Rancho Bernardo Inn Resort & Spa | San Diego, California

On the morning I set out to explore, a thick fog enshrouded the grounds. The faint mist present in the air clung to my camera and clothing as I slowly meandered around the gardens. So much for the sunny San Diego California weather I envisioned beforehand. I won't complain because the misty morning added a layer of mystic to my early morning stroll. The only other people stirring at this hour of the morning (7am) were resort employees. I took this time to thoroughly soak up the surroundings while waiting for breakfast to begin.

It was easy to get wrapped up in the old-world décor they used to adorn inside and out. The exposed wooden ceiling beams added a richness to the atmosphere, and the cozy nooks scattered throughout created very inviting micro-environments to kick back or have a chat. I'm not accustomed to staying at resorts with luxurious accommodations like those found at the Rancho Bernardo Inn. I'm used to camping out and sleeping in a tent, actually. A far cry from the elegant escape that this inn offers. What I learned while I was there was that this Rancho Bernardo resort was more than just a place to turn in at the end of the day. Instead of merely being a place to sleep, it was more of a destination!

Not only do they offer deluxe guest rooms that are nicely decorated, they have a premier 27-hole golf course, a full-service spa, and various dining options with several on-site restaurants complete with a bar and coffee shop. They have everything you need and more at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego, CA; it almost seems as though they are trying to keep you there. Had Sony not already planned out my activities for the day, I would have found it hard to leave!

I only slept at the Rancho Bernardo Inn for a total of two nights. Even though I didn't get much sleeping done due to the jet lag, I still found the suite to be a nice place to unwind. The beds were extra cushy with super fluffy pillows, relaxing on the balcony was a special treat, and so was the super sized shower! I didn't have a whole lot of time to spend in my room, but it was comfy when I did have some downtime.

I felt very well-taken care of during my stay at the lodge. It was an incredibly beautiful resort with many different amenities to keep you occupied and satisfied no matter what you needed. Whether you are in the mood for a game of golf, a special spa treatment, posh accommodations, or a place to host an event or meeting, the Rancho Bernardo Inn Resort & Spa is a terrific place to stay for anyone looking for an upscale experience in San Diego, California. 

What did you think about the Rancho Bernardo after reading this post?

When you travel what accommodations do go for? Hotels? Hostels? 

Please share your thoughts!

Interested in finding out more about my trip to San Diego? 

Follow the links to find out more:

• 10 Reasons Why You Want to Win a Sony WX9: Detail about the new Sony camera I tested out.
• Oceanside Farmer's Market & Picnic: !Warning! This post will make you hungry :D
• Sony Foodie Sneak Peak: An Overview of my San Diego Trip and how I got there?!? 
• Find WW on Facebook for exclusive photos & videos not featured on the blog or anywhere else!

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Oceanside Farmer's Market & Picnic | Sony Foodie Blogger Event | San Diego, CA

{This post is part of a series outlining a recent trip I took to San Diego, California to take part in an event that Sony Electronics was hosting for food bloggers to test out the new Sony Cyber-shot WX9. All images within this post were taken with the new WX9 that will be released sometime in April.}

Before we began terrorizing vendors and their products, as if we were paparazzi looking to get paid, Chef Chris Ivens-Brown gave us a little insight into his philosophy and approach to cooking and preparing meals. He also shared additional information regarding his efforts to raise awareness to help consumers make more sustainable choices when selecting food, especially when it comes to seafood. It was refreshing to see a Chef, who's not just jumping on the slow food bandwagon, instead he's someone who is actually using his influence to make positive changes for a lasting impact. (I hope to share more about his efforts in a future post.)

Unleashing a group of food bloggers who were freshly gifted with shiny new Sony cameras on the Oceanside Farmer's Market was an extremely interesting experience to be a part of. People perusing the vendor-filled streets had an inkling that something was special about what we were doing, although they weren't exactly sure what we were up to. One giveaway, was that we all had the same point and shoot cameras in hand accompanied by the same wild look in our eye as we set out to capture images.

Catching so much attention from onlookers required me to field quite a few comments and questions from curious customers and vendors about our association with Sony, which also lead to spilling the beans about the new Sony Cyber-shot WX9 and the cool features we were testing out. My enthusiasm for this handy camera was extremely apparent as I explained my favorite modes, although the point was not for us to become new sales people for Sony, we were supposed to just have fun and take pictures. However, keeping quiet about the camera would have been very difficult to do given the circumstances.

We had about an hour to explore the market before we needed to meet back at the bus for the picnic lunch. I, of course, used that time to photograph a number of different things that caught my eye. The many flowers on display were my most favorite subject to capture, but I also enjoyed shooting the more unusual items discovered along the way, too. An interesting encounter that blew my mind were the Buddah Hand lemons, never have I seen a citrus fruit with tentacles before! They looked alien and super creepy.

The tastiest treat I sampled was the raw pickled garlic with cayenne pepper (pictured in the collage above). Luckily, a fellow blogger urged me to go back and try some before we left the market. I'm not one who typically likes raw garlic, but this combination was sooooooooo good. It only took me about 2 seconds to figure out that I needed to buy a jar to take home, especially since Cody enjoys eating raw garlic. I knew that he'd love this stuff. The jar is quickly dwindling!

After spending some time walking around the market, it was time to be taken to our ocean side picnic. As I mentioned in the sneak peek posted earlier in the week, this was not your typical picnic! Instead of blankets in the grass as I envisioned, we would be dining beneath shaded tents overlooking the ocean.

The food spread spanned two six foot tables that were covered with the most delicious looking food from end to end. Chef Chris Ivens-Brown thoroughly explained what each dish was before the bloggers began preparing their plates. There was barely any space left on my plate by the time I made it to the end of the table. It was too sad that I didn't leave any room for the cheese platter. It was a sacrifice that I chose to make, though. Besides, I was much more concerned about leaving room for dessert!

Although leaving room proved to be a lot more difficult than I anticipated after I began enjoying my meal. I scarfed down the Smoked Turkey Club with applewood smoked bacon, garlic aioli, and a cage free boiled egg. And the Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cake was also one of my favorite flavors along with the Cedar Wood Seared Wild Salmon. Truth be told, it was all delicious, and I wanted to eat more than I had room for!

{Click on this image to see the food tags}

At the end of the massive meal, I joked that it'd be awesome if I had a second stomach, so that I could keep going, but alas, I had to show some restraint. Although any little bit I did manage to exercise was pretty short-lived, because dessert was soon placed in front of my face. I heard the words Chocolate Molten Cookie come out of the chef's mouth, and I lost all control! Do you blame me?!? I didn't think so.

Amazing food, great company, and the beach in the background all converged to create an experience I felt extremely lucky to have been a part of. The coordinators of this event, Chef Chris' team and the Sony Staff, did a wonderful job of making it a memorable afternoon. It was hard to believe that the day wasn't over yet, either. We still had dinner at Sony Headquarters to look forward to, which totally blew this lunch out of the water! If you love food as much as I do, you won't want to miss the upcoming post I have in store for our dinner!! (Follow WW on Facebook to receive updates about new posts, recently added photos, and a giveaway that I'll be announcing soon!)

Which one of Chef Chris' dishes looked the most appetizing to you? Maybe you'd want to go light and sample the Grilled Vegetable Brushetta? Or, perhaps, you would skip the main course and go straight to dessert? If you share your thoughts, I may post a recipe or two!

If you enjoyed this post, I encourage you to hit the “Like” button and share with others. Thank you :D

Related Links:

• Sony Foodie Sneak Peak: An Overview of my San Diego Trip and how I got there?!?
• Video of Chef Chris Ivens-Brown: An overview of the dishes served at the picnic, you gotta love his accent :D

{VIDEO} Oceanside Picnic w/ Chef Chris Ivens-Brown | Sony Foodie Blogger Event | California

This video was taken as Chef Chris Ivens-Brown explained the dishes we would be sampling for lunch during the Sony Foodie Blogger picnic in San Diego, CA. It stinks that my camera battery died right before he was done, but this still gives you a great run down of what's in store. You can see this in HD on Facebook.

Want to see more?

 I'll be sharing the images from the Oceanside Farmer's Market and picnic this Sunday! Bring your appetite :D

 The details I have posted about the event so far can be found here: ow.ly/​4paGP

Sneak Peek | Sony Foodie Blogger Event | San Diego, CA

A completely random comment left on Sony Electronics Facebook page was the last thing I thought would lead me on a whirlwind adventure to a far-off land. Well, okay, it was only California, but it definitely seemed like it was on the other side of the globe after taking me such a lengthy time to get over there. Waking up 30 minutes late, hitting 40 minutes of traffic in Charlotte, and finding one of the only open parking spaces left at the very top of the 5^th floor of the deck were all part of why I missed my plane by a mere 5 minutes. What happened in between with standbys and disappointments doesn't really matter because I finally made it to my intended destination in time to enjoy some of the friendly company and tasty food at the welcome reception Sony was hosting for the guests of this event.

I barely had time to revel at the beauty of the lavish resort we were staying in, because I was mainly concerned with getting to the reception. The Rancho Bernardo Inn was gorgeously decorated with, what I could only describe as, country chic décor. On my first morning there, I woke up around 6:00am and set out to explore the grounds beyond the main areas. It was beautiful!

Our activities for the day started around 9:00am at breakfast. The group knew prior to arriving that we would be testing out a new camera that Sony will release sometime in April, the Cyber-shot WX9. Silver bags were awaiting us in the seats of our chairs. We didn't waste any time after announcements getting them out either. Nearly every person in the dining room had a camera in hand as they hovered over breakfast plates snapping shots and shooting HD video.

After stuffing ourselves at breakfast, we loaded up the charter bus for our field trip to the Oceanside Farmer's Market with Chef Chris Ivens-Brown. Knowing very little about his background beforehand, I had no idea what would be in store for us during the picnic they set up ocean side. When they called it a picnic, I envisioned blankets on a grassy area. However, they had something entirely different in mind that completely blew me away. This was definitely not your typical picnic!

Our activity-filled day furnished by Sony included a short two hour break between lunch and dinner. Time seemed to fly by as I hung out in the room waiting for our next meal with Chef Chris. Honestly, I had no idea where I would find the room to fill my belly with even more food, since we didn't have much time to digest between meals. Although that's what the day was all about FOOD, FUN, and photography! And there was no shortage of any of those three throughout the day.

In no time, we were on the charter bus again headed to Sony Headquarters for our seven-course meal. Upon our arrival they served us champagne and then ushered the group into the kitchen for a live demonstration where we were able to sample some appetizers. After some mingling and viewing images taken with the Sony WX9 on a huge 3D TV—which was wicked cool—we took our seats to begin the amazing meal that I managed to make room for.

{A smokin' fresh fruit salad that had a lovely fragrance}

There was no way that I would have missed trying any of the dishes they served. Everything was beautifully presented and equally scrumptious. I can't wait to share the details from that dinner because it was so outrageous and incredibly delicious, but I don't want to spoil it in this sneak preview. I plan to do a separate blog post about our picnic lunch in Oceanside and Sony Headquarter dinner, because I can't do them justice in a short paragraph or two. They definitely deserve a more in depth description than that. Not to mention the oodles of images I have to share along with the story.

I also plan to share more details about the little point and shoot powerhouse, the Cyber-shot WX9, that I had the pleasure to play with, because it's awesome. It seems like it's been so long since I've owned a p&s, but this is a perfect complement to the Sony A700 that I currently own and shoot with. You'll love all the cool features that this camera contains. A surprise is also in store, but you have to stay tuned to find out what it will be!

As you can see by this sneak peak of my trip to the Sony Foodie Blogger event in San Diego, CA, it was jam-packed with fun activities. I had a terrific time meeting new friends and filling my belly. I feel extremely grateful to have been selected to participate, and I truly appreciate all the hard work the Sony team and Chef Chris' team did to ensure that we enjoyed and savored every single second of our stay. It was an incredible experience, and I seriously can't wait to share more of the adventure with you!

What are you excited to read and see more of after this sneak peek? The food? The inn? The camera? Please share! If you enjoyed this post, I also encourage you to hit the “Like” button and share with others. Thank you :D