World Country Guide

Inland Empire

Larger than Rhode Island, Connecticut and Delaware combined, the Inland Empire ranges from the farmlands and orchards of the Santa Ana River Valley to the mountains and ski resorts of the north. The region’s varied landscape makes it popular with film makers, giving rise to its nickname, ‘Hollywood’s largest back lot’. Only an hour east of Los Angeles, the Inland Empire flourished after World War II and is now the fastest growing metropolitan area in the USA. Highlights of the region include California’s oldest vineyards in Rancho Cucamonga and the country’s newest vineyards in Temecula, as well as a variety of museums and the mountain resort of Big Bear Lake.
Known as the ‘friendly city’, San Bernardino combines big-city facilities with a small-town atmosphere. The California Theater of Performing Arts showcases classical music and light opera, while large-scale productions are held at the Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion. Seating 65,000, it is the country’s largest outdoor amphitheatre and attracts world-class entertainment. Held on weekends from May to June, the Renaissance Pleasure Faire recreates the festival atmosphere of Elizabethan times, with costume parades, contests and entertainment. The Route 66 Rendezvous, held annually in September, attracts 400,000 car buffs and classic vehicles which cruise through town.
South of San Bernardino at Redlands are the Marmalade Mansions, 300 restored Victorian homes built by residents who made their fortunes in the citrus industry, and the San Bernardino County Museum. The historic 1830 Asistencia Mision de San Gabriel, originally a mission outpost, was later used as a ranch. Northeast of Barstow is the Calico Ghost Town. Once one of the richest areas in California with more than 500 mines and 22 saloons, the town was deserted when the price of silver plummeted in 1907.
The famous Mission Inn in Riverside has long been a favourite with the rich and famous. Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart were guests, Richard and Pat Nixon were married here, and Ronald and Nancy Reagan began their honeymoon in the hotel’s Presidential Suite. This National Historic Landmark contains a museum with paintings, sculpture and furnishings from the Mission Inn collection and traces the development of Riverside since the 1870s. The Riverside Art Museum, designed by Julia Morgan, showcases works by Southern Californian artists. At the University of California, Riverside, visitors can stroll through the Botanic Gardens, 16 hectares (39 acres) of herb, rose and desert gardens, or the UCR/California Museum of Photography. The State Citrus Historic Park highlights how the citrus industry changed the history of Southern California.
Ontario International Airport (ONT) (website: www.lawa.org/ont) is only 64km (40 miles) from Los Angeles and is serviced by 13 airlines, including American Airlines, Continental, Delta and United, and carries over 6.5 million passengers annually. California’s largest entertainment and outlet mall, Ontario Mills, is found here. Other attractions include the indoor American Wilderness Zoo and Aquarium and Graber Olive House, an 1894 cannery and museum.
This year-round recreation resort sits 7000ft above sea level. Boating, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and jet-skiing in the summer, and skiing, snowboarding and other snow sports in the winter, make it a popular destination with outdoor enthusiasts. Attractions include the Alpine Slide at Big Bear’s Magic Mountain Recreation Area, a quarter-mile dry track, one of only three in the USA, and Moonridge Animal Park, which cares for injured, lost and endangered animals, including grizzly bears. For spectacular views, catch the scenic chair lift to the Snow Summit Mountain Resort.
Lake Arrowhead, west of Big Bear Lake, is also great for outdoor activities and water sports. Take a boat trip on the Arrowhead Queen to view the landscape and alpine-style homes that surround the lake, or visit the Ice Castle skating rink and Olympic training facility in Blue Jay.
Northwest of Big Bear Lake at Victorville is the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum, a frontier fortress full of mementos from the Western stars’ films and television shows, and the Route 66 Museum, displaying a collection of artefacts and photographs related to the famous highway.
The following is a selection of special events occurring in Inland Empire in 2005:
Apr-May (weekends) Ramona Pageant (an early Californian romance play performed on a mountainside), Ramona Bowl, Hemet. Apr 16-Jun 5 Renaissance Pleasure Faire, San Bernardino. Apr 24-25 Apple Blossom Festival, Oak Glen. Apr 30-May 31 Arts in the Country Festival, Temecula. May 7-15 San Bernardino County Fair, Victorville. May 21-22 Orange Blossom Festival, Riverside. May 26-30 National Orange Show, San Bernardino. Jun Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival. Jun 3-5 Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival, Temecula. Jun 25-26 Annual Lavender Festival, Temecula. Jul 4 Fireworks and Barbecue, Big Bear Lake. Sep-Oct Oktoberfest, Big Bear Lake. Sep 15-18 Route 66 Rendezvous, San Bernardino. Oct Grape Harvest Festival, Rancho Cucamonga. Oct 7-9 Calico Days (Old West celebration), Calico Ghost Town. Oct 8-16 Southern California Fair, Perris. Oct 28-30 Ghost Haunt, Calico Ghost Town. Nov 25-27 Calico Heritage Festival, Calico Ghost Town.