Temecula, CA accomdations with an eastern (for star gazing) 2 hr radius?
December 30, 2013 8:31 AM   Subscribe

How can we find a room/cabin/whatever that has a hot tub and a fireplace within an eastern 2 hr radius (for star gazing) from Temecula, CA?

I thought this would be an easy task, since we travel rather frequently, but I'm having trouble finding a place. We are looking for a cabin or a room that has a hot tub and fireplace (prefer both but one or the other will work in a pinch) that is close to or in an area with little to no light pollution for star gazing on the 11th and 12th. This is going to be our anniversary and we will be touring a vineyard on that weekend in Temecula, so we have some star gazing planned for the evening. When we get back, we want to get warm (and randy) in a hot tub and then dry off (and maybe get randy again) in front of the fire.

Surely there is at least one place out there that. We don't mind driving 2 hours to Temecula but we want the star gazing to be close to where we're staying.

Oh and I nearly forgot, we'll need a TV for the early afternoon the day before. We can't miss our playoff game!

Does anyone know how to find places like this? Most of the travel hotel searches don't allow you to select those types of amenities. I'm at a loss on how to find them and I'm also unfamiliar with the area, so I'm at a disadvantage.

Please help?
posted by magnoliasouth to Travel & Transportation around Temecula, CA (14 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Have you tried VRBO and AirBnB? You'd be able to communicate with the manager/owner to clarify any questions you have.

It's pretty dark out there in general, but cloud cover is going to be a potential problem.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:39 AM on December 30, 2013


Response by poster: Well yeah. The problem with those are that they require a week at a time, most of the time. We're really only looking for a day or two and we're trying to stay away from resorts too, but I'm getting the impression that we may not find something.

We had an idea about a place in Randsburg, but they don't mention TV and I've not gotten an email response, so I'm uncertain about that. I'm going to call in a bit and see.
posted by magnoliasouth at 8:43 AM on December 30, 2013


I'm not familiar with the area, but a search of AirBNB for cabins with hot tubs and fireplaces turned up 12 results, mostly around Big Bear Lake, which Google says is 1 h 45 min from Temecula.
posted by desjardins at 8:44 AM on December 30, 2013


Response by poster: Unfortunately Big Bear is out. At that time of the year the roads are treacherous and it takes 2 hours just to come down from the mountain. We did that last year for our anniversary. lol!
posted by magnoliasouth at 8:46 AM on December 30, 2013


Response by poster: I do appreciate the advice though. I really REALLY do. :)
posted by magnoliasouth at 8:46 AM on December 30, 2013


Again, not familiar with the area, but I've found cabin rentals in my area by going to the town/county chamber of commerce/visitors bureau website. Many private cabins aren't listed on travel search websites, and many don't have websites of their own, but they do have phone numbers on the local visitors bureau site.
posted by desjardins at 8:54 AM on December 30, 2013


Idyllwild.
http://woodlandparkmanor.com/lodging/idyllwild-vacation-rentals/ might fit your bill.
posted by msamye at 8:58 AM on December 30, 2013


Response by poster: Idyllwild sounds perfect, but what about those roads? That looks very Big Bear-ish plus we'd probably need chains for the tires, I would imagine. Does anyone know about that?
posted by magnoliasouth at 9:09 AM on December 30, 2013


Response by poster: desjardins: That's a great idea. I can't believe I didn't think about that part. Thank you. :)
posted by magnoliasouth at 9:11 AM on December 30, 2013


Temecula wineries often host weddings (and other special occasions such as yours); you could check with a winery or two that you will be visiting and see if they have any recommendations or vendors that they partner with.

Over the summer we rented a house for just a couple of days via VRBO at Canyon Lake, which is just up the road from Temecula. Might be just a bit farther than you want to drive after wine-tasting, but worth a look.
posted by vignettist at 9:35 AM on December 30, 2013


According to the Dark Sky finder, your best bets for stargazing in the area are up in De Luz near the Santa Rosa Plateau or the Palomar Observatory. Not sure about Palomar, but the roads in De Luz and the Santa Rosa Plateau aren't icy or anything barring a serious cold snap, they're just very twisty and may be a little tricky in the dark.

As for accommodations, not sure if this is the vibe you're going for, but the Pechanga resort and casino is near by, and apparently has suites with jacuzzis available.
posted by yasaman at 10:37 AM on December 30, 2013


Warner Springs, although I'm not sure it has all the amenities you want. A straight shot out east from Temecula on the 79, just to the east of Palomar Mountain, and the road to get there is down in the valley so it won't snow or freeze up unless things are REALLY cold, which is rare. The 79 between Temecula and Warner Springs just barely gets over 3200 feet in elevation.

And while Idyllwild and other places certainly have the potential for snow and ice, places below 6000 feet in SoCal will normally only have snow and ice hanging around for a couple days after a storm, a week at most, and at that point it'll be lingering in shady spots and the north sides of hills and stuff.
posted by LionIndex at 11:01 AM on December 30, 2013


How about Borrego Springs? It's an International Dark Sky Community, the second community to receive that designation. There shouldn't be much ice on the road at any time of year there!
posted by quackamoe at 2:56 PM on December 30, 2013


Hot tub and outdoor fire pit
I think Airbnb will be your friend here.
posted by adamvasco at 4:22 PM on December 30, 2013


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