Mission Inn & Holiday of Lights: Trip Report

By Zach Cooper

Earlier in December, I was able to take a small day trip to the Mission Inn in Riverside, California. I did not stay the night at this luxury hotel, but was able to explore and learn the history of this hotel. During this time of year, the hotel also features "Festival of Lights," which hosts over 4 million sparkling bulbs.

I arrived at the hotel at around 2PM and had a small lunch at a nearby sushi restaurant. Walking into the hotel was amazing. Its such an amazing and beautiful hotel.

I


Inspired by the holiday season is the "Festival of Lights". The hotel is completely decorated with millions of lights, which usually are turned on at sundown.

Seeing the hotel before the night crowds was really nice. Its a beautiful hotel with so much history. To learn more about it, I took a 75 minute walking tour.



For just about $15, you can take a nice tour around the whole hotel, guided by a volunteer who knows much about the history and layout. I really enjoyed the tour. Our guide was excellent and kept all of us very entertained. Each tour group fits about 15 people and runs usually once an hour. You get to go in many private places, closed off to the general public. I really recommend taking the tour. Its amazing how much you will learn in just 75 minutes. Out of 10, I would rate the tour a 10. Well worth every penny.

After I got out of the tour, it was already dusk, so the Festival of Lights started.
  

 Its amazing how many lights are in the hotel's grounds. During the evenings, Mission Inn is packed with people going around and enjoying the festivities.

  

I really recommend visiting. I would like to stay sometime and experience it all, because it truly is great. To book your stay, visit www.missioninn.com.