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Going Home Again: Fallbrook, CaliforniaBy Danielle Clarneaux
Thousands of trees in Fallbrook and outlying areas have been planted and cared
for by the local Fallbrook Land Conservancy, which serves as a model throughout
the country for their Treescape project. They are responsible for most of the
trees, colorful plants, flowers and bushes that you'll see lining the downtown
streets. This group also was the force that saved Live Oak Park when the county
threatened to close it in the mid-1990s due to budget problems. For Brides and Golfers - Pala Mesa Resort
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I still remember the small sign
from my childhood: "Welcome to Fallbrook, the Friendly Village. Pop. 1,500."
And, as I recently entered the town decades later, the sign greeted me once
again, maintaining the town's distinction as the Friendly Village but now
proclaiming over 40,000 residents. 
So whether you're out for a nice day-drive during your
stay in San Diego or Los Angeles, or if you're looking for a new vacation
destination, Fallbrook is a town where you'll unwind, slow down and enjoy the
warm and welcoming hospitality of a friendly village. It still feels like home
to me, nestled in gently rolling hills of sage-scented chaparral and shaded by
magnificent ancient oaks. My mother and I would
Fallbrook as a community has worked diligently to protect the natural beauty of
the area and has created numerous preserves where visitors can walk, jog and
hike through meadows, open fields, wetlands and hills, enjoying native flora and
fauna. Several of these areas offer stunning vistas, including a dramatic view
of the Peninsular ranges to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Bird
watchers will want to visit Los Jilgueros Preserve, a popular walking and
bird-watching destination just south of town. Over 130 species of birds have
been identified on this 46-acre preserve.
Fallbrook, however, is most famous for its avocado
trees and has the distinction of being the "Avocado Capital of the World." The
town is internationally recognized for its luscious green-gold fruit, and you'll
see acres and acres of these large-leafed trees that account for approximately
$26 million per year of the local agricultural industry. If you visit in April,
at the peak of avocado season, you can join in the "green" fun at Fallbrook's
annual Avocado Festival, which includes a
street fair, farmers market, music, food competitions and even an avocado-car
race. Although as an adult I love avocados, I don't recall relishing them as a
child - but I did often use the hard, unripe fruit as a makeshift baseball, and
it worked pretty darn good in a pinch. 
I was also a curious kid, and after my teenage "rock hound" neighbor Bill Larson
told me there were treasures to be found in our small, neighborhood canyon, I
started digging and cracking open any rock that looked promising. Bill, who is
today an internationally recognized gem and mineral dealer, was a little more
particular in his search, seeking epidote crystals in that particular location.
The Fallbrook area has a rich history of mining, and billions of dollars worth
of gorgeous tourmaline have come from local mines in north San Diego County,
most of which are now inactive. One of the most stunning specimens is the
"Candelabra" tourmaline mined at the Tourmaline
With its gentle hills, warm
climate and striking vistas, Fallbrook offers a perfect backdrop for both
championship golf and memorably picturesque weddings. 
The 133 rooms are nestled on a hillside with private balconies overlooking the
foothills or the award-winning golf course. Tree-shaded walkways lined with
native plants and flowing waterfalls wend through the resort, encouraging you to
stroll to the golf course or restaurant instead of starting up your car. Hiking
trails also hug the hillside, and you'll discover a yoga lawn at the top
offering views well worth meditating as the sun goes down - or comes up.
Pala
Mesa Resort has created a beautifully serene, hillside wedding site where the
bride and groom proclaim their vows under a mission-style pavilion, complete
with an impressive antique mission bell that is rung to proclaim their union. A
private rose garden, 30-foot waterfall and a classic grand staircase add to the
dramatic setting of the Garden Pavilion, which will accommodate up to 500 at a
reception.
For smaller weddings, a garden
surrounded by a stone wall and shady sycamores offers intimacy, while a wooden,
domed gazebo overlooking the lush fairway and waterfalls provides yet another
option for the bride and groom. A wedding planner is on staff to help with the
many details, from flowers to food.
And now for the golfers: Here's a course you're going
to enjoy. Of course, being in San Diego County means great weather year 'round
(unlike our often golfer-unfriendly weather here in Seattle), and the course is
lined with those magnificent live oaks, sycamores and elms. The 18-hole, par 72
championship course was awarded four stars by Golf Digest, rated by it as one of
the top 200 courses in the U.S. and also voted one of San Diego's top 10 courses
by Zagat.
The course is one of the best in terms of playability and challenge, says Mark
Mittlehauser, the pro at Pala Mesa for eight years. On the fairways, your
visibility is good, you're not driving blind, but the greens are the biggest
challenge, the "best in the area," rated 9½ on the step meter. "Most of the
greens have a slight undulation, so you don't want to overshoot the green."
The new, attractive AquaTerra Restaurant & Oyster Bar
overlooks the 10th fairway and offers the best of California produce, seafood,
sushi and steaks. Although the wait staff was young and teetered on
disinterested, the food has a freshly creative flair. The Beet and Goat Cheese
salad was distinguished by the macadamia nut crusted cheese with pomegranate
vinaigrette, while the Fallbrook Tempura sushi was a delightful combination of
tempura shrimp, avocado, mango and cucumber in a sweet soy glaze. Perfectly
tender inside its gorgonzola herb crust, the fillet mignon was nicely
complemented by the cabernet reduction. And who can resist