Page 187 - 2015 Travel Guide to California

INSIDER’S
»
TIP
Since 1949, drivers on historic
Route 66 have noticed the
WIGWAM MOTEL, once encircled
by San Bernardino orange
groves. Today, you can check into
this icon of roadside Americana,
one of only three remaining.
Arranged around a kidney-
shaped swimming pool, these
remodeled, 30-foot-tall, free-
standing concrete tepees have
wifi and air-conditioning.
wigwammotel.com
industry began. Since 1880, the Mission
Inn has hosted U.S. presidents and
delighted travelers with a Hearst Castle-
like eclectic mix of Spanish and Moorish
architecture, adorned with priceless
Italian and Spanish treasures.
In Temecula, the Temecula Valley
Museum explores local history, including
Luiseno Indian culture during the Mission
San Luis Rey period, the Spanish ranchos
era, the impact of stagecoaches and the
railroad, and the area’s growth as a major
citrus industry capital. Exhibits tell these
stories through handcrafted artifacts, doc-
uments, ranch equipment, photographs
and other objects.
Family Fun
The fun begins with silly science at Pen-
nypickle’s Workshop in the Children’s
Museum. Tom’s Farms offers kids an 1800s
steam train, a real gem mine and pony
rides. Explore local citrus history in the
California Citrus State Historical Park’s
working orchards and then hike on the
scenic trails surrounding the groves.
SEELEY CREEK near Lake
Arrowhead, left; Big Bear
Lake, below.
DRIVE
»
TOUR
RIM OF THE WORLD SCENIC
BYWAY: This 107-mile scenic
drive begins on State Highway
138 just west of I-15 at the
MORMON ROCK FIRE
STATION. Travel east on 138 to
the CAJON PASS OVERLOOK
for breathtaking views, then
east to SILVERWOOD LAKE
and the Mojave River basin. 138 merges with 18 along the rim of the San
Bernardino forest and provides sweeping vistas of San Bernardino,
Redlands and the Los Angeles Basin. At BIG BEAR LAKE DAM, follow the
road around Big Bear Lake to MILL CREEK RANGER STATION. This tour
can be done in four hours.
2015 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A 185