A SoCal Palos Verdes Escape with Falcons and Arrows

By R. Daniel Foster

In the five months since the pandemic hit, I hadn’t driven more than five miles from my 550-square foot Los Angeles apartment. It was the heat of summer and air conditioning is worthless in my 1926 flat.

After two days of record-setting fatalities, California was nearing 9,000 COVID-related deaths.

Still, I needed out. I craved fresher air, wider spaces, and more expansive vistas than what gritty Hollywood, two miles west, could offer.

It was time to travel, even if that meant venturing 30-miles from my home instead of five. I sorely miss international travel –– my last trip was in January, to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Now, driving 30-miles felt like high adventure.

Of course, I looked to the ocean –– what better escape than the Pacific where dolphins and whales know nothing about coronavirus.

I set my eye 30 miles south to hilly Palos Verdes Peninsula, which juts out into the Pacific interrupting an otherwise smooth Southern California coastline.

The 14-acre sub-region hosts ten nature reserves and 22 trails, many of them fingered along rugged coastal cliffs.

Terranea –– a great place to get in 10,000 steps a day

I checked in to Terranea Resort on a Monday morning for a two-night stay. Opened in 2009, Terranea occupies prime Palos Verdes land; its 102-acres hug the Pacific with ocean views from nearly every corner.

I chose the 582-room resort exactly for that kind of expanse and pandemic-friendly open-air feel.

I’ll also note that the resort is 50 miles southwest of the Bobcat fire that has burned about 30,000 acres in the Angeles Forest. As of mid-September, 2020, air quality in all of Southern California is rated as “unhealthy” because of the smoke.

Terranea is known as a walking resort (although shuttles are available). I easily clocked five miles a day just hiking around the place –– exploring a rocky beach, learning archery and falconry, hiking coastal trails and strolling to the property’s four restaurants with outdoor ocean-view dining (even without a pandemic, who would ever want to eat indoors there?)

Terranea’s Bird Mafia

Terranea’s Falconry experience is among its biggest draws –– headed by resident falconer Joe Roy III. The program discourages seagulls, ravens, crows and pigeons from despoiling the vast grounds (and your dinner). Roy’s birds don’t actually attack birds, they just put the fear of God in them –– and that they do.

As Roy took a sleek peregrine falcon named Shaman out of his cage, he pointed to a flock of spooked crows. The birds knew that the winged mafia was in town, as one falconer puts it. Roy’s cadre of three falcons, two hawks and an owl are endlessly fascinating to guests –– families often stopped us, wanting to snap a photo and ask questions. A private falconry experience with Roy is priced at $125.

Roy acquired his passion for the birds at nine years old –– a neighbor falconer invited him to tag along one day.

Roy released Shaman into the sky from the edge of a Terranea parking lot; we walked to a nearby knoll where the birder would call him back within about 30 minutes.

We tracked the falcon on Roy’s GPS-enabled iPad. He circled high over the Pacific and then over Nelson’s restaurant (a popular day-tripper site on the grounds –– it’s as close to the ocean as you’ll get without traipsing to the resort’s beach cove).

Shaman usually flies for about an hour, sometimes rocketing as fast as 90 miles-an-hour –– and he has a range of about 20 miles. Post-flight, he pecked at a tasty quail held in Roy’s gloved hand.

Tomahawk and Olwbert

Next, Roy released Tomahawk ––  you guessed it, he’s a hawk. “He’ll be following us, tree to tree –– it’s much like walking a dog off-leash,” Roy said.

After a half-hour of bird walking, Roy brought out “Owlbert,” a Eurasian eagle-owl (he and other birds were in cages stashed in Roy’s roomy auto). It occurred to me I had never seen an owl this close up –– Owlbert was gorgeous, with orange eyes that seemed to hypnotize.

The big bird is used for educational talks, although resident owls nightly snatch up the ubiquitous rabbits and bunnies that hop around the resort (I spotted five one morning on a single lawn. Poor things, most of them were probably toasted within a day).

Roy and Owlbert are pair-bonded –– for life, a mating trait among owls, but not necessarily shared by men. “He thinks of me as his mate,” Roy explained. “In springtime, he’ll court me with food offerings and sometimes a fancy dance –– it’s quite flattering.”

Fun fact: Roy is allergic to birds, at least when he eats them.

“I get super bad indigestion and heart burn –– it’s really uncomfortable,” Roy said. “Otherwise, I’m a hard core carnivore.”

The resort’s famed underwater TV past

Many believe Disneyland to be California’s first major theme park. But a year before Disneyland launched in 1955, “Marineland of the Pacific” opened on the land Terranea now occupies.

At the time, the ocean-perched park was the world’s largest oceanarium. It was famous –– and now infamous –– for its performing Orca “killer whales.” The park shuttered in 1987.

The site is renown in other ways: “Sea Hunt” starring Lloyd Bridges (1958-1961) –– an underwater action-adventure series –– was filmed in and around the Terranea site and the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean” and TV show “Charlie’s Angeles” were partly filmed there.

Lloyd Wright’s glass wonder

Some of Palos Verdes’ star attractions are closed because of the pandemic, including the 1951 Wayfarers Chapel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son, Lloyd. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the glass and wood wonder is used by the Swedenborgian Church (5755 Palos Verdes Dr.)

The Point Vicente lighthouse, just north of Terranea, is also closed, but you can get fairly close to the 1926 structure since it’s surrounded by Point Vicente Park.

I took a stroll there, and the view of the 67-foot-tall lighthouse was actually pretty grand –– still, I’ll go back in better times to climb the structure’s circular stairs (31550 Palos Verdes Drive). Both sites are within a five-minute drive of Terranea.

The ocean-side park has great views of leaping dolphin pods, and if you’re lucky, you’ll spot migrating whales. Pack a picnic –– there are tables or you can just spread a blanket on the lush grass. There’s also an interpretive center in the park –– alas, also now temporarily closed (30940 Hawthorne Blvd.)

A lighthouse haunting

Along a coastal bluff trail just north of Terranea, you’ll spot a plaque titled, “Lady of the Lighthouse.” Yes, there’s lore associated with the structure (as with all hauntingly beautiful lighthouses).

After World War II, a slender woman in a trailing gossamer gown was seen walking the tower’s catwalk as well as nearby cliffs. The legend: she accidentally fell as her lighthouse keeper-husband tended the light that penetrates 20 miles out to sea.

Palos Verde’s trails, Nature reserves, and Stair Climbs

Since the peninsula’s major draws were shuttered, I mainly stuck to Terranea’s grounds, although I also took a day hike at the Portuguese Bends Nature Reserve, located just northeast, a ten-minute drive away (just past Del Cerro Park at 2 Park Place).

The 399-acre reserve has expansive ocean views and treks that lead out from high bluffs down to nearer the ocean. During summer months, the trails are fairly dried out. Try it in spring when paths pop with yellow –– most of them are lined with brassica nigra, or black mustard, a non-native herb that’s so invasively persistent, naturalists gave up trying to eliminate it decades ago (it makes for stunning photos, however).

Explore this extensive site detailing the Palos Verdes trail system and its ten nature reserves.

There’s also some challenging stair climbs on the peninsula (I love stair climbs). In fact, while doing research on peninsula stair climbs, I stumbled upon a site listing the world’s “major outdoor public stairways.” What a find! Click on the “maps” link in the site’s left column (it’s colored hot pink). The United States is heavily represented, but there are also numerous other countries listed.

Palos Verdes is home to two stair climbs: the Arriba Path Stairs (141 steps) and the Buena Path Stairs (125 stairs).

Several hundred fire pits

Terranea’s airy lobby is fronted by a circular drive and fountain, and just beyond the lobby, there’s a wide ocean-view deck with fire lines (the resort has 228 fire pits and fireplaces). It’s a great hangout for an evening cocktail. There are seemingly innumerable spots within the resort for that drink, including chairs set amid emerald lawns overlooking the Pacific.

I avoided the resort’s four pools –– even with pandemic-mandated lowered capacity, they struck me as too bustling for my taste. I craved isolation and with 102-acres to roam, it wasn’t hard to find.

The room run-down

A facial recognition screen greets guests at Terranea’s front desk, relaying one’s body temperature (mine was a chill 97.3 degrees). The main hotel has 356 rooms, which includes 31 suites. They’re all well-appointed and include balconies –– obviously, ask for one overlooking the Pacific.

For those wanting to avoid elevators and long indoor hallways –– a clear downside to staying at the main hotel during a pandemic –– there are 50 three-bedroom ocean view casitas and 32 luxury villas that top out at nearly 3,000 square feet. Twenty two-bedroom bungalows include a spa and are tricked out with fitness amenities –– all adjacent to the 50,000 square foot spa and fitness center, temporarily closed.

Room rates range from the low $400s (discounts can be had via promos) to nearly $4,000 for top suites. Bungalows, casitas, and villas range from about $1,300 to $2,600. The resort fee is $25 per night and overnight parking, $40 per night.

Pandemic precautions

Although face masks are mandated in the hotel and all public areas, there’s always a few scofflaws. I spotted a few in the lobby and while waiting for the elevator. This is not indicative of Terranea, but of the American public in general. You’ll find this at any U.S. resort, even a pricier one like Terranea –– it’s unfortunately unavoidable. So, if you take extra precautions like me, a casita, bungalow or villa is probably a better bet.

Terranea closed for three months when the pandemic hit and opened again in late June. Guests now receive disposable masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer upon check-in, and the resort implemented the industry-wide “Safe Stay” initiative. Currently, restaurants only offer outdoor dining; carryout is available poolside and for outdoor picnic areas.

Ocean-side archery

The resort has a full menu of adventure activities (there’s also a golf course): from guided coastal hikes, archery, ocean kayaking, whale watching and falconry to horseback riding, helicopter tours, plein air painting and my favorite (although I didn’t imbibe): “Mandalas & Margaritas” guided by a “spiritual wellness coach.”

“Reflect upon your life journey while painting your own unique mandala stone … while enjoying a refreshing ocean side margarita,” reads the course description. Only in California.

I chose archery, which did not include drinks –– a safe bet.

The course is set up at the resort’s rocky beach located in a cove. Don’t look for any sandy beaches here –– the nearest is a 25-minute drive north at Redondo Beach.

The father and son team of Bob and Carter Merchant run the resort’s archery program.

It had been a few decades since I strung an arrow, but the duo set me up and within ten minutes, I struck at least the outer target rings.

A half-hour later, I twice in a row pierced a Styrofoam apple they had placed on a zombie’s head (it was a dummy). Given that performance and realizing I was ahead, I called it quits. They were impressed.

“None of our guests have ever done that,” said Bob Carter.

Granted, the course wasn’t paired with margaritas, so I can’t really boast much.

I did have a marg later that night at Bashi, a pool-side restaurant. It’s known for its sushi, but I had the shaking beef (also excellent) and Bashi’s signature miso whiskey bread pudding.

The downside: you’ll hear the endless “MARCO POLO! shouts coming from the pool (the resort is uber family-friendly) and a trail of guests walking a path that edges the restaurant can be a bit distracting.

For more elegant dining, the resort’s Mar’sel, is located a bit higher up and of course, has unobstructed ocean views.

Check out Palos Verdes Land Conservancy with events and info on native plants and walks.

Terranea Resort 100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275 / (855) 938-4047

R. Daniel Foster is an award-winning filmmaker, documentarian, and writer whose essays and articles are regularly published in the Los Angeles Times. He specializes in world culture and image. www.rdanielfoster.com