Sunday, 3/26/2023 - Julian & Anza-Borrego Desert State Park 
From our departure points this morning, we travel south to San Diego County by deluxe motorcoach. We’ll stop in Santa Ysabel at Dudley’s California Bakery, everyone’s favorite backcountry bakery offering 43 different types of freshly baked bread, pastries, cookies and pies available for purchase. We’ll continue along the mountain roads to Julian, the charming gold-mining town nestled among oak and pine forests in the beautiful Cuyamaca Mountains (elevation 4,200’). San Diego’s historic mountain town could be described “as American as apple pie.” The entire town is a designated historic district, and the shops and restaurants are housed in Victorian-style buildings dating back to the 1870s. Enjoy time at leisure for lunch on your own at a variety of restaurants and browsing Julian’s unique boutiques and pie shops selling a variety of apple pies and apple ciders. This afternoon we continue over the Vulcan Mountains to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the largest state park in California. We’ll be joined by a local guide who will showcase this spectacular landscape that features 12 wilderness areas and provides a unique opportunity to experience the wonders of the California desert. While admiring the palm groves, cacti and sweeping vistas, we’ll stay alert for a possible glimpse of a variety of wildlife native to the area including roadrunner, golden eagle, kit fox, mule deer and bighorn sheep. Each spring this region comes alive with a variety of wildflowers, though the intensity and duration of the wildflower bloom varies from year to year and blooms are never certain so we’ll keep our fingers crossed! We’ll stop to admire the world-famous Sky Art Sculptures in and around Borrego Springs. The work of artist Ricardo Breceda, these massive, rust-colored metal creatures are meticulously crafted and feature such details as curling eyelashes and “fur” made of shaved iron. All of the more than 100 prehistoric creatures that dot the open desert landscape once lived here, still do or were created entirely in the imagination of the artist. Late this afternoon, we’ll arrive at the award-winning, AAA Four Diamond Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula. This upscale and stylish smoke-free resort features luxurious hotel rooms, a variety of restaurants, new pool area and the largest casino (200,000 square feet) in California with over 4,500 state-of-the-art slot machines, 154 table games and a poker room with 38 tables. 

Monday, 3/27/2023 - Temecula Wine Country, Journey Home
Following an included breakfast and leisurely morning to enjoy the resort, we’ll travel deeper into the Temecula Valley and discover the Temecula Valley Wine Country. This region of grapevine-covered rolling hills is home to almost 50 family-owned wineries that produce almost 50 different wine varietals. The award-winning wines coming out of the Temecula Wine Country is made possible by the granite-based soil and a unique microclimate that features morning mist, warm midday sun, cooling ocean breezes, and crisp starry nights – ideal for growing grapes and creating premium wines recognized by wine connoisseurs internationally. At the stunning and elegant Wilson Creek Winery, we’ll enjoy an included deli-style lunch buffet, wine tasting and a guided tour of this award-winning winery that features pristine grounds and beautiful vistas. This afternoon we’ll enjoy time at leisure in Old Town Temecula, the charming western-themed historic district that features unique boutiques, curio shops and tasting rooms. We return to our drop-off points this evening with many fond memories of our fabulous mountain, desert and wine country getaway. 

While we make every effort to operate our tours as outlined in the itinerary, we ask for your patience, understanding and flexibility and to retain a sense of adventure while traveling with us. Situations may arise that necessitate changes to the itinerary. Should we need to adjust the itinerary either prior to or while on tour, these changes will be communicated to you and only done when absolutely necessary.