Drew was such an amazing guide! He let us take our wedding photos on one of these beautiful…read moregondolas and his energy made us so happy. Lake San Marcos is stunning and we had the best experience from the view of our gondola! Will definitely be back and absolutely recommend

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!

we had the BEST time at oceanview mine!! truly such a fun and unique experience. we came in not…read moreknowing what to expect and ended up striking out big time. we found so much quartz, beautiful watermelon tourmaline, and a bunch of stunning crystals we honestly forgot the names of (there were sooo many). but honestly, what made the whole experience even better was Nate. he got right in there with us, hands dirty, fully invested in making sure our experience was a good one and you could feel how passionate he is about what he does. that kind of energy is rare and it made the hot day so much more memorable. we already want to come back and do a chief dig! the whole experience felt like a mix between treasure hunting and being a kid again we were fully in it for hours. highly recommend this to anyone looking for something different to do. we'll 100% be back!

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!

We had an amazing time today on our balloon ride. Matt was a great pilot. I highly recommend doing…read morethis bucket list ride. It's very peaceful. Watching the sunrise from the air was spectacular.

My boyfriend and I came to do a hot air balloon ride for the first time for my birthday!…read more The employees really had everything down to a science and I felt confident that they were experienced and knew what they were doing. It was SO early, and it really was good I had a jacket before we got into the balloon because it was chilly, but it is warm up in the air and in the balloon! Watching the set up and tear down ended up feeling like a part of the experience. The ride itself was amazing. It was unreal and so pretty!!! Our pilot had so much fun knowledge of the area and kept everyone engaged and entertained. At the end, they provided a champagne toast and certificates which was such a nice touch. I am definitely glad we went with this company and highly recommend them to anyone else interested in checking out a hot air balloon ride!

What a wonderful experience! We were in town for 1 day and knew we had to do something like this…read more Our tour was 3 vineyards with lunch provided. We were also picked up at our hotel and were the first ones, so we had a great time getting to know Mike (the Wandering Wino) while we made the drive to get the others. Mike really did make this a great experience for all of us, what a host! Our tour was on Thursday, which we learned was significantly less busy than the weekends. We were picked up around 10am and got back to our hotel close to 4pm and it was an absolutely wonderful day! We were a group of 6 and became fast friends. We had something like 6 tastings at each place, and a discount on what you buy. We ended up leaving with a total of 2 bottles of wine and some marinara sauce. Mike was a blast, each winery was amazing, and our lunch was super tasty! They do this tour in different areas of California and I would love to check those out.

We've been going down to Temecula for at least 8 years, even got married there last year at South…read moreCoast Winery last year in 2025! But in all that time had never done a guided winery tour, so when we decided to do one on our one year anniversary, we were recommended Grapeline and we were not disappointed! From the very beginning the person that helped us with our reservation, was helpful, supportive, and flexible, they even picked us up at our winery! Which obviously was a huge plus including dropping us off after the tour! But I have to tell you, our tour guide Liz made the day of wine tasting at 3 different wineries fun, exciting and informative. She was high energy from the minute we stepped on the tour van! (Killer playlist!) And her recommendations for the different wines at each winery were spot on! She has connections at all the wineries too, and we even got an upgrade for a tractor tour that was not part of our original tour at one of the wineries. We toured the vineyards while tasting our wines, and even went to see how the wine was made and fermented. Like I said, I have never done a guided tour but we could not have been more pleased. Bill our driver was always helpful and offering complimentary water at every stop. (stay hydrated)! Bottom line, if going to do a wine tour in Temecula you have to go with Grapeline! Full-stop no notes Thanks Guys! Dan & Jim

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 the Vine Van Tours for my best friend's bachelorette party this last weekend after I…read morestumbled on them on Instagram. From the second I reached out to Brian I knew this was the perfect choice for our group of 8. I love supporting a small business when I can and you can see how much pride and love Brian puts into this business. The bus was so great and great condition. IT was a HOT day and we kept cool and comfortable on our rides between wineries and he had the bus stocked with cold waters and any thing you might need. I also loved that you could safely keep things on the bus when needed. Thank you Brian for taking great care of our group and giving us a great day to remember!

I can't recommend this ranch enough! From the moment I arrived, I felt welcomed and completely at…read morehome. The atmosphere is friendly, supportive, and comfortable, making it a wonderful place to learn and grow. Tj is very knowledgeable, patient, encouraging, and genuinely invested in both the horses and the riders. Every lesson is positive, educational, and tailored to help you improve while building confidence. The horses are well cared for. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced rider, this is a place where you'll feel supported every step of the way. I'm so grateful to have found such an amazing ranch and def highly recommend

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!

what a great place! Went here with friends and turns out, one of the artists whose work is being…read moredisplayed in the winery. lives next door at Lux! We're gonna have lunch next week bc she needs some fun inspiration for her next project maybe, i don't know how much help i'll be but it will be fun for sure! It's very cool here, lots of art to check out and you can do some wine tasting which was super fun. service is amazing and everyone is friendly! we had a great time here,lotta beautiful things the only complaint of anything would be it's soooooooo hot! But other than that great, def recommend.

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!

We highly recommend! The ranch was very well kept, the owners and staff were all friendly and very…read morewelcoming. You can feel the love for the animals and how well they are taken care of. We felt at home, in their home. We can't wait to got back again very soon!

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!

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!