Stevens' Kangaroo Rat, comes from the storied history of a man named Zachary Stevens from the Temecula Valley. Zach was a gambler by nature, although he was a miner by trade. He was chasing the dream of getting his piece of the Comstock Lode found in Carson City, Nevada.

It was the winter of 1848 and the entire future of the West hinged on a single message: Gold. The precious metal had been discovered at Sutter's Mill and the race was on to tell the world. This is where Kit Carson, already renowned as an explorer, guide, and courier, entered the story of the original Temecula golden era.