I cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience here at Rubel Castle. Our host, guide,…read moreand local "Rubelligent" volunteer, Ms. Kathleen had all the intel about this historical property. She was so knowledgeable and helped set the stage for us to slip into a forgotten era and get a glimpse of how imagination met inventiveness with a DIY charm. ~ A LITTLE BACKSTORY FOR YOU ~ It's not pronounced Rubel as Barney from Flintstones. Rather, it's like Target is to Targét when we are trying to be fancy. So that's Rubel as in "Roo-bell." Unlike modern-day construction, Rubel Castle wasn't built overnight. It was made of collected recyclables and construction rubble that spanned many decades and took several friends and volunteers to build it. For Michael, however, the lifetime inspiration was first sparked at the age of 9. His love for canons was where it started and the rest is history you can hear about on the tour. But don't just show up like we did randomly one day. To book, visit RubelTours.org and make a reservation. ~ OUR TOUR EXPERIENCE ~ It's as if Michael Rubel, the creator and mastermind of this enchanted dominion had intended it to be--magical. Built in the castle period of wood and tin, every corner captured our interests, from antique cars to the 1890's Seth Thomas Tower Clock with a unique backstory (and only six in existence today). There were old vending machines, tools, trinkets, and machinery that time had long forgotten. Did I mention there was a drawbridge? Yes, and a dungeon too. I was just waiting for a dragon to come swoop down on us next. Walk in the footsteps of famous visitors like Alfred Hitchcock, Dwight Eisenhower, Jack Benny, and Bob Hope. It's a feast for the eyes no matter where you glance. I particularly enjoyed the bottle house that Michael built in 1968 as his "home" as a kid. That independent spirit was quite charming to see. ~ WATERCOLOR NATURESCAPE ~ We were fortunate to have our gracious host lead us on a tour and organize a special art crafting experience outdoors. It was absolutely lovely beneath the trees and between rusted vintage cars from the turn of the century. We each got a small canvas to paint our flowers in watercolor. (This particular experience takes place in the Spring and Fall, weather permitting.) We heard the squirrels rattling in the leaves and birds chirped and sang in the trees above. We discovered that peacocks apparently originated from this property, compliments of Michael Rubel. And did I mention that on the far side of the property, a custom garden was in full bloom? BOOK A TOUR Help support the Glendora Historical Society and keep this magnificently unique city-castle maintained. It's worth it.

A castle in Glendora? Yes, your eyes aren't deceiving you--Rubel Castle is real, it's magnificent,…read moreand it's gloriously eccentric. Thanks to the sheer persistence (and probably delightful stubbornness) of Michael Rubel, we now have this quirky, towering State Treasure sitting right in the middle of Glendora like a fairy tale that accidentally took a detour through a hardware store. This place is beautifully done, and part of its charm is that it's a full-on hodgepodge of relics, antiques, crystal trinkets, and "wait... what is that doing here?" moments tucked into every nook and cranny. You'll marvel, you'll laugh, you'll squint in confusion--honestly, it's everything you'd want in a castle built with love, imagination, and a dash of madness. And let's talk about the makeshift cemetery. Quirky? YES. Fun? Absolutely. Slightly spooky? Only if your imagination is over-caffeinated. But it fits the vibe perfectly--like the castle whispered, "You know what I'm missing? A tiny cemetery." The tours are fantastic, the guides are passionate, and the whole experience feels like you're stepping into a living scrapbook of California history and charming chaos. Overall: Amazing, amazing place. Book your tour. They only do tours every first Sunday of the month, so set your alarms, mark your calendars, tie a string around your finger--just don't miss it. Rubel Castle is truly a California State Treasure, and an absolute must-see for anyone who appreciates creativity, history, and a little eccentric sparkle.

A great opportunity to learn about the history of Covina! You can visit their Jailhouse on Sundays…read morefrom 1-3pm. They use this specific house for their board meetings and a few other things. The information below is from their website that I just 'cut & pasted': The little town of Covina was founded in 1886 by Joseph Swift Phillips. A land speculator, Phillips purchased 2,000 acres of land from John Hollenbeck . The area was located just south of the San Gabriel Mountains within the La Puente Rancho. Phillips immediately surveyed the land into 10 acre parcels and planned to sell each parcel for only $650.00. He enticed a couple of newspapermen to settle in town to help advertise and promote land sales. One investor was Daniel Houser from Stockton, California. He brought five sons, and, using money from the sale of his invention of the Combined Harvester, eventually brought water to the town. Water enticed more people to settle on the fertile land. Businesses sprouted up along Citrus Avenue and Covina was incorporated in 1901. At one time, it served as the agricultural hub of the San Gabriel Valley, producing and shipping more oranges than anywhere else on earth. The Covina Valley Historical Society was organized in 1969 to preserve and promote the history of our community. We own and operate two distinctly unique historic venues; The Firehouse Jail Museum and the Heritage House. The Firehouse Jail Museum, erected in 1911, is located directly behind City Hall just east of Citrus Avenue. This exciting museum contains one of the most complete collections of orange industry documents and artifacts in southern California. Hundreds of school children visit this unusual museum each year. We are open every Sunday (excluding holidays) from 1pm-3pm. Admission is free. The Heritage House is located adjacent to Covina Park at 300 N Valencia Avenue. The 1908 craftsman-style home is completely furnished with period-accurate treasures and it offers a unique glimpse of early 1900's life. It is opened by appointment only by calling (626) 966-9871.

I've known for years the Baddio (more accurate spelling is Baddia) brothers and their adventurous…read moreendeavor of coffee plantation in relation to John Hollenbeck. Today I met some Covina residents, who grew up and still live in Civina close to Hollenbeck and Baddio but know nothing about the history behind the street names. After sharing with them some stories, I was urged to look into some details to refresh my memory about this part of history. This post provides some very valuable information and I'll keep it in my archive.

Great host, very interesting venues and stories. The perfect spot to walk around and see history…read morethat still exists.

We did the Kellog house tour and our tour guide was great. She was very knowledagable of the…read morehistory of not just the house, but the surrounding city/cities as well. The length of the tour was well worth the money, I also know that some stories are passed down through history or just lore. We enjoyed our experience and how everyone got into character/dressed as the era. My next goal is to do the Disney mansion tour. See you soon

A visit here is a great way to learn about the history of Glendora! I was greeted warmly by Karen…read moreas the doors were opening at 11:00am and she was very helpful answering my questions. I enjoy local history, so I spent a little time viewing the displays which cover artifacts from the indigenous peoples to the famous. I certainly walked away knowing more than when I entered. Highly recommended!

Always a fun place to visit! Benefits: FREE & labeled…read moreself-guided tour. Any questions are answered by the docents. Highlights: Sally Rand display, doll collection, images of some of the public schools in Glendora that no longer exist, old maps of Alosta & Glendora, old toys, 100 year rain fall records, citrus display, a huge archeological dig, Rt. 66 display, old businesses from Glendora, a ton of old photos, etc. Volunteer run- OPEN SATURDAYS 11 AM- 2 PM

Websites informed that the historical house is open on Sundays from 1-3 PM. I arrived a bit after…read more1:00 on a Sunday. Door was locked. No response when I rang the door bell. By any account it appeared no one was there. I later saw on Google that the site is permanently closed.

From the owner: Our museum is located inside the Durell house. We have a variety of pictures and antiques from the…read morecity of Azusa. Come in and of 1 of our docents will give you a tour. You can also call and we give tours during the week for schools or other groups

Have you ever been on a Jeep ride adventure? I have. I will continue seeking more road trips, muddy…read moreand rocky grounds anywhere in the world with experienced drivers in Southwest 4x4 Adventures. I don't own my own Jeep, however, I didn't let that stop me from joining on a ride with like minded people who love the outdoors. Thanks Southwest 4x4 Adventures for my first but not my last rides in the future.

From the owner: Southwest 4x4 Tours is an off-road guide and pack service specializing in trails and tours in the…read moreSouthwestern US. If you need a guide for a day or a week or if you need to get your gear to a hard to reach location, we can get you there. We also have great tours going into exciting historical areas in the southwest such as the the Mojave Desert and Death Valley in California, pioneering trails in Arizona and many other amazing places. We have tours from one day and up to a week. If you don't have your own vehicle, not to worry, we will assistant you. All our guide are licensed and certified. Call us for more information and tell us where we can take you.

I'm totally into anything paranormal. Ghost, aliens, Bigfoot, La Llorona.....I like! Don't get me…read morewrong I will sleep with my night light on. After watching stuff on TV I decided to Google, not expecting to find a group in my backyard! (practically) So I jumped at the chance to go on a local History & Haunt Tour with them. We walked around the Mission museum (behind the Playhouse), HS, church, cemetery and ending at the doors of the Playhouse. As we were walking up to the doors of the Playhouse their was a strong floral scent. As the organizers thanked everyone for attending they walked towards the sidewalk. My daughter, Michelle (organizer), and myself stayed behind. I love old buildings so I asked my daughter to take a few pictures. As we walked away we heard the Playhouse doors open and slam shut!! Now these doors are huge. So you can imagine how loud that was. Before the tour ended Michelle had pulled on the doors and they were locked. We stood still for a second, turned around expecting/wishing someone to be standing there. The 3 of us ran up to the doors, we tried pulling on the doors again and they were locked and now the inside lights were on. My daughter and I stared at each other and then at Michelle. It was the weirdest feeling. We eventually caught up with everyone else and told them what they missed. We've also attended their Scary Movie Night at Savannah Cemetery. That was cool. We also made it to Paranormal Night II which I convinced my husband to attend. We're planning on going to the meet-up at Devils Gate Dam. I listened to Michelle's GB session on Facebook, can't wait! On the car ride home from their events I always tell my daughter...."we found our people"! So believers and non-believers attend one of their local events. You may never know what you'll see/hear/experience.

From the owner: Ghost Tour Dates: Sept 28, October 5, October 12, October 19, and October 26…read more This tour is centered around the Historic Mission San Gabriel Ditrict. This is a two hour tour that is designed to amaze you. Fisrt, you will see actual photos of ghosts on a big screen. This presentation takes place in one of the historic buildings that is actually haunted. After this you will walk through the Historic Ditrict to the most haunted buildings where some of the ghosts still reside. Most guests capture orbs, mists and other unexplained phenomena! Keep that camera handy! Book early. We only take about 20 guests at a time. San Gabriel Ghost Seekers Private tours upon request.

My family booked this tour because it was my parents first time in LA and it was one of the best…read moreand informative tours we have ever been on! It starts with the owner, Kenneth. I had some questions about booking time and our service dog and he personally called me, recommended the perfect start time and said he would love our dog to join us, he gets hospitality and customer service. We arrived at the starting point and were greeted by our host, Jeffrey. He is one of the nicest guys you can ever meet. He loaded us all in the luxury Mercedes van, stocked with waters/treats, and off we went. The tour is 5 hours, with a lunch stop at the famous Farmers Market. Time flies though! You'll go through the Hills for breathtaking views, visit Hollywood sign, get the tourist Hollywood experience (Chinese Theatre/Dolby Theatre/Walk of Fame), see movie studios, celebrity past/present homes, Rodeo Drive, and much more. The entire tour our guide, Jeff told us facts and stories about the different areas we visited. His knowledge and stories were worth the price of admission. This was the ultimate LA in a day tour. Highly recommend. Private tours are the way to go and this is the one you want.

Absolutely incredible humans that run this tour. Jose made our day, he was so accommodating and…read moreknowledgeable. I go on a lot of trips and take a lot of tours and this one was above and beyond! We did the ultimate LA tour and boy did it deliver

We need a car service for about 20 people. Mr. C was professional, respectful, and accommodating…read more What a pleasant experience for my first time renting. Also, with all the places and spaces we put Mr. C through?? He did it all with a great attitude. You couldn't ask for more. His car was immaculate, has great air conditioning, and was comfortable. He has a microphone in it if you want to give a real tour and communicate. Also, he will let you link your music so you can bump whatever you like. We were unable to book him for another time but were so glad that we were finally able to. Thank you for your service. And I'll be referring more clients!

We used Big C's Charter service for our senior leadership trip with 20 high schoolers. This is my…read more3rd year planning this trip and this was the first time we have used Big C's and it was the BEST charter experience we have had. There were 20 high school seniors and 4 chaperones and we were picked up on time in a clean, beautiful bus, with wonderful service. We spent 10 hours going to different stops in LA and everything was perfect, including an ice chest of ice-cold water! We used them again on our trip to the airport a few days later and same experience. Communication was perfect from inquiry about pricing to contracting and during the trip. I booked with Big C because of the wonderful Yelp reviews and am so glad I did. They will definitely be our go-to charter anytime we are in Southern California. Thanks Clarence!

After all the rave reviews here on yelp, we booked a Claremont food tour back in February for the…read moremiddle of March. Well this little thing called coronavirus happened in the meantime, and so our March tour was shut down. They offered us a full refund or to postpone the tour for a later date. We opted for the full refund. This was in mid to late March. At the end of April, after weeks of delays and still no refund, I wrote a review on yelp expressing my frustration about this situation. That same day, the Fun Belly owner Carlos got in touch with me and over the next few messages basically told me that Fun Belly themselves don't handle billing/refunds (instead employing a company called EzTix), but that he would get in touch with his rep at EzTix and try to make things right. Within 2 days our refund had been issued. Wow. So while I didn't have the opportunity to go on the food tour, I still think it's important for prospective customers to know that Fun Belly has an owner with some real integrity. It would have been so easy for Carlos to say, "Well, the refund is out of my hands, go deal with it yourselves", but he went the extra mile to make things right. Once this shutdown is over and I'm actually allowed to leave my house, we'll definitely rebook for the food tour we never got an opportunity to go on. I know we'll be in good hands. Five stars for Fun Belly, 0 stars for EzTix.

I had such a grea GREAT time on this food tour. When I signed up to attend, I anticipated sampling…read morefood from different restaurants. What I did not anticipate was the insightful history and background of the area, each restaurant we toured and all the witty dialogue. Because you attend these restaurants with Fun Belly, the owner's and management come out to speak with you and it makes you feel like some sort of food critic, or Mafioso, because they showcase their craft just for you. This made the experience so much better than what I imagined. Oh one last thing, samples, hardly. Several of us on the tour could not finish our food at some of the venues by the end, we were all stuffed. My friends and I booked again for another tour offered in a different location. :D