Living in Southern California, you become accustom to warm summers.  But the first week of July 2018 brought a new level of hot to the Southland.

Leading up to the July 4th celebration, weather forecasters were warning of record setting temperatures headed for Southern California starting on July 6th.  A high pressure system, some saying it was augmented by the volcanic eruption in Hawaii, was headed for the west coast.  It is difficult to complain about weather in California.  Traffic, taxes or gas prices...Sure.  But the weather?  There is a reason people move here from the east after watching the Rose Parade each year.

July 6th brought everything meteorologists promised.  It was HOT!  Miserably hot.  But hey, Arizona has to deal with this all the time so what's the big deal?  Fortunately for me, work keeps me inside a nice air conditioned building.  Sure, I have a short walk to my car which is likely topping out at 140 degrees inside but again, air conditioner to the rescue.

The drive home was comfortable enough, just me and 30,000 of my closest friends on the 91 freeway.  Followed by a quick sprint inside and back to, you guessed it, air conditioner.

Now, time to enjoy the weekend and avoid the heat.  At least that was the plan, but you know what they say about plans.

Somewhere around midnight, I noticed it seemed a little warm in the house.  I could hear the fan for the air conditioner but the thermostat said it was 80 degrees inside.  The optimist in me thought, "maybe it is just a little tired from running all day so I will turn it off and hopefully all will be well in the morning."  It wasn't.

I was on the phone with the AC repair company by 7:30am and no surprise, they could not get to me until Monday.  

Saturday, outside temps dropped from Friday's 118 to a crisp 107.  The inside temp topped out at 95.  With everyone else at work, it was just our dog Morgan and I having to tame the heat.  It made for a long day but my wife and I made a quick excuse to visit our new grand baby and while we were there, made the most of spending the night on the futon and enjoying some free AC.

Sunday had Morgan and I braving the heat once again.  I was hopeful the indoor temp had dropped overnight but I am pretty sure it broke the law of thermodynamics (that's a thing right?) and it was actually hotter when I got back Sunday morning.  At some point my thermostat stopped registering the indoor temp and simply stated "Hi."  Really?  Was it mocking me?  I knew it was high!  I was fearful the paint would start to melt.

I knew nightfall would not bring relief so it was off to the computer to book a nearby hotel.  I considered a 7-day cruise but that type of impulse will require retirement.

The StayBridge Suites wasn't the most economical choice but it was the closest to my home and I needed to be minutes away since Morgan wasn't invited.  They do allow dogs but come to find out their new policy was the dog could not exceed 20 pounds.  Morgan is a pitbull, let's just say he exceeded that limit.

Other than their nugget size dog restrictions, the StayBridge Suites was a beautiful hotel.  The room had a nice split living room area with a comfortable sofa and a full kitchen.  The separate sleep area had twin queen size beds and a nice size shower which actually fit my 6' 4" frame.  Not something I can say about many hotels I have stayed in previously.  The mattresses were very comfortable with bedding that was soft and clean.  Did I mention the air conditioner?  When I walked in the room, it was 65!  Glorious!  

Breakfast came with a well stocked continental selection including waffles, bacon and omelets coming out from their kitchen.  The staff was courteous and the outdoor pool immaculate.  This is a newer hotel so one would expect the shine to still be obvious and as they say in real estate; location, location, location.  It shares a parking lot with one of the nicest outdoor shopping malls in the Inland Empire, Dos Lagos.  It is walking distance to restaurants and a multi-screen movie theater.  RV'ers who may be looking for an overnight stay to utilize full-size shower and perhaps a dip in the pool will find parking in an adjacent business complex which has yet to fill their vacant offices but that may be a short term option.  You may want to call ahead and see if the management can make arrangements for your rig.  

Overall, I would have preferred staying at home but once it reached lucifer levels I realized that was not an option.  This was certainly a lemon - lemonade type of situation but if you find yourself traveling on the 15 freeway in Corona and you need a place to hunker down for a day or more, the StayBridge Suites is an excellent option.

For more blog/vlogs and travel advice you may want to click here to visit our website 

Staybridge Suites

2731 Blue Springs Drive, 

Corona CA 92883

951 277-9000

Living area separated from the bedroom.

Large, functional kitchen

Nice bathroom with large shower

Spacious bedroom with comfortable mattresses with soft/clean bedding