Temecula Valley: Day 1

When I'm hitting the road twice within seven days, I often check the weather to see which MINI I'll take. One last check of the 10-day forecast confirmed it will be cool and dreary for now, and then sunny and glorious early next week. Artoria gets the nod for this trip.

Ara ara, is that an umbrella? There's a 50/50 chance I'll drive home in the rain so I packed it plus a windbreaker to be safe.

I arrived just after one o'clock at my favorite lunch time haunt. I finally got a good picture of the parking lot view of the place, as well as a parking spot.

I ordered the usual blackened chicken sandwich with fries and an 805 beer, then hung out for an hour to savor my meal and watch a mock draft on NFL Live on the big screen. When Mel Kiper talks, I hit the mute button and so did the establishment.

My next stop was the Starbucks Cafe for a coffee, cookies and reading material. Conde Nast Traveler is one of my favorites, and I've added John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath to my unread book pile. I've read it before, but not within the past two decades.

I also stopped at Total Wine for the necessary provisions. One cannot sustain themself on water and wine.

Once I settled into my suite, I took a picture to remind myself why I'll never live here while I'm working. Imagine having a two hour or longer commute each way to work. That's what a lot of those people on the 15 endure.

I started writing the final chapter of my novel, and then took a break to grab dinner. In a pleasant surprise, Rosa's observes Taco Tuesday. I saved nearly $4 off the combo's regular price. When I added the Del Inferno sauce to the tacos and grabbed a free oatmeal cookie at the front desk, this wound up being a very satisfying and inexpensive meal.

And now I must stream the Padres game and put a bow on this novel...