10 Things to Love about the Palos Verdes Peninsula

http://parade.com/442141/jerylbrunner/10-things-to-love-about-the-palos-verdes-peninsula/
10 Things to Love about the Palos Verdes
Peninsula
DECEMBER 11, 2015 – 10:52 AM
It could be said that farming is in Bernard Ibarra’s DNA. Growing up on a farm on the
French side of the Basque country, his family heavily depended on the earth’s bounty
for sustenance. His mother taught him how to jar tomatoes and other produce. They
collected salt harvested from sea water and processed snails which they hunted.
“Food awakens all of your senses. Not only by eating it and how it tastes but also by
the way it is harvested and prepared,” says Ibarra.
That passion for cultivating the riches of the land and sea stayed with him. Now that he
is Executive Chef at Terranea Resort on 102 picturesque acres on the Palos Verdes
Peninsula he brings that same passion with him. Chef Ibarra established a sea salt
conservatory which sustainably harvests and creates Terranea’s own signature sea
salt. So you just might find him in his waders and chef coat at 6:30 a.m. hauling big
buckets of ocean water to make high-quality salt.
Chef Ibarra also employs over 120,000 bees as he harvests organic honey from
Terranea’s beehives. He painstakingly infuses flavors into both the salt and honey
using Meyer lemons and lavender grown on property. It really gives people a taste of
foods that are literally in Terranea’s backyard.
However, Chef Ibarra is just one of the many gems of Terranea Resort and the Palos
Verdes Peninsula 30 miles from Los Angeles. Nestled into the coastal bluffs, the evertransforming panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean also makes the place a standout.
Plus the sunsets add to the drama. Picture hues of purple and pink mixed with dim
light yellow. Against the backdrop of the ocean, framed by palm trees and mountain
ranges, it’s dazzling.
Click through the gallery to discover more about Terranea Resort and the Palos Verdes
Peninsula.
Go whale watching. Participants have been known to spot finned, gray, killer, humpback, finned and minke
whales. For their whale watches, Terranea partners with the Aquarium of the Pacific. The excursions are offered
daily and given in specially-designed fast catamaran boats.
Try kayorkeling, which combines kayaking and snorkeling right off the back of a kayak. Just in front of Terranea
is a marine preserve and kelp forest filled with wildlife. As guides navigate through different coastal areas
(including a cave), feel totally immersed in the marine culture which includes white striped bass, sea lions, and
dolphins.
A spa with a view
Learn about the Portuguese Bend Artist Colony. This community of artists are devoted to painting and
preserving the Portuguese Bend area on the Palos Verdes Peninsula near Terranea. The group paints en plein
air and focuses on capturing the region's beautiful undeveloped land and nature. With their art, they help share
the history of Palos Verdes and the peninsula. Also, Terranea features many of their pieces. The artists are
sometimes available for art classes.
The Firepit at Nelson's
Learn about the Portuguese Bend Artist Colony. This community of artists are devoted to painting and
preserving the Portuguese Bend area on the Palos Verdes Peninsula near Terranea. The group paints en plein
air and focuses on capturing the region's beautiful undeveloped land and nature. With their art, they help share
the history of Palos Verdes and the peninsula. Also, Terranea features many of their pieces. The artists are
sometimes available for art classes.
Chef Bernard Ibarra and his Beehives
Chef Bernard Ibarra
Don't leave without having one meal at Terranea's signature restaurant, mar'sel, The dramatic panoramic ocean
view is worth the visit (there's even a fire pit). However Chef Bernard Ibarra's cuisine is the draw. Taking full
advantage of the region's treasures, many of the dishes are made from foods grown or harvested in herb or
vegetable gardens on property or nearby. Meyer lemons come from the resort's lemon trees. mar'sel's di
stefano burrata is heavenly. The caramelized brussels sprouts are a dream.
The Falconry Program at Terranea
Explore the nature preserve. The front of the resort contains a two mile nature preserve which was created as a
habitat for two endangered species: the California Gnatcatcher, a low-nesting bird which has a protective call
that sounds almost like a cat meowing and the unique El Segundo blue butterfly. In fact, for a time scientists
thought this butterfly was extinct. The area is also a natural habitat for Peregrine falcons.
Visit the Wayfarers Chapel. Enveloped by the trees surrounding it, this magnificent glass church was masterfully
designed by architect Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright. His vision was to create a tree chapel or natural
sanctuary set in the forest surrounded by nature and light. The nondenominational chapel contains glass walls
and ceilings which magnifies the sunrise and the sunset. Inspired what he deems the "the great cathedrals of
redwood" in the Redwood Forest Lloyd Wright has said, "I wanted particularly to allow those trees and...trunks
to be seen and the space beyond and into infinity to be observed. So those who sat in the sanctuary would
perceive the grandeur of space out beyond and around them."
Terranea Sea Salt
Chef Ibarra produces sea salt in salt beds with water from the Pacific Ocean. He infuses the salt with a variety of flavors from
herbs grown on property. The harvested sea salt is Infused with either rosemary, lavender, Meyer lemon or smoked
Don't miss, Bashi, the resort's outstanding Asian-inspired restaurant from acclaimed Chef Bruce Nguyen which
celebrates the Japanese farming families who first settled in area in the early part of the 20th century. 17 sake
varieties and a vast selection of of Asian beers are an ideal match for dishes like sizzling shaking beef, hoisin
glazed spare ribs, Shanghai style garlic noodles, five-spice roasted duck salad and an assortment of sushi.
Terranea Hiking Trails
Hike on a trails to the Point Vicente Interpretive Center open daily from 11:00am to 5:00 p.m. (admission is free, donations are
accepted.) The American Cetacean Society has been conducting a whale census there for decades. They count thousands of whales
and observe their behavior during their annual migration from December through May. As they conduct a census of whales
passing through the Catalina Channel they answer questions and share observations. Watch gray whales migrate south from Alaska
to Baja Mexico. In the spring they head back north to Alaska.