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What TS is closest to Loma Linda Medical?

G

glypnirsgirl

TUG Review Crew: Expert
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Hi - one of my friends is going to be going through treatment for cancer at Loma Linda Medical Center. She does not live nor have family in California. I have two weeks that are available for exchanging and are seeing a decent selection of resorts. I would like for her to be able to stay as close as possible to the medical center, but also in a nice place.

I would greatly appreciate any suggestions from anyone that is familiar with the neighborhoods there. I have tried using google maps, for directions from the timeshare to the med ctr, but I am so unfamiliar with the traffic patterns, I do not trust what I am reading.

If you need more information to make this easier for response, please let me know.

elaine
 
palm springs?

Palm Springs is 50 miles from Loma Linda, about an hour if traffic is ok.

i'm relatively new to TS myself, but I do live in socal, so I'll see if I can think of any areas closer to Loma Linda. I think that is a wonderful thing you are doing for your friend and hope she gets better soon.
 
ontario, lake arrowhead

i looked on rci for extra vacations in California, and Best Western Hotel & Suites pops up... i'm thinking it's a hotel, but it is 25 miles to Loma Linda, i don't think there's anything else that's close by.

lake arrowhead is 30 miles and would be a nice place to stay, the lake is beautiful and the town is very nice.
i'd probably opt for Lake Arrowhead, you can go to google maps and do 'get directions'
 
Lake Arrowhead seemed to be closest to me when looking at the google maps. I just wasn't sure whether the maps are accurate or not. They estimated 35 minutes without traffic, 50 minutes in traffic. So the next question is there ever a time when there is NOT traffic in that area?

elaine
 
Maybe Anaheim. There are a few TS in Anaheim not far from Disneyland.
Looks like the 91 Fwy to the 215 Fwy.

Lots to do in Anaheim after treatments...restaurants, shopping etc.

I would suggest that she be comfortable driving mountain roads for Lake Arrowhead.
 
Lake Arrowhead is closest straight line, but be aware that Lake Arrowhead is in the middle of the San Bernardino Mountains at about 5200 feet elevation, and Loma Linda is in the valley nearly 4000 lower in elevation. To get to Loma Linda from Arrowhead is going to be some serious mountain driving, either on Hwy 18 into San Bernardino on the Rim-of-the-World Highway (aptly named) or on Hwy 330 from Running Springs to Highland.

In the summer time it's not much of an issue if you are comfortable driving mountain roads. If you have vertigo or if the thought of driving on a road with only a guard rail between you and a 500 to 1000 foot cliff makes you uncomfortable, you will not enjoy traveling between Arrowhead and Loma Linda.

And that's with good driving conditions in the summer. As soon as the winter storms arrive in the LA Basin conditions will become quite nasty until the snow clears and temperatures warm up.

For 2-1/2 years we lived in Arrowhead, and I worked in San Bernardino, not far from Loma Linda. When it snows, 12 inches of snow is a typical snow fall at Arrowhead. Six inches of snow is pretty routine. Two feet to three feet of snow is not uncommon. Icy roads are the norm when temps drop overnight.

You can also get some incredibly thick fogs on that road in the winter. I remember times driving home from work on Highway 18 when I literally could not see the front of my car; the only way I could see the center line on the road was to open the car door and look down at the pavement.

If you anticipate being there any time after Nov. 1, I would not consider staying in Arrowhead if you are at all uncomfortable with winter driving. Even if you're a good and skilled winter driver, it's treacherous because there are many drivers in the mountains who are terribly unskilled driving on snow and ice. In the winter most of the full-time residents stayed at home as much as possible on weekends when people from the LA Basin would come up to the mountains.

FWIW - I learned to drive in Minnesota. I've also lived in the western US for 30 years now, and have done a lot of winter driving out here. Minnesota winter driving is a piece of cake compared with mountain winter driving in the west.

*****

If you're going to be there in the winter (Nov 1 through Apr 1) and are willing to drive the distance, I would probably choose to stay in Palm Springs instead of Arrowhead. If it's not winter time and you don't mind driving on mountain roads, I would probably take Arrowhead.
 
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Stay at a hotel or motel near Loma Linda. It's suburbia, it's not a resort area.

The Medical Center will more than likely know of extended stay hotels in the area.
 
ricoba said:
Stay at a hotel or motel near Loma Linda. It's suburbia, it's not a resort area.

The Medical Center will more than likely know of extended stay hotels in the area.
Click to expand...

I agree with Rick.

Or if you think you will be there two or more weeks per month for three or more months, your cheapest option is probably to find a furnished "executive" apartment or condo.

I've done that several times when I've had extended out of office work assignments. There's usually nothing fancy about those places; they're pretty spartan and simply furnished. No cleaning services or anything like that. You just arrive with suitcases and car and live there temporarily.
 
ricoba said:
Stay at a hotel or motel near Loma Linda. It's suburbia, it's not a resort area.

The Medical Center will more than likely know of extended stay hotels in the area.
Click to expand...

I agree with this also. Watch the San Bernardino area...ask us for neighborhood suggestions. If you can find anything in Redlands...I'd like that a lot better.

As Steve mentioned-please don't consider the Arrowhead/Big Bear t/s's...but if said person has a companion that can drive for her-Palm Springs/Palm Desert is going to provide the nicest timeshares at just under an hours drive.

Please note, in California, we speak in time not miles. Something like Anaheim that might be closer in miles will be frustrating in real time. The freeways make the difference. The Palm Springs/Palm Desert drive (if you have to make one) will be a lot more enjoyable even if longer in miles. It's pretty much a straight shot.

I know this from my own experience. I am currently driving from the High Desert to Palm Desert to facilitate my own Mother's medical care. She was a nurse and used to work in Loma Linda. Not the Med Center but the VA Hosp. Both are right there. I can make it in an hour and 45 mins. The only place it bottles up for a bit is Redlands/Yucaipa on the way there and then in the Highland area (on the 30...um I think it's called something else now) on the way back. Sorry, that's the other thing we do here-we call our freeways "The" not Interstates-so if we say The 10..know we mean I-10.

I don't know how often said person will have to have treatment but if there are gaps of time or an extended break then by all means put them up somewhere nice in Palm Springs/Palm Desert. It would make for a nice respite.

Hope this helps.
 
ricoba said:
Stay at a hotel or motel near Loma Linda. It's suburbia, it's not a resort area.

The Medical Center will more than likely know of extended stay hotels in the area.
Click to expand...


I also agree. If she is going for cancer treatments being close to the hospital is important, especially if there is any complications, etc.
 
duplicate .
 
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Driving the 91 is also a nightmare, not recommended for someone undergoing what could be debilitating treatment. If she is going to be there for a longer time, maybe she could rent a furnished apartment or an extended stay type hotel with a kitchen. The Loma Linda area itself is a nice area, a college town and easy to get around. San Bernardino has areas that are much more sketchy and unless you know the area very well, I would recommend Loma Linda itself. If you are going to be with her and driving her if necessary for a little vacation, I would go with the Palm Springs area.
Loma Linda is where my doctors are and it is a very good medical center.
Liz
 
I've been in a similar situation to your friend, twice, where I needed to live "near" a hospital for a few weeks.

Your best bet is for her to call the social worker at the hospital. They should have a list of places that have special rates for people in treatment and their families. Many hospitals do, especially those who specialize in treatments where people come from some distance.

Fern
 
Liz Wolf-Spada said:
Driving the 91 is also a nightmare, not recommended for someone undergoing what could be debilitating treatment. If she is going to be there for a longer time, maybe she could rent a furnished apartment or an extended stay type hotel with a kitchen. The Loma Linda area itself is a nice area, a college town and easy to get around. San Bernardino has areas that are much more sketchy and unless you know the area very well, I would recommend Loma Linda itself. If you are going to be with her and driving her if necessary for a little vacation, I would go with the Palm Springs area.
Loma Linda is where my doctors are and it is a very good medical center.
Liz
Click to expand...

I agree with you 100%. Stay away from 91 and also San Bernardino.

I would take Fern's advice.
 
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