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Brian Stevens
San Bernardino Museums
San Bernardino Museums
Discover local and natural history and see art from around the world at area museums
Two local museums let you experience everything from the natural side of the Inland Empire to the treasures of ancient Egypt.
The San Bernardino County Museum offers a look at the area’s past, with exhibits of Native American crafts, and displays of mining equipment, lumber wagons, and a steam locomotive that helped build the Inland Empire. The museum also commemorates the area’s citrus heritage and celebrates its natural environment with desert gardens and The Exploration Station, a gallery with live animals.
At Cal State University San Bernardino, the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art spans the millennia. It boasts more than 500 artifacts tracing 4,000 years of Egyptian history, as well impressive collections of ancient Mediterranean ceramics and contemporary art.
Discover the Inland Empire
With its inviting destinations and uncrowded wilderness, this region feels like an insider’s secret amid the bustling excitement of Southern California.
Mount San Gorgonio—nicknamed “Old Grayback”—is the tallest peak in Southern California, at 11,502 feet/3,506 meters.
Surprising alpine scenery around Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear beckons, with pine-scented trails in summer and winter sports when the snow flies. If you’re into action, get the adrenaline rush of seeing the world’s best NASCAR racers compete at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. For a dreamier escape, float in a hot-air balloon above rolling Temecula Valley wine country.
Chip Morton/Alamy
Spotlight: Temecula Valley
The Inland Empire area offers under-the-radar wine finds, locavore cuisine, and rolling scenery
A historic town square surrounded by vineyards and rolling hills, with mountains rising in the distance: The...
Chon Kit Leong/Alamy
Road Trip: Inland Empire’s Rim of the World
Drive this picturesque route through the Inland Empire
A short drive from the surf and sand of Southern California, an entirely different landscape emerges: the mountains, lakes, and scenery of the...
John Bilous
Riverside
Visit this Inland Empire city to learn about its citrus past, stay in a world-famous inn, and tour gardens and galleries
Sixty miles east of Los Angeles, Riverside boasts a number of firsts, including...
SPECIAL FEATURE
There are tons of reasons why you might plan a winter trip to Big Bear. Here are some you might not have thought of
With plenty of groomed runs and terrain parks at Big Bear Lake’s two alpine resorts, Bear Mountain and Snow Summit, it’s easy to see why skiers and boarders head here when the snow flies. But this...
Courtesy of Big Bear Mountain Resorts
Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa in Corona is home to Club Mud, California’s only therapeutic red clay mud bath.
Ron Thomas/Getty Images
Temecula Valley Wine Country
Taste your way through Southern California's leading wine region
For many visitors, the Temecula Valley Wine Country is a surprise. After...
SPECIAL FEATURE
Kid-friendly fun zones, special kids' menus & amazing wine for the grownups
Sure wine country is romantic, but now it’s a surprisingly great destination for families too, with a growing number of vineyards trading in elegant tasting rooms for kid-friendly fun zones that...
John/Flickr
Temecula Valley is known for its variety, growing and producing over 50 different varietals of wine; from Cabernet Sauvignon to Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot to Mourvedre, Viognier to Chardonnay.
Big Bear Lake
Escape to Southern California’s mountain wonderland
Just two hours from Los Angeles, the San Bernardino Mountains offer a cool, pine-scented escape. At an altitude of 6,759 feet (2,060 meters), Big...
Dave Lauridsen
Route 66
Get your kicks on America’s legendary highway
Back in its glory days, Route 66 began in Chicago and ended along the bluffs overlooking the Pacific, a 2,451-mile journey through farmlands,...
Courtesy of Auto Club Speedway
Auto Club Speedway
Rev up for racing action at this classic track
Whether you’re into NASCAR or drag racing, Auto Club Speedway delivers all kinds of thrills for fans of powerful cars and high-speed action. The 2...
March
Get into the checkered-flag spirit at this big and loud NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. Cheer for your favourite drivers as they zoom for the front in this 5-wide race event. The action kicks off...
Courtesy of Auto Club Speedway
Start your trip in this idyllic oceanfront city, bounded by a 3.5-mi/5.6-km-long beach, and feeling more like a weekend getaway spot than a city just a few minutes west of downtown Los Angeles. Car-free options, including a shuttle to Los Angeles International Airport (8 miles/13 km south) make...
On your way to this park, you’ll pass through the little community of Borrego Springs. Stop in at the town’s visitor center to get driving maps to an astounding collection of enormous prehistoric animals—metal sculptures made by artist Ricardo Breceda—that dot the surrounding desert landscape....
May/June
Hot-air ballooning is a popular activity in Temecula year-round—but every June, it becomes just a...
The first Balloon and Wine Festival was launched in the spring of 1984 and was a monumental success for a town of only 9,000 residents. More than 4,000 people attended, as 35 balloons were launched from the Rancho California Plaza.
Harriot Manley/ Sunset Publishing
Inland Empire Outlets
Find bargains on brand names at major outlet centers
The only thing better than scoring the perfect outfit or designer shoes is to get them for a bargain price. That’s why shopping in the Inland...
SPECIAL FEATURE
Where to release your inner fashionista
Shopping is an art form in California. Whether you're in search of the perfect cocktail dress or an authentic Mexican piñata, you'll find it here. Want to sample fresh produce? Try our farmers...
Courtesy of Mission Inn
Mission Inn Hotel & Spa
Old world romance, contemporary comforts
Lavish and elegant, Riverside’s Mission Inn Hotel & Spa combines Old World romance...
SPECIAL FEATURE
Where to save on Gucci, Versace, and other big-name brands
With bucket-list magnets like Rodeo Drive and Union Square, California has undeniable star power when it comes to shopping. But all those fashion finds and gifts for everyone back home don’t have...
Robert Sheie/Flickr
Brian Stevens
Idyllwild
Nature and the arts find a perfect balance in this quaint mountain hamlet
Backed by mountain wilderness and filled with galleries, Idyllwild is a haven for both outdoor recreation and the arts.
Steep forested...
San Bernardino National Forest is the largest urban forest in the United States.
Alex Farnum
Lake Arrowhead
Escape to an exclusive mountain haven
The drive from San Bernardino to Lake Arrowhead is a quick one—just 23 miles/37 km. But as you twist and climb from the busy valley and into the...
Discover the Inland Empire
Dozens of artisan beer makers have sprung up all over this sunny region of Southern California. Riverside and the...
Discover the Inland Empire
Pack a picnic lunch (think hearty sandwiches and hot chocolate in a thermos) and trek on snowshoes on the region’s network of beautiful trails—the easy Town Trail is a...
Spotlight: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
The desert ecosystem can be a subtle one, with what seems to be hard scrabble and cacti in fact being a rich habitat filled with unique plants and animals supremely...