Exploring Old Towns

• I managed two more day trips this week: Temecula and Riverside. At the centre of each is an “Old Town” that reflects the cowboy or Spanish heritage of days gone by.

• Temecula, in the old days, was on the route of the Butterfield Overland Mail semi-weekly stage coach service between St. Louis and the west coast. The 1832 mile trip averaged 22 to 25 days. Today, Butterfield’s sits at the centre of a several block strip of old and made-to-look-old clapboard buildings, wagons and water towers. The old-west themed murals and dusty brown buildings make it easy to imagine rootin-tootin cowboys sauntering the streets, the exciting arrival of stagecoaches, bar room brawls and shoot-outs at the old corral. It was nice to see Old Town, however, the real mission of the Temecula trip was to stop by Trader Joe’s and stock up on Two Buck Chuck.

• Riverside, in the old days, was the destination of choice for wealthy folks who flocked to California in search of a warmer winter climate and the opportunity to invest in the area’s profitable citrus industry. By the 1890’s Riverside was the richest city per capita in the United States. The Mission Inn hotel was established to meet the dire need for a grand resort. Although an adobe boarding house in its early days, the hotel is now a sprawling Spanish-looking structure enhanced with layers of wrought iron balconies, mullioned glass windows, hanging flowers and grounds adorned with 400 antique bells, many of which are set in structures to represent the California Missions.

• In the lobby hang portraits of the 10 US Presidents who have frequented the Mission Inn. Richard Nixon got married there and John F. Kennedy was known to swill Cosmopolitans in the Presidential Lounge. In his portrait, it looks like JFK could have used a size larger suit. Strictly by coincidence, I too swilled a Cosmopolitan in the Mission Inn courtyard, luxuriating over a Sex and the City type lunch with three girlfriends. Although we touched briefly on the subject of “why men are the way they are” we didn’t reach any enlightening conclusions.

• Between day trips this week, I spent a great deal of time developing various options for my route back to Canada. The days are flying by and MineRVa and I will soon be homeward bound.

• In the meantime…..it's Saturday night. Happy Hour anyone?