On July 28, more than 70 members from a few Southern California congregations enjoyed a private two-hour cruise, a narrated educational tour of the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports. Combined, these two ports make up the nation’s biggest cargo container hub and handle 40 percent of the nation’s import trade. The cruise tour was organized by the Garden Grove congregation but was open to members of the Los Angeles and Redlands congregations.

This was a great opportunity for many who have lived in this area for years, yet have never toured these ports. It took 40 years of hauling a seemingly endless amount of rocks from nearby Catalina Island to build the huge breakwater around the two harbors. We were wowed by the size of the oil supertankers, the container ships and the huge facilities to handle the delivery and distribution of the cargo. Other points of interest we passed included the Terminal Island federal prison, cruise ship terminals, large bridges, the RMS Queen Mary ocean liner from the 1930s and the World War II battleship USS Iowa. We were treated to an assortment of wildlife—sea lions basking in the sun on buoys, harbor seals and pelicans.

This was a memorable combination for a church activity—good fellowship and relaxation, all while learning so much about these fascinating ports and the important role they play in our nation’s trade.