Presidential Suite, Mission Inn

Not many people are lucky enough to afford the opportunity to stay at the Mission Inn.

That said, I thought I would give you a glimpse inside one of the Presidential Suites.

A favorite amongst dignitaries, celebrities, and newlyweds, the Presidential Suites provides everything that anyone could ever want in resort accommodations.

Dumbfounded

You know those days where your brain just doesn’t seem to work?
Thought, ideas flow as freely as molasses on a cold day….

This was one such day.

I had several ideas for shoots for the day, but none of them seemed to work out.
Either the sun was too high, or too low. Palms ,power poles, and street lights (a common mark of progress in out city) seemed to ruin every pre-thought idea.

On that note, this is all I could come up with!!

Riverside Library

Riverside Library, one of the last remaining city icons slated for “revitalization” in the Riverside Renaissance Project, sits idly by in its current dated state.

Once a frequent visitor to the library, today my quest for knowledge tends to lean towards the internet.  I imagine that this is the case for many of you out there as well.

Anyone have any pictures of the original library?

Colors of Riverside

The recent weather both hot and cold has been an interesting twist from the normal Riverside summers.

Recent storm clouds have brought with them a myriad of colors, as seen in this picture, taken from the top of Mt Rubidoux.

Riverside Museum

By 1900, Riverside had become one of the premiere winter resort communities in the nation. Engulfed in twenty thousand acres of Washington Navel orange groves, Riverside served as a center for agricultural innovation, bringing the revolution of corporate capitalism to the southwestern U.S. via the modern citrus enterprise.

Located in the broad, inland valley of the Santa Ana River in Southern California, Riverside numbered among the wealthiest communities per capita in the nation. The University of California Citrus Experiment Station (core of the present University of California, Riverside) brought a tradition of ground-breaking scientific research to the city. Riverside’s renowned Mission Inn hotel, and its inspirational role in the development of the Arts & Craft Style, attracted some of America’s foremost entrepreneurs in search of new recreational, aesthetic and business opportunities. Riverside became a magnet for prosperous, educated practitioners of the Arts and Crafts Movement in the West. in the nation.

Out of this context came the Cornelius Earle Rumsey Indian Collection which later became the Riverside Municipal Museum now known as the Riverside Metropolitan Museum (RMM). The Museum opened in the basement of City Hall on December 12, 1924, when the widow of National Biscuit Company (NABISCO) magnate Cornelius Earle Rumsey donated his collection of Native American artifacts to the City of Riverside. An ordinance, amending the City Charter and establishing a Municipal Museum, was adopted by the City Council on August 27, 1925. The current mission statement found in the city ordinance states that, “All collections and exhibits of the Museum shall generally reflect but shall not necessarily be limited to the specific interpretations of the history, natural history and anthropology of the City and County of Riverside and the immediate environs of southern California.” From 1924 on, the collections have grown, typically through donations by prominent citizens and organizations, contributing to RMM holdings in the disciplines of local history, natural history, and anthropology. From 1925-48, the RMM was located in the basement of the old City Hall building on Riverside’s Seventh Street (now Mission Inn Avenue).

In 1987, the main museum building and Heritage House were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2005, the Riverside Municipal Museum changed its name to Riverside Metropolitan Museum.

New Home of the Riverside Municipal Museum, 1948

In 1948, the Museum was moved to the basement of the former U. S. Post Office, adjacent to the old City Hall, a Renaissance Revival-style structure, built in 1912-14. The main exhibits, administration offices, anthropology, natural history curatorial offices, collections storage, and registrar’s office carried on their activities in this building. The history curatorial office/collections and exhibits services eventually moved to an annex, a converted Safeway Supermarket, located four blocks from the main building.

summerset

Summers in Riverside can be quite brutal!

This year, however, we have been quite lucky as far as the temperatures are concerned…………..so far!

Today’s “adventures in photography” take us back up Mt Rubidoux for a run/walk at sunset (Read: a walk for me and my friends, a run for my girlfriend who is training for a marathon).

The views from “the hill” never seize to amaze me!
Whether clear or overcast (okay, so it is really smog!), you can see for miles! And the mood and view lend itself to endless photo opportunities.

The lush greens of spring are long gone, as well as the sea of colors from the wildflowers.  Still, there is a heartfelt beauty that only home can bring!

La Gran Fiesta Ranchera

For the East Side of Riverside, there is nothing new about La Gran Fiesta Ranchera.

I can not tell you how many years that this festival, er um, fiesta has been going on, but I can say that I remember visiting it with friends back in Jr. High School.

The event, which is an annual fundraiser for Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine on Victoria Ave, draws an amazing crowd and some great musical talent.

And then there is the food…………
That is what this event is all about (okay, maybe that is just me!).
Carnitas, tamales, corn, jugos…….. and of coarse pizza!  Afterall, what would a fiesta be without pizza?

La Gran Fiesta Ranchera

Traditional carnival style games line one side of the venue and greet visitors as they enter.

Food, beverages, and entertainment fill the rest.

The professional side of Kevin

Hello all,

I will be taking a temporary break in my daily posts due to moving.

See you again shortley!

Bi-Plane

While running some morning errands, I noticed a “flock” of planes circling the Riverside Airport.

One of them happened to be this beautifully restored bi-plane.

I stopped by to take a look at what else might be part of the morning’s activities.

Filling the tarmac were old planes, stunt planes, you name it!

In talking with a few of the pilots, I learned that every Sunday a group of these weekend warriors get together for a little flight time.  Each week a different stop along their regular southern California path.

Riverside Street Jam

The Riverside Downtown Partnership is doing its part to bring the community together with its annual Riverside Downtown Street Jam.

Featuring art, entertainment, autos, and events, this years Jam brought a large turnout.

Even with the cooler than normal July weather, the pedestrian walks new fountain features proved to be popular in cooling off the attending residents.