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If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know music is one of my passions. I've written before about two of my favorites - Little Feat and Paul Thorn. Just the other day I heard a singer on XM Cross Country who knocked me on my ear. Her name is Laura Vecchione.
The song I heard that day was Fly On Flag Boy from her new CD Girl In The Band. It's bluesy, gritty, funky and just plain great. Check her out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Murrieta Real Estate Expert – Tom Plant, REALTOR® - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage – Active Rain Ambassador (951) 907-9701 It would be my honor to show you the incredible Temecula Valley, a place I’m very proud to call home.
We are abundantly blessed in the Temecula Valley. Our climate provides ideal conditions for growing fruits and vegetables and wine grapes are no exception. Our wine country continues to draw tourists and rave reviews. One of the newest additions is the Briar Rose Winery, open for tasting by appointment only.
Laura and I were anxious to pay them a visit having heard rave reviews. Jay Leno I was told stopped by one day and left with a case of their Cabernet Sauvignon. We arranged a visit recently and were delighted by what we saw and tasted. We were led to a table for two and greeted by the sommelier Gabriel.
We tasted several wines, all delicious, and learned a lot about wine and the reputation Briar Rose has earned. There are only a handful of restaurants that serve their wine, and it is on the menu at the Vice Presidential estate in the nation's capitol. We had a delightful time there and had a brief visit with Dorian, one of the winery owners. We plan many return visits!
Murrieta Real Estate Expert – Tom Plant, REALTOR® - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Active Rain Ambassador (951) 907-9701 It would be my honor to show you the incredible Temecula Valley, a place I’m very proud to call home.  Subscribe in a reader
I love finding good new places to eat. Now that they've celebrated their first anniversary in Temecula, Francesca's Italian Kitchen may not be exactly new, but they sure are good. Laura and I stopped by on September 21st for the 1st Anniversary dinner and came back the following night for a cooking class with Alessio.
Alessio & Francesca
We learned to make a delicious salad with radicchio, arugula and candied walnuts, a rolled pasta with ham and cheese and panna cotta for dessert. Alessio is an excellent teacher with personality to spare. I can see him with his own show on the Food Network! He had a different sous chef from the class help him with each dish. The best part was getting to eat the food he showed us how to make!
There's another cooking class coming up later this month and we can't wait!
EDIT 10/06: The chef pictured with Alessio is Omar. The main dish was Rotelle Napoletane, rolled pasta with smoked ham, mozzarella, parmesan, marinara and heavy cream... yummm!
Murrieta Real Estate Expert – Tom Plant, REALTOR® - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Active Rain Ambassador (951) 907-9701 It would be my honor to show you the incredible Temecula Valley, a place I’m very proud to call home.
On Sunday, August 31st, Laura and I flew to Seattle and boarded the Star Princess. We left Seattle on a postcard perfect day and headed north into Alaska's Inside Passage. We spent all day Monday at sea, and then woke early Tuesday to explore our first port-of-call, Ketchikan. Once again we were blessed by the weather Gods. The sun broke through as we were visiting the incredible rain forest. We saw pink salmon, reindeer, a bald eagle, an owl and breathtaking scenery. Afterward we strolled through town and had lunch at the Alaska Fish House. If you're a fan of The Deadliest Catch, you'll be interested to hear we ate crab caught aboard the Time Bandit.
The following morning, the sounds of excited conversation woke us from our sleep about 6am. We looked out the window to find we were inside the Tracy Arm. As this was our first visit to Alaska, I can't begin to describe the excitement we felt seeing icebergs float by. We threw on some clothes and headed to the deck to take in the sights. Sawyer Glacier was absolutely magnificent. That afternoon we docked in Juneau and headed for the famed Mendenhall Glacier. As impressive as it was, it was heartbreaking to hear it's receding at the rate of hundreds of feet per year. At this rate it won't be long before it's gone completely. From Mendenhall, we visited Glacier Gardens. The site of a previous devastating mudslide has been restored to incredible beauty. The owners took many of the trees that had been uprooted, stuck them in the ground roots up, and turned them into planters. We took a glorified golf cart tour of the grounds and they are magnificent.
In all honesty, the best was yet to come. We arrived in Skagway Friday morning and boarded a bus with Peter Lucchetti. Not only was Pete a wonderful tour guide, he is a talented artist and regaled us with recitals of Robert Service poetry. The weather was uncooperative for our trip to the summit, but the time spent with Pete was a treasure. We had lunch in Skagway's charming downtown and then took off to see a sled dog camp in Dyea. We were warned that the dogs get excited and start barking loudly before they pull you on a wheeled sled and they weren't kidding. Once the dogs begin to move, they're completely silent. After the sled ride, we heard from a musher and then saw the six week old puppies. Just adorable.
We spent Saturday at sea and pulled into Victoria, BC on a sun-drenched afternoon. We headed straight for the magnificent Butchart Gardens. They are indeed a labor of love and a sight to behold. Our cruise came to an all to sudden end Sunday morning. We rented a car and drove to Kirkland, WA to spend the night with my sister and my niece and nephew before heading to the San Juan Islands for two days. This is a trip we won't easily forget.
I put together a slide show. There's a beautiful musical background that somehow didn't get transferred.
Murrieta Real Estate Expert – Tom Plant, REALTOR® - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage – Active Rain Ambassador (951) 907-9701 It would be my honor to show you the incredible Temecula Valley, a place I’m very proud to call home.
My mouth started watering when I first heard about Southern Stuffer. I love Cajun and Creole food, so Laura and I decided to stop in for lunch a few weeks ago. Kristina welcomed us and we settled in to look at the menu... oh boy!Crawfish Etouffee, Jambalaya, Seafood Gumbo, Po' Boy sandwiches and a whole lot more. We had a nice visit with Kristina, had a delicious lunch and now look forward to our next visit! After lunch we met chef Byron. We learned they serve up live jazz every Friday night starting at 6:00. As they they at Southern Stuffer, they're putting love on the plate.
Murrieta Real Estate Expert – Tom Plant, REALTOR® - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Active Rain Ambassador (951) 907-9701 It would be my honor to show you the incredible Temecula Valley, a place I’m very proud to call home.
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Without fail, if we're in town, Laura and I head to Old Town Temecula every Saturday for the Farmers Market. I mistakenly thought it was just a summer event. Much to my delight I have found out it happens year 'round. Our last visit we brought home fresh baked bread, passionfruit, eggplant, peaches, kettle corn and more. I love the smells and colors and really enjoy watching people interact with the vendors and with each other. I know what I'll be doing tomorrow morning!
Murrieta Real Estate Expert – Tom Plant, REALTOR® - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Active Rain Ambassador (951) 907-9701 It would be my honor to show you the incredible Temecula Valley, a place I’m very proud to call home.
Doreen and I are still busy. Here's a fabulous home on 4.55 acres we just listed.
Murrieta Real Estate Expert – Tom Plant, REALTOR® - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Active Rain Ambassador (951) 907-9701 It would be my honor to show you the incredible Temecula Valley, a place I’m very proud to call home. Subscribe in a reader
Just listed by my partner Doreen McKee and me. It is a lovely home!
Spacious Like New Wildomar Home  Very spacious and clean two story home with downstairs mini-suite. 3rd car garage can be converted to a casita. Home sits next to a children's' playground, so there are no neighbors on one side. Plenty of room to live and play. Newly installed back yard patio and side yards with flower boxes. Minimum maintenance required. This is the largest floor plan available in Palomar Ridge. Information Pricing Asking Price: $319,000 Property Location Features Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 3.5 Year Built: 2006 Lot Size: 7405 Garage Size: 3 car Square Footage: 2201 Agent Name: Doreen McKee Broker: Marsha Swanson MLS #: T08132729 Attributes Interior Amenities Fireplace Kitchen Island Exterior Amenities Patio Fenced Yard Grass Lawn Photo Gallery    Murrieta Real Estate Expert – Tom Plant, REALTOR® - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Active Rain Ambassador (951) 907-9701 It would be my honor to show you the incredible Temecula Valley, a place I’m very proud to call home. Subscribe in a reader
I've been MIA most of the week. It's been a busy one, writing up two offers and getting ready for an Alaskan cruise! Laura and I fly to Seattle this morning and will board the Star Princess cruise ship and travel the Inland Passage. As a photographer, I look forward to filling several memory cards. i do have posts in the works: a final visit this year to the Old Town Temecula Farmers Market, a day with Safety Harbor Kids and lunch at the Swamp Stuffer. See you after the 10th.
Murrieta Real Estate Expert – Tom Plant, REALTOR® - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage – Active Rain Ambassador (951) 907-9701 It would be my honor to show you the incredible Temecula Valley, a place I’m very proud to call home.
Last night was very special at The Wine Company. Owner Jim Lilly was able to get Steve Anglim, owner and winemaker of Anglim Winery in Paso Robles to talk about some of his wines while we sampled them. Steve knows his stuff and makes superior wines. We tasted "Cameo", a white Rhone blend, Viognier, 2005 and 2006 Pinot Noir, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. It was such a treat to hear about the wines from the winemaker's perspective. Steve clearly has a passion for what he does and it shines through in his wines. He made me long for a return visit to Paso Robles.
Steve Anglim & Jim Lilly
"Professor" Steve
Steve's wares
Pauline from The Wine Company
Murrieta Real Estate Expert – Tom Plant, REALTOR® - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Active Rain Ambassador (951) 907-9701 It would be my honor to show you the incredible Temecula Valley, a place I’m very proud to call home. Subscribe in a reader
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Tom Plant - Murrieta Real Estate Expert - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Murrieta, CA More about me… Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Office Phone: (951) 304-2900 Cell Phone: (951) 907-9701 Email Me
Thoughts from the top of my noggin in Southern California's beautiful Temecula Valley.
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