Ladies Who Adore Vintage LA ❤️

The Stunning Mission Inn Hotel: Tour, Antiquing, Museums & Dinner RIVERSIDE

Sat, Dec 12 · 6:15 PM PST

Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, 3649 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, CA 92501, USA, Riverside, CA, US

34th Annual Festival of Lights
Join us for a day of festive sparkling lights, history, culture, art, beauty, shopping and a delicious dinner in a truly magical setting! See photo gallery and reels.💫

⚠️Multi-part event. Please read all details so you don’t miss anything!! Your RSVP is for dinner at 6:30 PM. Please arrive by 6:15 PM. Meet at the California Lounge near the Mission Inn restaurant podium. If joining the other options you will need to arrive much earlier. See suggested itinerary I designed below.

CARPOOLING
Don’t let distance deter you from discovering & visiting AMAZING places you may never see otherwise. Carpooling is strongly encouraged. Share the cost of gas and enjoy the ride with carpool conversation. Mention in comments if interested. Riverside is approximately one hour from Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley.

The drive to Riverside is totally 💯worth it‼️
It’s the most beautiful time of the year to visit the absolutely STUNNING Mission Inn Hotel & Spa.
If you have never been to the ‘Riverside Festival of Lights’ you will be thrilled you came!! It’s a M-U-S-T SEE!!

If you care to join me for an afternoon of vintage shopping let me know in comments. There’s a massive antique mall across the street from The Mission Inn Hotel I look forward to visiting each Holiday Season. This year I will additionally visit a few popular vintage shops in the local area beforehand that will require short distance driving (few minutes away) from the hotel.

🔺Please confirm your attendance by making your RSVP payment within 12-hours max. You will be replaced otherwise. See payment details below. Thank you!

Take a look 👁️
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1079059804424415?fs=e&mibextid=wwXIfr&fs=e

Riverside Festival of Lights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUW-1Kkhl2A

Trailer of the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa
https://youtu.be/VAYuGP_baZA

History of the hotel
https://missioninnmuseum.org/learn/history/

OPTIONAL:

• Antiquing (locally & across from the hotel)
• 2 Museums (short 2 min walk from hotel)
• 3 different tours of the hotel & grounds

⚠️All restaurants at The Mission Inn Hotel have a $25 pp cancellation fee under 48 hours (credit card required). Fee will be REfunded during dinner.

🍪I will be sharing some holiday cookies after dinner.

$7 Multi-part event fee (helps support the cost Meetup charges Organizers annually). Your contribution is sincerely appreciated. My priority is to provide a great itinerary with options to enhance your Meetup Experience in an effort to exceed your expectations. Thank you!!

$32 PayPal, Venmo or Zelle (NOT If waitlisted). If you need to cancel please post in comments your $25 RSVP is available. Your $7 event fee is NON-refundable. $25 refunded day of event.

Payment contact provided upon RSVP made within 12-hours max or immediate removal.

AT TIME OF PAYMENT INDICATE: Mission Inn

NOTIFICATIONS-ON ARE REQUIRED
Required for all updates and changes.

MUSEUMS & TOUR TICKETS
Please purchase your own tickets for the docent-led historical tour of the massive hotel property (one city block), and museums with the links provided. This Season there are THREE tour options.

Feel free to do the following options in the order you prefer. I suggest this schedule if you want to take advantage of all 3 options:

PART 1: 1:00 - 2:45 PM RIVERSIDE ART MUSEUM & CHEECH MUSEUM (optional). Price includes both museums $17.95 Adult | $12.95 65+

Located in Riverside’s downtown historic core adjacent to The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa.
https://riversideartmuseum.org/get-tickets/

RIVERSIDE ART MUSEUM (RAM)
3425 Mission Inn Ave.

The architecturally significant 1929 building is a former YWCA facility designed by Hearst Castle and AIA Gold Medal-winning famed architect Julia Morgan.
The building’s distinctive architecture as a work of art in its own right. Showing a mix of solo, group, and permanent collection exhibits featuring traditional and contemporary/modern art. The museum displays the work of some of the best artists in the world, including Robert Williams, Takashi Murakami, Shag, Kathe Kollwitz, James Gurney, Marc Chagall, Millard Sheets, Shepard Fairey, Corita Kent, and Don O’Neill, as well as exhibits highlighting the works of talented local members.

CHEECH MARIN CENTER FOR CHICANO ART
3581 Mission Inn (corner of Mission Inn Ave. & Orange St.)

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1028720530254431/?fs=e&mibextid=wwXIfr&fs=e

PART 2: TOURS
Each tour is different in length and what is covered. I’ve done all three tours. If it’s your first time I highly recommend the $65 5:00 PM Lights & Delights Tour (90 minutes) or the $45 3:00 PM Historical Tour (60 minutes). THE HOTEL IS MASSIVE & BREATHTAKING!! The only way to visit areas of the hotel off-limit to non-hotel guests is to take a tour. This is the only opportunity you’ll have to visit the GORGEOUS chapel you won’t see otherwise. THE TOUR IS TOTALLY WORTH IT IF IT’S YOUR FIRST TIME!

FOR TOUR OPTION 1 & 3:
(951) 784-0300
https://www.missioninn.com/experiences/daily-historic-tours/

3 PM Option 1: $45 Historic Tour (hotel sponsored)

4 PM Option 2: $35 Historic Downtown (60-min. offered by the Mission Inn Foundation & Museum/NOT sponsored by the hotel).
⚠️NOTE: This tour does NOT include the interior of the hotel. It covers about a 3 block radius surrounding the hotel grounds exploring the history of Old Town Riverside. It does include historical commentary about the hotel. During the Festival of Lights it’s offered ONLY on Eventbrite. There’s also several other Riverside tours you can choose from.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/festival-of-lights-walking-tours-tickets-2004332262753?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios&sg=726c5804bb860622979b71dc158fd105b61349fceb30763460a6c855b9e2e9ee07485fb6b724d946d2a6ab2c780f54220872d2ff597d1edc29830885cff8885c2649486ff2965b0d94b34b7df3

🌟5 PM Option 3: $65 Lights & Delights Hotel Tour. I recommend this tour because it includes more of the INTERIOR and you get to see the hotel all lit up.

PART 3: ANTIQUING AT MISSION GALLERIA
Please message me if you want to meet earlier and explore the other antique malls & shops nearby.

5 PM Meet OUTSIDE of the front entrance of Mission Galleria Antiques. It’s a MASSIVE 4-story mall just across the street from the hotel packed with treasures. NOTE: Inside the antique mall on the main street level is the Galleria Coffee Shop with a view to the hotel. In the lower basement level you'll find the Hideaway Café (opens at 4 PM)- a funky American eatery with an indoor tree and lively bar serving sandwiches & craft beers. They occasionally have live music on weekend evenings. While on the pedestrian street check out Tiggy Winkles Gift Shoppe. It’s a local favorite across the front side of the hotel offering adorable gifts & novelty items.

🍸PART 4: 6:00 PM: OPTIONAL PRE-DINNER COCKTAIL IN THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA LOUNGE

Our dinner reservation permits us the opportunity to roam the INTERIOR of the hotel which is closed to the general public during the ‘Festival of Lights’ without reservations.

🍽️PART 5: 6:30 PM DINNER AT THE MISSION INN SPANISH PATIO. IT’S ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!! THEY USUALLY HAVE ROAMING CAROLERS DURING DINNER.

MENU
https://www.missioninn.com/food-emporium/mission-inn-restaurant/

USA TODAY 10 BEST READERS' CHOICE
Readers vote “Festival of Lights” in Riverside the BEST public lights in the U.S. Each year, the Mission Inn transforms into a spectacular winter wonderland, illuminated by 10 million sparking lights and 400 animated figures and dazzling festive holiday displays. It is estimated to attract over 750,000 visitors from all over the world. Now in its 34th year The Festival of Lights shouldn’t be missed!!

PARKING
Metered street and lot parking are available along Mission Inn Ave. If you arrive earlier in the afternoon and park a bit further (couple of blocks) you can find FREE street parking. I never pay to park.

Hotel garage parking at the corner of 6th & Orange streets, or city garages at Mission Inn Ave. & Market Streets, or on Orange Street, between Mission Inn and University.

Click here for more information and a map of parking areas located downtown. (https://riversideca.gov/publicworks/content/downtown-parking

SEE MEETUP POLICY
❌NO “party crashers”. YOU MUST RSVP 🔺 3 under 24-hr cancellations/6-months out
🔺 3 failures to pay (fee events)/6-months out
🔺 2 no-shows/perm. removed 🔺 Excessive cancellations perm. removed

A Truly Unique Holiday Party: Historic Cornell Winery & Old Place Calabasas

Sat, Dec 19 · 4:00 PM PST

Cornell Wine Co., 29975 Mulholland Hwy, Cornell, CA 91301, USA, Cornell, CA, US

⚠️Please read all important details (skip the historical narration if that doesn’t interest you). Please only ask questions that haven’t been covered.

❌CANCELING UNDER 24-HOURS
Please be certain to keep your RSVP updated no later than 24 hours so someone else can join. Anyone who cancels under 24-hours for this event will forfeit joining events for 3-months. This is a Holiday Party. Please be courteous by giving others an opportunity to join the fun. The moved-up person needs time to be prepared with a gift. Thank you!!

CARPOOLING
Don’t let distance in your life deter you from discovering & visiting wonderful places. Carpooling is strongly encouraged. Share the cost of gas and enjoy the ride with carpool conversation. Mention in comments if interested. I can take 3-4 from Glendale. Cornell is only 30 minutes from Burbank/The Valley.

CORNELL IS A HIDDEN GEM LOCATED IN THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS (see photo gallery)
Cornell is located in the Santa Monica Mountains of western Los Angeles County. It sits along the Mulholland Highway corridor between Agoura Hills (about 5 miles east/northeast) and Malibu (about 2.5 miles south), near Malibu Lake. The area is largely surrounded by the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, including nearby parks like Paramount Ranch and Peter Strauss Ranch.

Please kindly confirm your commitment to attend by making your $6 RSVP within 12-hours max. See payment info below. Thank you!

DECEMBER EVENTS
I have created a truly lovely collection of vintage holiday events for the month of December. This will be my last month organizing multiple monthly events. Starting in January I will be scaling down to only one event per month for the majority of 2027 with the exception of April & Dec. I may sporadically post a few NON-hosted events throughout the year but this will depend strictly on your participation to keep the group active. Please reach out if you want to get involved and prevent this group from closing. Moving forward I no longer have time to run this group alone.

LADIES WHO ADORE VINTAGE IS THE ONLY GROUP IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ON MEETUP THAT FOCUSES ENTIRELY 💯ON VINTAGE LA❣️
Bringing you the most unique & interesting historic venues in greater LA you will truly love!!

HOLIDAY TREATS TO SHARE
In the spirit of our Holiday Party I will be bringing holiday treats to share while playing our WHITE ELEPHANT GAME. If you would like to also bring something during our wine tasting or game playing… like holiday candy, cookies, brownies, chocolates, mixed nuts or tasty treats to share with the group it’s greatly appreciated but NOT required. 🍬🍫🥨🧁🍩🍭🍪

PLEASE JOIN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT AND WEAR YOUR FAVORITE UGLY HOLIDAY SWEATER -OR- BEST FESTIVE OUTFIT.

• Prize for the best holiday outfit.🥇

⏰PARTY SCHEDULE
4:00 - 5:30 PM. Wine tasting at Cornell Winery. They usually have live entertainment on weekends. I’ll update the event page as we get closer.

5:30 - 7:30 White Elephant Game & dinner at Historic Old Place directly next door.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR WHITE ELEPHANT GAME
🎁GIFT VALUE: $20 - $25 (max with tax).

🔺PLEASE BRING A NICE GIFT!!🔺
▪️Gift should be an item you would enjoy receiving yourself. What makes this game so exciting is stealing gifts that are very NICE and you all WANT them!! NO GAG GIFTS. No one needs stuff they will never use and will end up being donated at Goodwill!
▪️GIFT M-U-S-T BE WRAPPED!!
Please avoid gift bags unless the item is a very unique shape or size and absolutely no box accommodates the item. Selecting a wrapped gift and opening it contributes to the mystery excitement and game fun!!
▪️GIFT SHOULD BE: new or regifted in PERFECT condition.
▪️GIFT SHOULD NOT BE: worn, damaged or in used condition. It should NOT be anything inappropriate or offensive. Gift should NOT be something strange you would never get use of. Fun, interesting but useful, and/or pretty gifts are ideal!

▪️GAME RULES:
Numbers will be drawn for gift selection order. You cannot steal back your own gift you brought or any gift already stolen from you. If a gift gets stolen TWO times, it’s OUT of the game and the person who holds it gets to keep it.

The White Elephant game will move quickly because we are limiting the group to only 12 guests.

SELECTING A VENUE
I considered several options for our holiday party this year. I wanted a very U-N-I-Q-U-E “vintage” location that would truly be SPECIAL. I planned this very early in the season in order to book their charming private Mail Room at Old Place. In the early 1900’s it was a general store & post office.

I hosted an outdoor event several years ago there, but I never saw the inside of the old Mail Room. I made a special trip over a month ago just to check-out the private space. It’s very small but SUPER CHARMING and absolutely perfect for our own private party (limited to 12 guests). You’re absolutely going to love it. You’ll feel like you’re in Joshua Tree in the Old Wild West!!

Meet the owner
https://youtu.be/uuMkMWq0_GE?si=IZbb4SWP-riDE2cI

Outside menu
https://oldplacecornell.com/outside-menu

Inside menu
https://oldplacecornell.com/inside-menu

HISTORY OF OLD PLACE CALABASAS
https://youtube.com/shorts/-TdG9XfcBPY?si=1UK7jjlL8kS9PIPe

Fantastic article on Old Place
https://oldplacecornell.com/la-weekly

The Old Place is a historic rustic restaurant, bar, and former general store located in the small Santa Monica Mountains community of Cornell (near Agoura Hills and Calabasas, California).
Early History & Origins (1908–1969)

• General Store and Post Office: The original building was constructed around 1908–1909 and served as a general store and the official post office for the small rural settlement of Cornell.
• Decline: As the local town shrank in population over the decades, the building eventually fell into disuse and sat vacant for about ten years.

Transformation into The Old Place (1970–2009)

• Tom Runyon (Renan): In 1969, Air Force veteran, actor, and writer Tom Runyon (often credited as Tom Renan) purchased the abandoned property.
• Rustic Build-Out: Tom and his wife Barbara renovated the structure, nailing up old weathered planks, adding a Western-style porch with wagon wheels, and installing a 30-foot antique saloon bar salvaged from Nevada/Virginia City.
• Opening in 1970: The tiny steakhouse opened in 1970 with an intimate vibe and a simple, iconic menu featuring items like steak, clams, and meat or fish cooked over an open oak wood fire.
• Hollywood Hideaway: Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, it gained fame as an off-the-grid, low-key haunt for Hollywood stars and car enthusiasts like Steve McQueen, Robert Mitchum, and Sam Peckinpah. It also appeared as a filming location in numerous TV shows and movies (such as The Fugitive, The A-Team, and Twin Peaks).
• Tom Runyon's Passing: Tom ran the establishment for four decades until his passing in 2009.

Modern Era

• Family Tradition: Today, Tom's son, Morgan Runyon, manages and continues running the landmark restaurant.
• The Expansion: The property has grown to include the neighboring Cornell Winery and Tasting Room, a restored old truck serving coffee out back, and the historic Mail Room used for private dining, while keeping its signature wood-fired cooking and time-capsule atmosphere.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT
$6 RSVP PayPal, Venmo or Zelle (NOT if waitlisted). NOTE: Fee is NOT refundable or transferable. If you need to cancel immediately update to “not going.”

Payment contact provided at time of RSVP (max 12-hour payment window) or spot will be released so someone else can join our fun & festive vintage party.

AT TIME OF PAYMENT INDICATE: Old Place

NOTIFICATIONS-ON ARE REQUIRED
It is YOUR responsibility to know if you were moved-up from the waitlist.

PARKING

• Free street parking
• There’s a very large parking lot behind the building. I will update if there’s a parking fee.

MEETUP POLICY

❌NO “party crashers”. YOU MUST RSVP 🔺 3 under 24-hr cancellations/6-months out
🔺 3 failures to pay (fee events)/6-months out
🔺 2 no-shows/perm. removed 🔺 Excessive cancellations perm. removed