Spending the Day with Darla in California's Inland Empire

Darla offered to give us a tour of her "neighborhood," east of Las Angeles.  And away we go...

We start out clowning around

in downtown Riverside.

The Riverside County Courthouse

was built in 1903 - 1904.

To me, it looks like a palace 

built to the ideals of justice.

Riverside's current City Hall.

It was built in 1975.

Gingerbread Eric 

Darla is a natural-born tour guide.  We are getting an insider's view of California's Inland Empire.  

The Old City Hall, built in the

Spanish Colonial Revival Style

served the public from 1924

to 1975.

Eric got this picture of

Riverside's pedestal

clock.

Riverside is decorating for

Christmastime.

Darla tells us about Riverside's annual Festival of Lights.  It must be amazing to walk around downtown Riverside among the displays.  The multinight wonderland draws hundreds of thousands of people.  

The Citizens Business Bank

has Spanish features.

Riverside's official symbol sits

atop this light pole.

The Raincross is the combination

of a Mission Mass Bell & the

cross used by the Navaho when

they prayed for rain.

The facades of older buildings

are incorporated into newer

construction.

The Riverside Theater hosted a

Preview showing of Gone With

The Wind on September 9, 1939.

This historic Movie and Vaudeville Theater opened in 1929.  Future movies were previewed here for Riverside's small-town audience before final editing.  Hollywood producers and directors were able to get reactions from their largest demographic of moviegoers without traveling far from their studios.

The Mission Inn hosted Presidents

social leaders & celebrities. 

It's also been a film location.

The Old Library is readying for its

opening as the Cheech Marin

 Center for Chicano Art & Culture

 next year.

Darla, Eric & I admire this

mid 1960s Volvo P1800 S.

Simon Templar, the main character in The Saint TV Series drove a Volvo P1800.  I'm sure the suave character's choice of ride helped sell Volvo's Sportscar. 

I love the Japanese Gazebo

at White Park.

Riverside honors American

Indian & Japanese Culture.

Darla brought us to The Bruery

in Placentia, Southern California's 

tasting wonderland for beer drinkers.

We worked up an appetite and went to Anchos for...

... Cadillac Margaritas &

delicious Southwestern

food.

We ate Ribs with Fajitas.

It was amazing!

Thank you, Darla, for sharing your neighborhood with us.  Eric and I had a great time hanging out with you!

Southeast! To Lytle Creek, California

Today's drive is 2 hours long.   Eric drives and I take pictures.

We return to California

State Route 14.

Today's route takes us north for a bit before turning east and eventually south.  

 

We take the exit to California 

State Route 138 South & ... 

... pass a group of motorcyclists

on the side of the road.

Within 5 minutes the riders

are passing us.

Littlerock's Water Tower

My first sighting of 

Joshua Trees.

Charlie Brown Farms

Joshua Trees can grow to 

40 feet in height.

We see different rock

 formations as we

 travel southeast.

Our route continues on 

Interstate 15 South 

for a few miles.

This is a major North/South

Route in California.

We take the ramp to

Interstate 215 South.

Eric takes the Sierra

 Avenue Exit.

The rest of today's

 drive is on minor

 roads.

The relentless west wind 

ruffles the Palm Trees' 

fronds.

Today's route takes us

 through the San Bernadino

 National Forest

Lytle Creek Road parallels

Lytle Creek through the

San Bernadino Mountains.

There are very few places to

pull over on this road.

Eric & I return to Mountain 

Lakes RV Resort.

We are fortunate to set up

camp in one of the few

 untreed campsites.

We have 30 amp electric service with water and sewer hookups.  

The power has just been turned back on.  PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric Company) shuts off the electricity when the Santa Ana Winds are blowing hard.   High winds can cause the wires on the electrical towers to sway.  The moving wires can touch each other and sometimes create sparks which can start fires in drought-stricken California.   

The 2018 Camp Fire was started by sparking electrical wires.  153,335 acres burned, over 18,000 structures burned, and 85 people died.  It was just one of the 8,527 fires that occurred in 2018.  Total acres burned that year - 1,893,913 acres.  

This is the first time Eric and I have been in California when the winds are blowing hard.  Our electric setup allows the motorhome to use energy collected by the Solar Panels on our roof when the power is off.  Eric and I will keep up on Red Flag Wind Alerts in our area and watch our electric panel during this stay. 

Our Drive Southeast to Acton, California

Our drive starts on Santa Clara County Route G8.

 Pumpkins sitting in a field after

Halloween.

We turn onto California State Route 152 East.

There's fog in low-lying areas.

Cattle graze near a pond.

This is my favorite photo from today's drive.

Dense Fog In Area

Reduce Speed

The rolling hills are dotted with

trees.

The San Luis Reservoir 

State Recreation Area

Our route takes us onto

Interstate 5 South.

Stay Safe

Get Your Booster

Visit My Turn

Shortly after this sign, Eric and I swap drivers.

A shot of me driving

The figure on horseback is

eyecatching.

He's part of the advertisement

for Bravo Farms.

The air reeks!   What is causing this foul smell?

The Stockyards

An Oil Derrick towers above

farm fields.

Traveling south with Tractor

Trailers.

Following signs to California State

Route 14 & Palmdale.

A Frankentree 

Our Exit to Soledad Canyon Road

is coming up...

We weave our way through

the mountains...

... & through a tunnel.

Driving on a bridge over a

moving freight train.

Eric & I return to Thousand

Trails Soledad Canyon RV &

Camping Resort.

This is our second stay and we will again camp in Section N because the other areas have many trees.  That's not where people with Satellite TV will get reception.   Section N has very few trees and lots of open skies to search for TV satellites.

The 4th campsite we chose 

has reliable electricity.

The first 3 had faulty electric

podiums.

During our first stay here in February 2020, Eric and I had to move campsites repeatedly because of bad electrical podiums.  The problem persists.