With a downtown that has now developed into stereotypical suburban lore, Temecula has lost most of its classic charm. However, there are still vineyards and farms on the outskirts of town that retain the glory days of Temecula, when orange groves let off peaceful wafts of citrus scents and dirtbike fumes clouded the California air. That was classic Southern California; not the sprawling suburbs and overcrowding started in the 90’s that you see today.

We have a tradition in my family to gather every October at my cousins’ large plot of acreage just outside of Temecula. Their family always stayed true to the original intent of Temecula by living miles outside of downtown and out by the vineyards. Their current property is more of a family farm or compound, complete with goats, chickens, and a house for each member of the family. It’s country living at its finest. The land backs up to national forest, but besides the privacy, view, and hiking that it offers it’s largely irrelevant, because they have enough acreage on their land alone to get into all sorts of shenanigans.

So, let the pictures momentarily take you back to another era. An era preserved by California natives and purists.