Inland Empire Road Trips Guide

Hey Road Trippers!

Are you looking for a short getaway without having to travel hundreds of miles? You might find it hard to believe, but there are numerous places to visit and discover right here in the IE. Remember, some of life’s greatest memories start with some friends and family randomly deciding to jump in a car and drive down the road. 

In this Guide, your IEShineOn team has provided you with some of the top places to visit locally. Now, all there is to do is grab your group or friends or family, jump into the car, roll down the windows, turn up the tunes and cruise into a brand new adventure.

-IEShineOn.com

BIG BEAR ROAD TRIP 

No one could ever resist the fresh mountain breezes, clear blue skies and a unique balance of stillness and outdoor activities. Located in the San Bernardino Mountains, Big Bear allows visitors to feel hundreds of miles away from the city. 

Big Bear is the ideal road trip destination getaway, providing visitors of all ages and skill levels with a wide selection of outdoor activities—skiing, snowboarding, golfing, hiking, mountain biking and much more. 

Click here for a full list of Road Trip activities in Big Bear 

LAKE ARROWHEAD ROAD TRIP 

Road tripping to the mountains is always a must. Taking a break from the city and heading up to the local mountains to enjoy the fresh, cool mountain breeze and weather. The small mountain town, Lake Arrowhead, is the perfect escape. 

Lake Arrowhead provides plenty of opportunity for outdoor adventure, or just the place to relax.

Things to do:

• Lake Arrowhead Resort – Biggest and best-located resort in the area. Offers 173 guest rooms, a restaurant, bar, and spa.
   
• Lake Arrowhead Village – 5 minute walk from Lake Arrowhead Resort. Combination of high-end boutiques with tourist shops and carnival rides. Visitors can
  board the Arrowhead Queen Paddleboat for a 50-minute tour.

• Wildhaven – Located 3 miles from Lake Arrowhead Resort. 30-acre houses a variety of animals indigenous to the San Bernardino Mountains. Wildhaven offers a presentation in a small theater where they bring out various small creatures.  
    

Beautiful and scenic Lake Arrowhead is a small gem high in the mountains that is perfect to visit all year around.

PALM SPRINGS ROAD TRIP

Palm Springs. When we hear these two words most of us think of a hot and muggy desert in the middle of nowhere. Let’s face it, most of us have passed through Palm Springs, but have never really stopped to admire all it has to offer. 

This city offers a perfect SoCal sunshine, resorts, shopping centers, outdoor adventures, museums, and spectacular scenery’s. Palm Springs has it all. Palm Springs is surrounded by the Mount San Jacinto Mountains, embodying a mix of Spanish Colonial and mid-twentieth-century modern architecture.

Things to do:

• Palm Springs Tramway – A must do on any road trip to Palm Springs. Known as the world’s largest rotating tramcar—travels over two-and-one-half miles along the cliffs of Chino Canyon, transporting riders to the pristine wilderness of the Mt. San Jacinto State Park. Once riders reach the Mountain Station, they can enjoy two restaurants, observation decks, natural history museum, two documentary theaters, and over 50 miles of hiking trails.
  
  
• Moorten Botanical Gardens – Offers a peacefully stroll and view of more than 3,000 varieties of desert plants. Open all year round, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., except Wednesdays. Hours are reduced during the summer heat. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for children 15 and under, and children under 5 are free.
  
  
• Palm Springs Air Museum – Home to one of the nation’s largest collection of WWII flying aircraft. Great place to bring the kids. Open daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
  
  
• Palm Canyon Drive – Located in the heart of Palm Springs, offering dining and shopping for locals and tourists.
  
  
• Hiking in Palm Springs –Indian Canyons, four canyons preserved by the Agua Caliente Cahuilla Indians, open to the general public (for a fee) for hiking, horseback riding and picnicking. Tahquitz Canyon, two-mile loop hike offering locals and visitors nice scenery to a spectacular seasonal 60-foot waterfall. Parking is free. See website for admission price.
  
  
• Desert Hills Outlet Mall – Shops to suit every taste and budget. Perfect place to fins upscale merchandise at affordable prices. Shops are set in two blocks, West Village and East Village.
  
  
• Living Desert Zoo & Garden – Located 15 miles southeast of Palm Springs. Family-friendly attraction, nestled at the foot of the Santa Rosa Mountains.

TEMECULA ROAD TRIP

Take a day or weekend trip to wine country, Temecula. Perfect way to spend a day of wine tasting in Southern California. Several local vendors offer guided wine country tours, and more.

Wine tasting in Temecula is a memorable and personal experience. Several of winery’s in Temecula are family-owned. 

There's more to Temecula than a ton of awesome wineries