Temecula: Day 1

 
You know it's going to be an interesting day when you can't decide if you're grateful you booked a two night stay at an out of town hotel or lucky that you have a place to evacuate to if shit goes sideways. That was the view from my front porch roughly two and a half hours before I departed for wine country.

Luckily, the fire was stopped at about 15 acres.

With my fancy luggage and bags you'd think I'd book a luxury room at a five star hotel, but nooooo! 

I literally wanted a crash pad and I got one. Out of view are a seating area and a bathroom. It's only 400 square feet but it's all I really need for a two night stay. They're throwing in breakfast so I can't complain unless the food sucks.

As if the fire didn't get my mini vacation off to an auspicious start, I soon discovered that the sports bar I wanted to eat a wagyu beef cheeseburger at is only open Thursday through Sunday. Ara ara!

I improvised and dined at a Wahoo's Fish Taco restaurant on the other side of town. This chain is legendary in LA-LA-Land but nonexistent in San Diego, so I decided to become adventurous. Is it better than our famous Rubio's Baja Grill? Well...

I'm going with a yes, and that's because I really love how Wahoo's has health conscious items on the menu. The fish tacos are grilled, not fried. The "rice" is made from cauliflower, and black beans were available as a side dish. I also opted for citrus slaw instead of cabbage on the tacos, and this meal was delightful. I washed it down with a can of blackberry bubbly to further keep the calories down.

It's just past seven, but as far as I'm concerned I'm "home" for the day. I've got novel prep to work on, a couple of magazines to read, and I ended up bringing Wuthering Heights with me after all.

More to come tomorrow...