Things to Do in Menifee

An elegant chateau sits on the hill at the center of Leoness Cellars’ vineyard, overlooking 70 acres lush with grapes. The chateau welcomes guests who come to visit its tasting rooms and serves as a compass of sorts for those who wander too far on walks through the purplish fields. It looks on as couples recite their vows during wedding ceremonies, and it houses a complete production facility where daily tour groups learn about the age-old methods of crushing, aging, and singing soft lullabies to grapes. Chef Daragh Matheson fills the chateau’s kitchen with the aromas of Alaskan salmon, ahi tuna, and beef carpaccio—specialties that pair exquisitely with the cellars’ wines.

As they zigzag across the densely wooded mountains near Big Bear, Action Zipline Tours’ high-speed ziplines send riders screaming past trees on exhilarating rides to the bottom. Punctuated by a scenic walk across a suspension bridge, the three-hour tours traverse a series of nine ziplines that carry their riders between treetop platforms at speeds approaching 45 miles per hour.

Along the northern edge of Big Bear Lake sits Fawnskin Harbor, a tranquil respite from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Captain John's Fawn Harbor & Marina calls this serene alcove home, housing boats and doling out rental watercraft. From the harbor's docks and moorings, visitors launch pontoons, speedboats, canoes, and kayaks toward Grout Bay, a bald-eagle nesting site that also teems with great blue herons, osprey, and beavers. The wildlife sanctuary can also be infiltrated via standup paddleboard, a Hawaii-born craft that delivers a challenging core workout. Tours on an electric boat cruise the boulder- and tree-ringed bay area while passengers explore the lake, learn local history, and glimpse the lake's namesake surreptitiously brushing his coat.

El Camino Ranch has cared for a growing family of Arabian horses since 1983, when it was founded with a mission to help people connect with the intelligent creatures. The ranch itself traces its origins back even further—to the early 1950s, when Bill and LaVesta Locklin started a farm and began to grow oranges and tomatoes against the scenic backdrop of the San Bernardino Mountain range.

Today, LaVesta’s son, Scott, and her granddaughter, Vandi, continue to look after the facilities, showering their horses with affection and treating them to a healthy daily schedule of riding with guests, participating in shows, and munching on fresh treats from the orange grove. During lessons, the trainers guide students through riding techniques and teach them the basics of equine grooming, tacking, and health care. They also organize a special series of “Pony Pal” lessons for children as young as 3, saving the horses the indignity of galloping around with training wheels glued to their haunches.

Joshua Tree Guides is exclusively staffed with passionate guides—each trained by the Professional Climbing Guides Institute—who convey their intimate knowledge of rock climbing in guided tours and classes for adventurers, families, and beginners. During private climbing tours, engaging guides lead climbers to one of an endless number of vertical opportunities and ensure that each rock scaler feels the thrill of conquering the terrain while remaining sturdy and safe. Each tour is customized to the climbers’ comfort levels, making the experience an excellent introduction to outdoor climbing or a chance for familiar climbers to pinch the cheeks of adorable rock faces they've never encountered. Whether climbing locally or during a custom trip with Joshua Tree, climbers put any number of territory-conquering techniques to use, such as slab climbing, top roping, and climbing in a single-pitch environment. Joshua Tree has also trained U.S. Special Forces teams in modern climbing techniques and works with a variety of national corporations, including Google and Red Bull.

San Diego Motorsport Rentals gives outdoor adventurers the ability to tame any obstacle with the fleet of all-terrain and aquatic vehicles. Four-wheeled ATVs from Honda, Suzuki, and Kawasaki cut through more than 150,000 acres of road-free land. Their mechanics also keep engines in tune on four-stroke dirt bikes so riders can feel the wind blow through their hair while tearing through rugged paths or their high school graduation. From their Grand Avenue and Mission Bay outposts, customers can check out jet skis or boats ready to break through incoming breakers.