Discovering Cities in California Series - El Camino Real Missions

California Camino Real Bells on the Mission Trail
California is rich with history and the El Camino Real Mission Trail running the length of California has rich routes to our highway system as well as rich Spanish and religious history. These missions located along California were actually the Spaniards Fortresses. 

The California State Highways that are a part of the Mission Trail that starts near the southern end of California at the Mexican Border in San Diego County at what is now Presidio Park and Mission de Alcala San Diego and the trail runs nearest the Pacific Ocean continuously to Mission de Solano in Sonoma County just north of San Francisco. 

Along this route which mostly uses the 5 Freeway Highway 101 and Highway 1 features 21 missions, 2 Pueblos and 4 Preidos and even Logic as a child traveling along the coastline of California both north from Orange County and south from Orange County remembers seeing the fortresses or outposts as well as the El Camino Bells. The California Mission Trail route is 600 miles.

The Bells were manufactured by the California Bell Company a company that made all of the original bells and the new bells utilizing the same mold for the new bells that made the original bells. This Bell company is a California story within itself and you can visit the California Bell Company here California Bell Company

This is like a piece of California History within itself and in fact Logic found out while watching the PBS television program aired state wide but in California only that Television personality Huell Howser called California’s Gold here Huell Howsers California’s Gold PBS television program that the company made a souvenir El Camino Real Bell from 1914 until 1955 by watching another one of Huell Howsers amazing shows about collecting bells and the comment was these bell collectors are “Dingy” so through some searching Logic acquired an original souvenir bell from those early years and we proudly have it displayed in our operations center in the heart of Palm Springs, California with other California memorabilia.

We are building our California Weather Authority web site project to be a bigger part of California History and you can view our California city by city weather and local information project here California Discoveries city by city. 

The Bells and the outposts are recognized as historic land marks which originally there were 450 Bells built with the first Bell being installed at the Plaza Church in the pueblo on August 15, 1906 near the Famous downtown location known as Olvera Street a visitor destination of authentic Spanish and Mexican heritage fun for the whole family truly.

California wanted to mark the 100 anniversary of the first Bell placement in 1906 at Olvera Street so there were 115 more Bells made and placed prior to 2006 making the grand total 555 new bells plus the existing bells and along the highway system the Bells were placed on both sides of the highways every 1 to 2 miles apart.

Discovering Cities in California Series - Bell

Welcome to Bell, California
The city is in Region 2.
The County is Los Angeles.
The city a little under 37,000 residents living in 2.48 square miles of area with another 0.17 square miles of land area.
The city was incorporated in November 1927.
The city is located in Southern California.

Some Interesting facts about Bell, California.
The city of Bell runs along the west bank of the Los Angeles River and the city is famous for being the location of the Oscar Awards went missing in then later the Oscar voting ballots went missing in then becoming coined the Bemuda Triangle for all things Oscars.
The Chamber of Commerce is located in the very house of the founding father of the city James George Bell House and the house is the local museum and artifacts are displayed there.

Bell is also home to a famous place that produces art it is the location of the worlds finest auto body, auto restorers and auto paint shops it is Logic’s uncles place but the story is true about Juniors House Of Color founded in 1961. Uncle Hirsh has done perhaps more famous and powerful persons cars then any other auto artist still in the auto paint business trained in part by the famous George Barris who is partly famous for building the original Batmobile but for the most part my uncle Hirsh nick named in the show car industry as Junior applies over 26 coats of lacquer paint to the cars each meticulously hand sanded.

Also not just because Junior is Logic’s uncle but he has what can be up to a 6 month waiting list to get in and another up to 1.5 years to complete the car, so even if you are like Jay Lino, Carl Icon, or Adam Carolla and you buy a car for 200 thousand to over 1 million dollars your car is not at its best until you have a show car in quality and uncles cars win year in and year out the Concours d Elegance Pebble Beach and Newport Beach.

Things to do in and around Bell, California.
Look the city is located near the city of Los Angeles so you have everything you can do around Bell however the city of Bell is just a very tightly condensed population as all of Los Angeles areas are so you will have plenty to do in Hollywood, Universal City, Downtown Los Angeles, the Famous Farmers Market, for the Inland cities and the beach is right down the 605 Freeway or 710 Freeway into Long Beach where the Queen Mary is and all of the wonderful Pacific Coast beach cities.

Official City of Bell, California web sites.
City of Bell City of Bell, California

Bell Chamber of Commerce (No web site available)

BellCityWeather.com

Discovering Cites in California Series - Beaumont

Welcome to Beaumont, California.
The city is in Region 2.
The County is Riverside County.
The city has a little over 11,000 residents living in 27.2 square miles of land.
The city was incorporated in November 1912.
The city is located in Southern California.

Some Interesting facts about Beaumont, California.
Located in the California Desert region of the state this city actually has snow fall once in the while due ion part because as a city within the San Gorgonio Pass the winds that come across the Coachella Valley and head into and through Beaumont cause extreme hell storms, traitorous rains and yes periodic winter season snow fall. The city is where Logic’s mom would live for a short time in her childhood and the locals did then and might still today nick named the city “Blowmont”.

Things to do in and around Beaumont, California.
Beaumont is a city on your way to somewhere because it runs along the Interstate 10 Freeway and the end of the 60 Freeway that comes in directly from Los Angeles as it merges right in Beaumont however it is a really pretty Southern California city with really nice people. There is the San Gorgonio Pass and mountain which is the tallest mountain in southern California viewable from far away and out across the desert where the temperatures can reach 121 degrees this mountain manages to make visible its ice capped top making the site from the desert floor unimaginable. Mount San Gorgonio is at 11,499 feet in elevation and is only slightly taller then the other mountain that makes up the San Gorgonio Pass, that is the San Jacinto Mountains that at their peek it is at 10,834 feet elevation.

Official City of Beaumont, California web sites.
City of Beaumont City of Beaumont, California

Beaumont Chamber of Commerce Beaumont, California Chamber of Commerce

BeaumontWeather.com

Discovering Cities in California Series - Barstow

Welcome to Barstow, California.
The city is located in region 2.
The County is San Bernardino, California.
The city has just over 21,000 residents living in 33.59 square miles of area.
The city was incorporated in September 1947.
The city is located in Southern California.

Some Interesting facts about Barstow, California.
Barstow is located on old and very famous Route 66 as well it is located closest to Fort Irwin Military Reservation as to get to Las Vegas coming from anywhere in Southern California heading to the famous city you will be passing through Barstow because the Interstate 15 Freeway is what brings motorists into Las Vegas, Nevada. Barstow is one of the 10 poorest cities in California and has one of the highest unemployment rates in California but do not let these statistics cause fear in you because there are some really great things to visit in Barstow and we will share them below.

Things to do in and around Barstow, California.
If you like trains like this writer does you will love to visit the Western America Rail Museum and this museum still functions as an Amtrak Station for Barstow known as the Casa Del Desierto built in 1911 as a hotel and train station. This old structure is home to the Mojave River Valley Museum and the Route 66 Museum so you can see a lot of diverse history in this great little city and junction town. The area of desert lands around the city make a great place for off-road adventures like riding ATV’s (All Terrain Vehicles) and you are near the Calico Ghost Town here California Ghost Town where you can get a great education for the whole family because you will be stepping right back into the old wild wild west. There is an ecological rock formation and wild plant habitat just 8 miles north out of Barstow off Irwin Road then onto Fossil Bed Road if you would like to see nature in its natural state this is a true location to carefully wonder around explore and enjoy new discoveries.

Official City of Barstow, California web sites
City of Barstow City of Barstow, California

Barstow Chamber of Commerce Barstow, California Chamber of Commerce

WeatherBarstow.com