Alright so what does an Ultra Cyclist do when he’s not riding his bike? EAT! Yes, that’s right– eat. And the good thing about being an Ultra Cyclist and having an insatiable appetite is that well… you can eat just about anything and not feel guilty.  But why just eat for the sake of eating? Why just eat to fill the void? From time to time it’s important to splurge and titillate  your palate and your other senses as well.  Such a plenary experience is what I wish to describe for you.

Today I had the good fortune of being a guest at the Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Coast. I have lived in Orange County since late 2007. I have trained numerous times on Newport Coast Dr. I have spent hours doing hill repeats on Newport Coast Dr. and the proximate hills.  But little did I know that such a beautiful resort was hidden away on the lower slopes of the local “hill repeat” hill.  I was invited onto the resort so that I could evaluate the feasibility of a partnership between Bike Religion and the Pelican Hill Resort.

I had lunch at the Colesium Pool & Grill restaurant. The ambiance was very relaxing and the vistas were spectacular. The first thing that caught my eye was the unobstructed view of  open ocean in front of me. Southern California is known for its blue skies and its moderate climate during the winter months and today’s weather didn’t disappoint. Next, after being in awe of the blue water and blue skies my eyes then focused on a perfectly landscaped golf course. The trees and the different hues of green defining the fairways from the greens are always striking and always soothing. I then brought my sights in closer until I was now looking at the largest salt water pool in the world.  The view was breathtaking.  It was so picturesque it was as if someone had painted it.   After lunch, as I was touring the grounds, I was told the pool had over 2,000,000 tiles (they’re little ones). Have fun checking the veracity of that claim 🙂

OK so the view was wonderful and the service was top-notch but how was the food?  I had a burger and fries.  Yes I know I said before that sometimes you have to splurge and I did really.  I had my burger with blue cheese.  The topping of blue cheese was crumbled and thick but not too much — no it was just enough.  My savory burger was cooked to perfection as in just as I ordered it.

I was taken on a short tour of the grounds and found everywhere I went that things were equally as elegant throughout the facility. I was taken to a cafe on an upper level that serves cold sandwiches, paninis and salads.  While at the cafe what tasty little treat did I discover?   The cafe serves homemade gelato!  Flavors such as Amaretto, Pistachio, Cookies and Cream, White Macadamia and of course the usual favorites; Strawberry, Vanilla and Raspberry are there to please your taste buds and cool you down under the heat of the mid-summer sun.

I strongly recommend visiting the Pelican Hill Resort.  I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of all the amenities the resort has to offer.  I hope to someday, very soon, explore more of the services of this extraordinary nook.  If you are curious what else the Pelican Hill Resort has in store for you here is the fact sheet.

Thank you for reading my blog.  I hope to bring to you more “place to go” entries in the future.   Ta Ta for now!