My first ever Tri....and it was fantastic! Leading up to race day, participants received emails fairly regularly with reminders and tips. The day of packet pick up was very organized, however, there was a small mix up with the swim caps (see below). There was a DJ, vendors, and opportunities to have your bike checked out. There were also 2 pre race talks, which were good for additional questions, but everything you needed to know was in their race day guide. It would have been nice to see more local vendors, but nonetheless they did have a few tents for browsing.
On race day, I arrived at 5:30 am (transition was open 5-6:30) and felt that I had plenty of time. I was marked, and set up my transition area. The transition area was nice, as everything was within a couple minutes walk from one another, including bathrooms. I even had time for some stretching and mingling with friends. We then walked about 10-15 minutes to where the swim started.
That water was WARM (82 degrees to be exact) so just be prepared for that. I felt the swim portion was well organized, and the announcer energetic, although slightly off on start time with the swim waves. This was also where having the wrong color swim cap threw a negative into the day, as my family and friends did not even see me enter, swim, or leave the water which is somewhat disappointing. I felt that they had plenty of assistance in the water, and besides the glare of the sun affecting my vision, the course was well marked and a fairly straight shot across the lake.
You come off the swim, run up a sandy incline, and into the transition area you go. Starting on the bike felt great and the course was well marked. There was road construction, and some of those other roads could use a little road construction as well (bumpy!!), but despite that it was a fairly flat terrain. There was the hill at the end which you climb not once, but twice when you turn back toward the corral for your run. I would say the only negative on the bike was the participants not staying right as instructed. This made passing somewhat difficult (and frustrating) at times.
The run itself, is around lovely Lake Andrea which is completely flat. Little to no shade though, so on a toasty day there is not much relief. The trail is also fairly narrow, so you often will have to go into the grass to pass. The route itself is paved, except for a small portion (approx 3/4 of a mile) which was on crushed rock.
The finish area is filled with spectators, and they called out your name as you passed the finish line. There is plenty of space for the post race party, and there was no shortage of food which included: greek yogurt, breakfast burritos, granola bars, fruit, bagels, orange juice, coffee, and chocolate milk. If I had multiple hands, I would have grabbed one of everything!
Overall, I feel this is a great race, especially for first timers like myself. Plenty of support to get the jitters out, which still allowing you to be competitive out on the course!

Pros
-parking
-race day organization
-post race food/party
-location
-flat course

Cons:
-dec experience of other participants contributing to frustrations on the bike
-road construction
-mix up with the swim cap