Redlands Is Rich in Victoriana, Music, Theater

Not all of the nation’s grand turn-of-the-century homes are back East. You’ll discover a trove of Victorian mansions not far away in Redlands.

That attractive city in San Bernardino County has organized a driving tour past 18 of its historic homes. Best of all, at a few of them visitors are welcomed inside for tours, dining or to spend the night.

Redlands has other enticements, too. Its 63rd free summer music festival begins Tuesday in Redlands Bowl, with a variety of programs presented Tuesday and Friday evenings through Aug. 26. For playgoers, the 14th annual Redlands Theater Festival offers outdoor performances almost nightly from July 9 to Aug. 22.

During an outing to Redlands you also can tour a mission asistencia built in 1830 to serve the area’s Indians, and explore the modern San Bernardino County Museum. And visitors will find three relatively new restaurants, including one that features the food of Thailand.

A Tour Must

If you plan your trip for a Sunday or Thursday, be certain to tour two of Redlands’ most impressive Victorian homes.

Get there from Los Angeles by heading east on Interstate 10 to the California Street exit at the west edge of Redlands. Go south (right) across Redlands Boulevard, continue to Barton Road and turn left. After two blocks you’ll see a bell tower and the San Bernardino Asistencia that’s worth a stop.

Visitors are welcome to take a free self-guided tour every day except Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m (Sunday and Tuesday from 1 p.m.). You’ll see artifacts and dioramas of the Indian mission and American pioneer periods.

Continue east on Barton Road, then bear right on Terracina Boulevard to No. 140 and a classic Victorian that’s marked by an onion dome. The gingerbread Morey Mansion is the work of a master craftsman, David Morey, a retired shipbuilder.

Bed and Breakfast

A year ago this month the 1890 Morey Mansion opened its doors as a bed-and-breakfast inn. Overnight guests have a choice of six antique-decorated rooms or a cottage at the rear. Afternoon tea is served in the library and you can breakfast outdoors on the porch. Room rates range from $70 to $95. Phone (714) 793-7970.

Visitors also are welcome to tour the mansion Sundays and Thursdays from noon to 3 p.m. The 20-room house is noted for its golden oak woodwork that’s been hand-carved with anchors, fish, flowers and other decorations. A $3.25 donation ($2.25 seniors and children under 12 years) takes you on a 30-minute tour.

On the same days between 1 and 4 p.m. you can visit Kimberly Crest, an 1897 Victorian that resembles a French chateau. It was built by a wealthy widow from New York who later sold it to the J. A. Kimberlys of the Kimberly-Clark paper fortune.

The Kimberlys hired Tiffany’s of New York to decorate the three-story mansion. It remained in the family until 1979 and then was deeded to the citizens of Redlands. Docents of a nonprofit group guide visitors through the home for a $2 donation.

Tour Brochure Available

Get there from the Morey Mansion by continuing on Terracina Boulevard to Cypress Avenue and following it to Alvarado Street. Turn right to Highland Avenue, then cross that street and go up the narrow lane, Prospect Drive, to parking for No. 150.

A “Redlands Turn of the Century Homes” tour brochure has a map, directions and descriptions of the city’s heritage houses. Get a copy postpaid by sending $2.50 to the Redlands Chamber of Commerce, 1 E. Redlands Blvd., Redlands 92373, or stop there any weekday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: (714) 793-2546.

Within view of Kimberly Crest mansion the Redlands Theater Festival takes place at a 400-seat outdoor stage in Prospect Park beginning July 9. Professional and college actors perform a repertory of five plays, including “South Pacific.”

Tickets cost $8, $6 for seniors and students. Write 11711 Sand Canyon Road, Yucaipa 92399, or phone (714) 794-5455.

Redlands’ best-known summer event is a series of free concerts by the Redlands Bowl Festival Symphony and other programs of ballet and folk dancing, opera, vocal ensembles and instrumental soloists. The 17-event season begins Tuesday.

Get a program of the Tuesday and Friday night programs by sending a self-addressed envelope to P.O. Box 466, Redlands 92373, or calling (714) 793-7316. Donations during intermission help support the popular festival.

Picnics, Too

Choose from the 4,500 beach seats at Redlands Bowl downtown in Smiley Park, or take a blanket or chair to sit on the lawn. Some concert-goers take picnics, too.

Not far from the park you can enjoy an early dinner at Joe Greensleeves, 222 N. Orange St. Two years ago a historic 1890s building was renovated as a small restaurant for informal fine dining. Dinners are served from 5:30 p.m. except Sunday and Monday; also lunch on weekdays. Reservations: (714) 792-6969.

Or drive west to 27115 W. Redlands Blvd. and Vesuvio Ristorante for Italian fare in Art Deco surroundings. This fancy dining place opened last summer in the midst of a complex of auto shops and tire stores. Dinner, with valet parking, begins at 5:30 p.m. nightly; lunch is served weekdays only. Call (714) 792-9399.

Farther along West Redlands Boulevard is Thai House, also popular for lunch and dinner. It opens daily at 11 a.m. and has been serving the exotic food of the Southeast Asian nation since 1984. Phone (714) 798-4323.

Or continue west to California Street, go right under the freeway and turn right on Orange Tree Lane to have a meal in the Edwards Mansion.

A Redlands landmark since 1890, the rambling Victorian was moved to its present site in an orange grove a dozen years ago and renovated as a restaurant. Lunch and dinner are served daily and champagne brunch on Sundays; call (714) 793-2031 for hours.

Before rejoining Interstate 10 for the drive back to Los Angeles, visit the adjacent San Bernardino County Museum with historical and other exhibits. It’s free and open daily except Mondays.

Round trip from Los Angeles to Redlands is 140 miles.