San Bernardino

San Bernardino sits at the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains, where the Inland Empire meets the Cajon Pass and the roads climbing to the high country. It grew up around the railroad and Route 66, and that history is the best reason to stop. The Santa Fe Depot with its domed towers still greets Amtrak passengers, and a few Route 66 landmarks survive in the older streets. This is a working city, not a polished resort. Go for the history, the food and the quick access to the forest, and plan your time around those rather than a long stay in town.

Start downtown with the Santa Fe Depot, a Spanish Mission Revival station that also holds the San Bernardino History and Railroad Museum. North of downtown, the Original McDonald's Museum is an unofficial museum on the site of the first McDonald's, a favorite stop for Route 66 fans. The California Theatre of the Performing Arts hosts concerts and touring shows. Baseball fans can catch minor league games at San Manuel Stadium. Glen Helen Regional Park, near the Cajon Pass, has fishing lakes, trails, picnic areas and an amphitheater that stages large outdoor concerts. In October the downtown Rendezvous Back to Route 66 car show fills the streets with classic cars.

Mitla Cafe on Mount Vernon Avenue has served Mexican food since the Route 66 era and is known for its hard shell tacos. It is a good place to eat before you walk back to the depot. Juan Pollo, a local chicken chain that owns the McDonald's museum, offers a quick roadside meal. Taquerias and family restaurants are spread through the older neighborhoods, and Hospitality Lane near the freeway has chain restaurants and hotel bars. Nightlife is modest. Most evenings out here mean a show at the California Theatre, a ballgame, or a concert at the Glen Helen Amphitheater during its season.

The easiest bases are downtown, close to the depot, the Transit Center and the theatre, and Hospitality Lane, where chain hotels sit beside Interstate 10 and Interstate 215 with plenty of parking. A car is the simplest way to see the city. Omnitrans buses cover local routes, Metrolink runs west toward Los Angeles, and Amtrak's Southwest Chief calls at the Santa Fe Depot. Greyhound uses the Downtown Transit Center on Rialto Avenue. Parking is easy almost everywhere. Ontario International Airport is the closest major airport, a drive west along Interstate 10.

Spring and autumn are the best times, with clear air, mild days and good light on the mountains. Summer is hot and dry, so keep sightseeing to the mornings or head up the hill to cooler air. Autumn can bring hot Santa Ana winds, and winter is mild with occasional storms that dust the peaks above town with snow. One night covers the depot, the McDonald's museum and a taco dinner. Add a second day if you plan to drive up to Lake Arrowhead or Big Bear, or to walk the trails at Glen Helen.

San Bernardino is a crossroads. Highways 18 and 330 climb from the north side of the city into the San Bernardino National Forest, reaching Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear Lake, so it works as the gateway for a mountain detour. Interstate 15 runs north over the Cajon Pass toward Barstow and Las Vegas, while Interstate 10 leads east through the San Gorgonio Pass to Palm Springs and west to Los Angeles. A night here suits drivers following Route 66, or train travelers who step off the Southwest Chief and want to head into the mountains.