by Susan Van Allen

There, next to an old western style coffee shop, gas station and general store was an antique shopper's dream: The Silverado Trading Post. Owners Jeff and Candy Mack have set up an impressive 1-1/2 acres - from a lawn display of everything from old farm wagons to what they call "Architectural salvage" (European iron gates, barn doors, old fountains) to the inside store, a charming ranch home stuffed with antique kitchen supplies, candlesticks, and furnishings. It was one of those times where I was glad my husband wasn't along, as I could take my time browsing guilt-free. Though he would have been impressed that this is the spot that supplies lots of props for one of his favorite HBO shows, "Deadwood."

On another afternoon, all of us headed up to the hills of Rainbow to visit the Rusty Acres Herb Farm - a terraced paradise that is home to 140 different varieties of lavender. Owners Jim and Judy Brady offer guests tours of their gardens, along with a gift shop where homemade potpourri, herbal infused lotions, oils, and soaps are for sale. For those who want to hang out and admire the 9 peaceful acres, Judy offers a Provencal style lunch on their porch overlooking the farm.

A five minute drive from our accommodations was Old town Temecula, which seemed like a metropolis compared to Rainbow. Formerly a stagecoach stop, the six block stretch brings back the flavor of the golden west. It was fun to stroll along the wooden boardwalks from 1882, which open up to a range of intriguing choices: from antique stores to a magic trick shop, cowboy style saloons and an English tea parlor. I bought souvenirs at the Temecula Olive Oil Company, which offered varieties of local extra virgin oils along with artisanal foods from the area and specialty cookware from around the world.

Usually when I think of California Wine Country, Napa, Sonoma or the Central Coast comes to mind. We were all pleasantly surprised to discover that Temecula Valley, with its warm dry days, cool nights, and ocean breezes is now home to 3000 acres of vineyards and 20 wineries that produce award winning wines. We explored the vineyards via the Grapeline Wine Country Shuttle - a van which customized our tour to stop at four of the area's top wineries.

After savory tastings of peachy Viognier and spicy Petite Syrah at Keyways Winery we settled in to a picnic lunch. As it was August, just a few weeks before harvest, our view was picture-perfect: deep purple and golden grape clusters weighing down the surrounding hillside vines. At Leonese Cellars, a European country style complex, we got treated to Pinot Grigio straight from an outside barrel and a taste of their outstanding Cinsault Port which paired perfectly with chocolate truffles. (CONTINUE...)