Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [312]
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TEMECULA
Temecula has become a popular short-break destination for its Old West Americana main street, nearly two dozen wineries, and California’s largest casino, Pechanga.
Temecula means ‘Place of the Sun’ in the language of the native Luiseño people, who were present when Fr Fermin Lasuen became the first Spanish missionary to visit in 1797. In the 1820s, the area became a ranching outpost for the Mission San Luis Rey, in present-day Oceanside. Later, Temecula became a stop on the Butterfield stagecoach line (1858–1861) and the California Southern railroad.
But it’s Temecula’s late-20th-century growth that’s been most astonishing, from 2700 people in 1970 – the city didn’t get its first traffic light until 1984 – to some 91,000 residents today. Between Old Town and the wineries is a buffer zone of off-putting suburban sprawl. Ignore that and you’ll do fine.
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ORIENTATION
Temecula is in the southeast corner of Riverside County, near San Diego and Orange Counties. The five-block Old Town Front St, heart of Old Town Temecula, is a minute’s drive from the I-15 Freeway. From here, Rancho California Rd is the main route into wine country.
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INFORMATION
Temecula Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau operates a cheery visitor center ( 951-506-0056; www.temeculacvb.com; 42031 Main St, Suite C; 9am-6pm Sun-Thu, 9am-7pm Fri & Sat). In an emergency, dial 911.
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SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Old Town Front St’s turn-of-the-last-century storefronts make for an attractive stroll – pick up the Historic Old Town Temecula leaflet with building descriptions. En route, sample local products at shops like Temecula Olive Oil Company ( 951-693-0607, 866-653-8396; www.temeculaoliveoil.com; 28653 Old Town Front St) and Temecula House of Jerky ( 951-308-9232, 28655 Old Town Front St). The latter offers ostrich, buffalo, venison and more traditional beasties. Hundreds of antique dealers populate the neighborhood, most agglomerated into large antique halls.
Wine tasting is big in the rolling hills east of Old Town, about 10 minutes’ drive. Pick up the Wineries of Temecula Valley map and guide at the visitor center. The newness of the wineries and the preponderance of large gift shops make them less quaint than elsewhere in California, but you can find award-winning and creative wines.
Wilson Creek ( 951-699-9463; www.wilsoncreekwinery.com; 35960 Rancho California Rd; tasting $10; 10am-5pm) makes almond champagne (infused with almond oil in the fermentation process) and a chocolate-infused port. A nice stop if you’ve got children in tow is Longshadow Ranch ( 951-687-6221; www.longshadowranchwinery.com; 39847 Calle Contento; tasting $7-10; noon-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun; ); the kids can look at Clydesdales and goats while mommy and daddy sip. Further afield, Leonesse Cellars ( 951-302-7601; www.leonessecellars.com; 38311 De Portola Rd; tasting $10; 10am-5pm) offers award-winning Viognier and Melange des Reves, plus sweeping views from its sort-of-Teutonic tower.
To leave the driving to someone else, Grapeline Temecula ( 888-894-6379; www.gogrape.com) offers day-long wine tours by minivan with pickup at many of the area’s lodgings. Rates start at $38 per person; tastings and lunch are extra.
To see the region from the air, contact California Dreamin’ ( 800-373-3359; www.californiadreamin.com; per person from $198), which operates balloon rides in Temecula.
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SLEEPING
Palomar Inn Hotel ( 951-676-6503; www.palomarinnhotel.com; 28522 Old Town Front St; r weekday/weekend from $48/75; wi-fi) This 1927 10-room hostelry is Old Town’s cheapest, with mismatched furniture and no private bathrooms or air-con. At the time of writing it was in the midst of a renovation, although it had a ways to go. Still, the price