{"id":2285,"date":"2015-12-15T09:13:45","date_gmt":"2015-12-15T09:13:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/?p=2285"},"modified":"2015-12-18T21:50:55","modified_gmt":"2015-12-18T21:50:55","slug":"best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Unique Holiday and Anytime Staycation Spots and Ideas in Southern California and Beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"toc_light_blue no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#Unsilent_Night\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">1<\/span> Unsilent Night<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#The_Bunny_Museum\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">2<\/span> The Bunny Museum<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Riverside_County\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">3<\/span> Riverside County<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Riverside_Festival_of_Lights\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">3.1<\/span> Riverside Festival of Lights<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Riverside_Live\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">3.2<\/span> Riverside Live<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Fender_Visitor_Center\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">3.3<\/span> Fender Visitor Center<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#Redlands\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">4<\/span> Redlands<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#a_la_minute\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">4.1<\/span> \u00e0 la minute<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Theron8217s_Frozen_Custard\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">4.2<\/span> Theron&#8217;s Frozen Custard<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Dhat_Island\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">4.3<\/span> Dhat Island<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#Honorable_mentions\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">5<\/span> Honorable mentions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<p>It&#8217;s the holidays, and you&#8217;ve got a hankering for a getaway or even a pretty bad case of cabin fever. But maybe you&#8217;ve already blown your budget on a Black Friday mad shopping dash or you simply don&#8217;t have the slightest idea on what to do. Look no farther than your own backyard for some low-cost or no-cost festive fun 24\/7\/365\u2014or 366 in a leap year, which happens to be just two months away at the time of this post!<!--more--><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"western\"><span id=\"Unsilent_Night\">Unsilent Night<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"western\">The brainchild of NYC-via-Ohio experimental composer Phil Kline, <a href=\"http:\/\/unsilentnight.com\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">Unsilent Night<\/a> is not your grandma&#8217;s (let alone your great-great-great-grandma&#8217;s!) caroling round. It features four different tracks randomly synced in an ambient sonic swirl on boomboxes and MP3 players. A holiday soundscape tradition since 1992, this is an event that can be enjoyed locally or internationally. Unsilent Night is held throughout the month of December across North America, recently expanding to Asia, Africa, and Australia.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a clip of my 2012 Santa Monica shindig:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pIefBunjmQA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>For the ultimate electronic Yuletide experience, you can also start your own Unsilent Night in your hometown!<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"western\"><span id=\"The_Bunny_Museum\">The Bunny Museum<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Not surprisingly, <a href=\"http:\/\/thebunnymuseum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Bunny Museum<\/a>, the mini fluffy Taj Mahal of Pasadena, has been voted the cutest and the weirdest museum where the standard greeting includes a bunny fist bump and bunny ears in the form of \u201cV for Victory\u201d hand gesture above the head. This Guinness World Record-breaking \u201cHoppiest Place on Earth\u201d is a no-brainer choice for animal lovers, although a caveat is in order: the eclectic, extensive collection of bunny knick-knacks (fruitfully multiplying daily at five figures and counting!) may be an acquired taste for some, especially the freeze-dried bunnies that were once pets. Come and see for yourself!<\/p>\n<p>The home of Candace Frazee and Steve Lubanski (collectively monikered Lubunnzee) doubles as a museum celebrating their marriage, beginning from their courtship on Valentine&#8217;s Day 1993 when they first gave each other a bunny item every day as a love token. More on this (and then some!) on my interview video with the ever-so-bubbly Candace <a href=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/about\" target=\"_blank\">here on my About page<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, there are real live resident bunnies, of course! <i>Bonus:<\/i> there&#8217;s something for everybody here. Ailurophiles, rejoice! As the quintessential cat lady, Candace has quite a menagerie of friendly felines.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thebunnymuseum\" target=\"_blank\">The Bunny Museum<\/a> is open to the public on all holidays or privately by appointment. Hop on over!<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-2285 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/bunny-museum-multiply\/'><img width=\"208\" height=\"370\" src=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Bunny-Museum-multiply.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Bunny items fruitfully multiplying at the Bunny Museum\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-2308\" srcset=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Bunny-Museum-multiply.jpg 208w, http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Bunny-Museum-multiply-169x300.jpg 169w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 208px) 100vw, 208px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-2308'>\n\t\t\t\tThe official leporine verse emblazoned on the bunny dress: Genesis 1:22. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/bunny-museum-v-for-doecy\/'><img width=\"208\" height=\"370\" src=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Bunny-Museum-V-for-Doecy.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Hanging out with Jessica &quot;Doecy&quot; Doecent of the Bunny Museum\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-2309\" srcset=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Bunny-Museum-V-for-Doecy.jpg 208w, http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Bunny-Museum-V-for-Doecy-169x300.jpg 169w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 208px) 100vw, 208px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-2309'>\n\t\t\t\tHalloween 2014: V for bunny victory with Jessica &#8220;Doecy&#8221; Doecent the Flemish Giant\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/bunny-museum-benji\/'><img width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Bunny-Museum-Benji.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Benji the Bengal at The Bunny Museum\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-2307\" srcset=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Bunny-Museum-Benji.jpg 658w, http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Bunny-Museum-Benji-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-2307'>\n\t\t\t\tFun with Benjie the Bengal\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"western\"><\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"western\"><span id=\"Riverside_County\">Riverside County<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><span id=\"Riverside_Festival_of_Lights\">Riverside Festival of Lights<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Recently voted number one on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.10best.com\/awards\/travel\/best-holiday-festival\/riverside-festival-of-lights-riverside-calif\/\" target=\"_blank\">USA Today Top 10 Best Readers&#8217; Choice<\/a>, this annual downtown electric spectacle, running from Black Friday to the first week of January, also features live entertainment by locals, skating rink, food stands, open-air arts market, horse carriages, and the occasional mini-zoo\u2014with live reindeers at one point.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.riversideca.gov\/fol\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Festival of Lights<\/a> is not just a spectator sport! If you&#8217;re artistically inclined, you may also apply to become paid performers.<\/p>\n<p>The old-world charm of the four-star <a href=\"http:\/\/www.missioninn.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Mission Inn Hotel &amp; Spa<\/a>, host of the Festival of Lights, makes for wonderful year-round retreats, weddings, business meetings, and conventions.<\/p>\n<p><i>Pro tip: <\/i>Avoid rush-hour visits, usually between 4:00 to 7:30 pm, as traffic is severely congested, especially during the holidays. A ten-minute one-way commute usually turns into an hour.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><span id=\"Riverside_Live\">Riverside Live<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Obviously, don&#8217;t expect the accommodations and attractions of internationally known major metro\/urban areas such as LA in the suburban sprawl of the Inland Empire. It&#8217;s unlikely to catch more recent or ongoing famous figures staging their shows here, but who says that you have to go all the way to LA or Orange County for some pretty hip entertainment?<\/p>\n<p>Just a few blocks away from the Mission Inn, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.riversidelive.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Riverside Live<\/a> comprises the fully renovated <a href=\"http:\/\/www.riversidefoxfoundation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Fox Theater<\/a> and the <a href=\"http:\/\/venue.riversiderma.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Riverside Municipal Auditorium<\/a> under the management of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.livenation.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Live Nation<\/a>, the parent company of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.houseofblues.com\" target=\"_blank\">House of Blues<\/a> and a merger with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ticketmaster.com\" target=\"_blank\">Ticketmaster<\/a>. The Fox caters to fans of classic films, Broadway, stand-up comedy, classical music, family-friendly entertainment, tribute bands, and top 60s-80s artists\/bands returning to the performing circuit, while RMA showcases edgier old and new acts in EDM, rap, alternative rock, and metal, plus more tribute bands.<\/p>\n<p>Planning your own special event? The above venues are also available for rent.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-2285 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-medium'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/fox-medleys\/'><img width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Fox-Medleys-300x169.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Bill and McKenna Medley at the Fox, Riverside\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-2332\" srcset=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Fox-Medleys-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Fox-Medleys.jpg 657w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-2332'>\n\t\t\t\tAfter-show meet-and-greet with Righteous Brother Bill Medley and daughter McKenna at the Fox\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/terry-fator-fox\/'><img width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Terry-Fator-Fox-300x169.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Terry Fator at the Fox, Riverside\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-2333\" srcset=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Terry-Fator-Fox-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Terry-Fator-Fox.jpg 658w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-2333'>\n\t\t\t\tCapturing hearts and funny bones: Terry Fator at the Fox \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/cypress-hill-rma\/'><img width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Cypress-Hill-RMA-300x169.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Cypress Hill at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-2334\" srcset=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Cypress-Hill-RMA-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Cypress-Hill-RMA.jpg 656w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-2334'>\n\t\t\t\tInsane in the membrane: 420-laden Cypress Hill gig at the RMA. Whaddaya expect?\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h3 class=\"western\"><\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><span id=\"Fender_Visitor_Center\">Fender Visitor Center<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you&#8217;re a fellow musician or hardcore music aficionado, the <a href=\"http:\/\/www2.fender.com\/features\/visitor-center\/\" target=\"_blank\">Fender Visitor Center<\/a> in Corona may just be your sweet spot. Not to be missed is the guided factory tour. At only $10 per pop (or half price with AAA discount), you get a fun, inexpensive educational experience seeing the various stages of guitar manufacturing from the beginning to the end, and yes, it was a treat to see the birthplace of my Telecaster. Having had gag-me-with-a-spoon, monotonous office stints that involved assembly line-types of tasks, I say mad props to the workers in the Fender factory! They surely put lots of time, energy, and dedication into the craft that makes it possible to enjoy all those good ol&#8217; lovely Fender tones\u2014from dreamy bell-like tones to ear-splitting wall of sound. This would boost any music lover&#8217;s appreciation for guitar music to the nth degree.<\/p>\n<p>The exhibit-slash-gift store is packed with standard souvenir goodies including T-shirts, magnets, books, and guitar picks, plus instruments that you can test-drive in the jam rooms. It can&#8217;t get more rockin&#8217; fun than this!<\/p>\n<p>If you want <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fendercustomshop.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">your very own custom axe<\/a>, this is the right place to have it built!<\/p>\n<p><em>Pro tip #1:<\/em> The Visitor Center is closed closer to Christmas up to New Year. Plan accordingly.<\/p>\n<p><i>Pro tip #2:<\/i> Do <i>not<\/i> confuse the Visitor Center with the <a href=\"http:\/\/fendermuseum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Fender Museum<\/a>. They&#8217;re on different street addresses, although they&#8217;re both in Corona. The Visitor Center is the location of the gift store and the factory. The Museum focuses more on music education. Your better bet is to go to the Visitor Center.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-2285 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-medium'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/fender-factory-2\/'><img width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Fender-factory-2-300x169.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Fender factory tour: custom Jaguar\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-3-2329\" srcset=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Fender-factory-2-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Fender-factory-2.jpg 656w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-3-2329'>\n\t\t\t\tThar she rocks! 50th Anniversary edition of Fender Jaguar. Always and forever on my Christmas and everyday wish list!\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/fender-factory-1\/'><img width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Fender-factory-1-300x169.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Fender factory tour\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-3-2328\" srcset=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Fender-factory-1-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Fender-factory-1.jpg 656w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-3-2328'>\n\t\t\t\tOur goofy, cool tour guide showing off one of the many stages of guitar manufacturing\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/fender-3\/'><img width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Fender-3-300x169.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Fender exhibit\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-3-2327\" srcset=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Fender-3-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Fender-3.jpg 656w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-3-2327'>\n\t\t\t\tYou&#8217;d better axe somebody with those hard-hitting notes at the Fender exhibit! Featuring Smashing Pumpkins et al. \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"western\"><\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"western\"><span id=\"Redlands\">Redlands<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Holiday excess calories be <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">damned<\/span> praised! Redlands, known for its quaint metroesque-artsy-chic-meets-down-homey-small-town boutiques and specialty gourmet eateries, is perfect for stuffing your inner foodie. Here are a few top picks among them.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><span id=\"a_la_minute\">\u00e0 la minute<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/alaminute.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2313\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-2313 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/alaminute.jpg\" alt=\"\u00e0 la minute Creamery, Redlands, CA\" width=\"213\" height=\"379\" srcset=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/alaminute.jpg 208w, http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/alaminute-169x300.jpg 169w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 213px) 100vw, 213px\" \/><\/a>An instant hit since it opened in March 2012, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.alaminuteicecream.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">\u00e0 la minute<\/a> boasts locally sourced, handcrafted, all-organic ingredients. Everything is made to order (hence the shop name) using liquid nitrogen. \u00e0 la minute features house favorites, as well as seasonal flavors and weekly specials.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to venture farther out to LA and Orange Counties, visit the Claremont and Orange branches. All three branches offer signature flavors unique to each location.<\/p>\n<p>Thinking about throwing a little party at home or any other special events? \u00e0 la minute also offers catering to jazz up everyone&#8217;s palates.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><span id=\"Theron8217s_Frozen_Custard\">Theron&#8217;s Frozen Custard<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>By way of the Midwest, this hole-in-the-wall serves up delectably thick, frozen custard and a variety of deli-style sandwiches. Choose from the house menu or build your own. Enjoy your goodies under the serene shade of the pomegranate trees in the patio facing a scenic park.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theronsfrozencustard.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Theron&#8217;s<\/a> also offers catering service for your event.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-4' class='gallery galleryid-2285 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/theron-1\/'><img width=\"296\" height=\"370\" src=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Theron-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Theron&#039;s Frozen Custard\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-4-2317\" srcset=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Theron-1.jpg 296w, http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Theron-1-240x300.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 296px) 100vw, 296px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-4-2317'>\n\t\t\t\tNom nom. \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/theron-2\/'><img width=\"640\" height=\"361\" src=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Theron-2.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Theron&#039;s frozen custard and sandwich\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-4-2318\" srcset=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Theron-2.jpg 656w, http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Theron-2-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-4-2318'>\n\t\t\t\tDouble the nom nom.\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h3 class=\"western\"><span id=\"Dhat_Island\">Dhat Island<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Bringing the Caribbean breeze to the Inland Empire, the dishes create a veritable explosion of Creole spices in your taste buds. Make room for fares such as oxtail soup, curry goat, Mich Fondue Cr\u00e9ole, bourbon chicken, Cr\u00e9ole chicken with rice, black beans, and plantains, plus ginger beer, fresh whole baby coconut, and beignets, too! Bring your beastly appetite as the portions are king-sized!<\/p>\n<p>The folks at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dhatisland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Dhat Island<\/a> also have catering covered if you have something special planned.<\/p>\n<p>In short, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.yelp.com\/biz\/dhat-island-caribbean-creole-cuisine-redlands-2\" target=\"_blank\">Dhat Island<\/a> = <i>phat<\/i> island. Ya mon!<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-5' class='gallery galleryid-2285 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/dhat-island-1\/'><img width=\"640\" height=\"361\" src=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Dhat-Island-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Dhat Island bourbon chicken\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Dhat-Island-1.jpg 656w, http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Dhat-Island-1-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/dhat-island-3\/'><img width=\"640\" height=\"361\" src=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Dhat-Island-3.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Dhat Island Cr\u00e9ole chicken\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Dhat-Island-3.jpg 656w, http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Dhat-Island-3-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/dhat-island-2\/'><img width=\"209\" height=\"370\" src=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Dhat-Island-2.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Dhat Island ginger beer and young coconut\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Dhat-Island-2.jpg 209w, http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Dhat-Island-2-169x300.jpg 169w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 209px) 100vw, 209px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"western\"><span id=\"Honorable_mentions\">Honorable mentions<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Feeling a little adventurous? <a href=\"http:\/\/onecoolthingeveryweekend.com\/2012\/11\/05\/12-best-unusual-things-to-do-in-southern-california\/\" target=\"_blank\">Here&#8217;s a list of offbeat locales<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For more travel tips, ideas, discounts, and information on local and international destinations, check out magazines published by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aaa.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">AAA<\/a> regional clubs across the country. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aaa.com\/westways\" target=\"_blank\"><i>Westways<\/i><\/a> is published by the Automobile Club of Southern California.<\/p>\n<p>While you&#8217;re out having the time of your life, remember to also <a href=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/contact\" target=\"_blank\">book some fun animal party<\/a> for your furry friends at home! I&#8217;ll be glad to hold down the fort while you&#8217;re away!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s the holidays, and you&#8217;ve got a hankering for a getaway or even a pretty bad case of cabin fever. But maybe you&#8217;ve already blown your budget on a Black [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[82,90,81,22],"tags":[100,99,95,97,102,98,94,101,96],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Best Unique Holiday and Anytime Staycation Spots and Ideas in Southern California and Beyond - An Artful Dogger<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Make every day and your holiday season merry and bright with these staycation destinations in Southern California\u2014Inland Empire and LA County\u2014and beyond!\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Best Unique Holiday and Anytime Staycation Spots and Ideas in Southern California and Beyond - An Artful Dogger\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Make every day and your holiday season merry and bright with these staycation destinations in Southern California\u2014Inland Empire and LA County\u2014and beyond!\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"An Artful Dogger\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-12-15T09:13:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-12-18T21:50:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Vacay-spot-2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1152\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Nancee Marin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/\",\"name\":\"An Artful Dogger\",\"description\":\"Pet care + s&#039;more. Pet sitting in Redlands and Riverside, CA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Vacay-spot-2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Vacay-spot-2.jpg\",\"width\":1152,\"height\":350},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/\",\"name\":\"Best Unique Holiday and Anytime Staycation Spots and Ideas in Southern California and Beyond - An Artful Dogger\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2015-12-15T09:13:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-12-18T21:50:55+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4781471f8ff78d82229859b9734bd4cc\"},\"description\":\"Make every day and your holiday season merry and bright with these staycation destinations in Southern California\u2014Inland Empire and LA County\u2014and beyond!\u00a0\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Best Unique Holiday and Anytime Staycation Spots and Ideas in Southern California and Beyond\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4781471f8ff78d82229859b9734bd4cc\",\"name\":\"Nancee Marin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ff82275ff05372057e4d7e0435361b2c?s=96&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ff82275ff05372057e4d7e0435361b2c?s=96&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Nancee Marin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/AnArtfulDogger.com\"],\"url\":\"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/author\/nancee-marin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Best Unique Holiday and Anytime Staycation Spots and Ideas in Southern California and Beyond - An Artful Dogger","description":"Make every day and your holiday season merry and bright with these staycation destinations in Southern California\u2014Inland Empire and LA County\u2014and beyond!\u00a0","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Best Unique Holiday and Anytime Staycation Spots and Ideas in Southern California and Beyond - An Artful Dogger","og_description":"Make every day and your holiday season merry and bright with these staycation destinations in Southern California\u2014Inland Empire and LA County\u2014and beyond!\u00a0","og_url":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/","og_site_name":"An Artful Dogger","article_published_time":"2015-12-15T09:13:45+00:00","article_modified_time":"2015-12-18T21:50:55+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1152,"height":350,"url":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Vacay-spot-2.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Nancee Marin","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/","name":"An Artful Dogger","description":"Pet care + s&#039;more. Pet sitting in Redlands and Riverside, CA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Vacay-spot-2.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Vacay-spot-2.jpg","width":1152,"height":350},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/#webpage","url":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/","name":"Best Unique Holiday and Anytime Staycation Spots and Ideas in Southern California and Beyond - An Artful Dogger","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2015-12-15T09:13:45+00:00","dateModified":"2015-12-18T21:50:55+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4781471f8ff78d82229859b9734bd4cc"},"description":"Make every day and your holiday season merry and bright with these staycation destinations in Southern California\u2014Inland Empire and LA County\u2014and beyond!\u00a0","breadcrumb":{"@id":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/best-unique-staycation-spots-in-southern-california-and-beyond\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Best Unique Holiday and Anytime Staycation Spots and Ideas in Southern California and Beyond"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4781471f8ff78d82229859b9734bd4cc","name":"Nancee Marin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"http:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ff82275ff05372057e4d7e0435361b2c?s=96&r=g","contentUrl":"http:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ff82275ff05372057e4d7e0435361b2c?s=96&r=g","caption":"Nancee Marin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/AnArtfulDogger.com"],"url":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/author\/nancee-marin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2285"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2285"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2285\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2349,"href":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2285\/revisions\/2349"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/anartfuldogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}