When you grow up in a major tourist destination like San Diego County, you rarely go visit the sights that the tourist do like the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, and the beaches. Instead, when I visit San Diego, I stop by friends’ homes, hang out with my mom, and visit my favorite haunts from back in college like the Chicken Pie Shop. So when I find a new place in San Diego I want to visit, I have to tell the world – go visit Temecula Valley!
I had no idea that Temecula had so much to offer like a great old town for shopping, fantastic restaurants, breweries, events, and best of all – wineries. I left San Diego back in the early ‘90s, so maybe that’s why I had no idea it was such a wonderful place.
Plan your day in Temecula
Temecula is about 45 minutes north of San Diego. The best thing to do is plan your trip ahead of time by checking out the Visit the Temecula Valley website.
Depending on the time of year, there may be events like Summerfest or the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival, which is in May. I had the opportunity to attend this year and it was a blast. It features music, food, wine, crafts, and (of course) balloons. It’s perfect to bring the whole family to, and is something you’d probably want to stay overnight for. There’s camping nearby if you have an RV or you can book a hotel. (Make sure to make reservations weeks in advance as rooms are booked early.) The Visit the Temecula Valley website can help you find lodging as well as point you to shopping, dining, and other fun things to do when you’re in town.
Spend the day in Old Town Temecula
If you’re just planning to spend the day, your first stop should be the visitor center. It’s located next to the free covered parking garage in Old Town Temecula. They can give you all sorts of advice on where to go and give you maps and brochures and point you to the nearest restrooms. (If you do head to the restrooms, there’s a really gorgeous mosaic of the pioneers there. Worth passing by and checking out.)
As you walk into town, stop by the fountain in front of Temecula’s City Hall. Notice how it looks like a woven Native American basket? So beautiful!
Picture courtesy of Visit Temecula Valley. Used with permission.
Let’s go shopping!
I enjoyed the time I spent shopping in Old Town Temecula. Now you may think it has the same type of shops you may see in other tourist destinations. Not so because these stores feature products that are locally sourced! For example, the Temecula Olive Oil Company features olive oils from local groves. Stop by for a complimentary olive oil tasting. The olive oil they feature is sustainably grown, 100% California, 100% extra virgin and comes in a variety of signature, varietals, flavors, and blends. I loved how they paired the various olive oils with balsamic vinegars like Vanilla & Fig, Honey Balsamic, and Bianco Pomegranate.
I was tempted to buy some olive oils to take home, but since I had flown in, I was nervous about taking bottles home in my luggage and having them break or leak. No problem as they have a Simply Olive Oil Club where they’ll ship olive oil to you on a regular basis! I’m tempted to join.
At the Temecula Lavender Company, they feature locally grown and produced lavender products. (I had no idea anyone was growing lavender in San Diego!) This charming and lovely smelling boutique features pure, natural, and healthful lavender products for the bath, body, and home. It’s hard to decide what to take home so come with your holiday gift lists in mind! Don’t forget that you can also cook with their wonderful lavender pepper, too. They also have an online store.
Speaking of cooking, don’t forget to visit Old Town Spice Merchants. If you’re a foodie like me, you’ll be in culinary heaven wanting to take home packets of all the locally created spice blends and barbecue rubs. They also make their own signature-teas like Old Town Thin Mint, Spiced Mint, and Spearmint Sunset. Visit their online store.
My tour group had the pleasure of meeting the owner of the Old Town Rootbeer Company and trying her homemade root beer. It’s made with honey and cane sugar and the label features pictures of her grandkids! The store stocks over 300 varieties of every soda you could ever imagine. Such a fun store!
We also had time to visit the Old Town Sweet Shop and try out their fudge. Oh my goodness was it fabulous! They had awesome flavors including red velvet and jalepeno chocolate. The store also features all your favorite candies from “back in the day” and fresh caramel apples. Check out their online store as well.
I also had time to visit several antique stores in Old Town such as Fourth Street Antiques and saw that there were some antique malls just outside of Old Town, as well, so I can’t wait to visit again and do some more antiquing!
Picture courtesy of Visit Temecula Valley. Used with permission.
Dining out in Old Town Temecula
I spent two days in the Old Town area so I was lucky to have the chance to dine at Crush & Brew as part of my tour and PUBlic House after the conference I attended. Both were terrific.
I didn’t imbibe at Crush & Brew. It was lunch and I had a full day ahead of me, frankly. But next time I’m there, I’d be tempted to try their handcrafted cocktails just as much as their beers. Any place that knows how to make a Sazerac with Peychaud’s, Rye and Orange is A-OK with me! My group shared a round of several types of fries (Bacon Parmesan and Dill and Cheese) and they were amazing. Really, I could go to Crush & Brew for fries and a drink. That’s it.
We also shared the Lobster Mac and Cheese. OK, next time I come, I’ll get the fries, a cocktail, and the Lobster Mac and Cheese. And I won’t eat for a week afterward. It was terrific. Then I made the mistake of ordering a flatbread dish for lunch. It was delicious, but the entrée was enough food for a family of four! So I recommend that you and a few friends order a couple of small plates or maybe an entrée and share.
The next day after my conference on the recommendation of a friend, we went to the PUBlic House and I had the Kobe on Que – a Kobe beef burger. Wow. We got to eat outside on the patio. Our service was terrific, especially for a busy Saturday night. Best of all, at $16.50, I thought it was reasonably priced, because (along with a side of fries) it was a very large portion of food
Spend a day at Temecula Valley wineries
You may decide to spend a second day devoted to spending time at the wineries. Our group first stopped at the Lorimar Winery & Vineyard. I especially enjoyed their lighter white and sparkling rose style wines that are perfect for summer. Before going, check their website as they feature events in the evenings. Remember to plan your visit ahead of time as you may want to go for a wine tasting and then stay for jazz music and then head back to a hotel in town instead of going all the way back into San Diego.
We then toured the Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyards with one of the owners, and had an amazing dinner in the cask room where we learned the difference between American and French oak for aging wines.
This is a more family friendly winery as you can bring the kids (they actually have a playground), picnic or dine at Creekside Grille, and shop. But please leave your dogs at home. (You can pet the winery dogs, though.) I adored all the wines I tried at Wilson Creek and their Almond Sparkling Wine is my new favorite.
Picture courtesy of Visit Temecula Valley. Used with permission.
I’m so glad I had this opportunity to visit Temecula Valley and discover a part of San Diego County I didn’t know about. I can’t wait to go back to visit my mom and take her to brunch at Wilson Creek and do a little shopping in Old Town Temecula!
Top pictures courtesy of Visit Temecula Valley. Used with permission.
Visiting San Diego? Take a day or two to visit Temecula Valley, California is a post from: This Mama Cooks! On a Diet. Stop by for more healthy recipes!