This past weekend, my extended family all packed our bags and headed to Palos Verdes. We stayed one night at Terranea, a Mediterranean-style, oceanfront resort. It was my first time staying there. My sister, Grace, recommended the place, she had come a few weeks earlier for a staycation of her own with just her family. We had an amazing time, the kids loved playing in the pool (they have four) and hiking to the beach. At one of the pools, there was a fast slide, for the older kids, and a splash pad for the younger ones. When we first got there, the husbands all changed into their swimsuits and headed to the adult only pool and spa. My favorite part? On Monday morning, I enjoyed a (free!) morning yoga session with my sisters.
We were suppose to stay in three separate rooms, one for each family, but at check-in Grace asked for an upgrade. Luckily, they obliged and we got placed in a three bedroom villa. (Score!) The villa had a huge kitchen, three big bedrooms and three bathrooms. The best part was that the kids got to maximize their time with each other.
The only bad thing about this place was that the main pool was packed. Apparently lots of people had the same idea as us, staying at a resort on Labor Day weekend. Otherwise, it was the perfect trip! Compared to Pelican Hill in OC, Terranea’s villa was about 25% bigger and the grounds at Terranea are huge. Unfortunately, the “beach” is too rocky, you can’t really play in the waves. You walk there just to enjoy the view or check out the large sea cave.
This place is great if you’re looking for a beachfront staycation in Los Angeles. You have a lot of options in south OC (Montage, Pelican Hill, Ritz Carlton), this is one of the only ones in Los Angeles.
Now here are some pictures.
As we were waiting to check-in, I gathered some of the kids together. Hunter, my niece’s dog, came along, too! (They are a pet friendly property, you just have to pay a fee.)
Palos Verdes is a full 1 and 1/2 hour drive from our place. Logan slept all the way so was a little drowsy when we got there.
The best thing about the resort is that it’s oceanfront. The views are spectacular.
Check-in is at 4pm but our villa was already by the time we finished lunch. We ate at Nelson’s, one of the restaurants on the hotel’s grounds. It was a bit pricey but everything was tasty.
After lunch, we hung out on the grounds. These are the two oldest kids, Evan and Berry, checking out the view. It’s cute how they stick together.
Sam couldn’t help but sneak some bunny ears on my nephew, Evan.
We checked into our villa and my sister, Grace, relaxed with Hunter on the couch.
My poor nephew, Riverton, was sick. He was a trooper to still come along.
The hotel’s grounds are really beautiful. There’s a lot of walking from place to place, or you can take one of the hotel’s shuttles. Here, Parker was excited to go to the pool.
These are my three nephews warming up by the fireplace after taking a dip in the pool. Some of the kids were roasting marshmallows. Nearby, they were playing Big Hero 6 on an inflatable outdoor screen. We didn’t watch but I thought it was a nice touch.
After the pool, we hiked to a really cool cove.
My kids were a little too young to hike into the sea cave but the older kids did. That’s my nephew, Bobby, coming out of the cave.
Sammy took Logan down to touch the water.
My brother-in-law, Keith, sweetly held Parker and took him down, too.
This is one of my favorite pictures. My nephew, Evan, loves horsing around with Parker. It’s cute how they play.
Who needs toys? We put the living room couches together and Parker would jump from one of the ledges into his cousins’ arms.
Our friends, Kat and Kevin, also came along. Here’s Kat next to my sister, Grace, and their dog Hunter.
Kat and Kevin let me take a picture of them kissing. I love how the cabana perfectly frames them.
The boys loved the fast slide! Check out the expression on my nephew, Grayson’s, face.
At the pool, Berry, my niece, gave Hunter a sweet kiss on the head.
After we put the kids to bed, the adults stayed up all night chatting away. It was a little hard for Sam to get up the next morning. Here’s Logan giving him a wake-up cuddle.
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