Temecula is Southern California’s laid-back wine country, with nearly 50 wineries spread across rolling vineyard-covered hills, plus a lively historic Old Town.
It’s more casual than Napa and features an unusually strong live-music scene at the wineries and around town. Note: Things quite down on Sunday evening!
ps… Oceanside is just an hours drive away for a perfect day trip!
Temecula
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Doffo Winery is a family-owned boutique winery in Temecula Valley wine country, known for small-lot wines.
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Dine inside the cave and wander around the majestic views of the De Portola Wine Trail.
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et among the rolling vineyards along Temecula’s De Portola Wine Trail, Leoness is known for its award-winning estate wines, gorgeous views, excellent winery restaurant and frequent live music.
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Perched above the valley, Miramonte mixes terrific views, food, wine and frequent live music for one of Temecula’s liveliest winery experiences.
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Wander from a lively Spanish village to a grand Tuscan-inspired Italian estate and romantic French gardens, tasting wine and food along the way without ever leaving Temecula.
Oceanside
Oceanside boasts miles of sandy coastline, beautiful sunsets, and an easygoing Southern California lifestyle. Oceanside is a bit younger and livelier, with its long wooden pier, harbor, surfing, breweries, and increasingly hip downtown compared to Carlsbad, the town to the south, which is more polished.
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Across from the pier, this stylish ocean-view restaurant is a favorite for steaks, fresh seafood, drinks, and a sunset dinner. I am addicted.
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Go six stories above the beach at Mission Pacific… and enjoy spectacular pier and ocean views, cocktails, small plates, DJs and a fabulous sunset scene.
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Oceanside’s longtime neighborhood coffeehouse got a new lease on life when local resident Jason Mraz—who had hung out and performed there for about 20 years—became an investor and business partner. I saw Jason perform twice on the small live-music stage. There is a plant-forward menu; some of the produce even comes from Mraz’s local farm.
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funky little open-air café tucked into Buccaneer Beach Park right across from the ocean, serving coffee, espresso, breakfast burritos and casual California fare with a wonderfully laid-back, toes-in-the-sand surf-town feel.
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This is the great inland cycling route from Oceanside. Cruise without worrying about cars! This is a mostly flat, paved, roughly 9 miles each way scenic trip.
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A beloved, down-to-earth South Oceanside studio that offered Vinyasa, slow flow, restorative yoga, sound baths closed but there are other great yoga studios to choose from!