I’m still laughing about how accurate that is. Sander had never been to anything like a Renaissance Faire. I had grown up attending a few amazing Renaissance Faire, so I wanted Sander to experience it at least once. Being in California, we’re all aware of how the heat can dominate the entire day. We slathered Sander in some heavy duty sunblock and hit the road with my long time friend, and Renaissance Faire attendee Adam.

We spent more of the day browsing vendors selling only things found at such an event. Pewter mugs with wolves on them, jewelry that imitated that similar pieces worn during the time, incense and gemstones that claimed to ward off evil spirits and silvery dragons that can hang from braided hair. We also found old coins and small plush familiar pets, as well as costume clothing for those who wanted to dress up. See RenFaire is all about participation and patrons always, always dress up.

I had dressed up on the several occasions I had attended but those costumes are long since gone. I don’t have a need for them now that I live in the Netherlands. We did all make fun of how Adam, an attendee for 14 years now, still has no outfit to wear. He says he will for next year, so we have to wait and see!

We made sure to pay our respects for Daniel. He was an ex-coworker and very close friend when we had all worked together in a bookstore. Adam and Daniel were close friends even after the bookstore closed. I remember his loving and caring nature and his ability to make anyone to smile. He was most heroic during the San Bernadino shooting back in 2015. He saved the lives of four people before he passed away. Daniel had been in the RenFaire since 2001 and everyone has felt his absence since then. His name was mounted on a wall with other people who had worked previous years. This year a bell had been added. Adam rang it twice, in Daniel’s name.

We met the Washing Wenches (very good friends of Adam’s) and Sander even participated in their show! It was a comedic performance and we either had to cheer or be drenched in water from a well that had used to clean underwear (or so we were told). We listened to the Merry Wives of Windsor, a group of women with beautiful voices but very mature content in their songs. After that we watched jousting and cheered for the good green knight and claimed his man bun was the cause of his defeat.

We watched a glass chalice created before our eyes, before being doused with water and destroyed in an instant. We watch the ancient art of falconry and held on to our hats as various birds of prey swooped low over the audience. It was a busy weekend for the Faire but the grounds were so huge and the activities well planned out. So our small group of four never felt overwhelmed.

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Our first few days were spent at home. We celebrated Easter and recovered from the 11 hour flight. After that we made our way downtown for some good eats and a tour of the Mission Inn. I had brought Sander down to the Mission Inn on his first visit to California but we ran out of time to do a tour. They run about 75 minutes and cover a majority of the history surrounding the Inn.

I had lived in Southern California all my life and yet I had never taken a tour of the historic Mission Inn. I must insist that if you visit Riverside, please take the tour. The history and the sheer majesty of the Inn and it’s history is overwhelming breathtaking. I had no idea that it had four different wings that all followed different architectural aesthetics. Many of the rooms drew inspiration from unique themes. There was an old Spanish inspired hall that lead to a Japanese courtyard. The founder, Frank Augustus Miller, travelled the world. He drew inspiration from every journey. He brought back anything he could. If he couldn’t then he made sketches to recreate the pieces at home. We even found out that there’s a staircase inspired by the one inside the Statue of Liberty! What a surprise!

Our group only consisted of Sander, myself and our tour guide so we got to ask all the questions we wanted to! She even took us into places she normally would have not have. Some areas were smaller and could not accommodate a larger group. We were so thankful that we got to experience what we did and we would take the tour again in a heartbeat. It was only $13 for us this time of the year but it’s $17 during the Festival of Lights during the holiday season. Tickets can are sold on sight but it’s helpful to call ahead and see if there’s space available.

Both of us have some sort of summer cold so we want to take the first week a bit easy. We still have tons of plans to follow through for the three weeks we will be out here. I’m so excited to show Sander all the things I loved as I grew up in sunny Socal!

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