Redlands, California, is a city of 75,000 residents that sits nestled at the foot
of Southern California's highest mountains, halfway between Los Angeles and Palm
Springs—a place Theodore Roosevelt once called "a sight for the gods."
Redlands was named by Frank E. Brown, a civil engineer, and E. G. Judson, a New
York stock broker, who met in Southern California in the late 1870s. They called
the town "Redlands" after the color of the adobe soil.
Redlands' weather is ideal for growing exceptional oranges, which is why Redlands
has been called "the Navel Orange Capital of the World." The city is home to two
museums; a 14-screen, stadium seating movie theater; a live theatre; the Redlands
Bowl summer program, which brings in performers from around the world; and numerous
restaurants and hotels. It also hosts—every Thursday evening—a festival of entertainment
and food called Market Night.
Located at the foot of Southern California's 11,000-foot mountains and an hour's
drive from Hollywood, Redlands puts the best of Southern California within reach.
Within 30 minutes you can be biking near Forest Falls, the second highest waterfall
in Southern California, or hiking in the San Gorgonio wilderness. In a little over
an hour, you can catch a wave off one of California's best beaches.
In short, you can do L.A. museums in the morning and—well, just about anything in
the afternoon.