Claremont

Claremont Offers Cyclists Ideal Conditions

Families and avid cyclists alike should plan a weekend in Claremont to enjoy dozens of bicycle-friendly and scenic routes with varying degree of challenges, the city’s unique European-like village atmosphere, and a broad range of hotels, restaurants, spas and nightlife.

For families and casual riders, Claremont is easily navigated on bicycle at just 14 square miles, and the city takes great pride in being a leader in providing bicycle-friendly initiatives for visitors. The League of American Bicyclists has acclaimed Claremont as a Bronze-Level Bicycle Friendly Community, noting Claremont’s funding of bike lanes, road diets (reducing the number of vehicle lanes), and intersection improvement. The Claremont Hills Wilderness Park has an additional 10 miles of mountain bike trails and five miles of shared use pathways.

For riders seeking longer, more challenging rides, Claremont is well-known as a key starting and finishing spot for a strenuous road circuit along the Glendora Ridge Road through the San Gabriel Mountains, as well as many established and safe routes to cities as far away as Long Beach.

Gaining in popularity is the ride up to Mount Baldy. Claremont hosted Stage 7 of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California, a nearly 100-mile ride from city’s historic train depot that climbed close to 10,000 vertical feet in elevation and finished at the base of the Mount Baldy ski resort. Amateur cyclists seeking to experience the same road course as the professionals will find Claremont to be an ideal wake-up-and-ride starting point or an evening dine-and-stay experience. Local cyclists usually complete the circuit by riding downMt. Baldy Roaddirectly into Claremont.

Claremont’s ever-growing bicyclist population has created many clubs willing to offer tips. Ranging from college groups to baby boomers, these groups regularly announce events, trips and other useful information. Local bicycle shops include Jax Bicycle Center near the Claremont Depot.

Getting to Claremont is easy. Metrolink’s bicycle-friendly San Bernardino line stops in Claremont, giving weekend riders a short train ride from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles or other neighboring cities. Claremont’s historic train depot is located in the heart of the Claremont Village, a short bicycle ride away from the Claremont Colleges and shopping along Historic Route 66 California. Bikestation Claremont provides bike storage facilities at the depot to members.

Claremont’s five hotel choices range from economy to upscale. Options include the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont on Historic Route 66, and the Hotel Claremont & Tennis Club near Interstate 10. The budget-minded cyclist will appreciate the Claremont Lodge or Howard Johnson Express Inn Claremont south of downtown, while the boutique Hotel Casa 425 offers upscale accommodations in the heart of the Claremont Village. Casa 425 also offers bicycle rentals to its guests (the DoubleTree will be adding this service soon).

Claremont features more than four dozen cafés and restaurants across a wide range of cuisines, including many locally famous eateries that families and cyclists alike will appreciate discovering.

Just a few blocks from boutique hotel Casa 425 to Harvard and Yale avenues, early morning risers will find locally crafted pastries and coffee at popular Claremont eateries or can enjoy midday noshing at local brunch spots peppered throughout the village. Claremont is also home to a variety of international cuisines and restaurants, while nightlife reigns at numerous hotspots at the College Heights Lemon Packing House (532 W.First St.), in the Village and throughout the Claremont Public Plaza. More than a dozen day spas and salons can also help sooth sore muscles and freshen windworn skin after a day of riding.

Located just 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, the City of Claremont prides itself on being a showcase community in Southern California. Its tree-lined streets, Village shopping districts, five distinctive hotels and spas, and stately college campuses have made it a destination for tourists and locals alike. More information about dining and staying in Claremont can be found at http://www.discoverclaremont.com and http://www.thevillageclaremont.com/.

Hotel Casa 425 and Claremont Yoga Present Vino & Vinyasa: Free Yoga Class Followed by Happy Relaxation Hour

Hotel Casa 425 and Claremont Yoga are teaming up Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012, to present Vino & Vinyasa, an afternoon of stress relief and relaxation. The event takes place at the hotel’s outdoor courtyard.

Participants will start at 3 p.m. with a complimentary, hour-long yoga session led by Nicole Schwander Riel, co-owner of Claremont Yoga and lululemon ambassador. Vinyasa, also called flow yoga, is a style that employs synchronized postures and breathing techniques at a faster pace, thus providing aerobic benefits in addition to the increased flexibility, better posture, and stress reduction commonly associated with traditional forms of yoga.

From 4 to 7 p.m., the class wraps up with Happy Relaxation Hour in the Hotel Casa 425 Lounge, with select glasses of wine and small plates starting at just $5.

Participants should bring a yoga mat and arrive 15 minutes prior to class start time, as spots are on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit www.casa425.com.

Hotel Casa 425 + Lounge is located in downtown Claremont at 425 W.First Street, in historic Claremont Village. The lounge offers a casually sophisticated venue for mingling with friends, along with signature drinks, an extensive wine and beer list and gourmet small plates. Indoor seating is available, or relax in the hotel’s central courtyard, which feels more like an outdoor living room with its canopy of trees, lounge furniture, fountains, and glass fire pits.

Hotel Casa 425 is part of the Four Sisters Inns collection, including 14 properties in California. The group includes the Blue Lantern Inn (Dana Point), Hotel Casa 425 (Claremont), Channel Road Inn (Santa Monica), Newport Beach Hotel (Newport Beach), Gosby House Inn and Green Gables Inn (Pacific Grove), Seal Cove Inn (Moss Beach), West Cliff Inn (Santa Cruz), Blackbird Inn (downtown Napa), Maison Fleurie and Lavender (Napa Valley), Healdsburg Inn on the Plaza (Healdsburg), Inn at Sonoma (Sonoma) and the Gaige House (Glen Ellen).

Not Born Yesterday Looks at Claremont

The voice of Southern California Seniors, Not Born Yesterday, reported on a recent trip to Claremont, overnight at the DoubleTree by Hilton Claremont, and walk through the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden.

From Claremont Patch: Expect the Unexpected at Eureka!Burger

There are a number of great reviews of Claremont’s lodging, dining, shopping and attractions. We’ll post some of them here to help you “discover” more of Claremont.

Here’s a nice review of Eureka Burger, located in the Packing House, from Claremont-Laverne Patch …

Expect the Unexpected at Eureka!Burger

There’s more than just your average burger on the menu at this eclectic restaurant.

via Expect the Unexpected at Eureka!Burger – Claremont-La Verne, CA Patch.

CBS Los Angeles: Spend A Day With The Arts in Claremont

Freelance writer Danielle Farve takes a good look at some of the arts options here in Claremont, including Hip Kitty Jazz, Candlelight Pavilion, and the Honnold Mudd Library.

She writes:

The city of Claremont offers the unique contrast of being both a quiet, quaint, antique-friendly community as well as a Bohemian college town. Home to the Claremont Colleges, Los Angeles day-trippers will find no shortage of fun, exciting entertainment here with everything from botanic gardens to independent theater to fill up a one-tank trip here.

Check it out at Claremont: Spend A Day With The Arts « CBS Los Angeles.

Claremont Courier: Fashion trends

Some of the great fashion boutiques in Claremont, including Amelie, Nectar and the new Maple Boutique are featured in this look at fashion trends.

And of course there’s a great American Apparel retail store here as well …

Feminine. Edgy. Vivid. These are words that could be used to describe the clothes on offer this year as teen girls and college-bound women prepare to start school.

Claremont Courier link: Claremont teens, clothiers weigh in on back-to-school fashion trends.

Huffington Post:Whiskying the Night Away in Claremont Village

Great look at a night in Claremont that starts with a whisky tasting at Hotel Casa 425 and ends the next morning with a great meal at Some Crust Bakery. Make your plans to come visit!

On the west end of town is a quaint district that includes antique shops, a wine store, family-owned restaurants and the Hotel Casa 425, a stylish boutique hotel combining old world charm with modern luxury. The three-story white building with red-tiled roof surrounds a tree-lined courtyard, where the tasting would take place.

via Scott Bridges: Whiskying the Night Away in Claremont Village.

Butterflies, Big Bugs and Beer at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden

This spring and summer Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (RSABG) is abuzz with activities including the Butterfly Pavilion and David Rogers’ Big Bugs art exhibition. A new event—Bugs and Brews offers adults an opportunity to enjoy California’s native garden and party, too.

The Garden is opening the gate Thursday nights from 6 until 8:30 p.m., for Bugs and Brews, May 24 through June 21, 2012. Guests 21 and up are invited to enjoy evening strolls in the Garden, view David Rogers’ Big Bugs and mingle with others over beers for just $10 for RSABG members and $15 for public. Local brothers Curt and Andy Dale bring their mircobrews to California’s native garden and live music provides a soundtrack to the Big Bugs playful art exhibit. Tickets available at the gate or by phone at (909) 625-8767 ext. 224.

The opening weekend of the third annual Butterfly Pavilion (May 12 and 13) at RSABG welcomed approximately 500 visitors. The seasonal exhibit, featuring Southern California native caterpillars and butterflies along with their habitat plants, is open daily 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., through July 29, 2012. Tickets are $2 in addition to standard Garden admission for all guests 3 and over..

David Rogers’ Big Bugs, a traveling exhibition of gigantic proportions, is on display at the Garden until July 15, 2012. Big Bugs is a collection of huge sculptures of arthropods created by carving and polishing beautiful hardwoods and manipulating young willow saplings. The exhibition is free with standard Garden admission. A free audio tour is available; please check in at the admission kiosk for details.

About RSABG

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, founded in 1927 by Susanna Bixby Bryant, is the largest botanic garden dedicated exclusively to California’s native plants. The Garden is located on 86 acres in Claremont, approximately 35 miles east of Los Angeles. RSABG, a private, nonprofit organization, offers educational programs and special events throughout the year and is home of the Botany Department for Claremont Graduate University. The Garden offers a superb selection of California native plants for sale at Grow Native Nursery in Claremont and West L.A. (Westwood).

Visitor information

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, located at 1500 N. College Ave., Claremont, California, is open daily from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., except Jan. 1, July 4, Thanksgiving and Dec. 25. Free parking; accessible paths throughout the Garden. The California Garden Gift Shop is open daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Admission: free for RSABG members; $8 adults; $6 seniors and students; $4 children 3-12. For more information please call (909) 625-8767 or visit www.rsabg.org.

Savor The Surprise: Claremont Culinary Scene Is A Foodie’s Delight

CLAREMONT, Calif. (April 2012) – Claremont’s unique and wide selection of restaurants has long been “on the map” for many in Southern California and for the frequent international guests to the Claremont Colleges. With several hip, new restaurants and dozens of locally famous eateries keeping the food scene fresh, foodies and vacationers are discovering this Los Angeles-area hamlet as a delicious dining destination.

“A famous college town with international visitors demands a high level of fine dining experiences,” said Andrew Behnke of Discover Claremont, the Claremont tourism board. “We know tourists come to Claremont for the shows, museums, trips into the mountains, festivals, regional events or when visiting the colleges. Now is a great time to come Discover Claremont for its dining as the city is emerging as a culinary center for eastern Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire.”

With half of the city’s 80 restaurants located within the walkable downtown area comprised of the Claremont Village, Village Square and Claremont Packing House, visitors can choose to enjoy the city’s free parking and literally stroll to wherever their appetites lead them.

Many of the city’s notable eateries are within the famous Claremont Village, an idyllic collection of boutiques among peaceful tree-lined streets. In the village, epicureans encounter white linens inside wood-paneled restaurants, bustling outdoor cafés and gourmet bakeries. From Italian to Mediterranean and traditional American to Pan-Asian, the Village features a number of Claremont’s notable restaurants. Popular Italian choices include La Piccoletta, Aruffo’s Italian Cuisine, and the award-winning Tutti Mangia, with “best of the Inland Empire” Chef Jose Ruiz. Diners will find French cuisine at Harvard Square Café, tapas at Viva Madrid, Afghan dishes at Walter’s, and new American at Union on Yale.

In both the nearby Village Square and Packing House, diners will find rare wines, microbrews and fine American whiskeys at restaurants that include The Back Abbey, Eureka Burger, and the Packing House Wine Merchants. The Hotel Casa 425 lounge and outdoor living room is known for its signature margarita and offers a small plates menu by its outdoor fire pits. Other favorites here include La Parolaccia and Casa Moreno.

Local choices that combine entertainment with fine food include Hip Kitty Jazz and Fondue in the Packing House; belly dancing at Casablanca Bar and Grill, also in the Packing House; and The Press restaurant in the Village. Fine dining meets Broadway at Ben D. Bollinger’s Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre just a few blocks north of the village; and the lively PianoPiano dueling piano show right next door at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont serves American bar fare to accompany their Las Vegas seasoned performers.

Plenty of great meals can be found in other parts of Claremont, especially along Historic Route 66 (Foothill Blvd.) where tourists will find stylish restaurants like Darvish and Inka Trails, and sushi choices including Hayato and the boat-shaped Sushi Cruise. The region’s lone Portuguese restaurant, Euro Café, is among choices on Baseline Road near Route 210, while Kickback Jack’s (signed as BC Café) is a popular breakfast choice near Interstate 10.

A weekend stay in Claremont means visitors can enjoy a leisurely Sunday morning stroll through the region’s largest farmers and artisans market in downtown Claremont, and enjoy coffee and freshly baked pastries at places like Some Crust Bakery and Last Drop Café.

A complete listing of restaurants, hotels, boutiques, events and more can be found at www.discoverclaremont.com.

DiscoverClaremont.com Site Launches to Provide Information on Claremont Hotels and Attractions

New Tourism Website Features Claremont Restaurants, Day Spas, Boutiques and Visitor Events

CLAREMONT, Calif. (March 27, 2012) – Travelers to Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire seeking to escape the urban sprawl will find a pleasing collection of restaurants, day spas, attractions and hotels in Claremont. The city’s tourism board has launched a new website, DiscoverClaremont.com, that provides a descriptive overview of Claremont hotel accommodations, links to the more than 80 restaurants in Claremont, and a list of the region’s visitor attractions.

Guests to Claremont will find information on DiscoverClaremont.com about the city’s many “relaxing” amenities, like its dozen day spas and salons; popular galleries in the Claremont Village and at the Claremont Colleges; its numerous unique, locally owned boutiques; local bike-friendly and outdoor activities in the San Gabriel Mountains, including nearby Mount Baldy; and Claremont’s thriving food, music and entertainment scene.

“More and more tourists are finding Claremont is truly the perfect getaway to take time to exhale and relax,” said Andrew Behnke of Discover Claremont, the Claremont tourism board. “We strive to turn your visit into an experience that you’ll be talking about for a long time. By visiting the new DiscoverClaremont website, you’ll get an idea of what Claremont has to offer for many return visits.”

Claremont hotels will feature special shopping, spa and dining packages, as well as post last-minute getaway deals on DiscoverClaremont.com. Hotel choices in Claremont range from economy to upscale, including luxury boutique Hotel Casa 425 in historic Claremont Village and the lush garden, resort-type setting at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont. Budget-minded tourists will find the Hotel Claremont and Tennis Club, Claremont Lodge and Howard Johnson Express Inn Claremont.

Tourists seeking art and culture will find details on DiscoverClaremont.com about such local treasures as the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, the Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre, and the museums, libraries and galleries at the Claremont Colleges. Claremont also features the only paleontology museum located on a high school campus in the nation, the newly remodeled The Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology.

An updated calendar of events for Claremont visitors will feature information about the city’s popular “Village Venture” and “Blues and Brews” events, as well as the weekly Sunday Farmers and Artisans Market in the Claremont Village. The DiscoverClaremont.com website also tells you where to find professional jazz, rising regional rock bands, Las Vegas-style piano shows and even belly dancing.