The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Temecula - Where The Sun Breaks Through The Mist

November 4th to November 10th

Ride Director: Richard Reinecke
Ride Co-Director: Marianne Reinecke
Report by: Frank Otto

We selected this ride because it was a horse ride away from my wife's old stomping grounds, it was in wine country, it featured  warm weather in November  and lastly,  it was a  fixed base ride within walking distance of old town, Temecula, featuring many superb eateries. It was a “No Brainer”.

Our exceptional hosts and leaders, Rich and Marianne Reinecke, provided participants with a goody bag, commentary on the area  and social hours which featured a different wine each evening. They informed us that “Temecula” means Where the Sun Breaks through the Mist. They provided us with excellent cue sheets which included descriptions of the rides and whetted our appetite for both the ride and the notable landmarks along the way.

Day One wound us through wine country classic climbs, beautiful vineyards, ranch estates, multiple wineries, Historic Old Town Temecula and the Santa Gertrudis Creek trail (rail trail).

The next day we followed historic highway 395, formerly a major North-South thoroughfare connecting San Diego with the Inland Empire of California. We meandered on a two lane windy rural road though the quaint rural community of Rainbow
heading South under a canopy of California Oak trees bordered by chaparral and sweet smelling sage. We had to climb as we headed home on traffic free Ranger Road before passing through Rainbow again and descending into Temecula where we enjoyed tamales and coffee at Vail ranch.

Day Three was another day and yet another direction, heading West towards the
Pacific. We climbed into the mist and over the coastal range. As the sun emerged from the clouds, we were rewarded with a descent through bucolic citrus orchards and majestic oaks. We pedaled the last seven miles on the San Luis River Trail before arriving at the beach. Transport was provided home after a stop at a brewery in Oceanside.

On Thursday we pointed our wheeled steeds to the North, climbing through the neighborhoods surrounding Temecula and Murrieta Hot Springs. We enjoyed seeing the Santa Rosa Plateau to the West, and just as our energy levels were dropping and our stomachs were growling, we all reconvened at a swanky coffee bar, refueling so
we could finish the ride home.

The last day we headed up to the Santa Rosa Plateau, the ridge we
spotted on the previous day's ride. The 1000 foot climb led us
through the reserve and surrounding ranches, We arrived at our leaders'
beautiful hacienda where we enjoyed fellowship and lunch. On the
return trip we looped around the plateau, enjoying views of the Temecula
Valley below and our some of our previous routes. We screamed downhill, retracing some of our climbs, passing through Murrieta before returning to our hotel in Temecula, wrapping up a wonderful week in the Temecula Valley and surrounding environs.

As Rosemary and I have returned to Spokane with fog and temperatures
in the 20's and 30's, the Temecula Ride seems even better for its
warm weather and sunny days, which are hard to come by in many places
in November. If you looking for a ride in wine country with sun, warm
weather and vineyards, this ride is for you.