We had a seven-hour drive to get our friend’s children’s wedding in Temecula, Calif. We left Friday afternoon and drove to Riverside to sleep for the night. Saturday morning we took a walk while the temps were in the 60s. It felt wonderful. We stayed downtown in a hotel we often stayed at for CIF (California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body for California high school sports) for our son and daughter’s championship high school swim meets. It felt nostalgic. Memories surfaced about the hours spent in the hotel between prelims and finals. Our daughter would take ice baths after her morning swims and put her legs up against the wall while laying on her back. This was her way to recover and prepare for finals.
We were craving a breakfast burrito — probably because that was the staple breakfast at swim meets throughout Southern California — prepared by the hosting swim team.
We found one spot during our walk that was packed! So it had to be good. It’s called the Taco Station.
What are some of the fun, off-the-wall diners or restaurants have you discovered? Where were they and what type of food did they serve?
Have not seem some of those gas signs since I was a child in the 60’s. Very nostalgic and a great memory builder…BUT….remember something else: why you moved in the first place. Most of my childhood memories are in Dover, Delaware, and revisiting is great, but the desire for me to ever live within 5 States of it again are exactly the same chances that my dog will suddenly get the urge to wash the dishes.
I thought the gas signs and stickers were nostalgic too. Also I can’t think of a reason to ever visit Riverside again — unless it’s another wedding.
Just drove past the Taco Station yesterday. Try Tio’s next time it is just done the street very eclectic artistic artwork on the property made from recycled items.
Thanks, Paul. We enjoyed walking around downtown Riverside. Also, the wedding was Elaine Lim’s. We sat with Shannon Landgrebe, her parents and Coach Laina. Dwight couldn’t make it.
Very cool. It reminds me of a place we stopped at in Kettleman City, CA on our way back home from what we call the “vacation in hell.” Our car broke down three times between LA and Fresno. It took us 4 days to get home! This diner had miniature cars on shelves all around the ceiling. Great food.
That does sound like the vacation from hell! On our drive home, we were recounting the three times through the years our car had broken down on the 91 and 60 freeways that we were driving. It’s not fun!
We finally left the car at a dealership in Fresno and rented a car to come home. I couldn’t take anymore!
Hmmm…I can’t really think of anything that weird
There was one nearby that Paul up above mentioned. It wasn’t open until our walk back to the hotel after breakfast. But it had fascinating sculptures from junk and even an airplane on the roof.
Diners have some good basic food. I remember the ones open best at all hours when I was younger and the ones I used to duck in along or with my husband between classes and work. A good break.
We’re big fans of the TV show “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” Diners bring back nostalgia from my childhood, too, along with good food.