Thank you to Terranea Resort for hosting my stay. All opinions are my own - as always!

Tucked away above coastal bluffs on the Palos Verdes Peninsula you’ll find one of Los Angeles’s hidden gems - the stunning Terranea Resort. Eddie and I had the pleasure of a lil staycation weekend at this slice of heaven, and we fell in love hard. From the drool-worthy restaurants, the beautiful landscaping, and oh those ocean views - we felt so lucky to be able to experience such a magical place together. Sharing my photo diary of our stay below!

When we first walked into our room, my jaw pretty much hit the floor. Waiting on the bed were all of these beautiful, thoughtful gifts from brands the resort partners with. Can you even?! Basically pinched myself 24/7 during this stay.

The jungley ocean view from our balcony. The room was so lovely, we were very happy here. Eddie and I freshened up and then headed over to one of the resort’s restaurants, Mar'sel.

In all honesty, I think this was the most special, beautiful meal I’ve ever enjoyed. I actually cannot say enough good things about our experience here - it was an absolute dream! From the ocean view as the sun set, to our WONDERFUL server who was such a delight, to the dishes themselves. So stunningly plated and DELISH, I felt like I was on an episode of Chef’s Table! It’s a meal I won’t ever forget.

Even the desert was darling. I mean COME ON! All the heart eyes.

Learning about the resort’s sustainability practices and green measures made me love this place even more. The resort collaborates with Chefs to End Hunger, a non-profit organization that redistributes prepared food (that would normally be thrown out) to local food agencies serving meals to those in need. I learned Terranea also donates partially used toiletries left in guestrooms to the Midnight Mission in Downtown Los Angeles. Just a couple examples of how they give back while simultaneously creating less waste. Such a win-win.

In the morning before meeting the resort’s resident falconer Joe, I was on our balcony eating breakfast when a large seagull flew over and landed quite near me, hoping to snag some food. I saw Joe down near the pool a few minutes later - he called up “Sorry about that gull! I’ve got my eye on him” Uhhh amazing!! Joe flies his falcons, hawks, and owls around the property which scares off the gulls, ethically discouraging pesky birds from taking over the grounds and annoying guests.

Seeing these beautiful birds up close was so dang cool.

One of my fave things about the resort is their Farm-To-Terranea program. The chefs all celebrate the natural surroundings of the coast, harvesting things like Meyer lemons from on-site lemon trees, herbs and vegetables grown on-site, pressing olive oil from local olives, collecting fresh eggs from the resort chickens, and gathering and producing sea salt at Terranea’s Sea Salt Conservatory. It was at this darling lil greenhouse that we got to attend a Sea Harvest Workshop with Executive Chef Bernard Ibarra. What a GEM he is. So talented and passionate about his work, it was really an honor to hear him speak.

He created each of these beautiful bites for us to pair with the different sea salts he creates. With the help of his staff, Chef Ibarra brings buckets of local seawater from the ocean to the conservatory (a natural evaporation greenhouse that the Chef created through lots of trial and error) that produces high-quality sea salt.

These small bites were absolutely amazing - they included kelp salad with sea salt, strawberries with pinor noir sea salt, dark chocolate with kelp sea salt, and more.

It takes around three to five weeks for the seawater in the conservatory to become salt. Environmental factors, like the sun, wind, fog or rain directly affect how quickly or slowly the water evaporates.

Many thanks to the Chef for such a special, unique experience.

Eddie and I went on beautiful walks along the bluff paths overlooking the ocean throughout the weekend. So peaceful! Those views.

Lunch at Nelson’s was super yummy - as if there was any question bahahaa. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, surrounded by outdoor fire pits, plants, and ocean views.

After a lovely spa day and hanging by the pool, we enjoyed dinner at solviva. I learned that all the dishes are created with the goal of benefiting the body and the mind, using nutrient-rich ingredients and locally/ sustainably grown produce. Yes plz!

We also got to meet with Terranea’s Sustainability Leader, Lauren Bergloff, for a lovely nature walk. Learning more about the plants, wildlife, and green measures at the resort was so interesting! The resort is very committed to minimizing its environmental footprint through eco-friendly practices, including improving wildlife habitats and enhancing local water quality. I love this place.

On our last day we were treated to the brunch buffet at Catalina Kitchen - holy moly! Literally anything you could ever dream from a buffet, including caviar and crab legs. Can you even? Nom nom nom.