The Welk Resort is my Cup of Dish

The Welk Resort? Is that somehow related to Lawrence Welk, you might ask. Why yes, yes it is.

Like Walt Disney, musician and band leader Lawrence Welk valued family togetherness time, but instead of building a theme park like Mr. Disney, Mr. Welk built a family resort in Escondido, California.  

The resort is huge. It is split up into five different areas, Villas on the Greens, Melody Hill, Broadway Hill, Harmony Hill, and Mountain Villas. Each section has its own vibe, its own pool, and its own recreation center.

There is a "downtown" main area to the resort that includes a couple of stores, a mini-Starbucks, a Pizza Hut, and the resort's restaurant, the Canyon Grill.

There is a theater where guests can enjoy a Broadway show or an illusionist show.  There is a golf course and tennis courts for those who crave sports.

On the whole, the resort has a very Kellerman's from Dirty Dancing feel.I tried to keep a lookout for Johnny and Penny.  There is an entire range of activities scheduled throughout each day.  For kids there are games by the pool and even a film shooting and editing class. Adults can taste wine and fondue in the afternoons. There is a farmer's market on Mondays, dancing under the starts on Tuesdays, a family scavenger on Thursdays.  There is no need to leave the resort, you could spend a whole week there and have plenty keep you occupied.

A week of good old fashioned family fun was not our goal however. We used the resort as our base camp so we didn't partake of the activities, though I do regret missing the farmer's market because it sounded impressive.

Our suite was located in the Mountain Villa's section.  

Although we didn't visit all of the sections at the resort, I think we lucked out. The Mountain Villa's seemed to be the nicest section.  It was at the edge of the property, away from the hustle and bustle of the busy resort. Our room had a balcony that offered some great views. 

We were across the parking lot from the pool and recreation area in our section, which made walking back from the pool area late at night convenient. 

We were usually out and about during the days, and the chilly mountain air was not conducive to swimming at night, but we did use the hot tub as much as we could.

Our suite was clean and had ample room.  There was a kitchen, living room, and dinning room area.

The bed was super comfy, a bonus as we spent most of our days being physically active. There's nothing like falling into a cozy bed after a full day walking.

The bathroom was large, clean, and had a wonderful shower.

The biggest downside to the resort is its location.  It isn't close to any major attractions.  It is a 45 minute drive to San Diego so you have to plan and pack up before setting out for the day.  If you forget something, like a camera, you can't just nip back to resort for a minute. At the end of a long day, you still have to drive back to the resort.  In some ways however, the distance is also an upside.  The grounds are lovely and peaceful. 

After a day of dealing with attractions and crowds, it was nice to come back and chill out in the hot tub, breathing fresh air, listening to the sound of chirping crickets mixed with the sounds of bubbling water. It induced an instant feeling of relaxation.

We were grateful to Mr. Welk for creating such a beautiful resort.  I think his objective of creating a place that encourages togetherness has been achieved. We certainly had a gret time there together. It was lovely, quiet, and relaxing, all of the things that are exactly my cup of dish.

Extra Note: If you don't quite get the title of this post, google Welkims. They are a pretty good time.