Does your city have an “Old Town”? What’s it like?

You may have heard of Old Town San Diego, a well known historic district in Southern California. It’s made up of museums and historic buildings such as preserved adobe homes, an old schoolhouse, a historic blacksmith shop, San Diego’s first Newspaper office, and a super creepy old mansion called the Whaley house.

I was taken to the Whaley house in 4th grade on a school field trip, and the problem with the Whaley house is that it has a reputation for being haunted. At the beginning of the tour they tell you all about the evil criminals which were tried in the house’s courtroom, and hung outside as a result of a guilty verdict. They also tell you about two of the Whaley children who died in the home due to disease and an accident in the backyard. They tell you all about the haunting and ghosts that have been seen, photographed, smelt, and felt in the house and then they send you… in my case an 8 year old… off to explore the house and take pictures.

FREAKED… ME… OUT!!! For days! And nights. Yep… it was mostly the many nights after that, when I was especially FREAKED OUT!!!

Old Town San Diego has some GREAT Mexican Food and there are always neat artisan booths and shops to explore, but for Family Fun we prefer an Old Town that you’ve probably never heard of, located about 60 miles north east of San Diego, in the city of Temecula.

As a young child living in San Diego, my family and I would take trips to the city of Ontario, about a two hours drive north, nearly every other weekend to visit my Grandparents and everyone else on my dad’s side of the family. On most trips we would make a stop half way in the little horse town of Temecula to take a bathroom break and eat pizza at Scarcella’s, feed ducks in the duck pond, or grab soft serve ice cream cones from the Corner Deli in Old Town.

The city of Temecula has boomed from a population of a few thousand residents in the 1980’s, to a population now of over 90,000. Thankfully amidst all the growth, the residents, businesses, and city officials have embraced the history still preserved in Old Town, and have maintained much of the authentic look and feel of the Wild West.

Old Town Temecula today has retained a collection of buildings, still in use, which go as far back as 1890, when the small town was built up by wealthy cattle ranchers. Prior to 1890 Temecula was one stop on a Southern California stage coach route, and before that, it was settled by Spanish ranchers who received California land grants as a result of the Mexican American War. Perhaps the oldest group of citizens native to the area however, are the local tribe of Pechanga Indians. Their tribe claims to have been present in the area for more than 10,000 years and their mythology teaches that life on earth began in the Temecula Valley, which was named “Exva Temeeku” meaning the union place of Sky Father and Earth Mother.

Indians, cowboys, stage coaches, and the Old West… COOL!

I mean come on! You can’t get a more authentic Old West feel, than in a town where the street (first paved in 1915) is lined with a wood planked boardwalk, and a pile of fresh road apples.

AU-THEN-TIC!

Did I mention you need to watch your step?

Each year Old Town Temecula is host to several festivals that draw crowds from San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, and other neighboring cities. Some of our family favorites include the Rod Run, Bluegrass Festival, Hot Summer Nights Concert Series, Old Western Days complete with Bank Robbery re-enactment, and the Street Painting Festival shown above.

Along with the festivals, weekend farmer’s markets, and amidst the town’s old west charm, there are several great places for families to eat, shop, learn, and play.

Sugar Babies is a Children’s Boutique that always has items I go “ga-ga” over. Their selection of handpicked items include children and babies clothing, shoes, hats, socks, blankets, plush animals, specialty wood toys, puzzles, and more.

One of my favorite items at Sugar Babies is this Tootles Crayon Holder Apron for the little female artist. They also carry fabulous handmade tu-tus and embellished onesies.

The Old Town Sweet Shop carries all the great nostalgic candy you will remember from childhood. The owners say the most popular phrase you will hear from happy customers is “remember these?”

Some of our family’s favorite treats from the Old Town Sweet Shop are samples of their “Fresh Made” Fudge, the retro candy, the wide assortment of Jelly Bellies, and their ice cream cones.

My kids will not accept a trip to Old Town Temecula  without a stop at the Sweet Shop.

The Temecula Fruit Market is the perfect place for those fresh picked cravings. With an assortment of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and honey from local growers it’s tough to walk out, without something tucked into a brown paper sack for later.

Temecula’s first Bank, built in 1914, has been preserved and turned into a restaurant with great Mexican Food, now simply known as, The Bank. If you make a reservation you can actually request seating for your family inside the original bank vault.

The best family BBQ restaurant on the planet… in my humble opinion… can be found at Sweet Lumpy’s BBQ. My kids love eating the peanuts and getting to throw the shells right on the floor. And the BBQ sauce is sweet and delicious… even my picky toddler loves it. I highly recommend the Pulled Pork Sandwich or Ribs. Yum! Yum!

For a fantastic Hamburger, a delicious Vanilla Coke with the most perfect tiny balls of ice (I’m weird) and an an outdoor seat with a view of everything happening on the street, we love eating at Mad Madeline’s Grill.

And, when visiting Old Town with kids, you can’t miss out on Professor Pennypickles Children’s Museum and Gift Shop. It’s stepping out of the Old West and into a playful lab of children’s experimentation with all kinds of fun exhibits and activities. We could spend half the day in here alone!

My kids LOVE this place!

Old Town is also home to the Temecula Museum where you can find out more about the stories behind the buildings that still remain, and the exciting details of generations of cowboys and Indians who have called Temecula, “Home.”

Also, a nifty little detail easily missed is this authentic jail cell tucked back in between some shops. You’ll probably have to ask somebody to point you towards it because it’s easily missed if you don’t know where to look. I wont tell you what’s inside… you’ll have to find that out for yourselves.

And Mommies… after a day of treats and entertainment for the kids, don’t miss out on something for yourself from the Cafe Bravo Coffee House. They provide amazing home baked goodness, fantastic in house roasted coffee, and a charming and relaxing atmosphere.

On a hot summer day, one of my personal favorites, is their Ice Shivered Caramello topped with homemade whipped cream.

And one more great place for Mom is the The Spice Merchants which is the cutest little gourmet store that carries a selection of over 300 spices & blends, as well 65 loose-leaf teas. I can always find great gifts here, especially for those hard to buy for people who seem to already have “everything.” The Spice Merchants staff are great at helping to assemble gift ensembles of complimentary spices and cooking accessories. I’ll admit, it’s tough to walk out without a little something for myself too.

So… we’ve been meandering through Old Town, shopping, eating, and enjoying the summer sun in the wild west.

What has your family been doing?

Link Up, and tell us all about it!

This post linked to: Summer’s Simple Things

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