A Visit To The Mission Inn 2022

The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa's Festival of Lights is one of the nation's largest holiday light collections, voted "Best Public Lights Display" by USA Today. Every year The Inn's festival gains new energy, grows in popularity, and ushers in an increasing number of visitors to the Riverside area. Countless individuals make the yearly trek to The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa.

Did You Know? - The hotel has played host to U.S. Presidents and celebrities and was the setting for Hollywood productions including 1915ʼs "The Vampire", 1938ʼs "Idiotʼs Delight" and 1997ʼs "Man in the Iron Mask". Presidents Roosevelt, Taft, Hoover, Nixon, Reagan and Bush Jr; social leaders such as Booker T. Washington, Susan B. Anthony, Amelia Earhart, Albert Einstein, Helen Keller and John Muir; and entertainers including Judy Garland, Bette Davis, Clark Gable, Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand and James Brolin have all stayed, dined and relaxed at Mission Inn throughout its storied, nearly 150- year history.

Did You Know? - Decorated in colorful tiles, vaulted ceilings, ornate wall sconces and marble accents, the Mission Inn Restaurant's centerpiece is a state-of-the-art display kitchen, where chefs prepare signature comfort foods and light fare.

The Spanish Patio represents a castle's inner court and offers amazing views surrounded by awe-inspiring architecture and beauty. This location is a guest favorite and one of the most beautiful courtyards in the country.

Recognized as a "Top 100 Best Outdoor Dining Restaurants in America" by OpenTable Diner's Choice Awards the adjacent Spanish Patio is an al fresco dining spot surrounded by the bell tower, Anton's Clock and Glockenspiel, a collection of bells from missions throughout the United States, and a circular tiled fountain.

Did You Know? - Mussels have more iron than fillet steak! It's quite amazing to think that such a small morsel can have so much iron, but it does. Mussels are a great source of iron. They are a lean protein and will keep you feeling fuller for longer. Steamed mussels are healthy, delicious and super easy to prepare.

In every mussel, you will find omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A and B12, zinc, iodine and selenium. Those vitamins and minerals can help improve brain function, reduce inflammatory conditions, regulate thyroid hormones and contribute to your overall immune system and healthy eyes and glowing skin.

Did You Know? - The craze started in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, in 1959. As with all grand advances in civilization, the credit goes to those who made them commercially viable—and the Ford of the aluminum tree was the Aluminum Specialty Company, based in the small, blue-collar city on Lake Michigan.

According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, Tom Gannon, toy sales manager for the Aluminum Specialty Company, saw a metal tree in a store window during a visit to Chicago in 1958. Modern Coatings, Inc., had a patent on them, but its version was expensive and bulky. Gannon brought the idea back to his engineers, who made the trees cheaper—the price went from $75 to $85 down to $25—as well as easier to mass produce and easier to put up and break down. Aluminum Specialty took a gamble and produced hundreds of thousands for the following Christmas, eventually branding it the "Evergleam."

Soon after, several aluminum manufacturers found themselves in the Christmas business, and the trees were everywhere, ranging from tabletop models to eight feet tall; silver was popular, but they came in a variety of colors. Trees were paired with spotlights and color wheels that made them twinkle in rotating hues. In one popular variation, the needles erupted into a kind of pompom at the tip of each rigid branch, like shooting stars.

And then came Charlie Brown, and he ruined everything.