Hello everyone!
We just got back from San Diego a few days ago. It was an incredible experience. If you haven’t been, I hope you make it soon – it’s property you won’t want to miss.
Thursday
Thursday morning my wife Julia and I arrived at the Indianapolis airport around 7AM to catch our 8:30 AM flight. The airport is starting to look a little more back to normal and after getting a quick coffee and snack, we were on our way to San Diego. After a lay-over in Denver and a 1-hr shuttle ride provided by Harrah’s, we were at the property, Harrah’s Southern California (formerly Rincon).
We were greeted upon arrival by our guests Irma, Darline, Phai, and Alisha, who helped set up a fantastic welcome dinner and drink get together and was available to all of our guests with us on the trip.
We were fortunate enough to be provided a beautiful room that included a balcony and patio, and a spectacular master bathroom. It’s been around five years since I was last in Southern California, but all the finishes in the room made it feel less than a year old. After dropping our bags in our room, Julia and I made a quick pit-stop to the poolside bar to taste test a margarita (strictly for business). We can confirm margaritas taste best poolside. I can also confirm their drinks tasted good poolside all weekend as well.
Later that afternoon we met all of our guests for a fantastic dinner that included steak, chicken, steak, shrimp, and everything in between. Our hosts gave us a few announcements from our host regarding our trip and upcoming excursions and I met a few of our guests I hadn't seen that day.
Friday
Julia and I woke up early and after getting a coffee at the Starbucks just off the elevator bank, we went outside for a morning walk on the trail behind the property.
Stepping out on the trail with a coffee in hand in the early brisk morning and taking a deep breathe outside took me back to when Julia and I lived in California our first few years out of college. The scent is earthy, warm and refreshing – after taking it in for a minute, we were on our way. The trail goes back ~1.5 miles, and makes for a perfect 45 minute stroll before getting the morning started.
After catching up on a few emails and private yoga lesson from Julia on the patio (I’ll spare you the photos), we headed to the pool. Harrah’s Southern California’s outdoor area really makes for a great way to catch a little fresh air and enjoy the sun. They have a few different small pools tailored to different preferences (lazy river, poolside bar, and a quieter pool), overall, we really enjoyed the area and think you will too.
Friday for brunch/lunch we swung over to the 'Ritas Cantina for an awesome shrimp salad
Friday night we enjoyed an awesome meal at ‘Ritas Cantina (starting to see a trend?), took a stroll through the casino, and called it a night.
Saturday
Saturday morning we met at 8:30 AM to go on our newest excursion – Whale Watching in the Harbor. Our group of twenty or so met in the lobby for our shuttle transportation and boarded the Hornblower.
We were fortunate to have beautiful weather and it really did feel incredible to get take in the fresh open air. Before we left, tour guides spoke with everyone about the grey whale migration, and what we could expect to see that day.
The excursion took us out for approximately an hour each way, and we were lucky enough to see a few pods of dolphins, and a few whales at the end! Our captain told us all about the Grey whale migration.
I really do think that our host Irma’s unique whale calls really helped them find our boat. Irma and I spread some love to the other ships and we finished up around 1PM.
The guests who didn’t join us for Whale Watching either went on a Harbor Tour, or Trolley Tour, and after we’d all finished out tour, we met at Bali Hai for an excellent polynesian lunch overlooking the harbor (known for strong Mai Tais), and were on our way home.
Saturday night we played a little video poker and called it early. Whale watching is exhausting work!
Sunday
Sunday I was up a little earlier than usual, and took a walk with some coffee and took photos of the property. My goal by the end of this walk is to really feel like I understand the ins and outs of a property after I’ve hosted there for the first time.
There’s something very nostalgic about capturing photos of place I know my parents and so many of you have known and love well before I joined the company. This is something I usually do solo on each trip and is one of my favorite things to do. I put some good music on my headphones, find some great photo spots, and really get a chance to take in the entire property while I look for the best vantage point for pictures.
I started in the casino, and for those who haven’t been, there are a TON of options for all kinds of players.
There’s hundreds and hundreds of slot banks of varying denominations, with a ton of variations of popular games like Wheel of Fortune, Buffalo Gold, Lightning Link, Quick Hits, everything else you know and love.
In between the slot banks are the table games, and the entire casino floor is surrounded by the restaurants available on property, video poker bars, and a Top Golf Swing Suite.
Harrah’s Southern California also offers tons of daily events like gift drawings, progressive drawings, and more.
I took walked outside, snapped a few more pictures, and met Julia on the trail to start walking off the gallon of guacamole we finished off at ‘Ritas the night before.
Shortly afterwards, we went to (you guessed it) ‘Ritas for brunch! In fairness, 'Ritas has great mexican food, and outdoor seating. After being inside all winter, it really did feel great to get a few meals outdoors.
We took it easy the rest of the day, I watched some golf and Julia finished up a book. Later that evening we had a drink and played some video poker, and afterwards we went to Fiore’s Steakhouse for an excellent dinner (we tried a little bit of everything, it was all great), and split some wine. All in all, a great way to wrap the trip up
Monday
Monday morning we met the shuttle around 8:30 AM, and we were on our way home.
Summary
For those who haven’t been, join us in the future. Harrah’s Southern California offers all the great perks and standards the Caesars brand upholds, but also has a unique personal feeling that makes it feel special every time. I can’t say how much I enjoyed the property – it truly does have something to offer for everyone. All the meals we ate were great, andI look forward to trying the ones I didn’t catch this time in the future (Oyster Bar, KJ Chinese Restaurant, Che Bello). Our groups typically go in March and October – keep an eye out for future invites. If you’re looking to book an Individual Trip, give us a call and we can help guide you on that process as well.