Take a Day Trip Today!

Are you considering taking a day-trip? The first order of business is selecting where to go. Here are some ideas:

• Budget—if money is no object, you might enjoy jetting off to Paris for the weekend. But if you live in the real world with the rest of us, you might be better served to drive to a less extravagant destination.
• Distance—if you only have a few days to spare, make sure your day trip is far enough to provide a change of scenery but not so far to render you physically exhausted when you arrive. You also need to look at your region. Traveling 100 miles in rural Tennessee is a lot different than the same mileage spent fighting traffic in Southern California.
• Demographic—you’ll need to look at the ages of your traveling crew. Toddlers might not appreciate museums as much as LegoLand. So take the little ones into consideration and plan accordingly.

Tips for your journey!

• Stay entertained! This is especially important if you will be traveling with kids. Put together a travel pack that includes games and movies (if you have a portable DVD player in your car).
• Snack! Pack lots of protein-based treats to keep energy up and “Are we there yet?” inquiries at bay.
• Plan ahead! While everyone appreciates a certain degree of spontaneity, your trip will be smoother if you plan certain aspects of your trip. Setting a time and place to eat can be a lifesaver if you have a car full of cranky pre-teens. Don’t read reviews on Yelp while you’re driving. Instead, pick a place in advance and leave spontaneity for the activities you’ll enjoy once you reach your destination.

For Southern California travelers, there are a variety of great day trip attractions to consider:

Los Angeles:

• The Getty Center (known locally as “The Getty”) is perched atop a hill in Brentwood. It is one of two J. Paul Getty Museums that focuses on drawings, sculpture, and paintings from pre-20^th century Europe. Also displayed are many 19^th and 20^th century photographs. (Tip: winter days following a rain will give you the stunning views and keep crowds at bay.)

Santa Barbara:

• Unlike many other typical Southern California areas, Santa Barbara’s seaside location and eclectic residents make it a distinct destination. Take a trolley ride to get an open-air sense of the architecture and overall feel of the town.
• Santa Barbara offers a great variety of dining establishments. For a view of the bay, you can eat oysters outside and pick out the sailboat you want to rent.

Palm Springs:

• The Palm Springs area is known for golf or an overnight spa stays. But the town offers plenty of other activities of note. Check out the Living Desert in Palm Desert, which shows visitors that the area isn’t a wasteland! This zoo and gardens illustrates the unique beauty of the desert landscape.
• If you’d like to overcome your fear of heights, hop on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of two and a half miles of pristine forest!

Lake Arrowhead (Our personal favorite):

• Recently featured in Sunset Magazine as a recommended destination for day trips, Lake Arrowhead has a lot of great tourist attractions.

Belgian Waffle Works was featured in the February 2011 issue of Sunset Magazine.

• A short car-ride from Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego, Lake Arrowhead is a perfect for day trip for travelers who want to experience the woods.
• If you get to the Lake Arrowhead Village early, it’s vital to start the day with a delicious, nutritious breakfast. Stop at Belgian Waffle Works to get lakeside dining at its very best. Sunset Magazine chose Belgian Waffle Works as a recommended destination in the February 2011 issue. The drive to Lake Arrowhead alone is worth the time, with the Rim of the World Highway affording magnificent views.
• Lake Arrowhead Village offers great shopping for fine art, discounted name-brand clothing and home decorating items as well as souvenirs. Our outlet mall includes Coach, Bass, Jockey, Van Heusen, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Leroy’s Board Shop, and Three Dog Bakery, to name a few.

We've been serving delicious food dockside since 1982.

Located dockside since 1982, Belgian Waffle Works is a full-service family restaurant featuring 17 original specialty Belgian-style waffles, homemade soups, fresh market salads, gourmet sandwiches, juicy burgers, homemade breads, Espresso, Cappuccino, premium desserts, wine, beer, specialty drinks and more. Belgian Waffle Works’ waffles are made from an exclusive mix, which is available for sale onsite and online. Come join us for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You’ll be glad you did!