On Sunday evening (therefore not the best pics), I did a little shopping in Beaumont, CA. Due to the city's French sounding name, I often wondered whether there had been some French influence in the area. Hmmm, well the name is French sounding but according to the San Gorgonio Pass High School website, the name was "Frenchified" in order to reflect the beautiful mountains that surround the town. I also learned that in the early 1850s, many surveying parties passed through this area in order to find a way to connect to the ocean and voilá the San Gorgonio pass was discovered. However, this pass leads to the Coachella Valley which is deeper into the desert.
The city's website points out that Beaumont "provides the very best of rustic, rural beauty and charm" and I would have to agree. As you know, I am a beach lover, but driving down 1-10 there is no denying that Beaumont lives up to its "Frenchified" name.