Located on the breathtaking Pacific Ocean cliffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula lies the idyllic Terranea Resort and Golf Course. This Mediterranean style resort is perched along the Rancho Palos Verdes coast on over 100 acres of unobstructed views of the ocean and Catalina Island. Conveniently located just 25 minutes from the Los Angeles International Airport, this magnificent luxury resort makes a wonderful getaway for visitors and local residents alike.

The hotel is made up of a variety of well appointed accommodations including guest rooms, suites, villas, bungalows and Casitas, making it a wonderful choice for families of all sizes. All the guests we have interviewed agree that the rooms are fantastic and the beds very comfortable.

Terranea Resort Pool and Ocean View

There are a total of 3 pools on the property, and families especially will enjoy the main resort pool with giant water slide. The hotel appeals to adults as well as families. The Spa at Terranea was built with wellness and comfort as its main objective and is located in one of the most picturesque oceanfront settings in California. With an excellent gym, a peaceful outdoor pool facing the ocean, and a full service Spa and Wellness Center, this 50,000 square foot oasis is sure to nurture both body and mind.

There are ample dining choices at the Terranea Resort itself with 8 different options. Among these are casual settings like the Lobby Bar and Lounge open noon until about midnight, or more formal dining options like Bashi for both lunch and dinner (open 11am through 10pm daily). Order food from the full service poolside menu at the main pool or the Spa Cafe, or enjoy a private meal indoors with 24 hours in-room dining service.

Terranea Resort Spa Pool

Surrounding the hotel and weaving its way throughout the Terranea Resort is a challenging nine hole Par-3 golf course with spectacular views of the ocean from every hole. The Links at Terranea is a highly recommended course for golfers of any skill level simply because of it’s beauty, challenging design, and well maintained grounds. Pull carts and golf club rentals are available at the pro-shop. There are also two putting greens, and chipping green, and private lessons are available for anyone wishing to fine tune their swing. Anyone wishing to play on a full size world class course can also drive just a few minutes south to Trump National for the same experience, but on a larger scale.

Terranea Resort Ninth Hole Golf

There is plenty of shopping and outdoor activities to satisfy every craving. Activities include nature sunset walks along their many ocean trails, tennis, yoga, as well as scheduled events like “Friday Family Fun Night” with S’mores and hot chocolate by the fire pit, a drive-in “Movie Night”, lawn games like Bocce Ball and Croquet, and much more.

The Resort at Terranea is located at 6610 Palos Verdes Drive South, Rancho Palos Verdes, California 90275. It is an exquisite resort and a must-see even if you live close by and would like to visit for the day.

Starting at the edge of the peninsula closest to Redondo Beach, you’ll find the beach known to locals as RAT just north of Malaga Cove off of Palos Verdes Drive West. RAT stands for Redondo at Torrance. A beautiful view of the entire Santa Monica Bay from Malibu to Redondo is yours from a white wooden gazebo at the top of the parking lot; an easy but somewhat steep trail winds from an unlocked gate adjoining the gazebo down to the rocky shore. Hold the hands of your little ones and hit the beach – uncrowded, with great rock climbing for all ages and pebble finding; gentle waves, and surfers to watch on their long boards. There is a life guard tower but no food or bathroom facilities at this location. 

If the climb back to the parking lot has made you hungry, less than a mile away you’ll find the Malaga General Store and sandwich shop – pick up a picnic and head for Pt. Vicente less than ten minutes further around the peninsula’s curve. This lovely park with picnic benches and a stunning view of the ocean cliffs that looks more like Big Sur than Los Angeles is right next to the Pt. Vicente Lighthouse, which is open once a month for tours, and is always a great view. The park area is open, pleasant, and fenced, a great place for kids. 

The Point Vicente Lighthouse is an often painted landmark, and a famous navigational aid marking the far end of the Catalina Channel on the coast. Kids will enjoy listening to the fog horn sound, and if you’re there at sunset you’ll enjoy a look at the brightest light in Southern California. It burns a brilliant thousand watts from a one hundred and eighty five foot height. When the lighthouse is open to the public, be aware that there are many steps to climb to get to the top; however the area at the base of the lighthouse is a fun, grassy meadow to explore and stroll in and of itself. 

After your picnic, head on over to the Interpretive Center. Featuring well crafted, museum quality exhibits on the history of the Peninsula, both geographic and historic, the center has excellent interactive exhibits concerning the Pacific gray whale. Why? Because as well as exhibit space, the center serves as one of the best whale watch sites in SoCal. You’ll have fantastic opportunities to see the annual migration of the Pacific gray whale, from December through April. Bring your binoculars to report a sighting, or just train your eyes – at certain times you’ll seem the enormous whales breach not far off the point. 

A little further down West Palos Verdes Drive is Terranea Resort, an upscale property built on the old, and missed, Marineland site. This elegant, 582 room resort is a great place for a weekend get away if you’d like, or keeping it as a day trip, just a pleasant stop with great views, grassy lawns, and a charming cafe with ocean views which has a full kids menu including pasta and pizza that are reasonably priced, especially considering the peaceful, luxurious atmosphere. If you should opt to spend the night, there are pools of varied sizes, and the main area has a water slide. You can get a glimpse of Catalina Island on a clear day. 

A bit further down the road, on the left hand side you’ll reach the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Wayfarer’s Chapel. Chapel Architect Lloyd Wright, son of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, created this popular wedding site as a natural sanctuary in a forest setting. The trees visible through the glass walls of the building create a feeling of being right there in the woods. The chapel snuggles in a grove of tall redwood trees, and its small size is a perfect spot to lead your children in a moment of contemplation. The kids will enjoy the beauty both inside and out – three and a half acres of rose gardens, grassy space and more ocean views await. Note that weddings are scheduled every other hour on weekends so you may have to wait a bit on the grounds before enjoying the inside of the chapel. 

Our Palos Verdes Coastal view taken from Wayfarer's Chapel grounds

Ready to keep driving? Abalone Cove Shoreline Park has two open and usually pretty deserted sandy beaches with tide pools and viewing areas spread along the top of the bluffs. Easy parking, but a fairly long, if easy trail down to the beach. If you continue walking along the beach away from the parking lot you may get lucky enough to see an impromptu mosaic made of beach rocks. Area residents – or area artists – often create mini-mazes of sun, moon, or flowers from the rocks; we’ve never been in the area without seeing one or several and the kids will love these! 

But, back in the car! Just a few minute away you’ll find Trump National Golf Course. Open to the public, a lovely grassy park with more picnic tables, sparkling restroom facilities – it is a Trump property – and a snack shop for deserts, smoothies or fries – you’ll find a pleasant paved stroll from the golf course area over a small wooden bridge, past natural meadows with wildflowers in season. We often spot a bunny or two around this area. Locals stroll or jog. Another option is a steep path (you will have to carry your smaller charges) down to the waters edge. This beach leads directly back to Abalone Cove if you point your steps to the right (and walk for about half an hour). Tide pools are directly below the park area, and have excellent sea life at low tide. 

Spring flowers near Trump National Golf Course, Palos Verdes

You’ll find even more excellent sea life on display a little farther down the road in San Pedro, and some interesting cultural landmarks which I’ll describe in my next blog…until then, enjoy the views!

Splashing away with glee!

My son had a blast today in our mommy and me class at the South Bay Adult School in Manhattan Beach, California. We meet there every Tuesday morning from 9:30am to 11:30am. When we first get there, we all sing songs together welcoming each child, then teaching sign language or showing pictures of animals etc. After that, we have an art project we work on. Today, we were having our children draw on paper for their first piece of artwork! Most of the toddlers are walking already and a bit older. Our son Christian is almost 1 year old, so he hasn’t quite grasped the concept of drawing yet as he only wants to eat the chalk. Christian is going to have to wait longer before we can try to draw, but some of the older children created some real Picassos!

After snack, we all went outside for playtime.   We’ve had a heat wave here lately, so I thought Christian might really love playing at the water table they have outside.  I took off his clothes except his diaper and lead him to it.  I couldn’t believe how much fun he had!  He was spashing like crazy, yelling with laughter and getting soaked in the process.  I took a ton of pictures and video as this was his first encounter with a water table.  I wish we could buy him one for his birthday because I know that Step 2 has one that small children love that’s not too expensive, but we are heading into the cooler season here. 

If it’s hot next week, I’m going to let him dive in again!

Mexican food was our choice for this evening. One of the best Mexican food places around is El Torito on the Redondo Beach Pier in Redondo Beach, California. They have a great Mexican Caesar salad, wonderful fajitas, and I really love their chicken and sour cream enchiladas. My husband always raves about their crunchy tacos and can’t get enough of the chips and salsa. For some reason the salsa was really spicy this time!

Beach View from table at El Torito Restaurant

El Torito is just a short walk from our home here in Redondo Beach. It’s always more appealing to walk to a nice sit-down dinner as opposed to driving. Not only do we get some exercise, but we get to take our son on a nice walk, and we are lucky enough sometimes to catch a beautiful sunset on the way! Tonight was no exception. As the sun crept toward the water’s edge, we were mesmerized by the hues of pink and purple painted across the sky. We were so moved by the scene, that we took several pictures to capture the moment.

All in all, our walk was perfect, our meal was delicious, and we can’t wait to do it again! I’m sure this will be a regular outing for us.

Sunset beyond the Redondo Beach Pier

But one of the best things about a trip to LA, or if you live in Southern California and are looking for an awesome day’s adventure is the beach. But not just any beach, the South Bay and Palos Verdes Peninsula. 

A lovely spot for the little ones is Hermosa Beach at 22nd Street. There’s a play ground, plenty of wide white sand, and for lunch or brunch, Martha’s Restaurant. This locals favorite has curly fries, omelettes, lots of kids meal standards, great salads and soup. Reasonably priced, with plenty of outdoor seating and crayons for the kids. Parking is hit or miss on the street, but because of the restaurant there’s plenty of coming and going. In Manhattan Beach we like 26th Street. More bountiful white sand, a small, hilly, grassy park and clearly marked boogie board versus swimming/wading areas. From the Manhattan Beach location it’s an easy walk on the pleasant Strand paved walk way – great for strollers too – to the pier, and the Roundhouse Aquarium. 

Residents of the Roundhouse Aquarium

The aquarium is a sweet spot for kids. Small but exceedingly well maintained, this destination offers a view of local marine life. Our kids were introduced to sunflower stars, tube anemones, and the wonders of a touch tank right here. The touch tank lets kids stroke sea stars, sea urchins, anemones, and rays. The round house contains ten small aquarium areas, each with a different display of fish and invertebrates. There’s a garibaldi tank and a living reef with amazingly colorful sea slugs and star fish. A specimen table lets kids touch shells and skeletons. The biggest and most impressive tank is a thirty five hundred gallon Shark Tank that holds three species of sharks that are found right in the Santa Monica Bay. 

Best of all, here you’ll find the Kids Kelp Corner, a great interactive play space for kids and families. There are books to read, stuffed animals with a marine theme, puzzles, murals and exotic whale bones. There’s a story time on Sunday morning – hear a sea tale and make a take – home craft. It was here that my kids first learned the importance of keeping the beach trash free after hearing a story about an octopus tangled in a plastic bag. On Saturdays there’s an event called Feeding Frenzy, at 12:30 pm they feed the residents of their shark tank. 

Food choices around Manhattan Beach pier are varied, there’s Mama D’s for excellent pizza and inexpensive pasta; and Good Stuff for salads, pancakes and sandwiches. A locals favorite with a long line always so be prepared to wait is Uncle Bill’s Pancake House. The name says it all and the kids will have plenty of treats to chose from. 

Hermosa Beach Pier has another set of treats for kids. The pier is long and relaxing with many benches and at its base you’ll find skate boarders to watch and a classic surfing statue to admire. The pier adjoins the plaza with family friendly Hennessy’s Pub. Outdoor tables line the plaza and the roof, which offers great water front views. Along with the burgers and sandwiches for adults there are of course kids meal favorites. 

Sea Lab Jellies at the Roundhouse Aquarium

A short walk south from Hermosa pier plaza will bring you to another kid-entertainment marine mainstay, Sea Lab right at the edge of Hermosa and Redondo Beach. Staffed by the LA Conservation Corps, Sea Lab offers docent led tours of tanks and aquariums both inside and out. Larger than the Round House, this educational opportunity is a nice partner to it. A native plant nursery grows local indigenous plants which are planted by staff to replace less healthy plant life; sea life rescues of birds, fish, and other marine life are carried on by volunteers and creatures nursed back to health right on site. In addition to frequently changing aquarium exhibits that range from sea horses to jelly fish, large marine life from rays to sharks are kept outdoors; on the excellent tours of the facility, visitors are allowed to gently touch many of these occupants. The location began in the seventies as the Edison Marine Research Laboratory, a fish protection system for the power plant. It was converted into a coastal science education center, and remains dedicated to research, rescue, and marine life education. While its focus is a bit more scientific than Round House, it is an equally enjoyable experience for all ages. 

Hermosa Pier - Southern California

Continuing south to Redondo Beach pier, here you’ll find a carnival atmosphere on the weekends. There are paddle boats and kayaks to rent, roaming mariachis at fish stands where you can select your own crab or lobster, cotton candy and ice cream vendors. Lots of fishermen too and a kite store where you can enjoy displayed kites or buy your own. Several times a year the pier sponsors a kite flying festival, and in the summer there are concerts on the pier. Kids will be most attracted to the old fashioned Fun Zone on the lower level; a small tilt a whirl is augmented by skee ball, foos ball, and a variety of quarter-devouring games. Be forewarned, the prizes here are well, a bit unique. We’ve seen everything from birthday candles to long since razed hotel chain soap products in the grab bags! But it’s still hard to pass up a skee ball game or two. 

In the Hollywood Riviera neighborhood five minutes drive or a fifteen minute stroll from Redondo Pier you’ll find upscale shops and cute cafes, including a truly enjoyable sandwich, salad and pastry shop with either take out or table service called Dolce Vita. Italian in name, the food is German in origin, with rich strudels and noodle dishes. A walk along the Strand here ends at the foot of the Palos Verdes Peninsula which is the starting point for more beach adventures in a part of Los Angeles you may not have been familiar with – until now.

5 Level Play Structure AdventurePlex at Marine

The AdventurePlex at Marine in Manhattan Beach California is where we took our 11 month old son Christian this afternoon for some family fun!  The address is 1701 Marine Ave. Manhattan Beach, CA 90266, only about 10 minutes away from our house in Redondo Beach.  We arrived at 2pm this afternoon and enrolled our son in a 90 minute interactive tumble class called “The Best Playdate Ever” which also included food and playtime in their 3 story high play structure. That thing was massive!  

During the first half of the class we spent time singing and dancing to songs like the “hokey pokey” with other parents and their toddlers.  Christian can’t walk yet, so we just propped him up and tried to go through all the motions and keep up with the others.  We did everything from playing catch and passing big foam balls back and forth to walking on balance beams (a few inches off the ground), to blowing bubbles and encouraging the kids to jump and burst the bubbles as they floated in the air.  

Christian having the time of his life in the pool of balls at the AdventurePlex!

After about 45 minutes of interacting with the other toddlers and young children in this musical forum, we left the class room and walked downstairs to the Courtside Cafe.  We sat down at one of the tables where our program director brought fruit, cheese and crackers for Christian to eat.  There were several other choices of food, but this is what we had selected for him when we first registered.  The Courtside Cafe is right next to the registration desk, and that giant play structure that I mentioned before was in the room next door just a few feet away.  I’m 42 years old (today is in fact my birthday), and I was eyeing that 5 level multi colored jungle gym with the same kind of anticipation and excitement that the kids around me were!    

Christian had the time of his life in that play structure.  It reminded me of a life sized hamster maze but on a much larger scale and on 5 different levels! Thankfully there was a section that was designated for children 3 and under, so we didn’t have to worry about Christian getting tramped on by some of the older kids.  We still had to keep a close eye on him, but all the padding everywhere made this a very safe place for him to play.  If you’re looking for a good place for your children to consume some of their energy, look no further.  This monumental play structure at the AdventurePlex at Marine is the place to do it!  

Christian playing in a tub filled with soft objects of different sizes and shapes

Courtside Cafe in AdventurePlex where Christian ate lunch

Polliwog Park at 1600 Manhattan Beach Boulevard

I just played Frisbee golf here at Polliwog Park in Manhattan Beach California.  It’s a giant park spanning about 18 acres, and it’s located right off of Manhattan Beach Blvd next door to the Manhattan Beach Middle School.  I parked at the school, but there was also plenty of parking on the street. Fridays I usually play hookie from work (I’m self employed) and meet two of my friends at the Alondra Golf Course in Lawndale, but the greens were all under construction today. We left the course and were very disappointed when we failed to get a decent tee time at the Marriott Manhattan Beach Golf Course on Rosecrans, and then again at the The Lakes Golf Course in El Segundo.  We were bound and determined to play Golf, and with time running out and few options left, we decided to stop at Dick’s Sporting goods on PCH to pickup some frisbees on our way to Polliwog Park for frisbee golf!   

I’d never been to the Polliwog Park so I was amazed that they actually had a nine hole frisbee golf course complete with the nine baskets (instead of holes), and the nine posts that marked each tee off location. Really cool! While traversing the course I noticed several wonderful areas that are perfect for children. Children of all ages were scattered all over the park. Some were gathered together in picnic areas with their families, while others were running up and down the wide open fields of grass and trees. I even saw several kids climbing trees. There were two large and colorful jungle gym areas specifically for kids on opposite ends of the park. Each was a colorful oasis of slides, monkey bars, bridges and things for them to climb and play, and they were crawling with children!  The play area is either coated in rubber or filled with rubber tire shavings making it a very safe place for kids to play.  

Manhattan Beach Polliwog park jungle gym for kids

Polliwog park working out equipment. The ground is made up of rubber tire shavings