Finally Fulfilling A Requirement Of Mine

I finally ventured to Terranea this morning for a walk to see what the resort and its environs are like.

I was an outspoken opponent to the Transitory Occupancy Tax Rebate that was debated then abandoned for Terranea when it was learned that the resort's lenders would not allow the rebate.

I also opined that the Terranea Resort was not built for folks like me.

I feel both right and wrong about that now.

The actual Resort is probably too pricey for 'regular' folks like me but there are some great adventures to be had by members of the public and some less unreasonable prices for food and beverages, than there first appeared to be.

For the public and Resort guest alike, the grounds, paths, and accesses are probably the best along the West Coast, as far as resorts go, in my opinion.

I have been to other resorts along the California Coast and Terranea offers more visual and walking opportunities AND public beach access than resorts like found south of us.

On July 4, there were no parking spaces available and the roadways around Terranea were filled with parked cars, where legal and all types of folks were heading to the paths, beach, Resort, and public areas.

After Terri and I found no place at the Resort to park, we opted to have our Monday morning walk take place at Terranea and that was accomplished after finding plenty of parking spaces, this morning.

All the folks we saw looked 'regular' to me but by looking at the Resort's parking lot as opposed to the public parking spaces, it is clear that my Element is out of its element in the Resort's guest parking lot.

I was very delighted to see some better prices at Nelson's the bar/cafe overlooking the bluff on the west side of the Resort.

$8 for a glass of wine beats what we read about last year. Sure there are glasses or cups of wine beginning at $13 but that would be true for any eatery that sells wine.

A hamburger is $9 and fries are $6 at Nelson's. I don't feel that is too high for a Resort of Terranea's class.

I think Terri and I will have a meal at Nelson's in the future. Whether I will take in a Sunday Brunch is another matter, at this point.

Right now we both feel that having Terranea is a plus for us, our community, guests, and 'regular' folks who can enjoy Terranea without spending a fortune.

The staff treated us like guests of the resort and that made us 'tourists' feel welcome.

If our City Council and the folks at Terranea have the opportunity to revisit the topic of a rebate on the Transitory Occupancy Tax, I doubt I would be as opposed as I have been in the past.

But since it appears that Terranea is being marketed as successful so far and conferences and guest rooms don't seem to have the vacancy of a Resort in great peril of survival, our city and the infrastructure necessary to allow guests and others to enjoy Terranea is something that needs further discussion.

We drove over a freshly repaved section of Palos Verdes Drive South in the slide area and the constant slippage and roadway repairs still cost our taxpayers. So it needs to be a consideration, in my opinion, that businesses that have guests and others traveling over that same road surface should help to maintain it, don't you think?

Yes, it probably took too long for me to visit Terranea. But the first visit is in the bag and was a positive experience for Terri and I and we both can now go forth and support keeping Terranea open for guests and the public to enjoy.