Things To Do in Temecula, CA

Hey guys, long time no see!  Sorry for the lack of posts lately, things have been pretty hectic around here, and I haven’t been able to get as many posts written as I’d like.  BUT I hope this next series of travel posts will make up for it a little!  I am super excited to share one of my favorite weekend getaways, and the most amazing festival I’ve attended to date!

Temecula Balloon and Wine FestivalA few years ago, I decided to surprise my boyfriend Daniel with a trip to Temecula, CA.  Daniel has always surprised me with weekend getaways for my birthday, and I was finally in a position where I could reciprocate.  Since I knew it would be a weekend trip, I was mainly looking for travel ideas in California (as we were still living in Los Angeles at the time).  During my research, I came across the Balloon and Wine Festival in Temecula, which you can read all about here.  I pretty much knew it was the winner as soon as I saw it – I mean… hot air balloons?  Wine?  Sold!

Hot Air Balloon Ride in TemeculaTemecula is about 2-3 hours away from Los Angeles, and is a great place to visit if you want to see some California wine country without traveling too far (if you’re in LA).  Now, obviously the festival was going to be an amazing activity, but we were only planning on attending one of the days.  And since we were staying for a 3-day weekend, I still needed other things to do in Temecula to make Daniel’s birthday extra special.  While I was searching for things to do, I knew we absolutely had to take a hot air balloon ride.  I went a little overboard, since I wasn’t sure if I’d get the opportunity to spoil my guy again next year.  I splurged on a private hot air balloon ride for two, and It. Was. INCREDIBLE!  Read all the details here!

Besides extravagant activities, you can also just explore Old Town, which is a very charming area of Temecula.  Everything looks like it’s out of an old Western movie, and there are a lot of great shops and places to eat.  Check out some photos below!

Old Town Temecula California

Old Town Temecula Sidewalk Art

Antiques Windmill in Old Town Temecula

Water Fountain in Old Town Temecula

The Old Town Rootbeer Company in TemeculaThe Old Town Rootbeer Company is a fun shop to explore while you’re in Old Town.  There was literally every flavor of soda you could possibly think of!

We bought a few bottles to enjoy at home, and it was a nice way to remember our vacation as were were instantly thrust back into the work week!

Soda at The Old Town Rootbeer Company

If you’ll be enjoying your soda in Temecula, be sure to add your bottle cap to the collection below!

Bottle Caps at The Old Town Rootbeer Company in Temecula

Sweet Lumpy's BBQ in TemeculaWhile we were walking around Old Town, we stopped to eat at Sweet Lumpy’s BBQ for lunch.  The food was delicious, and the restaurant had a good outdoor seating area for catching some sun.  I highly recommend checking it out if you’re in the mood for a quiet, casual lunch with some amazing BBQ!

Duck Pond in Temecula CaliforniaAnother tasty lunch spot is Daniel’s Cafe.  Yes, we did go there because it had Daniel’s name in the title… Don’t judge though, because the food was fantastic! It looked like a cute place to dine-in at, but we actually took our food to go so we could it eat at a near by duck pond and park.  It was a lovely place to have a picnic, be sure to check it out during your stay!

If you’re looking for an amazing Italian restaurant for dinner, head on over to Palumbo’s Ristorante in Old Town.  The service and atmosphere was great, and the food was amazing.  Take a look!

Dinner at the Italian Restaurant Palumbo's Ristorante in Temecula

Italian Dinner at Palumbo's Ristorante in Temecula

Daniel and Michele at the Wilson Creek Winery in TemeculaAnother must do activity in Temecula is exploring a vineyard and going wine tasting.  It is wine country after all!  I wish we could have visited more wineries, but since we had a pretty full schedule we ended up just going to Wilson Creek Winery.  Luckily, we chose one of the most beautiful locations to be our one and only stop, read all about our visit here.

And if you’re looking for an inexpensive hotel option, we stayed at the Old Town Ramada Inn.  It was very central to Old Town, vineyards, and the Balloon and Wine Festival.  Plus, it has a pool and spa, complimentary wifi, and a continental breakfast.  It’s the not fanciest hotel, but you don’t want to be stuck in a hotel room anyway!  It was quiet and clean, and just what we needed to grab some sleep before our next exciting activity.

As you can see, there are many wonderful things to do in Temecula, and we didn’t even scratch the surface!  If you’re looking for a unique and memorable vacation, definitely think about visiting Temecula.  You won’t regret it!

 


Leave a Reply