Discover Riverside County
The kids are out of school for two weeks. The weather may not be hot but is certainly comfortable enough for most outdoor activities. There are many family activities that will appeal to all ages but the best place to get into the Christmas spirit is at the Mission Inn. Wander the hotel and the grounds and enjoy the lights. It's all free.
Los Angeles has a lot to offer but for something a little different, try Riverside County. There are great places to stay and wonderful things to see and do. Southern California residents looking for a Staycation, should consider some of the suggestion listed here. There may not be time to do them all.
Los Angeles has a lot to offer but for something a little different, try Riverside County. There are great places to stay and wonderful things to see and do. Southern California residents looking for a Staycation, should consider some of the suggestion listed here. There may not be time to do them all.
Mission Inn
Historic downtown Riverside
Given a choice of places to stay at Christmas time, the Mission Inn is a prime choice. The well-appointed hotel is one of the hot spots in the area. It offers packages that are slightly pricey but well worth it.
- Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn
- The Mission Inn in Riverside, CA is more than just a destination. Families come from everywhere at Christmas to see the historic hotel covered in lights. Each year there is a lighting ceremony. Carolers in Victorian dress stroll the grounds, entertaining visitors. The Inn sits in a two block area that is closed to vehicle traffic. There are many fun shops to wander through. There is an ice-skating rink and vendors galore. Horse drawn carriages tour the Mission Inn area with interesting facts about the historical buildings. This is a family Christmas tradition for many and they return year after year.
The Perris Railroad Station Museum and the Orange Empire Railway Museum
These two attractions should be seen together. They are close to each other and their past is tied together.
- The Perris Railroad Museum
- The history of the station and the people it served is detailed here.
- Orange Empire Railway Museum
- A short five miles from the Railroad Station, the Orange Empire Railway Museum is a train lovers delight. Plan to be entertained for hours walking the train barn seeing the restorations. Ride different trolleys and trains around the grounds. Let the kids ring all the railroad crossing signals. Great family entertainment. Thomas the Train is a yearly visitor.
Grand reopening of the Perris Raillroad Station
Riverside County is a very big place
Western Center for Archaeology and Paleontology, Hemet California
Well worth a visit
- Western Center for Archaeology and Paleontology, Hemet California
- This is a great place for kids. There are several interactive displays and the kids also get to create a dinosaur bone. These fossils were discovered when the Metropolitan Water District decided to create another water source for the area. Mammoth roamed our area. How exciting!
Pennypickles Workshop - Children's Museum - Temecula, CA
Where everyone can be a kid
- Pennypickles Workshop
- Great museum for children. Great museum for parents. Touch everything, play with everything. This small museum is crammed full of fun things to do.
Visit Temecula
- Temecula, CA
Palm Springs, CA
A travel destination on its own
Palm Springs is a destination that many people head for during Christmas vacation. It is probably the warmest "hot spot" destination in Riverside County. However, there are many other things to see and do in the area.
- More things to do in Riverside County
- All the side trips from Palm Springs are with an hours drive. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is just north of the town. If you come in on Hwy 111, you have to pass it on your way in. t The Desert Hills Premium Outlet boasts such stores as Prada, Dior, Boss, Gucci and Giorgio Armani. It that was not enough, there is the Cabazon Outlets right next door. The Morongo Casino is not hard to miss. The Wheel Inn is a slice of Americana where the food is wholesome and the restaurant itself a museum. Claude Bell who ran the Wheel Inn built two dinosaurs on the property. Right down the road is Hadley's Date Farm, the place of the date shakes. Just past Hwy 111 on the 10 freeway, is the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm. It's almost futuristic. More information on these great side trips is provided in the link.
Every time we take our family out of town, we stop at the Wheel Inn. The food is good but not a year has gone by that we don't have pictures of our children and now grandchild taken with the dinosaurs. Some people mark height on the wall, we have dinosaurs.
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