5 E Citrus Ave #105, Redlands, CA 92373
Overview
For those looking for a super cute spot to wander and take pictures, look no further than Orange Street Alley, or “Umbrella Alley”, in Downtown Redlands. Nearly 500 umbrellas line the alley, as well as some fantastic murals along the alley walls. There are a few bars and restaurants here as well, but the highlight for most is surely taking a picture with the photogenic plethora of umbrellas overhead. While other umbrella alleys exist all over the world, the one that first comes to mind for me is the one in Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. The colorful umbrellas really make the alley stand out and visitors will find a short walk here to be an incredibly fun affair.
Scout’s Story and Trip to Umbrella Alley
Exactly one year ago, our 15 month old daughter, Scout, and our lives would forever be changed. Over a period of three days, we sat in the hospital with Scout, as we were informed that the doctors had found masses in her liver and pelvic areas. Two days later, Scout would receive a diagnosis of Stage 4 cancer (germ cell neoplasm) and would immediately begin her fight to save her life. The next few days mark the one year anniversary of these life altering events. My wife and I decided to take a few days to get away from everything and make our way to Big Bear Lake to enjoy some outdoor time with Scout, who just turned 2, and to put the past year into perspective, including how far Scout has come.
Getting to Big Bear Lake was our main goal, but we decided to make a few stops along the way. After a fun filled morning at a few parks in the city of Corona, we made a few stops in the City of Redlands. From Redlands, it would be a quick drive to our friends cabin in Big Bear, but first we wanted to check out a few cool sites. Last on our list, was the Orange Street Alley in Downtown Redlands. The downtown area consists of an old town vibe, with lots of enticing bars, restaurants and shops. A must see for anyone visiting this area is the photogenic and fun “Umbrella Alley”.
Umbrella Alley
Directly across from the main entrance to Downtown Redlands is a small alley, with a few bars. The alley is lined with colorful umbrellas, as well as great art work along the walls.
This is an ideal spot for perusing and picture taking. The walk through the alley goes by fairly quickly but offers a lot to explore. It’s a beautiful spot, that ended up catching me a bit by surprise. The walk through “Orange Street Alley” ended up being a lot more exciting and fun than I had anticipated. Our daughter, Scout, had a great time looking up at the umbrellas and looking at the different murals.
Most people will be drawn to the many bars and restaurants around the downtown Redlands area but for those with kids, there is a super cool store, which caught our eye, just before the start of Orange Street Alley. We decided to head into Cotton On Kids and check out the nice assortment of shirts, clothing and toys. The back of the store had a nice play area that Scout loved.
We ended up buying a few swimsuits for Scout and then, satisfyingly, made our way out.
Although we had a great few hours in Redlands, we were ready to get to Big Bear Lake and see what the next few days had in store for us. Umbrella Alley was a fun little adventure for us and we were thankful to have had the opportunity to have stopped in.
Getting to Umbrella Alley
5 E Citrus Ave #105, Redlands, CA 92373 (Parking Address)
5 E Citrus Ave #105, Redlands, CA 92373 (Physical Address)
Park in the CVS parking lot and make your way to the crosswalk. Cross to the other side of the street where the Redlands arch sign is and Ozel Jewelers. Turn right at Ozel Jewelers and Orang Street Alley will be on your left.
