I had never been here before and didn't even know this place existed, but I was absolutely blown…read moreaway. I attended an event as a chaperone with the kids from Micah House, and from the moment you walk in, the Burrage Mansion is stunning. The steps leading up to the home and the beautifully preserved historic house immediately set the tone. The property owner generously hosts events here, and one of the annual events is a Christmas celebration for elementary school kids. He opens up the entire estate for the children to enjoy crafts, a magic show, bounce houses, and even a visit with Santa Claus. There are also two rooms filled with presents where each child gets to choose a gift, which was incredibly special to see. It was such a thoughtful, joyful, and memorable experience for everyone involved. I'm not sure what other events are hosted here, but based on this experience alone, the Burrage Mansion absolutely deserves five stars.

Beautiful property... they're decorating the grounds for Christmas…read more... They were busy today getting things ready... I didn't go inside just watched from the front of the property....

As a huge fan of landmarks, I had a pleasant experience visiting the arrowhead landmark on the way…read moreback from the San Bernardino mountains. Sitting at the perfect proximity in the city of San Bernardino, the arrowhead could be visibly viewed from the historic marker. This is a great spot to take a short stop, learn some fascinating local history, and take a perfect photo with this iconic landmark.

I was traveling to Lake Arrowhead with my yelp BFF Angie M. and decided to play tour guide on our…read moreadventure. As a native to the area, I have always loved looking at the beautiful mountains , and looking at the natural arrowhead formation near the base of the mountain. The Arrowhead is located in the foothills just north of San Bernardino's Wildwood Park (40th Street and Waterman Avenue). This park at the bottom of the mountain is not in the best neighborhood . A chopped up decapitated body was found in this park a couple years back and the area has a high crime rate. No, I didn't want to get myself and friend killed, we were aware of our surroundings and got in and out as quick as we could. We had to wait in the car a couple extra minutes because the "easy tiger" warning was popping up on Angie's phone. We both giggled with nervousness as a transient man without a shirt walked by looking at us like we were crazy Parked in this little parking area. The landmark information plaque and monument had been badly damaged / vandalized. The area was covered with broken bottles, trash, and tagging on the rocks and monument. Even with the area in disarray, the view of the arrowhead is breathtaking. General info: The Arrowhead is 1,375 feet in length and 449 feet in width. It may appear to be man-made or artificial, but it is in fact natural. The face of the Arrowhead consists of light quartz and short white sage. This lighter vegetation shows in sharp contrast to the surrounding chaparral and greasewood. I grew up in Lake Arrowhead and heard some stories about the Arrowhead. The most ancient legend is one handed down from the Indians. The Great Spirit had an arrow. This was to guide his people to the spot where they were to live. The Great Spirit having selected the place, fixed the arrow to mark it forever. It has also been said that the Arrowhead pointed the way to the hot springs below, with healing qualities. Through the years, this landmark has survived numerous forest fires , flooding , and some erosion has taken place. However, the Arrowhead landmark continues to preserve its uniqueness and is easily visible from the local streets, freeway, and park.

Can't go to Egypt right now?? You can.... well, sort of!! This life-size Abu Simbel replica is one…read moreof my favorite Southern California spots for photos because the backdrop makes it look like you accidentally teleported into an archeological expedition!! Super random, super cool, and definitely worth stopping by if you're in the area. Your Instagram followers are gonna swear youre actually in Egypt!!! Pro tip: Prom/Hoco pics look super cool here!!!

Located in the comments shopping center , a small Egyptian build imitating the temple of Abu Simbel…read morein Egypt. A quick photo opts while here shopping.

Idealism died a rapid death at Llano del Rio, one of Southern California's utopian colonies from…read morethe last century. Designed by socialist lawyer and mayoral candidate Job Harriman, in 1914 it advertised for settlers using the following: "Are you tired of the competitive world? Do you want to get into a position where every hour's work will be for yourself and your family? Do you want assurances of employment and provisions for the future? Ask for the booklet entitled Gateway to Freedom. Subscribe to the Western Comrade ... and keep posted on the progress of the colony." It sounded like a good idea at the time, for those with a collectivist bent: communal child care, guaranteed wages and "feminist house design" with the goal of reducing housework. Approximately 150 families joined the commune. But soon the wheels began to fall off and by 1918, the site was abandoned. (It's telling that despite their stated idealistic goal of collectivism, only Caucasian settlers were allowed to join Llano del Rio.) The ruins persist, many of them behind chain link fencing. If you'd like to visit a free historical landmark just off the highway in the Antelope Valley, this is the place for you. Pack a lunch if you'd like to picnic; there's no free lunch here. But there is free parking.

This site holds the ruins of Llano del Rio, a socialist colony started by Job Harriman after a…read morefailed mayoral bid in LA. The commune was established in 1914 and supposedly had 1,000 residents at its height in 1917. By 1918, the site was abandoned. There is a lot more detailed history that can be found online, if you're interested. GETTING HERE: I had no problem finding the site using Waze. I just plugged in "Llano del Rio Collective." It's listed on Google Maps as well. It's located on the side of the Pearblossom Highway (State Highway 138) at P.M. 64.1. When you reach it, you can pull off the highway and leave your car along a dirt road (parallel to 138). There's not much left. A few structural remnants stand in a desolate stretch of land. You'll find a lot of rusted aluminum cans and trash on the ground. Walk around since all the building ruins are scattered. Sites like this are one of the reasons I love California. There is so much idiosyncratic history here, within the stories of people seeking utopia and some sort if idealistic bliss, in a place that often spit in their faces. CA is beautiful indeed but often illusory and certainly far from egalitarian. Yet it consistently attracts peculiar people seeking to sell their unique brand. Sometimes they succeed and many other times, they crash and burn. I took off a star because this area has been allowed to deteriorate. It has been designated as a historic landmark (#933) yet little care has been allotted. There is a fence around one of the structures but it's clear how much has been looted / lost to the elements. I know it's in the middle of nowhere so it's tough to maintain but perhaps there was more to be done to keep it intact. Maybe some more informational placards and surveillance signs? Some sort of renovation to help preserve it? It's such an interesting piece of CA history and it'll be an unfortunate loss when it disappears completely.

When it's cold expect some lovely snow. They have some fun…read morestuff to do such as Snow Valley, Lake Arrowhead, Arrowbear, Big Bear Lake and Big Bear City. Do stop and explore this great shopping district which also features several B&B and cabin style hotels. Spenser's is an inviting market with lots of home-made goodness cookies, cakes, sandwiches, deli section, wines, and plenty of great things to stock up on for your mountain vacation or day trip. Running Springs is a designated place in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Running Springs is situated 17 miles west of Big Bear Lake, CA. Check this sweet city out. We are definitely coming back real soon to get a better look for ourselves.

Running Springs is a grate place. It trumps all other places in Big Bear Lake. When you're high up…read morein the air you can bnback to health. In Running Springs Area you can hike and enjoy nature .. Tami Barker Sutter lives in Running Springs near Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear with husband Jon Sutter and their two dogs Dyne & Suh.. She doesnt discriminate working as a creative mosaic artist building sculptures or murals. She taught English as a second language so she understands asians.

Very interesting and somber place. Thd building and its details are beautiful. The young man…read moreworking there was very nice and he explained the layout of the museum and offered us resources and help along the self guided tour. It's a small museum with three separate rooms. There's a fun Morse code activity and some paper and colors to draw with. I'd say it's a place for fifth graders and up. Museum is free but please consider donating or buying from their gift shop to help keep funding places like these.

Very educational and fun to visit and learn at the same time. This place is great…read moreI recommend it to all age groups

HWY 330 starts In highland off of the 210 FWY and ends in Running springs. There are two gas…read morestations after you pass Running Springs going towards Big Bear ( prices are inflated). HWY 330 connects with HWY 18 in top town Running Springs. Once here , you can take the 18 towards Lake arrowhead (20 min drive) or towards Big Bear (35 min drive). During winter months, please carry chains if you don't have 4WD. Rain quickly turns to slush and snow in higher elevations. HWY 330 is mostly single lane with some passing lanes. It is windy, but the curves are less severe than HWY 18. If you have more than 5 cars behind you and you are driving slow, please pull over at the turnouts to let others pass. Take your time and drive safe.

Absolutely love Integratron and I've been here a handful of times now. If you are staying anywhere…read morein the desert down here this is worth adding to your list of places to visit. From La Quinta it's a good one hour + drive but definitely worth it! If your staying in Palm Springs proper or Joshua Tree much closer, regardless though worth it! Integratron essentially is a sound bath experience but in one of the coolest and best acoustic domes. I'll let the staff give you the history but it was very cool about learning how this place came to be and the intention behind it and land the dome sits on. This is a family owned business which makes it even more special. Three sisters own it and all of the family helps to run this space one way or another. On the day we came different cousins were sharing the duties. Love a local family run and operated space! Before starting the sound bath it's nice to explore the grounds, relax and they even have a gift shop. Nice bathrooms and plenty of parking. The system here is organized and seamless. Very great communication and guidance here. Make sure to pay attention to your emails before you come because they give great tips - like to bring blankets, dress in layers etc. As others have shared. The first 15-30 minutes is essentially going over rules, tips and history before they get started with the meditation/sound bath. I appreciate that they take everyone safety seriously and want everyone to have a joyful experience so they make sure to talk you through the do's and donts. The sound bath itself was relaxing and very soothing. The cushioned mats were premium and much nicer than I had remembered in the past. Very comfortable and nice temperature inside the dome. My only wish is that the sound bath piece was slightly longer but all in all it's a relaxing and unique experience. Would highly recommend that everyone come at least once.

This has been on our bucket list for years. Ever since seeing TV show host Anthony Bourdain visit,…read morewe've been fascinated by the Integratron and couldn't wait to experience a sound bath here. We finally went for my wife's birthday, so we came in really excited. First, the positives: the structure itself is incredible and the staff is genuinely kind. It's a family-run operation and you can feel that in a good way. But the actual experience? Rough. Within minutes of the sound bath starting, people were snoring. Not one person... a lot of people. Loudly. Full-on, out-cold snoring. The entire group of seniors next to us. Then the ladies on the other side of us. Add in constant fidgeting and movement, and it completely killed any chance of relaxing or getting immersed in the sound. It made it nearly impossible to relax or focus on the sound bath. The sound bath session itself felt surprisingly short, maybe 25 mins tops. It seemed like more time was spent waiting and going through instructions than actually experiencing the sound bath. The bowls were also not very loud, which made it even harder to tune out the distractions. In other sound baths we've attended, the instruments are more immersive, sometimes even amplified, which helps create a deeper experience. The final portion of the session transitioned into music played from an iPad, which felt a bit underwhelming and took away from the overall atmosphere. For the price (over $120 for two), it just didn't deliver. We left pretty disappointed after years of looking forward to it. Honestly, if you're someone who snores or can't stay still, this might not be the place for you because it really affects everyone else. And it would go a long way if staff actively managed that during the session. Cool place, great people, but not an experience we'd do again.

I Love this Beautiful Place, full of History, and ??? I have been here twice with my Paranormal…read moregroup, and it was wonderful!!

Exceptional. I went there with my Paranormal Team and we were treated like royalty! THANK YOU!read more

The view and hike were amazing! I highly recommend! Came here for pictures and it was easy accessread more

This is one of Big Bear Lake's historial landmarks. Frank Brown built this in 1884 to supply…read moreirrigation water for the Redlands area. This is described to be single-arch and made of granite. Back in the day, it was the world's largest man-made lake. It has a nice scenic view, good for taking photos. I saw some people stand on some of the rock formations trying to get nice shots. Just be careful that you don't trip since there are no railings/fences. There's a few parking spots only. We were lucky to find one right away. There's no exact address, but saw this from the website: W edge of Big Bear Lake, intersection of State Hwys 18 and 38 4.8 mi W of Big Bear Lake Village