January 17th, 2012 
Tushar Mathur There are a lot of great benefits to living in a major city like San Diego. We have world-class restaurants, culture, and arts all in our backyard. We can go to the beach in the afternoon for some sun, and then dress up and head downtown for a sophisticated night out. Being a city-dweller is pretty great.
Still, there are times when we just want to get away. It’s not that San Diego isn’t a wonderful place, but rather a break from the norm can refresh our bodies and our spirits. Here are some great escapes that are close to San Diego (within two hours), but far enough away that they’ll make you forget all about your everyday worries.
Palm Springs
Originally gaining popularity as a getaway for medical patients who needed a dry and hot climate, Palm Springs today is popular with tourists from across the country. Weather remains a major reason why visitors love this beautiful oasis, with the coldest month of the year, January, retaining an average high of around 70 degrees. The city offers something for everyone, including many great trails for hiking and horseback riding, desert recreation activities such as ATV’ing, sophisticated nightlife, and fine dining.
If you’re looking for a good place to stay when in Palm Springs, try the Indain Wells Resort, located just over 10 miles from the Palm Springs Airport. This resort is a little further out from the main strip, but they offer beautifully appointed rooms with sweeping balconies, excellent restaurants, and a 36-hole championship golf course.
Julian
Even though it’s only a little over an hour from downtown San Diego, entering Julian is like traveling into a different world. The town is located at around 4,200 feet above sea level, and has a population of about 1,500 people. It originally gained prominence as a mining town in the 19th century, and experienced its own gold rush in 1870. Today Julian is famous for it’s quaint downtown, and amazing apples (okay, and more importantly Apple Pie, which is hands down the best anywhere). A fascinating legend is that James Madison was the first to bring these apples to the region, though it is difficult to prove the authenticity of this statement.
If you’re planning an overnight stay to Julian, a great choice for lodging is the Julian Gold Rush Hotel, which was voted one of the Best Bed and Breakfasts in the West by Sunset Magazine. The hotel offers 16 guest rooms, each of which is uniquely decorated with antiques from the gold rush period.
Temecula
While Julian has remained a small and quaint town, Temecula has quickly boomed into a bustling city of over 100,000 people. Why then, has it made our list of urban escapes? Because of all of the wonderful wineries that can be found there! While the city has only really gained popularity as a wine tasting destination in the last few decades, the fact is that winemakers have been taking advantage of the region’s excellent climate since at least the 1820s. Today, many of the wine producers operate on expansive estates that provide modern tasting rooms, event facilities, bed and breakfasts, wedding services, and hot air balloon rides.
A good bet when staying in Temecula is the Temecula Creek Inn, which is nestled in the heart of wine country and offers a championship golf course with 27 holes. Rooms are all very well appointed, and there is also an excellent restaurant and lounge on property, the latter of which offers live jazz on the weekends. Rooms can be booked for as low as $162 a night when using a Travelocity promo code.
One characteristic that makes Southern California so wonderful is the geographical diversity of the region. In less than two hours, you can be sunning by the pool in a desert oasis, eating apple pie in a quaint mountain village, or sipping wine in the beautiful rolling hills of Temecula. The great thing about these close getaways is that you can do them all! Just choose a different location each weekend, pack a light suitcase, and hop in the car. In no time at all, you’ll be somewhere that feels completely different, yet is still very close to home.
Stefan Georgi is a local San Diegan who loves to explore the greater Southern California region. He highly recommends using a Travelocity promo code when booking a room in Palm Springs or Temecula.
