Are you planning to visit, or do you live in Temecula, CA?
Temecula embodies the charm of Southern California. Its many popular neighborhoods and their surrounding areas are the perfect balance: they are both calming, but also have fun and exciting activities to do.
Many events take place throughout the year, including the Temecula Bluegrass Festival and Temecula Street Painting Festival. Plus, the Temecula area seems to have a never-ending supply of hiking trails for a truly active lifestyle.
In this article, we will delve deeper into the wonderful activities and recreational opportunities that Temecula has to offer. You’ll learn about all the top things you can experience as a visitor or a resident in this part of SoCal.
Old Town Temecula
In Old Town Temecula, you can enjoy the activities, shop at the specialty boutiques, find goods by local artisans and so much more!
Inside the rustic buildings, you can enjoy farm-to-table foods, try the craft beer from the local breweries, and listen to live music in one of the Old Town’s bars.
The western-era atmosphere allows history buffs to relive the golden ages in the late 19th century. The streets are lined with the authentic storefronts which immediately takes you back more than a hundred years.
Here are some places you can go:
- Old Town Blues Club: This place hosts around 350 shows annually. Regardless of its name, OTBC isn’t only about blues, making it a music hotspot in the area.
- Lorimar Winery Loft: Enjoy this amazing wine bar that has live music playing on the weekends. It has knowledgeable and friendly sommeliers and great wine.
- Old Town Sweet Shoppe: The adorable sweet shop has almost any kind of sweet available on its shelves such as candy, taffy, fudge, chocolate, ice cream, and more.
Hot Air Ballooning
Hot air ballooning is a big thing in Temecula. You can do this activity year round.
These balloon flights are only carried out during the sunrise because the afternoons and evenings bring winds that don’t permit safe flying.
The views from your balloon are incredible. You’ll slowly glide over the fertile vineyards, rolling hills, and amazing estate scenery. The annual Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival is the peak time to enjoy delicious wine and a relaxing hot air balloon flight.
Amazing Wineries
Temecula Valley is known for its excellent wineries. Whenever visiting this area, you have to visit at least a few of their top wine mansions. This is going to be a sensory experience of top-class reds, whites, and rosés in beautiful settings.
Here are our top recommendations for Temecula wine experiences:
- Wilson Creek Winery: This winery is home to the legendary Almond Sparkling Wine. Additionally, you can sample prime-class wines, organize a wedding, have a great chat with one of the Wilson family members or dine in Creekside Grille. The atmosphere is unforgettable as you sip on your reds or whites with Mount Palomar in the background.
- Leoness Cellars: Wine tours in this Leoness Cellars are excellent as they are fun and educational at the same time. Their patio space has incredible views over the surrounding vineyards and SoCal landscapes. After you enjoy the tour, you can taste some of their delicious snacks and culinary creations. There is no doubt that Leoness Cellars belongs to the “cool club” of Temecula wineries.
- Vindemia Estate Winery: This winery aims to blend a casual Southern California feel with classy European style. The results are beautiful. You’ll have a great time tasting their quality wines in this Temecula hillside winery. Vindemia is a family-owned-and-run business that is a bit off the beaten path when compared to the most commercial wineries in the Valley.
- Doffo Winery: Does a moto-themed tasting room sound cool? The huge collection of vintage motorcycles adds a unique background to your wine-tasting trip to Doffo Winery. They have an outstanding tasting experience complete with snacks and food options.
Lake Elsinore Outlets
Do you want to enjoy up to 70% off retail prices of your favorite clothing, accessories, footwear, jewelry, toys, and home decor items? You’ll find over 50 stores that provide brand name merchandise with some of the best outlet prices you could ever find. Most of the time, the outlet center is pretty quiet, which makes for a nice and stress-free shopping experience.
Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve
You’ll find the Santa Rosa Plateau Eco Reserve near the city of Murrieta, which isn’t far from Temecula. This amazing wilderness reserve covers a whopping 9000 acres.
The reserve has been created to protect unique ecosystems like riparian wetlands, bunchgrass prairie, and vernal pools. Many rare or even threatened species live here, including mountain lions, white-tailed kites, and western pond turtles.
There are many one-day hikes in the reserve available for your enjoyment. For instance, you can hike Machado and Moreno Adobes.
Promenade Temecula
Promenade Temecula is a grand shopping destination that offers an eclectic variety of dining, shopping, and entertainment options. The Promenade has the largest variety of lifestyle and fashion choices in the Temecula Valley.
Here, you can enjoy the shops, dining spots and entertainment venues.
The entertainment is simply incredible at Promenade Temecula. You can catch a movie at IMAX Regal Edwards Cinemas, and play arcade games, bowling, billiards, ping pong, or darts. There is even a chance for some karaoke!
The Bottom Line: Things to do in Temecula, CA
There’s much to do in Temecula and its surrounding areas.
You can cruise the wineries, explore the Old Town, enjoy world-class hot air balloon flights, and discover the amazing hiking trails in Santa Rosa eco-reserve. Those are just some of the exciting things you can experience.
For more information, contact PURE Property Management.
