If the last time you were in Temecula was fifteen or twenty years ago, you wouldn’t recognize it now. People from all over have made this beautiful valley home since then, and with it, has come the malls, plenty of shopping and lots of housing developments. Of course, the other changes have happened in the hills to the east – the rise of the local wine region and hot air balloon rides in Temecula. In the past ten years, this area has become a “southern Napa” in many ways, bringing people from all over the world to see what this wine capital is all about. Located in Riverside County, Temecula is a fast growing city with lots of business opportunity and family activities. Surrounded by gorgeous hills, this area is a natural wonderland. “Temecula” is a native American word (“ta-meck-you-la”), translated as “where the sun shines through the mist. And here’s a strange Temecula fact for you – Granite from its old early century quarries constitute most of San Francisco’s street curbs. So, what can you do here?

Temecula’s Wine Experience: There are over twenty world class wineries in the hills of Temecula, and although its not as well known as Napa, Sonoma, or France, its done very well, produced some excellent wines, and has come up from no where to win many awards in the industry. It all really started in the early 1800′s when Franciscan missionaries planted the first grapevines here, but cattle raising became more important. In 1971, the first Temecula wines were produced and then in the early 1990′s the area took off.

Ballooning & Aerial Tours: This area has a long history as a hot air balloon capital. You can ride with friends, family or even strangers – it really doesn’t matter, you’ll have a blast! The beauty of the valley and the near perfect climate conditions make for an ideal experience. There are a handful of hot air balloon ride companies in the area that take groups up for an hour ride above the Temecula valley. And don’t miss the annual balloon & wine festival! If you are looking for another type of adventure, try a bi-plane ride – this area is well known for these types of aerial tours as well!

Old Town Temecula: The old town area is a popular place to go out to eat, and enjoy some entertainment. Because this area has a long and interesting history, there are many old buildings that are still standing. One such edifice is the Welty Building, which was a store/saloon as well as a hotel in the late 1800′s. In 1902 it became the “Ramona Inn”. Today, it’s an antique store.
Antoher historic building is the Wine Cellar/Temecula Jail, which was originally built as a wine cellar. Because it was built with granite from a local quarry, it became a suitable place to hold criminals. If you’ve never been to Old Town, you should consider going, its great to see such history in Southern California, where most of what you see is recent development.

Pechanga Casino: This entertainment hot spot has been big on the scene since the early 1990′s, where slot players can play 2,000 state-of-the-art slot and video poker machines, play table games on over 160 tables including Blackjack, Three-Card Poker, Let It Ride, Mini-Baccarat, and Pechanga Craps.
The hotel, which opened in 2002, was designed in the Frank Lloyd Wright style, and showcases Native American art and culture. It has been honored with a AAA Four Diamond rating award. Looking for a great place to eat? There are eight restaurants, four of which are gourmet – Paisano’s, The Grotto, Kelsey’s and The Great Oak Steakhouse

Temecula has a little bit of everything – and there’s no place like it in all of Southern California. Thousands of new residents have found this area to be a great place to raise a family, and visitors can enjoy a number of things to do.

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