Old Town Temecula

The old town is easy to find. Just take the Rancho California Road exit off of the 15 freeway. Front Street sort of parallells the freeway just to the west, and the old town stretches between Rancho California Road and Santiago.

You can stroll along wooden boardwalks and admire the historical old buildings while wandering in and out of small shops full of antiques, collectables and unique gift items.

For a bit of sustenance, there are diners, coffeeshops and restaurants. There's even a Starbucks for those needing their daily fix.

We especially enjoyed an early evening dinner at the Front Street Bar And Grill towards the south end of Front Street. We sat on the outdoor patio and enjoyed delicious gourmet burgers. While this bar and grill is casual bistro style, upstairs in the old brick building there is fine dining at Baily's.

At 28314 Mercedes Street, you can visit the Temecula Valley Museum for displays depicting the rich history of the area.

Old Town Temecula dates back to 1882 when the first railroad came through. California's very first inland post office was located here where the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach stopped.

Famous (and probably infamous), rugged pioneers stopped here long ago in the early days of California. Originally, the area was home to Native American Indians, whose village center was nearby.

You can pick up a walking tour map from the visitor's center off of Jeffrson, just north of Rancho California Road. It describes all the historic buildings you will walk past.

(To reach Temecula Valley wine country, follow Rancho California Road in the other direction about 4 miles until you start seeing the vineyards blanket the rolling hills.)



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