ITINERARIES The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa STARTS: ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 267 MILES * 4 DAYS Inland Empire to Alpine Escape JOURNEY FROM THE SUNNY VALLEY TO A PAIR OF LOFTY MOUNTAIN RANGES AND ON TO VINE-COVERED FOOTHILLS A s you fl y into Ontario, glance at the snowcapped summits of the San Bernardino Mountains. Th ose rugged peaks make a pointed statement: Th is isn't the Southern California of coastal cities and broad beaches. Topography leans toward the vertical in the Inland Empire, so be prepared for zigzagging mountain roads and a tight steeringwheel grip. Nab your rental car and zip over to Riverside, 20 minutes' drive east. Th is sun-kissed city made its fortune on sweet navel oranges and Route 66 travelers, but its modern riches 34 | VISITCALIFORNIA.COM are meandering trails at UC Riverside's Botanic Gardens, the Mission Inn's castle-like architecture, and works of art by outstanding Latinx art at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture. Keep trucking northeast to San Bernardino. Make a stop at the First Original McDonald's Museum to view hundreds of Happy Meals toys and snap a selfi e with the Hamburglar, then wave goodbye to the swaying palm trees. Zoom north on Highway 330 as it breaks free of the valley fl oor and chugs uphill to meet the ponderosa pines. As the cliff -hanging road AMANDA FRIEDMANhttp://www.VISITCALIFORNIA.COM