The Mission Inn at Riverside
Easter 2021
I've discovered the perfect weekend getaway.
We had a long weekend for Easter this year and didn't have to go to work on Friday, so that gave us time to plan a quick getaway.
On Friday morning, after discovering the best (overpriced) breakfast burrito at Trejo's Donuts, we loaded two overnight bags and a little cooler-backpack into the car and drove out of town.
An hour (and change) later we pulled into Riverside, CA which is not your bustling metropolis, but the main attraction, at least for us, was the Mission Inn.
(Pulling up from the street)
Quick pic!
We pulled our bags from the trunk as valet whisked the car away and the charming bellman gave us some fun facts about the inn's resident parrots, Napoleon and Josephine, as we passed them on our way inside.
Our room was ready early, so we made our way upstairs to check out our new home!
Up the fancy stairs.
Down a few hallways- we did get a little lost at first.
Until we found our room. Look at those beautiful doors!
And inside:
The biggest bed with the softest sheets you've ever felt. I thought I was sleeping in a marshmallow. Best night's sleep I've ever had.
That other door leads outside to the Bell Courtyard, but it was sealed off.
A bathroom full of little orange scented things.
After a quick turnaround, we headed back downstairs.
This is the main terrace, I believe they call it the Spanish Patio, and that was where we had lunch! Or, rather we had afternoon tea instead of lunch, because why not.
It was delicious. Our favorite part was guessing what each tiny treat be and ranking them afterwards.
We both agreed that my tea, a White Coconut Crème, was superb and we'll have to order some for ourselves at home.
After tea, we headed back upstairs and I accidentally took a nap.
After my nap we finally went exploring.
Our first stop was to try and see the little museum under the western wing of the hotel, but unfortunately it was closed. We were allowed to poke around the gift shop though, and ended up in a wonderfully long conversation with the woman behind the counter, who gave us a great tour around the inn's diorama and its history lesson. We have her to thank for not getting lost again!
I did capture this gnome picking his nose and the plaque that details his adventures.
Armed with knowledge we ventured out again. The museum pictured below is not the one we tried to see, this was elsewhere in Riverside, down the street from the Inn, and it was also closed.
We found a tiny alleyway with a little bookshop at the end.
There was kind of (?) an organizing system, and it had the most interesting variety of old books I've ever seen. We only had a few minutes to poke around before closing, but they were quite the adventure!
(A very serious Marco)
^ I promise we smiled! And we stopped for a break by this tiny fountain.
So after thoroughly examining the perimeter of the hotel, we dove back inside for a more intense exploration of the interior.
Elevator selfie.
We found the chapel where they host marriages. Supposedly they were setting up for one that day, so we didn't get to go inside.
We stopped to enjoy the sunshine at a table tucked away in the most secluded corner.
More sunshine
And then back inside to air conditioning so we could change for dinner.
We found this cool chair down the hall from our room.
Las Campanas was our pick for dinner. They have a tequila bar located inside and host reservations for lunch and dinner on the outdoor patio. I took this photo in the morning, but they sat us just before sunset at 7pm underneath big palms and fairy lights.
We both agreed his pomegranate margarita far surpassed my peach one, and my enchiladas paled in comparison to his carnitas. This man clearly knows how to order good food!
More nighttime exploring after dinner (mostly trying to walk off the impressive amount of food we just ate).
Breakfast was its own occasion. We brought a picnic backpack full of picnic foods and ice packs to avoid having to leave the room before 11am. This meant we could sleep in and shower at our own pace. I also recently bought a little book on how to make a proper cheese board and couldn't wait to try it out!
11am was checkout and after checking our bags at the desk, we people-watched in the lobby until 11:30 when we both went to the spa for a massage.
Emerging completely refreshed, we couldn't bear to leave just yet so....
(elevator selfie)
We went back upstairs for more running around.
Eventually we left. Look at the orange trees they have lining the front entrance :)
And we went back home to sit by the pool for the rest of the day. Happy Easter!
