A Weekend in San Bernardino – My Two-Day Itinerary
Two days is enough to get a useful feel for San Bernardino without pretending you have seen the entire Inland Empire. I would divide the weekend between the city’s Route 66 story and the mountains above it. Day one: Route 66 Start with the Original McDonald’s Site, then follow the Route 66 theme through town. […]
The Arrowhead – The Symbol Above San Bernardino
Look toward the mountains from San Bernardino and you may notice a huge arrowhead-shaped formation on the slope. It is one of the city’s most distinctive natural landmarks and has been associated with the area for generations. The shape is visible because vegetation and geology create a lighter patch against the surrounding mountainside. Local stories […]
Wigwam Motel – Sleep in a Route 66 Landmark
Few Route 66 accommodations announce themselves as clearly as the Wigwam Motel. Its concrete teepee-shaped rooms are pure roadside Americana: unusual, photogenic and impossible to confuse with a standard interstate hotel. The San Bernardino property is one of the surviving Wigwam Villages from the golden age of American automobile travel. Today it is a Route […]
California Theatre – A Piece of Old San Bernardino
The California Theatre of the Performing Arts is one of the buildings that hints at an older, more glamorous side of downtown San Bernardino. Opened in the 1920s, it belongs to the great era of ornate American movie palaces and live entertainment venues. If there is a performance during your stay, seeing the interior while […]
San Bernardino History & Railroad Museum
To understand San Bernardino, spend some time with its railroad history. The city grew as an important transportation center, and the San Bernardino History & Railroad Museum gives that story a physical home inside the historic Santa Fe Depot. The depot itself is part of the attraction. It recalls an era when rail travel shaped […]
The Original McDonald’s Site – A Surprisingly Fun Stop
You do not need to be fascinated by fast food to enjoy the Original McDonald’s Site in San Bernardino. This is where Richard and Maurice McDonald developed the restaurant operation that eventually became one of the world’s most recognizable brands. The original restaurant is gone and the site is not operated by today’s McDonald’s Corporation. […]
Route 66 in San Bernardino – Following the Mother Road
Route 66 is one of the strongest reasons to include San Bernardino on a Southern California road trip. The historic highway reached the city on its way toward Los Angeles, and traces of that roadside era still give the area much of its character. Look beyond the road sign The fun is not simply driving […]
Things to Do in San Bernardino – 10 Places Worth Seeing
San Bernardino rewards visitors who arrive with realistic expectations. This is not a polished resort city where every attraction lines one walkable boulevard. Its appeal is a mix of Route 66 history, railroad heritage and quick access to the mountains. Ten places to start I would put the Original McDonald’s Site, the San Bernardino History […]
The Arrowhead – The Symbol Above San Bernardino
Look toward the mountains from San Bernardino and you may notice a huge arrowhead-shaped formation on the slope. It is one of the city’s most distinctive natural landmarks and has been associated with the area for generations. The shape is visible because the vegetation and geology create a lighter patch against the surrounding mountainside. Local […]
Wigwam Motel – Sleep in a Route 66 Landmark
Few Route 66 accommodations announce themselves as clearly as the Wigwam Motel. Its concrete teepee-shaped rooms are pure roadside Americana: unusual, photogenic and impossible to confuse with a standard interstate hotel. The San Bernardino property is one of the surviving Wigwam Villages built during the golden age of American automobile travel. Today it is a […]