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.

You didn’t miss it! The 2026 Temecula Balloon and Wine Festival didn’t happen! I did some snooping around to find out the reason why. As usual, my curiosity took me in a direction I didn’t expect. The simple answer is the promoter had financial issues. The fun answer is, you’re going to love what I discovered while looking into the festival that wasn't that came from what was.

I love the Temecula Valley so much. I ALWAYS assume there is some kind of root in Temecula's hidden history that makes it the perfect place to live the American Dream. I began to look for a connection between Temecula, Cinco de Mayo, Artemis, or NASA. That's when I found Liam Kennedy.

For me, stories about communities or individuals facing insurmountable obstacles, yet still rising to greatness through faith and determination are deeply moving. As I was enjoying a casual read through the history of James Garfield, America’s 20th President, I found parallels to the history of the city I love, Temecula, CA, that reminded me of what faith, hard work, and perseverance can accomplish.