Holiday rentals in Riverside

Orange Street, Lemon Street, Lime Street — the main thoroughfares in Riverside reveal the city’s significance to the state of California. Settled in 1870, Riverside sparked the Inland Empire’s most important industry after resident Eliza Tibbets planted two Brazilian navel orange trees and found them perfectly suited to the climate. Finding itself at the center of this second gold rush, Riverside became a magnet for wealth, and the elegant buildings of its historic downtown are a reflection of those heady days, not least of which is the Mission Inn, which has hosted several U.S. presidents and now houses an eclectic museum. With the Santa Ana River skirting the town’s western edge, and Mount Rubidoux Park offering panoramic views of the city, Riverside is surrounded by scenic beauty. And there’s plenty of wilderness to explore in the nearby nature reserves of Box Springs Mountain, Sycamore Canyon, and Lake Mathews.

With 277 sunny days a year — and only 11 inches of annual rainfall — Riverside is an attractive year-round destination. That said, without coastal California’s ocean breezes, the climate can get particularly hot and dry in the high summer months of July and August. The most pleasant times of year can be in the spring and the fall, particularly if you’re planning on outdoorsy activities. A popular summer evening concert series runs on Wednesdays through June and July, while the annual Riverside Dickens Festival celebrates the work and life of the Victorian novelist every April. And if you come at the end of November, you can enjoy the Riverside Festival of Lights, which has been voted America’s Best Public Lights Display.

Fox Performing Arts Center

This 1,600-seat theater was built in 1929 and is famous for hosting some of Hollywood’s biggest screenings. The grand exterior, built in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, stands proudly at the corner of Market Street and Mission Inn Avenue. Having undergone significant restoration in 2007, it is now the focal point of the town’s lively arts scene.

The World’s Largest Paper Cup

Possibly the oddest thing you’ll see in Riverside, this 68-foot concrete cup stands on Iowa Avenue next to the manufacturing plant that used to house the Lily Tulip Cup company.

California Citrus State Historic Park

Set on 400 acres south of town, this park is a great place to learn how citrus growing changed the Californian landscape geographically, economically, and politically. (Don’t miss fresh-cut samples of the famous fruit, too.) It’s also a prime spot for kicking back amid the vast shady groves of orange and lemon trees and having a picnic with views that stretch for miles. If you time your visit right, you can catch a show at the local drive-in movie theater, which is just a few blocks away.