Happy first days of summer! With summer in full swing, and me wanting to make my summer with my family as memorable as ever, I started looking into fun LOCAL activities that could be done in the Inland Empire. I genuinely love living in the Inland Empire, and find that there is so much to do. When people think about Southern California and fun attractions they always think about the beach (Santa Monica Pier), Magic Mountain, Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm, Legoland, and of course Disneyland....all I can think about is the TRAFFIC! The LINES!! And let's not forget the HIGH TICKET PRICES!! ARGH!!
Being that my job naturally has me on the road a TON, I am a bit of a homebody, when the opportunity is presented, so with that said, I really wanted to choose fun activities for my son and I to enjoy that are a bit more local, and help support our community. So without further ado, here is a list of some of the fun activities that we are partaking in this summer:
NHRA Hot Rod Museum at the Pomona Fairplex. This place is awesome if you have a little one (or the little one in you) that has a need for speed. You get to see hot rods, and race cars up close and personal, learn about the history of the NHRA and have an opportunity to see an official NHRA track!
Lake Arrowhead. I love this hidden gem, it is a short ride up the mountain and is a great escape from the heat. The village is fun, with live music in the evenings and lots of great places to eat and enjoy. I highly recommend stopping by here if you have made the trek for number 3.
SkyPark at Santa's Village. I used to love coming here as a little girl and was so sad when Santa's Village closed down. To see it revitalized in a whole new light is so neat! This place is an adventure seekers paradise. Located just outside of Lake Arrowhead, this place has everything you can imagine from mountain biking, hiking and ropes courses, to beautiful walking trails and sweets and treats! You can't go wrong!
Big Bear Lake. This local spot has a piece of my heart. There is so much to do up here. You can hike, mountain bike, do watersports, go on a lake tour in a pirate ship, kayak, or just take a stroll around the lake or through the village. The weather is almost always perfect and the people are friendly. If you are looking for beautiful scenery, fun activities and great food, this is the spot!
Jurupa Mountains Discovery Center. You can't miss this place! They have a HUGE wooly mammoth on top of a hill off to the 60 freeway grabbing your attention! Yep! It's that place! It is so much fun! Learn about the geologic history of our areas past, go fossil hunting, and even gold panning. You are sure to have a blast (learning about the past!).
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens in Claremont. Looking for a quiet morning or afternoon stroll through Mother Nature? This is the place for you. Bring a picnic, find your favorite spot and enjoy the wildlife. It is tranquil, beautiful and surrounded by all of Southern California's native plant and animal species.
Mary Vagle Nature Center in Fontana. This is another favorite located in Fontana. This beautiful nature center has a large pond filled with wildlife and attracts tons of unique critters as well like butterflies, Canadian geese, and raccoons. It is so much fun to bring a picnic to and just sit and enjoy!
Raging Waters in San Dimas. Looking for a little more adventure? Look no further! Raging Waters has it ALL! Death defying (in my opinion) waterslides, lazy rivers, cabanas, something for the whole family! Want to go more than once? They offer a season pass! Just don't forget to bring your towel and sunscreen!
Guasti Park in Ontario. Looking for somewhere local where you can fish, swim and maybe go down a waterslide or two? This is the place! It's a staple of the Inland Empire! It has been around for as long as I can remember and is a place where the whole family can have fun! The trout pond is stocked often, so your chances of catching a fish are very good and when you are done fishing, head over to the swimming area to cool off!
Bolero Bowling Allies! As you may well know by now, my family and I are notoriously competitive with one another.....about EVERYTHING!!! So naturally, we have signed up for season passes at the local bowling alley so we can bowl as often as we like and change the bragging right up just as much!
These are just a few of the great ideas that you can do out here in the Inland Empire, there are soooo many other wonderful things to do. If you are looking for more ideas, reach out! If you have any ideas, leave a comment, I would love to hear what you and your family are up to this summer!
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