With a population now of 106,000 many remember this town as ranches and Lucky's grocery store. For the locals who have been here from the start, we have noticed some exhilarating changes in the past 15 years. No matter though which walk of life you come from there is a guarantee you can relate to the following list:

1. You have taken family pictures at Redhawk waterfall.

Chances are, if you are from Temecula, you have rounded off the family and headed for the Redhawk waterfall on Margarita road… or Redhawk blvd? Either way, this is typically the photo spot for families during the holidays who can also be seen with hundreds of other local residents who have the same creative idea in mind.

2. You still refer to Temecula parkway as 79.

It's been roughly eight years now since they have changed the name from highway 79 to Temecula Parkway, but that doesn’t stop the hardcore locals of this city from staying true to their roots, claiming the streets with pride! Regardless of the name, one fact still holds true; you still hit every single red light from the 15 off ramp to Butterfield Stage.

3. You never pay at a winery.

The best perk about living in Temecula, no matter what surrounding high school you attended, is that there’s always that one friend that works at a winery or knows a friend. From South Coast to Mira Monte, there are good chances there is someone that could hook it up with some sample coupons.

4. You have taken prom or homecoming pictures at Chardonnay Hills.

The go to spot! Most often because the boundary lines for school districts are for Temecula Valley High and Chaparral you have taken photos here looking all spiffy in the best possible months where temps reach a cool 100-degrees. If you missed out on this one Great Oak, I’m sure you looked great at the Redhawk waterfall.

5. Your adventures started at the creek.

Ahhh, the good old rope swing. Where weekends consisted of rallying your group together and darting behind Der Wienerschnitzel to leap into the murky, brown sewer water of Temecula.

6. You looked at Palomar as an extension of high school.

If you didn’t apply to colleges out of high school, this is usually where you found yourself going.

7. You describe the location as just north of San Diego.

When in a discussion with someone not familiar with the area, you quickly sum up the location of just north of San Diego and convince them to go someday to wine taste.

8. The butter field road expansion to Murrieta changed your life.

Often looked at as the Holy Grail in the cities expansion, this simple feature saves hours to commuters days. What would once take an individual an easy 45 minutes to get from Ralphs on highway 79 to Krav Maga on Technology Drive now takes a fraction of the time, roughly 15 minutes. Forget messing with Winchester anymore at 3 o' clock, this gateway is the new staple of the city! T-mec raise up.

9. You question why out of towners come to party in Old Town.

Is it Pub and Grub? Is it The Edge? Is it The Stampede? We Temeculans can wholeheartedly say we have no idea.

10. Pat & Oscar's is still the go to for best breadsticks around.

There’s honestly not much to say for this one. You order one round and somehow you have 5 more orders coming to your table.

Let me know you're thoughts, what did I miss Temecula?