Places to Explore

• Big Bear Lake

  When Angelinos say they're going to the mountains, they usually mean Big Bear, where a collection of Alpine-style villages surrounds a 7-mi-long lake. The south shore of the lake is busy with ski slopes... (more)

• Claremont

  The seven Claremont colleges are among the most prestigious in the nation. The campuses are all laid out cheek-by-jowl; as you wander from one leafy street to the next, you won't be able to tell where... (more)

• Corona

  Corona's Temescal Canyon is named for the dome-shaped mud saunas that the Luiseño Indians built around the artesian hot springs in the early 19th century. Starting in 1860, weary Overland Stage... (more)

• Idyllwild

  Set in a valley halfway up Mount San Jacinto, Idyllwild has been a serene forested getaway for San Diegans and Angelinos for nearly a century. The town's simple, quiet lifestyle attracts artists and performers... (more)

• Lake Arrowhead

  Lake Arrowhead Village is an alpine community with lodgings, shops, outlet stores, and eateries that descend the hill to the lake. Outside the village, access to the lake and its beaches is limited to... (more)

• Oak Glen

  More than 60 varieties of apples are grown in Oak Glen. This rustic village, tucked in the foothills above Yucaipa, is home to acres of farms, produce stands, country shops, and homey cafés. The... (more)

• Ontario

  Ontario has a rich agricultural and industrial heritage. The valley's warm climate once supported vineyards that produced Mediterranean-grape varietals such as Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Zinfandel... (more)

• Pomona

  The green hills of Pomona, dotted with horses and houses, are perhaps best known as the site of the Los Angeles County Fair and of California State Polytechnic University-Pomona. Named for the Roman goddess... (more)

• Rancho Cucamonga

  Once a thriving wine-making area with more than 50,000 acres of wine grapes, Rancho Cucamonga—the oldest wine district in California—lost most of its pastoral charm after real-estate developers... (more)

• Redlands

  Redlands lies at the center of what once was the largest navel-orange-producing region in the world. Orange groves are still plentiful throughout the area. Populated in the late 1800s by wealthy citrus... (more)

• Riverside

  By 1882 Riverside was home to more than half of California's citrus groves, making it the state's wealthiest city per capita in 1895. The prosperity produced a downtown area of opulent architecture, which... (more)

• Temecula

  Temecula, with its rolling green vineyards, comfy country inns, and first-rate restaurants, is a fine alternative to Napa Valley if you can't make it up to Northern California. Now billing itself the "Southern... (more)