Summer vacation, ahhhh! We’re trying new restaurants, exploring new sites, visiting old friends, playing lots of basketball, swimming, bicycling on the beach and enjoying the charms of my hometown here in Los Angeles County. My brother, sister-in-law, and nephews are visiting and we are having a blast! Earlier in the week we spent a couple days at Terranea Resort on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
About a ten minute drive from my home, Terranea is a breathtaking oceanfront resort surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean with Catalina Island across the channel.
The Catalina Kitchen offers indoor and outdoor seating. The patio overlooks the resort pool and the ocean. It’s hard to beat a fabulous outdoor breakfast on a beautiful summer morning.
Crispy light deep-pocketed Belgian waffles are made to order. The waffle bar is a kid’s breakfast dream-come-true with chocolate sauce, almonds, gummy bears, chocolate sprinkles, colored sprinkles, M&Ms, white chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, chocolate shavings, Oreo cookie crumbles, toasted coconut, as well as the usual accompaniments of syrup, butter, whipped cream, and fruit.
And an apple!
Jett proclaims that he “loves buffets.”
Not usually fans of buffets, the adults were all quite happy with the quality and selection. On weekends the buffet here also includes dim sum.
While under construction Terranea Resort became a magnet for thousands of seagulls. Ever eco-friendly, the resort contracted with falconers to fly hawks, falcons and owls over the property to keep the unwanted seagull population at bay. We learned that the mere presence of an owl on site is a strong deterrent to many unwanted birds and rodents.
The largest falcon in the world, the Gyrfalcon pursues birds in flight at a speed of over 200 miles per hour. Just before catching the prey, these falcons typically fly up and then dive straight down onto their target. They can and often do fly long distances, so Chin is fitted with a radio-tracker in order to aid recovery. His handler recently found him quite a ways up the coast from Terranea.
A versatile hunter and all-purpose gun dog, the German Shorthaired Pointer possesses keen scenting power and high intelligence. The breed is proficient with many different types of game and sport, including trailing, retrieving, and pointing. Friendly ambassador Robbie Meathead rides around the resort in the falconer’s golf cart until his services are needed to scare away pesky crows from the lawns.
After breakfast and learning about falconry, it was time to head over to the resort pool.
For dinner, we enjoyed fresh California comfort cuisine along with a spectacular sunset at Nelson’s. It’s kid-friendly and dog-friendly too. Families bring their pooches for a walk along the ocean trails then stop by Nelson’s to sit around the fire pits to enjoy a drink and a snack.
Nelson’s is named for Mike Nelson, an ex-Navy frogman played by Lloyd Bridges in the TV series Sea Hunt from 1958 to 1961. Parts of Sea Hunt were filmed on the location where Terranea sits today.
Stone recommends his dinner choices at Nelson’s. Start with the warm pretzel and share it with your family, enjoy a crisp caesar salad, for the main course try fish & chips, and don’t forget the ice cream sandwich for dessert!
We hope you are enjoying your summer too!
California is a special place. We are blessed with so much beauty. GREG
Looks like a great resort and your photography is stellar.
Enjoy the rest of their visit.
Looks like y’all are having a great time. Great photos.
This looks like an amazing dessert. I would have a hard time picking between the omelettes and the waffles. And that pretzel…YUM!
oh i’m so jelly you’re enjoying your summer. i’m so replete with work, assignment (not complaining) and travel, so i’m so due in for a great, relaxing vacation! i love the falconry lessons, the dog is too huggable and that pool!! ahhhh, yes time for a vacation!
Beautiful photos. You have made me want to visit there! And the kids buffet in a real treat!
You guys are having a blast, keep the party going!
Oh – it looks like you’re having a GREAT time! I used to live in California – on Coronado. It was lovely. I miss many things about California…thanks for a peek into your vacation!
Wow, I didn’t know the Terranea Resort existed in RPV! It looks super snazzy 🙂 I’m so glad everyone had a great time!
How wonderful to have a resort like that in close proximity ~ such fun to be able to take your visiting family there. Those Belgian waffles look amazing {I suspect my choice of toppings would be somewhat less colourful but equally naughty}. Enjoy relaxing with your loved ones, Lori Lynn!
Sounds like you guys are having a great summer! The resort looks absolutely beautiful and full of fun eats =)
What a beautiful resort and the food looks quite yummy.
Good to know you enjoyed your time 🙂
I thoroughly enjoyed your pictures and photos of the boys. Takes me back to many buffets. I do enjoy breakfast buffets. 🙂 Have a lovely day and wonderful rest of the summer.
cool photos!!!
lovely pictures looks like lots of fun in the resort
Sounds like you are having a blast spending summer with family, I enjoyed looking at all the beautiful photos!
Reading your posts makes me miss Southern California, and feeling the Pacific breeze! Looks like you’re having a perfect summer vacation…. breakfast buffet included!
Looks like you are having a wonderful time 🙂
Your photos are exceptional today. I especially love the opening shot, and the kids buffet plate ;-0
Ahh, the CA coastline is a view I could never grow tired of. I will be in the San Diego area in a few weeks soaking in similar views–can’t wait!
Wow!! This is just an “avant-goĂ»t” for me. I’m flying to California over this weekend !!! So excited about it !! (my first time) and with your photos, MORE excited even…
Thanks!
I just returned home from Seattle – enamored with the Northwest and here you are with your California beauties – just breathtaking. I love the solution to the seagull/rodent problem. Might have to invite an owl into my home! Happy vacationing!
Your family is the best, looks like you had a fabulous time, you have such beautiful views all around you! When I was a 17 I was going to hitch hike to California with my girlfriend because we wanted to live there, but we got talked out of it! Darn it!