'Discover California' Summer Day Trip Series: Redlands, CA

Well, I was going to wait until the official start of Summer to post, but I couldn't wait! I was sitting on the sofa one day with my feet up on the tufted "leatherette" ottoman watching the Travel channel, when I had the idea to visit different cities and then yammer on and on about my experiences in my blog.  As you know, travel ain't cheap when you're talking airfare, lodging, activities, food, rental car, fuel, and souvenirs (a necessity in my book).  No way was I going to go jet-setting around the globe on MY budget.  My next thought was the idea to "Discover California".  I thought why not find out what else there is to do right here in THIS great state?


If you have AAA Membership in Southern California, then you probably get Westways Magazine in the mail.  Every month, there is a suggested day trip.  In April, it was Redlands, CA.  I dog-eared the page, rented a compact car from Hertz (mine was in the shop) via hotwire.com , took $200 out of the ATM, and hit the road with my Mommy in tow. Redlands is an hour and a half drive outside of Los Angeles. We hit the road at about 11AM for our first stop, Carolyn's Cafe.

At Carolyn's Cafe, the service was amazingly fast!!! We got or food within 5 minutes of ordering! For the gal or guy on the go, the two egg combo is perfect. I had mine with bacon, a side of fruit, and one pancake. The eggs are delish, the bacon is crisp, the fruit is fresh, and the pancake is fluffy. 

The servers and hostess were sweet as pie. The homey feel of this tucked away eatery is the perfect compliment to the excellent food and great service. Miniature quilts hang on cafe rods next to photos of family and customers. Carolyn's Cafe is the perfect place to duck into on a Weekend. Quaint, bright, charming, casual, and affordable. I had to look at my receipt twice to make sure I had seen what I saw. TWO THUMBS UP!

Carolyn's Cafe

1711 W. Lugonia Avenue Suite 101

Redlands, CA 92374

(909)335-8181

Our next, and final stop is the Kimberly Crest House. A French Chateau style home built by Cornelia Hill, a widow from New York. The home is 7,000 sq. ft. on 6.4 acres 2 miles South of downtown Redlands. J. Alfred Kimberly (co-founder of the Kimberly Clark Corporation) and his wife Helen Cheney Kimberly purchased the home in 1905, and it was inherited by their widowed daughter Mary Kimberly Shirk who lived there from 1920 until she passed on in 1979. The home is currently owned by "the people of Redlands".  Find out more about the history of the property and its current ownership here:  http://www.kimberlycrest.org .

They had me at the damask wall coverings and tiffany chandeliers. The Koi pond, orange groves, and lotus blossoms on the premises only added to its allure. I snapped a few pics of the outside, because photography is not permitted inside the home without an appointment.  Take a look:

On what actually turned out to be a half-day trip,  My Mom and I had a really good time.  We even purchased one of the paintings done by one of the local artists showcased in the giftshop. The drive was nice, the food was great, and the tour was pretty sweet.  Of course, Redlands has more restaurants to go to, and then there's the Historical Glass Museum as well as the Lincoln Shrine and the Asistencia I have to go check out next time.  Plus, there are many more gorgeous estates  to see here, as this town is known for its Victorian and historical architecture.  If you're interested in visiting the Redlands area,  go to www.cityofredlands.org and click on the Tourism tab on the left-hand side.  Next time, I'll actually be in the pics.  My mom wasn't hearing me when I asked her to be my photog for the day.  My outfit was cute, too! Ha! Well, make sure you take an iPhone-savvy photog with you on YOUR trip, and please, let me know how you spent the day (or half-day) in Redlands!