We had planned our COVID-safe getaway weekend at Terranea Resort for months. The resort is a favorite of ours and a perfect escape via roadtrip to the seaside destination of Rancho Palos Verdes near LA. It’s a sprawling resort set along the rocky cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. In the summer Terranea’s postcard-perfect views are quintessentially Southern California. And during a stormy weekend in November, we found ways to enjoy our rainy day vacation at a beach resort.
Essentially, we found a whole other side of Terranea to love.
Stormy seas are a wonder to watch from the cozy interior of a resort hotel room.The weather report started to predict a cold and wet weekend beginning several days before our arrival at Terranea Resort. Our thoughts about early morning beach walks and warm sunbathing by the pool were dashed. However, our plans were not. We still wanted to safe escape for a weekend at Terranea Resort, away from crowds and germs. And are so glad we did! Who knew a beachfront resort could be so amazing on a rainy weekend?
10 Ways to Enjoy a Rainy Day Vacation at a Beach Resort
It doesn’t rain often in California, and when it does we welcome it. After a long, dry summer and our share of wildfires, California needed the rain. As it turns out, so did we.
When we arrived down the long driveway at Terranea flanked by twisting coral trees, it was already blustery and the sky was spritzing lightly. It was a good thing we were staying in one of Terranea’s oceanview casitas, because we could drive right up and park in front of our room to unload our things. We left the car just as the skies opened up a little more, and settled into our casita to relax before dinner.
Early morning near the front entrance of Terranea Resort & Spa.The whole weekend was like that, really. It was a series of ventures into the gorgeous environments of the Terranea grounds, and then back into our rooms. We felt socially distanced yet pampered, esconced in luxury and fortified by privacy.
And we found 10 ways to enjoy a rainy day vacation at a beach resort.
It was heaven.
A Rainy Day Vacation at a Beach Resort
Here are 10 ways to enjoy it!
1. Choose the right beach resort.
The weather can be unpredictable, so you may be planning a sunny beach vacation and end up with rain. Or vice versa. So best to choose a resort that will be great for either. We chose Terranea Resort because it’s gorgeous in any weather, right on the coast and offers plenty of ways to enjoy your time there. And if it rains, there is a gorgeous view to take in the rolling clouds and stormy seas.
In between storm clouds are always bits of sun and blue skies.2. Cocoon in the room.
When you choose the right hotel, cocooning in the room can be a true pleasure. I mean, how often do you have the time to do nothing? It’s a true luxury to have nothing but time to relax, nap, watch trashy reality TV shows, read. This is your opportunity to Netflix and Chill in the most comfortable of surroundings. Complete with no To-Do lists or responsibilities.
3. Get room service.
If it’s rainy and stormy you may not be interested in leaving the room for meals. So order the meals to be delivered to you. Room service is one of life’s luxuries you can only enjoy in a nice hotel. At resorts like Terranea, room service is brought to a whole new level. Whatever time it is, whatever you are hungry for, ordering food and drinks to the room is a great way to ride out the storm. Happy and will a full tummy, that is.
Comfort food was on the menu for us, room service or restaurant.4. Visit the spa.
The resort spa is like an enclave within an enclave. It’s a retreat where guests can unwind beyond the bounds of their normal lives. When visiting on a rainy weekend, the spa can be even more amazing. Most resort spas offer a full range of amenities when you book a service. I love a good massage, and all the other amazing things that go with it like dry and steam sauna, hot tub, and detoxification and body centering experiences. When I’m in the spa, I couldn’t care less whether it’s raining or not.
Nothing better than spa treatments on a rainy California weekend.5. Go for a rain-filled walk.
Sometimes it’s nice to just let go and be free. To feel the rain falling on you and to just not care. At a beach resort you can walk along the beach, up across the cliffs, or along the paths that wind through the grounds. Whatever you fancy, the water will still fall on your head and it will be the best feeling ever! Then you can go back to the room, get out of those wet clothes, and cozy up. Just another way to enjoy a rainy day vacation at a beach resort.
The rocky California coastline sitting beside Terranea Resort is a great place for a walk – rain or shine.6. Take a bath.
After that walk in the rain, a nice hot bath feels amazing. In our suite at Terranea, the bathroom was enormous and featured an enormous soaking tub that was calling to me. Filled to the brim with mercifully warm water infused with bath salts, the tub provides another relaxing cocoon. Have a soak as you plan what comes next in your rainy weekend.
7. Find a cozy fireplace.
Whenever it rains or storms, fireplaces gather people like moths to a flame. If your suite at the resort comes with a fireplace, you can wrap yourself up in a soft blanket and watch the fire. Maybe set up a nice blanket fort in front of the fire for the kids, or for yourself. Get some of that room service food and have a picnic on the floor in front of the fire or ??? And even if your room is fireless, there is always the lobby fireplace or the firepits most resorts now feature around their grounds.
Fireplaces in hotel lobbies are gathering spots for warmth when the storms blow in.8. Dine in a fancy restaurant.
Rain or shine, a great way to enjoy a rainy day vacation at a beach resort is to enjoy a delicious meal in their signature restaurant. Get yourself all dolled up, put on that smoking hot outfit, call for an umbrella and take yourselves out for a nice meal. Ask for a table by the window so you can enjoy the night as the weather continues. Maybe there will be a lightening show or the dance of the rains for entertainment as you enjoy your meal.
The patio at Mar’sel Restaurant at Terranea is a beautiful place for fine dining with a spectacular view – on a sunny day. (photo credit: Terranea Resort)9. Do an art project
Many resorts have on-property art classes and other activities for guests. Art is one of those pastimes guests can do day or night, rain or sun. Yes, plein air painting is meant to be done outside where you can be inspired by the gorgeous beachfront landscapes. But many forms of art can be created inside on a rainy day, including mandala painting. At Terranea, the resort offers a class on painting the design of mandalas on round stones.
There is something very calming about painting Mandala designs on round stones. (photo: simonapilolla)10. Play a game
Where your family is into board games, card games or video games, it’s a great activity to do together on a rainy day. We have always loved Uno and usually have a card deck or two with us at all times for entertainment. Personally I love to play Hearts, but my family won’t play with me anymore because they say I am too ruthless. Sigh. If you are playing alone, there is always solitaire!
More About Terranea Resort
Cozy Oceanfront Casita
Terranea Resort is deceivingly large. The scale of the property is so vast that the buildings which house the guest rooms, amenities, spa and restaurants are dotted along the cliffside. The resort hotel houses some 360 guest rooms, and we were fortunate to be placed in one of the 36 oceanfront casitas separated from the primary buildings. This positioning made us feel safe from concerns of close proximity to other guests. It was also supremely quiet and we felt like we were having. singular experience for our rainy day vacation at a beach resort.
Our casita was sprawling by hotel standards (nearly 2,000 square feet!), with an enormous master bedroom and bath, living room, dining room, kitchen and two outdoor living spaces – front and back patios. In the adjoining room, the girls had a large space with two queen beds and enormous bathroom. Quite honestly, this was enough space to make a family happy as a primary residence.
The kitchen was fully outfitted with refrigerator, stove and oven, microwave, dishwasher and all the materials needed to make meals onsite. There was even a washer and dryer (which we happily used to dry some rain-soaked clothes).
Our oceanfront casita had amazing views of the stormy California coast.Cocooning in the Room
All this comfort made it quite easy to weather the storm. We cared little about the thunder, lightening and rain as we nestled on the couch watching movies on demand. The gas fireplace didn’t hurt either, adding warmth and ambience to our cozy little fort.
We did venture out for dinner on Friday night, braving a raindrop or two. But on Saturday, we ordered breakfast from room service and hardly left the room all day!
Triton and I remarked how this would never happen at home. Despite a rainy day, we would have a list of chores to run, projects around the house, things to do and people to see. During our weekend at Terranea Resort, we had none of these responsibilities. It was like forced relaxation, and we eased into the feeling with abandon.
Even the rain clouds allow a colorful sunset along the California coast.For More Information on Terranea Resort
If you are interested in knowing more about Terranea Resort during sunny summer days, read our story about our relaxing family vacation at Terranea.
