Thoughts (Riverside, San Bernardino, Ontario: spring break, house, college)

[jeffoly]

Hello everyone, first off I must say this is my favorite place to read, kill time, enjoy honest and responsible comments.

That being said I have always love what you guys call the inland empire...we have a inland empire up here in Washington State (wheat fields, apple trees, lentils) but its obviously not the same. I have always been fascinated by your IE. I dont want to ramble on to much...just want to post how I experienced your neck of the woods.

In the early 80s by buddies and I decided to take a spring break trip to LA. Well our buddy who we were going to see was out of town. One of my buddies says lets go to Palm Springs. I said where the hell is that. Anyway we proceeded from the 5 in LA to the 10 to palm springs...had one of the most crazy weeks in my life on that trip.

A few years latter my wife and I decided to go to Palm Springs for a getaway weekend. We flew into Ontario and rented a car to drive out to the desert. Now this was the late 80s but I was in love with the towns of Colton, Bloomington, Banning, Beaumount, and thought damn this would be a place I would want to move to. I never stopped in any of these places it was just a thinking I had. We then get to Cabazon...and love the dinasours, and then on to Whitewater and into Palm Springs.

A few years later in my job I had to spend a long summer at the Soboba Casino...I work in surveillance and they hired our firm to come down and help them out. At that time I thought Hemet was a great place move to perhaps move. I thought San Jacinto was scary. Oh well we did our time down there at Soboba and came home.

A few years later my second wife and I went to Palm Springs for a weekend and decided to visit the Salton Sea...good God we were thinking what a beautiful, strange, wonderful place. We had lunch and a six pack and met some folks that told us "if you thing this place is strange head up that hill" Salvation Mountain. What a trip

I could go on and on...but I just wanted to share. Im getting old now and read about your IE and know I would never move there...but I loved it and always think of it as a "different" place, high paced, scary in certain parts but a beautiful part of the west coast. I have a house a great job and kids in college and those "dreams" of trying something new are gone.

I enjoy reading the post from twinkle toes and Fontucky amongst others...

One last thing when I graduated college I had a job offer at the base near Barstow and was going to take it....my Dad said "son you are not moving to Barstow" I listened and from the sounds of folks on here my Dad was probably right.

[Count David]

Awesome. As somebody who has lived in both Inland Empires, it's good to see somebody say some nice things about it for a change.

And by "good" I mean, something other than the typical "Temecula/Redlands/Chino Hills/Rancho Cucamonga are good" rhetoric.

[coltoncity]

LOL It is a different place! I will always have my heart here. I think your description is right one

[Adamson865]

Nice post about your trips to Palm Springs, but I must add that from first-hand experience, most residents here in PS and the Coachella Valley do not consider themselves in the "Inland Empire". It would hold you in good stead not to use that term to any locals once you've moved eastward through the pass.

[jeffoly]

Nah rah Im no expert in what the IE is and what is not...not moving to the IE or the CV. Just thought I would share a bit.

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

Yo, jeffoly, I'm in Washington now, too, but very, very familiar with all the places you mentioned, and all of them, except for one, are close to my heart. And I must say that your father was very, very, very, correct about Barstow.

[genjy]

I think Palm Springs is still very much the same as you remember it. The golf courses, mid-century modern homes, heat, mountains, etc.

All the other small towns are probably not as fun and exciting now.

There's really no reason to live in Barstow... maybe back then... but now? Nah.

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

There was NEVER a reason to live in Barstow!

[AFtrEFkt]

Originally Posted by rah62

Nice post about your trips to Palm Springs, but I must add that from first-hand experience, most residents here in PS and the Coachella Valley do not consider themselves in the "Inland Empire". It would hold you in good stead not to use that term to any locals once you've moved eastward through the pass.

True. Since the Coachella Valley resides within Riverside County, and so do Moreno Valley, Riverside, Calimesa and Temecula, with a mountain range separating the cities of San Bernardino County (Redlands, San Bernardino, Colton, Highland), it's not too strange for a non-local to assume it's all a part of the vast Inland Empire.

I don't think anyone's going to whip out their X-acto blade if somebody refers to Hemet being "in the I.E.," though. If anything, it would be nice if Hemet could be ripped out of the Earth (like in Age of Ultron) and dumped over in Yuma or somewhere else.

[Adamson865]

Originally Posted by AFtrEFkt

True. Since the Coachella Valley resides within Riverside County, and so do Moreno Valley, Riverside, Calimesa and Temecula, with a mountain range separating the cities of San Bernardino County (Redlands, San Bernardino, Colton, Highland), it's not too strange for a non-local to assume it's all a part of the vast Inland Empire.

On the contrary, it's really strange for a non-local to assume Palm Springs would be in the same geographic region as Moreno Valley. There are mountains separating the two.