She Likes to Watch

NBC’s “Today” show must be sweet on the Central Coast.

A stay at Pismo Beach’s luxurious Dolphin Bay resort will serve as the consolation prize for couples participating in the network’s “Today Throws a Martha Stewart Wedding” contest, anchors Ann Curry and Matt Lauer announced this morning.

While the winners, Mesa, Ariz., students Cody and Jessica, experience a wedding and reception designed by home décor maven Martha Stewart, the three remaining couples will enjoy five nights at Dolphin Bay Hotel & Residences – starting tonight.

“It’s a gorgeous area of California,” Lauer said of the Central Coast, noting about nearby 200 vineyards.

The other finalists in the contest were Will and Beth of Naples, Fla., Thomas and Nicole of Detroit, and Jason and Alisa of Chicago.

According to the resort’s Web site, Dolphin Bay offers 70 one- or two-bedroom suites ranging in size from 900 to more than 2,000 square feet and featuring a kitchen, dining area and laundry facilities.

That’s not to mention all the other luxuries: free valet parking, Italian linens, flat-panel plasma TVs, fireplaces and Aire Jet spa tubs. It’s located at 2727 Shell Beach Rd. in Pismo Beach.

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Dolphin Bay seems to draw its share of celebrities.

In May, 200 guests flocked to the resort for a wedding for the daughter of Hollywood mogul Glenn Padnick, the president of Castle Rock Television.

When the cast of “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” filmed at the Guadalupe Dunes last fall, stars Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom were spotted dining at the Dolphin Bay’s Lido Restaurant.

And in June 2006, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger joined about 50 guests for dinner at Lido Restaurant.
Each paid a whopping $10,000 per plate to dine on Dungeness crab, duck confit and vanilla ice cream profiteroles. The event was a fundraiser for Schwarzenegger’s re-election campaign.

For more information, check out the Today show or Dolphin Bay.

– Sarah L.

The secret is out: California has one of the most stunning coastlines in the world.
This morning, NBC’s “Today” show highlighted the Pacific Coast Highway, also known as State Route 1, as the latest installment in its “America the Beautiful” series.
NBC’s Michael Okwu scoped out the “winding, climbing, jaw-dropping ride along the Pacific Coast Highway… no doubt, one of the most beautiful places in America.”
In one video on msnbc.com, Okwu drives a 1972 Corvette Stingray to San Luis Obispo, stopping by the quaint Apple Farm Inn and the historic Motel Inn.
Other footage focuses on San Simeon – showing the opulent Hearst Castle and elephant seals lazing on the beach.
Praise for the Central Coast’s landmarks can also be found on NBC’s Web site.
“The San Luis Obispo area offers some of the most eye-popping sights, such as Hearst Castle, the palatial estate of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst that overlooks the Pacific Ocean,” raves Jeanne Sullivan of the California Travel and Tourism Commission in her article “California dreamin’: Majestic coast highlights.”
Sullivan recommends renting an ATV at Pismo Beach or exploring the Paso Robles wine country.
Peter Greenberg, the Today show’s online columnist, mentions San Luis Obispo County’s campgrounds and wineries in his exploration of State Route 1.
And California’s wild and wonderful coast features prominently in Forbes Traveller writer Rob Baedeker’s article, “Ten classic coastal drives.”
To learn more, check out the Today show’s Web site.

– Sarah L.