This is probably the most unique place I've ever visited in Southern California. Three of our…read moredocents were actual workers on the castle, so we got an inside view of its origins. I'll never forget the experience and highly recommend that you make it a priority to visit. When a person has a vision and spends 25 years fulfilling it with hundreds of friends and neighbors, you have a masterpiece! Go as soon as you can!

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.

Thanks to the research of Super Elite Yelper Gary I., we were able to tour the Phillips Mansion in…read morePomona prior to dinner nearby. The mansion, built in 1875 and maintained by the Pomona Historical Society, was the home of the one-time "richest man in LA County", Louis Phillips. Tours are conducted by reservation only and as of this writing, can be reserved here: https://www.pomonahistorical.org/phillips-mansion for $15. Our docent, pictured below, gave us many interesting details and pertinent history of the building. The grounds are lovingly maintained; the building itself could be called a "fixer-upper". It's good to see the work in progress and the building does seem to be in good hands. This tour is very highly recommended.

We enjoyed immensely the Phillips Mansion and Currier House tours yesterday afternoon. We…read moreappreciated our docents' enthusiasm and knowledge regarding the history and preservation of these buildings. The main goal for the Currier House currently is weatherproofing it from further damage. I hope that the Pomona Historical Society finds success in obtaining funding and the proper skilled craftsmen to restore it again someday.

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.

What a cute little "museum"! Gabriel was so hospitable while helping us with some group photos and…read moregetting in the photo with us. Teaching us the washing machine method of cleaning the potato way back in the day. Serving us prop burger and fries through the window. All in all the cutest location of all of in n out! We had a great time! They are only open until 2PM so check the time before heading over!

This building is located in Baldwin Park near the 10 freeway. This is the replica of the very first…read moreIn n Out drive thru which was demolished due to the construction of the freeway. We went on a Tuesday and didn't realize that it's open only Thursday to Sunday from 11am to 2pm. But since we're already there, we took pictures and videos from the gate.

Went to Vietnam for 9days. Excellent tour guide, 5stars…read morehotels. wonderful food. Trip arrangements were suit for the weather.

5 star service! 5 star food! 5 star sightseeing! 5 star hotels!…read more If you want to enjoy your trip without any worries, signet is your choice.

I visited for the first time the weekend before Halloween and definitely got full fall vibes. It's…read moresmaller than I expected but adorably quaint and there are plenty of cute photo ops. I thought it would be busier so close to the holidays but it actually wasn't too bad. We even found parking right across the street from the entrance. There's also a park right next door too. It's free to enter with tractor rides and petting zoo costing $3 each. The pumpkins were on the pricier side but they did have a good variety of different kinds. I will be back next fall for the pumpking patch again. I also want to come back at other times and check out orange picking and their vendor markets.

Fantastic historic societywent on tractor ride on Halloween…read more Local farm and history of local area. Something that should be supported

I've been coming here for the past 2 years, and it's always an amazing experience. The atmosphere,…read morefood, and wide variety of activities keep me coming back every year! The only real drawback this time was traffic. It took nearly an hour just to exit. Although 2 exit lanes were added, the traffic light created a major bottleneck. Entry was also slower because several access points were closed. I understand how busy it gets, but the traffic flow definitely needs improvement. Overall, I still love this place and can't wait to come back next year!

COVID-19: Social distancing is not enforced at this event. Some of the staff wears a mask. All…read morevisitors are not expected to wear a mask. It's optional now. There are some hand sanitizers available for visitors to use. This place is open and available with no limited capacity. They are not sanitizing in between visitors. I mention these things in my reviews for the sake of protecting immunocompromised people like the elderly and people sick with cancer and other illnesses. COVID-19 Vaccination Proof: This event currently does not require proof of vaccination. While I was here several months ago, I asked if they had any special offers and they weren't offering any at the moment. They also do not allow pets in their event UNLESS it's a service animal. Parking: The parking lot for this establishment is pretty massive. When you enter the grounds, turn left. There you will be directed to pay for parking ($15 for regular cars - general parking, $30 for VIP parking, $23 for RVs and limos, and $38 for buses) and where to park. As mentioned by my excellent buddy, Justin, parking for handicapped individuals freaking suck. Whoever organized this event sucks. Handicapped parking is in lot 3, which is hella far away from the event. You would think it would be much closer to the event, but noooooo. Some idiot organized it to be like this. Why?!?! Please make the entrance closer to the handicapped parking lot in the future. That would make a lot of sense. They take cash and credit cards. Event: The festival offers immersive 14 - 17 century Elizabethan-era entertainment, jousting tournaments, artisanal shopping, and medieval food like turkey legs. The event itself was very fun and entertaining. I had a great time with my close friend. I highly encourage anyone who attends to dress up. If you don't, you will stick out like a very sore and ugly thumb. If you do dress up, costume weapons must be sheathed and peace tied. Also, wear comfy shoes. There is soooooo much walking. It's also hella dusty at this event, which is lowkey on point with ye - old England. To add on, when Justin and I attended this event in mid May, the weather was soooo on point because it was gloomy and overcast. This is exactly how I imagined old timey England during the renaissance. You can absolutely bring food and drinks into the event, but they cannot be picnic food, food that requires heating or refrigeration, alcohol, anything in glass containers, and coolers. You can bring water, but it cannot be opened yet. Or you can bring an empty reusable water bottle for it to be filled up at the event. There are plenty of bathrooms (porta potties and hand washing stations) at this event. Note: While at the event, we didn't see any refillable water bottle stations. Where were they hiding? Food: My bestie and I got the tri tip sandwich and french fries. Honestly, coming into this event, I already knew that the food was gonna be mid. Lmao I had low expectations for the food because I wasn't really there for the food. Plus, I guess this was also kinda lowkey on point with the renaissance era in England because food in that time period was also mid. Lol I was primarily there for the medieval vibes and jousting, which delivered in spades. I would honestly go every year just for the medieval vibes and jousting. Screw the food there. Anyways, the tri tip sandwich was overly priced with a meager amount of meat in the sandwich in a sad ass hot dog bun. It was more of a sad- wich. This is why I removed one star. Flavor wise, it was okay. My friend knows that I'm not the biggest fan of anything BBQ, but I'll eat it anyways. The fries that we got were plentiful for the price point and it was very crunchy. I was disappointed when it wasn't really salted, which made it taste bland TBH. I should also note that the tri tip sandwich and fries were cold by the time we sat down and ate them because we spent like 10 - 15 minutes walking around and finding a place to eat. Don't be like us. Eat your food while it's hot. Staff: The staff here are very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. They accept both cash and credit cards. There is no credit card minimum. Still, cash is king at this event. Many vendors only take cash, so bring at least $100 per person.

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

I'm always going to recommend this place. It's extremely inviting and the staff is super…read morepersonable. They carry something for everyone in terms of price point and selection. I love getting my hair oils from here as well as attending their classes held throughout the month.

I highly recommend Kindred Spirits!! Shawna helped me pick out a selection of crystals to keep me…read moregrounded and focused for a job interview. She is a fellow cancer and made a lasting impression!

City of San Dimas is a small-town city in the SGV of LA county. It is bordered by the San Gabriel…read moreMountains range to the north, Glendora and Covina to the west. This city has many interesting historical development and cultural heritage. For instance, they had their first hotel "The Walker House" to Sheriffs station (1927) to San Dimas Grain Company (1897) to Rail road station to the Johnstone building (1902). Sam Dimas is very charming and alluring small town city rich in nature. I like that this city is very walkable where you can easily go from one store to the next. This city has plenty of parks, public parking, but limited entertainment, supermarket, cafes and restaurants. San Dimas is very family-friendly town and has numerous activities and resources available to residents. Overall, I enjoyed visiting, walking and exploring this charming small town city. I highly recommend you visit.

A safe city. Lots of good food places, shopping, and nearby parks. Really close to my hometown…read moreGlendora so also a plus lol.