Sunday, 3/20/2022 - Julian & Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
From our departure points, we travel by deluxe motorcoach this morning to Julian – the early 1900s gold-mining town nestled among oak and pine forests in the beautiful Cuyamaca Mountains (elevation 4,200 feet). The entire town is a designated historic district and the boutiques and restaurants are housed in Victorian-style buildings dating back to the 1870s. Enjoy time at leisure for browsing the quaint boutiques and lunch on your own amongst a variety of restaurants. Be sure to try the fresh apple pie and cider that the town is known for. 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. The Park features washes, palm groves, cacti, sweeping vistas and a variety of wildlife – stay alert for a possible glimpse of a roadrunner, golden eagle, kit fox, mule deer or bighorn sheep. Each spring the Park comes alive with a variety of wildflowers and we may be fortunate enough to see some. 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 as we cannot control Mother Nature! This evening we’ll arrive at the Pala Resort Casino, a warm, sophisticated and luxurious hotel nestled into the heart of the Palomar Mountains. This award-winning, AAA Four Diamond resort features a variety of sumptuous restaurants, elegantly designed rooms and non-stop gaming including 2,000 state-of-the-art slot machines, video games, 78 Vegas-style table games, an 8-table poker room and a smoke-free casino.

Monday, 3/21/2022 - Temecula Valley, Journey Home
Enjoy an included breakfast at the resort before we explore the Temecula Valley wine region, featuring almost 40 wineries producing award-winning premium wines made possible by a unique microclimate and great soils. The 1,100-foot elevation here makes for cool summer nights, and cooling breezes during the summer create perfect conditions for growing wine grapes. Learn about the history of wine-making in this region along with included wine tasting and lunch at an award-winning and elegant winery. We’ll then enjoy time at leisure for browsing in Old Town Temecula, the quaint historic district featuring a variety of boutiques and tasting rooms. This afternoon we return to our drop-off points with the memories of our fabulous desert and mountain getaway not soon forgotten.