A couple of klicks east of Interstate 15 between inland Los Angeles and San Diego, the busy traffic and modern strip malls fall away to rolling vineyards and orchards and long views to the surrounding mountains. This is Temecula Valley, roughly 30 square miles of the southernmost edge of the Inland Empire and Southern California’s preeminent wine country.
While the region gets plenty of play for its whites and reds, my family and I skipped the tasting rooms and winery tours in favor of a recent getaway full of outdoor activities and a few culinary indulgences — all of it with our two dogs in tow.