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Fontana / Rialto / San Bernardino

Fontana

Fontana Lewis Library Front
Lewis Library Clocktower

I have traveled to Fontana to help clients. In Fontana, the Lewis Library & Technology Center is famous for its clocktower. It is currently the largest library in San Bernardino County. There is a bookstore, an auditorium which seats 330 people, and even a coffee bar. There is a History Room, with artifacts from old-Fontana (including the Fontana Hog Farm - the largest one in the US at one time. Smell that bacon!) The exterior design is reminiscient of an old Spanish Mission, harkening back to California's history.

There is also the Al Capone House historic site. The Art Depot was once a railway station but now hosts seasonal art exhibitions. Some racing enthusiasts may remember that the Mickey Thompson's Fontana Intern'l Dragway once was located here, from 1959 until 1998. There is now a housing tract at this site. All that remains is the end of the speedway.

Rialto

I have clients in Rialto that I travel to on a regular basis. Rialto Center is off the I-210 at the corner of Riverside & Easton. In-N-Out, Wingstop & Chipotle are the main-stay eating attractions, with a couple other spots that move in & out.

Another stop you may want to make, if you happen to be in Rialto, and it is a Saturday between 10 am and 2 pm, is the Rialto Historical Society Museum. There are 12 rooms to explore, along with tools relating to citrus cultivation, which contributed to the city's

early history and growth. There are also many other artifacts from Rialto's history on display. Interestingly, you learn that the history of the area dates back to 1500 c.e. when the Serrano Indians inhabited the area west of Lytle Creek. In 1852, George Lord produced and sold grapes, and was the first to produce marketable raisins made from the grape.

Rialto Center Monument Sign
Rialto Historical Society Building
Rialto Cinemark Renaissance Marketplace

Newer attractions in Rialto include Norm's restaurant and the Cinemark theater, both located at the Renaissance Marketplace. With over 50 tenant spaces, there's plenty to do at the Marketplace. It has mostly chain stores, with everything from Mattress Firm to Grocery Outlet to Sherwin Williams to West Coast Dental to Which Wich to Supercuts  to Famous Footwear to T-Mobile. It is just a few miles from the Summit Heights community. Rialto is nestled in between San Bernardino/I-215 & Fontana/I-15; Renaissance is almost smack-dab in the middle along the 210 freeway.

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It should also be noted that Rialto is located along Route 66, a two-lane highway connecting Santa Monica, CA to Chicago, IL.

San Bernardino

San Bernardino Mc Donald's Museum

Not far off Route 66, in San Bernardino, is one of the most exciting places you will want to visit: the Juan Pollo McDonald's Museum! It is owned by the owner of Juan Pollo (hence the name) and is the original site of the first McDonald's restaurant owned by Dick & Mac McDonald. The McDonald brothers opened this location in 1948. They began franchising their fast-food system in 1953. The first franchised location (the second McDonald's) is in Downey, CA and is still open to this day. In 1954, a salesman named Ray Kroc visited the McDonald brothers to sell them milkshake mixing machines. He was so fascinated with the financial potential of what the brothers had started that he partnered with them. Dick & Mac, however, wanted to stay a "small" operation, so in 1961 Kroc bought the business from the brothers and the rest is history...

Wigwam Motel Teepees

Not far from the McDonald's Museum is the Wigwam Motel, located on Route 66. Frank Redford started developing the Wigwam "Villages" in 1933, having built 7 throughout the U.S. The one here in San Bernardino was the last one built, established in 1949. Today, there are only 3 Wigwam Villages left, the others having closed their doors. There are 19 wigwams at this location, each with modern facilities and tech, including a mini-fridge, flat-screen TV with cable and high-speed WiFi.

Other notable sites in the city of San Bernardino worth visiting are the Arrowhead (a natural rock formation), the San Bernardino History and Railroad Museum, the National Orange Show Event Center (great for photo ops), and Inland Center Mall. Decades ago, the Carousel Mall was an attraction, but that site has been demolished. Fun Fact: Glen Bell started his first taco stand in San Bernardino. This eventually became Taco Bell.

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