My wife and I recently decided a great way to spend a holiday Saturday with our son, his wife, and…read moretheir daughter, would be to spend some time on Lake San Marcos - and what better way to do that then a gondola? After some quick research on Yelp, we made our reservations (VERY easy to do) and met everyone on said Saturday at the Black Swan dock. (side note - they want you there 20 minutes early...this does NOT mean you can check in 20 minutes early...chances are very high that the person checking you in is your gondolier, and he/she will be on the water at that moment). We had Conner (VERY traditional Italian name....cough) - and he was awesome. He shared some great details as we made our way along the shoreline, including some of the local nicknames for the houses on the water. He was VERY knowledgeable about when the lake was created, the various depths, and gave us tips on when to avoid being on the water (July 4th was high on that). We brought along our own drinks and snacks, and thoroughly enjoyed our ride. Highly recommended!

What a great experience. Drew was very good. I highly recommend this service. We did the sunset…read morecruise, and was fun for everyone. Thanks again Drew!

We were a group of three that booked the Pala Chief mine for January 11th. It was a long trip from…read moreSan Jose, but it was so worth it; we found so many tourmalines! The drive up to the Pala Chief dig site was not too difficult. Our tesla with a low suspension could do it. The tutorial from the staff was quick, and the 4 hour dig time was definitely enough. By the end it got really hot; so definitely bring a hat and a lot of water. It had rained a couple days before, so we found a bunch of tourmalines on the surface. My best find was a 50 gram blue cap pink tourmaline that I found near the top of the mountain. Found a bunch of pinks, some greens, some blue ones, and a bunch of large quartz pieces.

My friend and I went for a birthday celebration. It was just the two of us. On March 14, it was a…read morefine spring day. Perfect to be on a mountain top in the sunshine sifting through rocks and hunting for gems. The Oceanview mine works in finding a number of different quartz, Tourmoline, and other gems. Take a look at their website. For $75 for an adult, you get all the equipment that you need to sift through rock and gravel piles which they set out for you. There are a big tables, the two grades of sorters, a bucket, trowel, and toothbrush to clean off rocks. Also a big tray of water to rinse your rocks in and clean them off. There were igneous rocks with black tourmaline and tiny pieces of garnet. It was a lot of fun. You have to get there promptly at the opening time in order to get situated and the digging/sorting/sifting begins sharp at 10 AM. You have three hours and 45 minutes to go through all the rocks that you want. Bring your own gloves! They also have shaded umbrellas, and 5 gallon buckets to purchase that you can load up with rocks to sift through on your own at home. While it was a fun adventure, and I've never been to a quarry mine that you could actually look for your own gems, the staff did leave a little to training, although they were very good about going around and assisting you. However, I think if you really want to find something, you need to educate yourself ahead of time as to what you are looking for and what is available. Five minute presentation to 50 people wouldn't you can't even really look at the rocks and no handout or guide sheet for reference was a drawback. They don't take credit cards for the entrance. You have to pay cash. Children are a lower price. But they do take credit cards for memorabilia, gemstones that they have turned into jewelry and other items. And also for the rentals. I thought the purchasing of a 5 gallon bucket for $10 was too much. They don't make it clear that if you want to take home a 5 gallon bucket of extra stones to sort through then you can bring your own. I thought for the price of $75 a 5 gallon bucket would be included. They are not. There are picnic tables in the shade where you can have your own lunch, there is a grill you can use if you want to utilize that. Bring all of your own beverages, water, and snacks and meal. There is a short tour that you can take of the areas that they mine on this mountain. You load up on a four wheel vehicle that holds six people and spin around the mountainside, stopping at the entrance of three of the mine shafts. This is only about a 5 to 7 minute tour. They don't allow you to stop get out and take pictures in front of the mine openings. This was certainly a drawback. They could've extended the "tour" to let you get out and take pictures in front of the mine shafts. Perhaps it is a liability issue I don't know. I would not do this for a second time since I've already done it, without further educating myself about gem hunting and what exactly I was looking for. But for a one time adventure, it was fun and we had a beautiful spring day. Don't forget your sunblock and sunglasses and hat!

Fantastic adventure! Always wanted to do this a Grape Escape did not disappoint! Our pilot was…read morefunny and full of information. Always willing to snap a photo for his guests!

Overall a fun time and we felt safe. I was disappointed that people checked in late and we had to…read morewait to confirm no shows. Also that we had to listen to a spiel about the $250 video package. All this took time and I hate waiting around. Once we got on the shuttle things progressed in a timely fashion, except we had to return to the starting point for our champagne toast. Would have been fun to do in the field. There was more time on the ground than in the balloon. Also noticed that other companies started earlier and were going much higher and lower than we were. The drone following us taking video was extremely annoying. Not the adventure I had hoped for, but enjoyable do do one time.

This was the first Wine Tour I've ever been on, and it was such a memorable and fun experience…read more Grapeline provided us with transportation to and from the three different wineries we went to, provided a great lunch for us, and excellent service and vibes. Amanda and Dave (firefighter Dave!) were our tour guides for the experience, and both were incredible. They arrived on time and provided us with great commentary about the history of the wineries we were going to as we were driving up to them. They then dropped us off with the winery staff, who were amazing at all three wineries we went to. Overall, Amanda and Dave made it a great experience for me and the party I was with. We were celebrating our friend's birthday on this tour, and they made her feel special, which made it a great memory on this trip!

I was recommended the Grapeline Wine Tour from the Front Desk agent that checked me in at the…read moreEmbassy Suites. I can confirm I really enjoyed the tour! The individuals that were on the tour with me made it even more fun. Our tour guide and driver, Tony, was very knowledgable about the area, its history, and wine making. They texted me the night before and the day of the tour reminding about the pick date & time. I really appreciated that they offer transportation. Tony picked me up from the hotel, along with other individuals of the tour, and he also dropped us off at the end of the tour. The drive was really fun because Tony let us take over the aux. He's also very knowledgable about the area, so we learned a lot about Temecula's history and other wineries during the drive. At the end of the tour, Tony even gave us dinner recommendations based on our preferences. Thank you Tony! We visited three different wineries: Wilson Creek Winery, Cougar Vineyard & Winery, and Fazeli Cellars Winery. My favorite winery from the three was Wilson Creek Winery. We tasted 6 wines at Wilson Creek, 5 wines at Cougar, and 6 wines at Fazeli! We had a guided tour by "Motor City Mike" at Wilson Creek. He is an incredible teacher. He gave us a tour around the winery, educated us about viniculture and corks, and taught us about the Wilson's history. They also acknowledged my birthday by giving me a necklace with a cork on it. Such a sweet gesture. We did not have a guided tour at the other two wineries. Lunch was included. While booking on their website, you get to choose which sandwich you'd like. We ate lunch at the Cougar Vineyard & Winery. I chose the roast beef sandwich, and it comes with a side of salad and a brownie. The winery is absolutely beautiful and the views are breathtaking. The best part is that they're pet-friendly! They even have adoption opportunities, and you can meet the puppies! I completely forgot the names of the wine I tasted, but I thought the wine was okay. Our last stop was at Fazeli Cellars Winery. The structure and outdoor area is very nice. Service is very courteous, attentive, and knowledgable. I thought it was unique because their wine contains interesting ingredients, especially the sweet wines. A friend I met on the tour ordered a flat bread, and we shared it. The flat bread was delicious and paired well with the wine. Highly recommend Grapeline Wine Tours! This was an unforgettable birthday experience. My only critique is that I prefer a guided tour at each winery because I'd like to learn more about its history, their own wine, and their own techniques in wine making.

I've lived here my entire life and have never been whale watching but have always wanted to,…read morehowever it's just not an experience I'd typically consider splashing out on for myself (**spoiler alert - my visit was less than two weeks ago and immediately after disembarking I told my husband I wanted to get on another tour stat!) For Christmas, my husband's aunt gifted tickets to our entire extended family to enjoy a whale watching tour together so we finally landed on a date and it was an awesome experience from start to finish. We arrived about 15 minutes early for our 9:30am boarding time, checked in at the kiosk and were given paper tickets to be handed over to the crew as we came aboard. Once onboard, we were introduced over the speaker to the captain and crew and given a quick rundown of the itinerary and safety procedures. We navigated through the harbor where we spotted our local sea lion neighbors basking in the sun which especially delighted the kids and the out-of-town/state passengers, sailed out of the harbor and into the open sea. It was a pleasantly calm morning with hardly any wind and very smooth sailing. The only slight downside was that it was a particularly gray morning, so there was little distinction between the color of the ocean versus the sky but it was very clear and we could see for a long distance. We got probably close to halfway through our two-hour tour without any sightings but once we were about 5 miles off the coast, we started hearing transmissions between the crew over their walkies so we knew to start keeping our eyes peeled. The next half hour or so was spent watching three beautiful fin whales take turns coming up for air, swimming under the boat, rolling playfully and showing their light-colored bellies. It was so fun to be able to move about the boat freely to try to get the best view, some photos and videos, while being filled in by the crew on interesting marine facts. Finally the whales took their deep dives, at which point we were informed they wouldn't be coming back up for air for a while and it was about time to head back. The cruise back was equally smooth as the adventure out, and we got in right on time and prepared to disembark but not before getting coupons for a future expedition and adorable fin whale stickers to commemorate our tour. I can't WAIT to go on another whale watching tour with Oceanside Adventures - it was the best time!! I would 100000% recommend.

What a great day for whale watching!…read more The crew is amazing! Ivy, Tekon, Saxon, Chris. Hope I got all the spelling right! I've been on this boat and it's not always a guarantee as nature is nature but today was perfect. Calm seas, thousands...yes thousands of dolphin and a dozen whales. Mostly humpback but we saw two finback as well. So rad. Can't wait until next time!

This was such a fun tour I wish it could've been longer! The bus is so cute and the decor is…read morepicture-worthy. A beautiful day in Temecula is the way to go and Brian is super positive and communicative. He's a safe driver and guided the whole day with poise. You get six tastings at each winery, which is actually kind of a lot. You feel it by the second stop! As expected, once we got to the third and final winery (Bella Vista) we didn't finish much. Part of that was due to the service being rather slow and not very attentive at the bar tasting. We spent most of our time socializing though so it didn't take much away from the day. However, maybe a recommendation could be to keep the tour to two wineries with more time at each, which may also allow for some additional drive time to really enjoy the atmosphere of the bus. The five hours flew by! And there's something to be said about high energy with music and dancing on the bus after a few tastings LOL. Either way we still had a great experience. Would love to do this tour again another day! To me, it was worth it.

We booked Brian with Vine van tours for our friend's 40th birthday in Temecula. We were 13 girls…read moreand could not have been happier with this choice! It was the perfect way to celebrate! Brian picked us up at our hotel, took us to three fabulous wineries where tastings and bubbly welcomes were included, provided us with a delicious sandwich lunch with a view (our fav was the BLT!), and finished the tour at the most stunning, high-elevation, outdoor wine bar before we were dropped back off at our hotel. The pours at each of these wineries were so heavy that we were not even able to finish entire flights! We felt like we had our own personal chaperone, private driver, sommelier, and photographer with us the entire time! I truly appreciated the extra care and attention when Brian would count heads in the bus before leaving each location. Best of all, it was all incredibly affordable! When you figure the cost of rides between vineyards, lunch, and three separate tastings, this is definitely the way to go! Highly highly recommend! We will be doing this again!

TJ was great We really enjoyed our time and the horses had great personalities. Each one was…read moreunique and all loved the attention we gave them. Fun experience.

This last minute girls day activity was such a great choice. We called the morning of the tour and…read morewere fit in for a trail ride by 2pm. We didn't ask for any sort of private tour but that's how it worked out for us. As a horseback tour guide myself, I love a real horsewoman like TJ . She got us all sorted and matched to our horses just as I would've myself and kept the riding tips short, sweet, and funny for my intermediate-experienced friends. (Horse girls are sometimes framed as overbearing and have a tendency to pack an attitude) - but not these instructors. Our guide was Jeff, a real cowboy this guy. Jeff was top tier entertainment and we thank him for taking all the girly photo requests! The horses were all beautiful, loved, and responded so well to our experience levels. This was my first time ever paying for a horseback riding tour and I think I was very lucky to have ended up at Saddle Up with Tj & Jeff. Thank you guys so much and we will be back! *photo below of jeff's photo skills & the beefy cute mustang they paired me with

Ambiance: laid back, inviting, nature, comforting Service:…read moreImpeccable Wine: outstanding Cannot wait to come back!

Another wonderful visit to Fallbrook Winery this past weekend. This winery offers seating on an…read moreoutdoor patio and deck with beautiful views, or cozy tastings in the main tasting room, as well as deeper into the "cave" which has bar height tables. They don't sell food, but they often have pop-up vendors visiting, or you're welcome to bring your own munchies. Autumn, the Tasting Room Manager, is usually pouring their wines which are well made, balanced, and offer something for everyone. Their tasting menu always offers choices of slightly dryer, acidic white wines, or medium and full bodies reds. We were wine club members for a couple years and love the benefits of free tastings and 20% off their already reasonable bottle prices. They're also very flexible with the requirements of the club shipments, allowing you to skip as necessary. I highly recommend you visit this winery and experience their wines and hospitality for yourselves. TIP: You can reach out to them and set up a tasting in the back of the "cave's" private room, which will probably accommodate a group of 15-20 friends.

This is a bit of an overdue review, but I had such an amazing time horseback riding! I hadn't…read moreridden since I was about 5 years old, so I was definitely a little nervous going into it. I'm not sure it's exactly like riding a bike--but Karen made me feel completely at ease from the start. Kiwi, my horse, was incredibly patient and gentle with me. I swear she knew I needed a little extra TLC! It made the whole experience so enjoyable and stress-free. I even got to do a tiny bit of trotting, which was such a fun bonus. Overall, it was such a great experience, and I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone looking to try horseback riding or get back into it!

Great horses, great guides. It is always a pleasure to do a…read morehorseback ride at Suzie Q Ranch. Lovely afternoon today January 19th of 2026. Will be back! I think this ranch is the best of the area. Thank you Suzie!

The tour was so much more than we expected. We are locals and didn't think there was anything new…read morewe could learn about our town but we were totally wrong. We experienced a new restaurant as well as learned so much history about the places we went to. We also made new friends with some of the other people taking the same tour which is always a benefit! Definitely recommend!

Palm Springs Old and new!…read more The MAGIC CART RIDE is such a fun activity for tourists and locals alike. I'm a long-time local, but I still have so much to see and learn. I work with many tourists who ask me about great activities and this is the top on my list. Donnie and Kathy (the tour guides) are so much fun- taking us through the history of Palm Springs, while pointing out the newer details about the area. History, culture, art, food, what more can we ask for? They kept us hydrated and filled with beverages, water, food and even a nifty gift bag. This tour is small and intimate, with only 6 guests, so everyone has a chance to ask questions and absorb! The tour includes several stops featuring cocktails, mocktails and food while you enjoy the experience. Some of our stops included several popular and my personal choices, Eight Four Nine and Crudo. We were treated to Crudo's pistachio lime cocktail - perfect beverage to feel relaxation at its finest! These may be on your tour, or there will be other wonderful places. Best to even take the tour again, in case you missed something! I don't want to give much more away so just trust me and make your reservation now. It's truly memorable and magical!