Jefferson Road in Temecula

Kennon-Green & Co. Fiduciary Financial Advisor, Wealth Management, Global Value Investing

We were so surprised by the beautiful topography of Temecula that we added an extra day here to explore the surrounding mountains, look at real estate, and check out the local stores.  The city of 100,000 or so people is surrounded by beautiful estates, vineyards, and farms growing citrus and avocado.  It’s roughly 1-2 hours away from San Diego, Laguna Beach, Los Angeles, Disneyland, Big Bear Lake, Palm Springs, and practically anything else you’d want to do.  If you’re in the mood for a road trip, Las Vegas is only 280 miles away.

[mainbodyad]The basic necessities of life are nearby – an Apple store, a Williams-Sonoma, and a Costco.  And both my internal candy aficionado and Berkshire Hathaway shareholder were ecstatic to see a See’s Candies shop.  The school district is supposedly good.  We haven’t, yet, had time to explore the famous 19th century downtown or go out and walk one of the wineries but we’ll definitely be returning to Temecula in the future.  I’m going to go back to Kansas City and, along with a handful of other places we’ve visited, pull marketplace data on everything from aggregate retail sales to median educational attainment to get an idea of the character of the community.

To get the full effect, click the pictures to view the bigger versions.  I had no idea … just like the pictures of Laguna Beach, etc., two days ago, the photographs don’t do it justice.

Driving Past Target Toward Mountains in Temecula California

We decided to drive out and look at some of the estates for sale in the mountains so we plugged in one of the addresses and let the GPS take over as we looked through town …

Driving Into Temecula Hills West

Being from the Midwest where there is nothing on the horizon except big sky, it’s crazy to see hills and mountains. I really enjoy it. It makes things a lot more interesting.

Temecula California from Mountain

The Temecula area in the background as we ascend one of the mountains …

Flowers and Vineyards in Temecula California

We couldn’t get over how beautiful the winding roads with flowering bushes and vineyards were. After awhile, we randomly began taking turns, exploring the rural paths and it all looked like this …

Flowering Bushes Temecula California

I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many flowers by a highway in Missouri … it feels like a movie or something.

Long Drive Through Temecula Hills West

There was a Kentucky-style fence around one of the properties that I liked a lot … it made me feel more at home.

More Driving Temecula Hills West California

It’s such an odd mix seeing that fence style with palm trees and mountains. My mind associates it with lush, emerald green fields of grass, horse trails, and big plantation-style houses at the end of winding driveways.

Flowers on the Side of the Road in Temecula California

More roadside flora …

Driving in Temecula as Sun Begins to Set

There were some sharp turns up in the mountains. At one point, we ended up on a road with no guard rail and a several hundred foot drop that was not our cup of tea. When we finally reached the apex, there was this house overlooking everything. That is not a commute I would want, especially at night.

Agriculture in Temecula

The agriculture industry in Temecula is impressive …

House In Temecula California

This house reminded me of something out of a Disney story. You round a corner after not seeing anything for awhile and there it is, nestled into the side of the hill.

Rural Temecula

California is, without question, the most beautiful state in the United States.

More White Fences in Temecula

More white fences in the Temecula countryside …

Hills and Mountains Temecula

On our way back down, sometimes you’d get a long-range view of something like this.

Flowers Lining Neighborhood Paths in Temecula

We drove through random neighborhoods in the city limits, too, and even the plants in the community add to the appeal. This sort of thing couldn’t happen in Kansas City because, as the Starks would say, “Winter is coming.” When it arrives, nothing survives by sometimes -30 degree Fahrenheit windchill, sleet, and snow.

Temecula Strawberry Stand

In my hometown, you’d see tomato and corn stands. It’s nice to see fresh fruit everywhere.

Houses in Temecula California

Driving through the neighborhoods, a lot of the houses are done in either Spanish Revival or Mediterranean styles … I wonder, is it purely an aesthetic thing in the culture or is there some sort of inherent advantage to it? It’s not like Adobe, which made sense in the Mexican desert. I’ll need to research this.

Driving Around Temecula

I like seeing the palm trees …

Driving Through Random Neighborhoods in Temecula

More random neighborhoods we passed through to see how the real heart of the city looked …

Temecula Costco Sign

We stopped and picked up some bottled water, highlighters, and a few other items for the remaining days of the roadtrip at the Temecula Costco this morning …

Temecula Costco Hot Dog and Ice Cream

I never understood why everyone kept talking about the Costco food service. Earlier in the morning, haven not eaten, and a full day ahead of us, Aaron and I figured we’d grab something while we bought supplies for the road. I get it now. We each got a hot dog (he went with the hot dog, I tried the polish dog), drink (with free refill, which neither of us used), and strawberry sunday for $3.15 per person. The economies of scale required to deliver that price are staggering; a miracle of modern capitalism. It was so much food (something like 1,200 calories) we could hardly eat for another 7-8 hours. It may not be the healthiest option, but the value is unlike anything, anywhere.

Williams Sonoma and Apple Store Temecula California

We needed to run over and get an cable to play the iPad navigation instructions through the sound system so neither of us had to deal with it during the drive, focusing on the communities, instead. This is a nice area. I’m going to be fairly content any place that has an Apple store near a Williams-Sonoma …

Pottery Barn Temecula Shopping

There’s an outdoor and indoor shopping area, which is nice.

Temecula Shopping

I wanted to check out the local movie theater, which is about a block or two from here, but we ran out of time before we have to move on so it will be something that happens on a return visit …

Jefferson Road in Temecula

I loved this view from one of the roads we turned on before heading back to the hotel …

Temecula Hotel

We’re saying goodbye to Temecula for the moment … we’ll stay here tonight and checkout in the morning.

We’re on to the next city.  I may not have Internet access for most of the day but I’m going through the comments and messages you have sent me, adding certain towns to the list and making notes.  Again, I really appreciate the suggestions and help!  If I can get LTE on the highway, I’ll try and respond as best I can.

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