The Inland Empire town of Temecula is a laid-back hidden gem. Located less than a two-hour drive from Los Angeles, San Diego, and Palm Springs, this town set among rolling hills offers wine country, history, and plenty of wide-open spaces. Here are five ways to build a visit around your own kind of leisure:
Hop on a wine-tasting tour
With about 50 wineries, Temecula Valley’s wine scene is thriving while still managing to exude under-the-radar charm. A great place to start: Leoness Cellars, located along the De Portola Wine Trail, which has its own restaurant and a live music stage. Get fully acquainted with the whole area on an excursion with Destination Temecula Wine Tours or Grapeline Wine Tours (where options can include a sit-down or picnic lunch) or the hop-on, hop-off Winery Hopper. For an extra-creative outing, book a Jeep-based winery tour with Sunrider or Temecula Carriage Company’s horse-drawn carriages.
Glide in a hot-air balloon
Temecula Valley’s colorful countryside of vineyards and citrus groves makes for stunning views from above. Temecula’s summer season kicks off in May with the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival, but you can enjoy the balloons year-round. Check out rides with operators such as California Dreamin’, Magical Adventure Balloon Rides, or A Grape Escape. Most excursions include a little wine tasting too.
Take a historic walking tour
The modern era of Temecula began in the mid-1800s, as stagecoaches and then the railroad turned this area into a commerce hub—today, Old Town Temecula still exudes an Old West vibe. Take a self-guided walking tour that passes about a mile’s worth of landmarks like the old jail and the historic Hotel Temecula. Balance out the old-fashioned ambience with stops at more contemporary conveniences like Temecula Olive Oil Co. and Stone Church Brewing.
Hike and bike the trails
The area’s hills and valley offer plenty of easy-access outdoor adventure. Hike the scenic River Trail (five miles out and back) at Santa Margarita County Preserve, which features woodlands, deer, and hawk sightings, or do some serious birding at Lake Skinner Recreation Area, which is home to 200-plus species, including heron and owls. Or head to the 9,000-acre Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reservewhere you can check out old cowboy bunkhouses and search for critters like badgers and mule deer.
Relax resort-style at Pechanga
Owned by the Pechanga Band of Indians, the Pechanga Resort Casino offers 24-hour gaming along with world-class resort perks. The resort’s 72-hole, links-styleJourney at Pechanga is considered one of California’s top courses, thanks to both its challenging layout and its thoughtfully low-profile design. Spa Pechanga, meanwhile, offers treatments that draw on both native botanicals and the local traditions tied to the Great Oak—an enormous, 1,000-year-old coast live oak that thrives to this day on the Pechanga reservation.
