actual ticket office so it's not the bus driver who is accepting the fares.

yk, the TAP card is coming. Very slowly! I can't tell whether it will cover the FlyAway buses, but I'm guessing it will.

http://www.metro.net/news_info/press/Metro_205.htm

The TAP is in use, but one can only get it with a monthly pass for like $60+. I don't see a way to get it for cheap/free.

I think when it's fully implemented, it will be like a Starbuck's card. You'll be able to load dollars whenever necessary.

rk, have you tried LGB yet?

yk, the bus driver was just giving you his policy of accepting the $1 change from a fiver as a tip when the fare was $4. No reason to ever tip him in the future.

No, only airport in Southern California I've used is LAX.