Angels And Make-A-Wish Kids Team Up At Pechanga Golf

My whirlwind time at Pechanga Resort & Casino finished off watching Make-A-Wish kids team up with Angels catcher Hank Conger, infielder Grant Green, former Angels pitcher Clyde Wright, former second baseman Bobby Grich, voice of the Angels on Fox Sports West, Victor Rojas and Angels Baseball Chairman, Dennis Kuhl in a putting contest.  The smiles on these kids faces made my heart melt.    

Patrick Murphy, President of the Pechanga Development Corporation Board of Directors discussing Angels Baseball and Pechanga partnership.  “Our Tribe has a rich history of supporting charitable organizations and causes that provide much-needed resources, services and programs to children and families in our community and beyond. We are proud to partner with Make-A-Wish and are appreciative of the work they do to encourage and give hope to children throughout our region.”


Victor Rojas - Voice of the Angels on Fox Sports West

Clyde Wright - former Angels pitcher.  These two were quite the team, so entertaining!

Angels catcher Hank Conger

Journey at Pechanga is absolutely beautiful.  If there are moments that give you life and take your breath away at the exact same moment - this is it.


Read more about my Pechanga adventures:  Pechanga is more than a casino, Paisano's at Pechanga, Native American Heritage woven through 18 holes

Native American Heritage Woven Through 18 Holes: Journey At Pechanga Golf

The biggest reason I jumped at the chance to check out Pechanga was because of the Native American history attached to it.  My 16 year old was on his high school golf team last year so that, Tiger Woods, miniature golf and Billy Madison was the extent of my golf knowledge.  Sad, I know but I am trying to do better.  What really sold me on Pechanga is the culture - Culture is huge to me and I love learning about it.  It would be ignorant if I continued to live in California and not learn what's in my own backyard!  When I was doing my research on Pechanga, I came across the Great Oak - I wasn't able to visit it on this trip but have it on my life list.

Journey at Pechanga is one of the only courses in the country to have Native American heritage woven through the 18-holes. Each of the holes bears a Luiseño name that gives a hint into what golfers may experience there. Golfers will also see kiicha, the Luiseño word for “home,” at various points throughout the course. They will see an ancient grinding stone that ancestors used to pulverize acorns in order to extract the meal inside. If golfers look hard enough, they will spot an adobe wall, hundreds of years old, between holes 5 and 6. To give visitors a real sense of how the Pechanga people may have lived, the course features a replica village along hole 10. Golfers, or those who want to take a stroll out to view the village, will see kiicha huts, hanging corn, and more that gives onlookers an up close look at how Native people lived and survived hundreds of years ago.  Journey at Pechanga is the most culturally sensitive golf course in America.

Raymond Basquez, Jr., Pechanga Cultural Resources Monitor & Supervisor saying a prayer for Pechanga tribal elder Germaine Arenas who passed on earlier in the week

Acorn granary

Kiicha huts - I didn't crawl in but one of the editors I met on the media tour told me it's at least 10-20 degrees cooler in the huts!


Read more about my Pechanga adventures:  Pechanga is more than a casino, Paisano's at Pechanga

Pechanga Is More Than A Casino: Journey Celebrates 5 Years

I didn't find out just how beautiful and serene the Inland Empire is until a few weeks ago.  My adventures in the IE have been limited to driving by and seeing it from the freeway or heading out for one day outings.  We tend to measure things in California by two things:  travel time (aka traffic) and miles.  The beauty of living here is that everything is in our backyard.  From the beaches to the mountains... there is something to do for everyone.  I promise you, the travel time is worth it.  Being completely removed from city life for 24 hours was exactly the peace and inspiration I needed.  Thank you Pechanga Resort & Casino for inviting me & my family out to learn about Journey at Pechanga!  Happy 5th Anniversary Journey!  My biggest takeaway:  Pechanga is more than a casino.

2 Queen Bedroom is spacious.  Some of the Pechanga Resort amenities:  24-hour Room Service, complimentary Valet parking, wireless internet, heated pool and hot tub with private sun-deck cabanas, sauna, 24-hour fitness center and business centers...  Our room amenities:  fully-stocked mini-bar, personal coded safe, Flat screen LCD televisions featuring on-demand movies...  Loved our view of the golf course.

My child loves traveling.  He was just as happy to see this bathroom!

After checking in and making sure the family was comfy, I had to run (literally) to Journey at Pechanga to make it for lunch.  (You could take a shuttle or walk)  It was well underway and I scarfed down my amazing steak so I wouldn't be late to my first workshop.  (Later found out that Chef Chong uses organic and farm to table so no wonder my lunch was so freakin' good!)         
My first workshop was meeting Tessa and Honey - Border collies that were brought on at the course (and made actual team members with real Pechanga access badges) as a kinder, gentler way to get rid of mud hens that if left unchecked, overpopulate and leave acidic, toxic droppings that create big messes and damage turf.  Tessa and Honey, highly trained canines, run the course for about four hours each day and scare away the mud hens from Journey’s many lakes and water features.

Superintendent John Martinez and his staff of 23 course ambassadors use no pesticides and minimal chemicals to ward off bugs, invading plants and other forces of nature.  Amazed that Journey at Pechanga is so eco-friendly!  I got to pet Tessa and Honey and they were so sweet!  Love!

Since Temecula is very hot in the Summer, Tessa and Honey's coats are trimmed down!

My next workshop was learning about golf from Journey Director of Golf and PGA Pro, Scott Mallory.  I'll be honest, my knowledge of golf was limited to the movie Billy Madison, miniature golf and Tiger Woods.  Having learned about a few clubs, exploring the golf course and actually watching Scott Mallory nuke it (golf lingo, obviously) - I have a better understanding of the sport.  It was what I always assumed it to be, relaxing.  Instruction at Journey can start as young as 3 years old with their Tiny Tees program in the Junior Golf Academy.

My fancy ride.

My last workshop for the day was The "19th Hole" in the golf course's clubhouse - Journey's End.  Chef Daniel Chong-Jimenez was a major adopter of farm to table food movement since the late 2000s and makes it his mission to serve flavorful and energizing meals to visiting golfers and guests.  Chef Chong showed us how to make easy banana and orange juice smoothies with 3 ingredients:  bananas, orange juice and ice.  

Simple and delicious!  I had 3 glasses!

This was actually my breakfast the next morning but wanted to keep it with Chef Chong's recap since it was so good!


I'm working on three more posts on our quick getaway to Pechanga - stay tuned for my thoughts on the rich heritage and culture.  For now, you can read about our dinner Paisano's at Pechanga

Paisano's At Pechanga

When I announced on my social networks I was heading to Pechanga Resort & Casino, the feedback I got was about the food and how good it is.  I knew we would be in good hands.  Our dinner reservations were for Paisano's - an upscale Italian restaurant serving "New World Old World" cuisine.  I fell in love with the decor as I walked in, pumpkin shaped lights hung from the rustic ceiling and mixed chairs at the tables caught my eye.  The kitchen layout is open so you can watch the Chefs and kitchen staff prepare your dishes.  The staff is superb.  (Actually the whole Pechanga staff is bar none thee best I've encountered.)  The food is superb.  Loved the ambiance.

Our Zuppe e Antipasti (appetizer) picks were between Bruschetta and Polpettine.  Polpettine won.  Homemade meatballs with fried polenta and parmigiano.  Tasty and juicy were these meatballs.  My son Duke is very picky and he loved 'em!

Fried polenta.

My cutie pie was excited to go out to dinner with us and Woody.

I almost always order steak.  This is the Il Filetto - grilled beef tenderloin, gorgonzola cheese and chicory.  I had to ask our server what chicory was, she said it is similar to kale.  I figured I'd give it a shot.  I did not like it.  It's not the chef's fault, chicory just ain't my thing.  The flavor and cut of my beef = GOOD.  

Chris ordered La Lasagna - fresh pasta layered with three meat ragu sauce, parmigiano
and mozzarella.  My husband graciously let me take a bite and I expected the lasagna to be heavy but it was surprisingly light.  It was so good, I made some a couple weeks later!

Our picky child ordered chicken tenders and fries.  There was a wait but our server and the manager let us know and apologized.  All was forgiven when he dug in and gave me this smile.

We couldn't say no to dessert.  Chris went for the Chocolate Mousse Hazelnut Cake - salted caramel, vanilla ice cream and candied hazelnuts.  It was gorgeous and was super delicious.  I ordered the Apricot Panna Cotta with apricot foam, candied pistachios but sadly my pictures don't do it justice.  It was SO GOOD.  

A little scoop of vanilla ice cream for Duke!  He was so happy!



You can read about my thoughts on Pechanga being more than a casino here.