Two Cool Venues -- Gershon Bachus Vintners and Monteleone Meadows

A winter day at Gershon Bachus

So I'm watching The Soup and who pops on the screen but the unflappably professional Joe Vizcaino ("Joey"), Director of beautiful local winery Gershon Bachus Vintners, deflecting the "advances" (?) of the Real Housewives of Orange County.

I had the reception for my adult bat mitzvah at Gershon Bachus, and I cannot recommend them highly enough for a supremely special, luxurious event.

Oh, and did I mention....their catering is by Sorrel? This is no rubber chicken dinner. Nope. My guests were talking about the "adult grilled cheese" (with Chef Adrian's special house-made fig chutney) for days.

You'll feel like you're hosting family and friends at your private Tuscan estate at Gershon Bachus, while at this other cool location I just discovered, you'll feel like you invited them to your own secluded, edenic meadow.

Tucked away off Winchester near Benton Road in French Valley is Monteleone Meadows. I was honored to attend a dear friend's daughter's First Communion in the Catholic faith. They attend Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, which doesn't have their own building yet.

Ever driven along that stretch of Winchester heading out toward French Valley where you pass Fausto's Bail Bonds, with all the Hummers and other cool cars with "Fausto's" signs in their parking lot, then the Catholic church that meets in the Moose Lodge? That's Blessed Teresa's temporary home. (By the way, that is the new Moose Lodge location, and it used to be French Valley Winery.)

The congregation held First Communion for a bunch of children, and the mass was delivered from a beautiful lakeside gazebo at Monteleone Meadows. What a lovely setting for a special day.

This is a beautiful setting for a variety of events, especially weddings. I can't vouch for venue-catered food. I was at Catholic mass so I had....doughnuts and coffee, of course:-)

Gershon Bachus Vintners
www.gershonbachus.com
37750 De Portola Drive (on the De Portola Wine Trail)
Temecula, CA 92592
(877)I LUV GBV

Monteleone Meadows
www.monteleonemeadows.com
35245 Briggs Road
Murrieta, CA 92563
(951)677-6403

My Ongoing Love Affair with Old Town Temecula

I will be so sad when this school year ends and our younger daughter won't be going to school in Old Town Temecula anymore.

It has been so much fun having her enrolled at Kid's World. We live closer to their second location (near Van Avery Prep and Hillcrest on Santiago) but I opted for the Old Town location instead because....well, it's Old Town!

Some of the highlights of being in Old Town several times a week with a preschooler have been:

* strolling down 2nd to MsChevious Boutique to check out what the mannequins are wearing (outfits changed daily)

* sampling old timey candy at the Sweet Shop

* picking her up early from school to have lunch on the patio at Palumbo's or Soro's

* shopping for fun girly home decor and crafty items at Farmer's Wife

I also happen to have a wonderful mechanic at Valley Auto Werkes, which is in...Old Town. He's right near CM School Supply and Campini's, and I just discovered that there is a gun store in the commercial space being Valley Auto Werkes.

No more boring waiting in the "customer lounge" while they are working on my car.

For instance, the other day, my car was making a weird noise (which the mechanic later identified as "metal on metal" in the rear brakes; uh oh! Glad I didn't decide to "fix it" by just turning the radio up louder.)

He needed it for a few hours so I ambled down Old Town Front Street, window shopping along my way to Cafe Bravo, which was hopping! I thought I'd stumbled in during a rush but it never slowed down. I sat there for almost three hours, just people watching. Many Old Town folks consider Cafe Bravo like a second office, and people were having business meetings, signing leases, working with their graphic artists, discussing school fundraisers, having post-yoga lattes, or simply hanging out listening to music (there was a violin/accordion jam session on the outside patio.)

Oh, and a quick Old Town tip: the newfangled, beautiful, brand new City Hall has restrooms. Just in case.

Get Feathered at Sweet Cheeks

Want one of those cute little feather hair extensions we keep seeing all over town? Sweet Cheeks in Temecula (on Overland at Margarita, near Costco, in the same shopping center with Wahoo's and San Diego County's Credit Union) is having a special "feather" event this Saturday (also known as "tomorrow"), May 14, beginning at noon. Call (951) 695-0826 for info and to reserve a spot.

Old Town Temecula Civic Center Fountain

Our new civic center is really something to see. They did a great job. I love the fountains, especially this big, interesting one. The other day, my five year old and I had a "girls' lunch out" at Palumbo's Ristorante in Old Town (4th Street between Mercedes and Front.)

Half the fun of exploring Old Town is wandering somewhat at random....though when my kids are with me, our "random" path always seems to end up at either the Root Beer store or the old fashioned candy shop!

Daily Temecula in Inland Empire Family Magazine

It's on newsstands throughout the IE now. Pick up the May, 2011, issue of Inland Empire Family to read Debbie Lavdas' ("Debbie in the OC") cover article, "Digital Moms," featuring...me!

(I'm on page 42.)

You can also read online (click on the picture of the magazine in the upper right hand corner to read the entire current issue), or click the "Archives" tab to access all past issues.

Yelpin' in Temecula

Are you on Yelp yet?

If not, I highly suggest it. Yelp began as a community-generated site to share reviews of restaurants, but nowadays there are businesses of every stripe available so you can do your homework before you pull out your wallet.

I enjoy both reading and writing Yelp reviews. Feel free to follow me on Yelp and you'll get updates when I post new reviews.

Glen Ivy

It's been decades (literally) since I "took the waters" at Glen Ivy, and I can't believe all that I've been missing.

If you have never been, now's the time, since spring is perfect weather (warm, but not too hot) and their grounds look incredibly lush and colorful.

Did you know Glen Ivy has been around since 1860? Wow! They also have spa locations in Brea and Valencia, but since you're reading DAILY TEMECULA, we'll stay local.

You may want to check out my Yelp review, and also, here are a few of my tips for a day of Glen Ivy fun and relaxation:

* Bring a friend or three. This is definitely a social spa experience
* Bring flip flops. I made the mistake of wearing Ugg boots, so I didn't have anything easy to slip on for lunch and walking from area to area within the grounds
* Bring a hat or visor.
* Bring sunscreen!
* Towels are provided, but if you like a cushier beach size towel, bring your own.
* Definitely eat at the restaurant. They have a very large menu and everything is made fresh to order.
* Wear an old bathing suit because the red mud does stain. Leave jewelry at home because the sulfur will tarnish some metals. (Or you can be like me and LOSE your jewelry for several frantic moments! Though luckily my favorite heart-shaped pendant, which I wear 24/7/365, was saved by a wonderful honest soul and turned in to Lost and Found.)
* Don't feel the need to book a bunch of treatments, especially if you're on a budget. They do offer a full menu of services (massages, facials etc) but there is easily a day's worth of relaxation to be had from the myriad pools and Club Mud included with your entry admission.
* Check out regularly-updated specials, sign up for their email list and Facebook page for additional deals, and plan your visit for weekdays if you want to pay a lower entry cost. They also offer discounts for seniors and Corona residents. Oh, and it's FREE on your birthday:-)

Glen Ivy Hot Springs
25000 Glen Ivy Road
Corona, CA 92883
1-888-GLENIVY
www.glenivy.com