After our escapades in Newport Beach, my husband Ryan and I started to think about what would be fun for our next “Marble Saturday.” After thinking about possibilities, we decided to head back to where I grew up in Temecula and venture into Old Town. When Ryan and I lived closer to Temecula we used to go down to the Farmers Market on Saturdays and shop and enjoy a coffee at Havana Kitchen. So, to relive some memories and start new ones with our son, Donovan, we decided to recreate our old routine. The day was planned for us to meet my parents and my younger sister, Morgan in Old Town to enjoy the day together!!
Growing up in Temecula, Old Town has always been a place for my family and I to have fun, unwind and take a step back in time. The reason that this town brings so much nostalgia to me is because my Dad and I are HUGE history buffs and Old Town is full of history. Just walking down Old Town Front Street you are immediately brought back to the historic golden west of the 1880’s. All of the buildings are modeled after the western-era and perfect for photo taking; they also make a nice backdrop to take a simple stroll through the town. Since growing up, Old Town has changed a lot! They have added many restaurants and shops that truly renew the area while still appreciating the intimate western architecture and history that the town brings. I was also told that Old Town has an AMAZING nightlife with the new live music bars and unique outdoor venues that open in the evening.
We decided to start our day at the Old Town Farmers Market, which is located on the corner of Sixth and Front Street. What I love about our Farmers Market is that everything is so fresh and everyone is so friendly. As you can see in my photos, there are many vendors and a lot of things to look at and shop for. My personal favorite is the hummus and the jelly. We actually bought the raspberry jelly there from one of the vendors and ate it as an appetizer with cream cheese on super bowl Sunday! DELICIOUS!
From there, we went to my favorite coffee place in town (maybe even on this earth!) Havana Kitchen! I will be writing a review about this restaurant because I need time to explain how mind-blowing this intimate coffee shop is. We found it years ago with my parents, when it used to be smaller and not many people knew about it but NOW, this place is hopping! There was almost a line out the door!! More delicious details coming soon! After we ALL enjoyed our Cortadito Espressos we headed back to Front Street to take photos and enjoy the town.
While we were strolling through the town, we meandered into an elegant shop called Au Savon De Provence. This shop specializes in soaps, specifically “Le Savon de Marseille” (The Soap of Marseille). We met the owners who are from the South of France and decided to bring this soap treasure to the U.S. in Temecula, California! I am most definitely going to be featuring this shop because not only did I snap many wonderful photos here, I also purchased a bag of their product and have already used those babies in a bubble bath! I have been using what they call the “Queen Soap,” which is the same kind of soap that a VERY famous Queen in history bathed in every single day. Stay tuned for my review on Au Savon De Provence!
After that, we headed over to one of my all-time Old Town Temecula favorites, The Temecula Olive Oil Company. Now, if you grew up with us, you would have had Temecula Olive Oil on all your salads because my Mother is a huge fan; while we were there, bought 4 more bottles for her collection! If you have never tasted anything created by the Temecula Olive Oil Company, then you MUST head down to Temecula and have a tasting with your friends. Temecula Olive Oil Company are not only sellers, they are also growers! It is a family-owned and operated business and an Old Town Temecula staple.
Lastly, we all got really hungry for lunch and decided to head over to The Goat and Vine, which is a quaint intimate restaurant located on fifth street in Old Town. I will be writing a restaurant review on this restaurant as well, as not only was the food mouthwatering, the service was amazing and atmosphere comfortable yet chic. I cannot wait to share more soon.
We had a little bit of extra time, so we went to Vail Ranch. Vail Ranch is a new location that has a LOT of history in Temecula. This piece of land is currently in the process of being restored and currently has many shops, an ice cream parlor, pizza restaurant and coming soon, the Temecula Brewing Company. We look forward to going back, once everything is finished!!
Overall, it was such an amazing day, filled with many new memories of Donovan, my parents and my sister. I look forward to many more “Marble Saturdays” spent in Temecula. If you know of any places or have any ideas for us in regard to how we should spend up and coming Saturdays, please comment below or email! Would love to go and write a feature!
My husband also captured the day and featured it on his YouTube channel. Check it out below:
“Be proud of your hometown. It’s a big part of what makes you the person you are.” – Unknown
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