"T" is for Timeout and Temecula

This weekend was a true testament to the importance of taking time out for yourself, enjoying the ones you love and the simple things in life. My one and only, Yusuf, and I headed out Saturday morning at about 4am to grab a cup of Joe and to hit the road to southern California's wine country, Temecula.

With only about an hour's drive away, we hit Temecula at about 5:15am, awaiting sunrise and our hot air balloon launch. We were greeted at Monte De Oro Winery with a light fare and the most important item of all, Mimosas! :) The air was crisp and the sunrise soon bestowed its beauty upon us. We set off to the launch site with the wind heading slightly due north west. With a little hot air, the balloon hovered above the ground and then lifted us high into the sky. At a maximum height of over 4,000 feet, the air was so still and calm and we just floated across the sky, enjoying panoramic views of Lake Skinner and the marine layer sitting over the ocean.  I highly recommend this tour of the city - we did our tour through Sunrise Balloons and a LivingSocial deal, which got us a photo shoot and all the hors d'oeuvres (http://www.sunriseballoons.com).

Next Stop: The Gambling Cowboy. In line with a ton of cute little towny restaurants and antique shops, we landed here by personal recommendation. And let me tell ya, they had the best steak ever! And I am not a big steak eater, either. Yusuf got the country fried steak and I got the breakfast steak burrito. They almost had to roll us out of that place because we ate so much. We then pressed on to our hotel, South Coast Winery Resort and Spa, for a little wine tasting and relaxation. We stayed in a little villa that sat right in the middle of the vineyards -- Amazingly beautiful!

This was just overall a really great weekend for quality time together and to enjoy the stillness of life. We ended it with a stunning sunset in La Jolla. What could be better than that?