Over the weekend, the hubs and I decided to ditch soccer practice and do something we would really enjoy. In our child-free days, we used to visit Temecula often, to attend concerts and go wine tasting with friends. While we knew this trip would look a LOT different with three young children in tow, we crossed our fingers and piled everyone (and their snacks) into the car anyway.
On the way home, my husband and I were both surprised to find that the day had very much exceeded our realistically low expectations. The car ride had been long enough for the youngest two to nap both ways, and short enough that the oldest didn’t get bored, and all three of the stops we made allowed the kids to eat, play, and experience something new–a recipe for happy tots, and even happier parents.
We did this trip in a day, but would love to go back again and spend the night. Once we do, I’ll come back and update this post with kid-friendly accommodations, and possibly another winery or two. For now, here’s what we did, and loved, during our day in Temecula!
Stop 1: Margarita Community Park
The drive from the South Bay to Temecula took us a little over an hour (we left around 9:50 am, and arrived a little after 11 am). My two-year-old and infant both fell asleep for most of the trip, and were ready to let off some steam when we arrived. Because most wineries don’t open until noon, we decided to burn an hour at Margarita Community Park before heading to our first real stop.
My four-year-old and two-year-old both loved this park. The playground equipment is relatively new, and includes some fun interactive “music” stations. The entire play area is fenced in, and set back from the street. This park also has a splash pad, which is open during the spring, summer and fall months. Due to the continued Covid situation, the splash pad is running at limited capacity–which is actually kind of nice, from a safety and supervision standpoint.
After running around for about 45 minutes, the kids were ready for a snack in the car and a change of location, so we headed off to stop #2.
Stop 2: Longshadow Ranch Winery
Our first stop was Longshadow Ranch Winery, a small winery just outside of town. Longshadow is truly the ideal spot for families, as it is home to a variety of friendly farm animals, a weekends-only, kid-friendly food truck, a playground, and outdoor, “free range” seating. After petting a friendly sheep, and a not-so-friendly alpaca, we picked up some hot dogs, a pulled pork sammie, and a charcuterie plate from the food truck, and grabbed a table in the shade of a large awning. After eating, the kids played on the playground (which is nestled in a sand pit directly between the tables and the vineyard) while the grown-ups sipped a glass of Syrah. (While the tasting room is currently closed due to Covid restrictions, wine is still being served on the patio.)
After our glasses were dry and the kids were tired, we walked through the vines, visited some horses, and got a very thrilling free tour of a manure-filled tractor by the friendliest teenage farm-hand. I honestly can not imagine a more perfect situation for dining and drinking with kids, and I will one thousand percent be returning to Longshadow in the near future.
Stop 3: Peltzer Winery
Peltzer Winery has a good amount of outdoor space with shaded picnic tables, a tasting bar, and food truck. I really enjoyed the tasting experience here, but management wanted all kids within arm’s distance of the tables, so it wasn’t quite the “free range” experience we were looking for. This winery would be a great weekend option for people with very young kids (ones who might not want to zoom around the entire patio like ours did).
However, Peltzer winery does host a variety of truly kid-friendly events throughout the year, including an event called “Pumpkin Farm,” which is essentially a 6-week pumpkin themed festival that includes highlights like pony rides and pig racing, as well as an outdoor ice rink in the winter. We will definitely be back for these events, and might also try to make it to one of their summer family movie nights as well.
Next Time: Wilson Creek Winery
We were initially planning on visiting Wilson Creek Winery because they also have an array of kid-friendly outdoor seating options, a children’s playground, and highly rated wines. However, the playground is currently closed due to Covid restrictions. We will probably stop by Wilson Creek when we return later this summer if/when restrictions have been lifted.
Books For The Vineyard
AND, in the unlikely event that your children nap vine-side, OR if you have grandma tagging along to help with childcare, you can pick up one of these wine-themed books to peruse while you sip!
