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Splashes, the resort's signature beachside restaurant helmed by Executive Chef Ron Fougeray, features fresh coastal fare and locally sourced ingredients. Crowning the dining room is a fanciful sculpture by artist Dale Chihuly inspired by the sea, crafted of hundreds of glass-blown elements. Breakfast favorites include the Laguna burrito, the Emerald Bay smoothie, and Tres Leches French Toast. Bluefin tuna crudo, burgers, flatbreads, and salads are on the lunch menu. Dinner offerings range from seared king salmon to flat iron steak frites. Guests can also sample light bites and sip signature cocktails at the seaside Splashes Bar and Bella Vista Terrace. I took a dip in the swimming pool overlooking the surf, enjoyed a relaxing massage and steam in the renovated Aquaterra Spa, and browsed the shops in Laguna Beach. It was the perfect getaway. 888.579.8544, surfandsandresort.com I ended my road trip at Pendry Newport Beach, a stylish urban resort within easy walking distance of Fashion Island's shops and restaurants. Every detail of this 20-story high-rise resort is high end, from its 295 guest rooms and suites, many with coastal views, to its sophisticated dining options, overseen by Culinary Director Ben Martinek. e centerpiece of the sophisticated Bar Pendry lounge and restaurant is a luminous bar capped by a canopy. Clique Hospitality's SET Steak & Sushi serves modern American classics, including prime meats and local, sustainable seafood in the attractive dining room and outside on the garden terrace. San Diego's Andy Masi co-founded Clique, and Chef JoJo Ruiz, who has partnered with Masi on Lionfish and Serea restaurants in San Diego and Coronado, co-designed SET's sustainable menu with Executive Chef James Jung. Guests can also lounge by the swimming pool and enjoy a light lunch, snacks, and sips that include the "Newport Mai Tai" at the Tree Shack Pool Bar & Grill. e members-only Elwood Club includes the casual Living Room with a fireplace, comfortable seating, and even a golf simulator. ere are also meeting rooms and a sophisticated lounge offering cocktails and live music. I especially enjoyed the club's Viamara, a coastal- inspired indoor-outdoor restaurant serving modern Italian cuisine, which is open to registered guests (a limited number of reservations are also available for non-hotel guests). e menu includes antipasti, pasta, pizza, hearth-roasted branzino, chicken piccata, and bistecca Fiorentina, a 22-ounce bone-in prime ribeye. Pendry Newport Beach also has a 24/7 fitness center and a spa offering facials, body treatments, and even a cryotherapy chamber designed to boost circulation and reduce muscle and joint pain. 949.688.8001, pendry.com I headed back to San Diego feeling rejuvenated and relaxed after my road trip along the coast, and look forward to my next adventure in the O.C. detour destinations << TOP At Surf & Sand Laguna Beach, a custom Chihuly chandelier sculpture crowns the redesigned Splashes, the resort's signature, seaside restaurant MIDDLE Guests can take a dip in Pendry Newport Beach's expansive pool and enjoy light bites and libations at the Tree Shack Pool Bar & Grill BOTTOM The private Elwood Club at Pendry Newport Beach offers stunning spaces to meet, dine, and drink, as well as resort-wide discounts and complimentary amenities ranchandcoast.com 92 JULY 2026 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE