Twin Travels Archives - Page 2 of 3

Travel Guide for Oceanside, California

We were lucky enough to be able to travel to Oceanside, California for a work trip. We decided to make it a real party and bring our babies, our mom and Brooke’s mother-in-law, Linda. The grandmas were angels and watched the babies while we shot segments all day. We’ve traveled to Oceanside before, and it’s always been a family favorite beach spot. It was extra fun to introduce our babies to such a beautiful place! If you’re not familiar with Oceanside, it is the quaint beach town situated between Los Angeles and San Diego. The great thing about Oceanside is that it has such a laid-back, local and beachy vibe. We loved our time there and plan to go back soon!

What to Do:

Helicopter Tour: by far the most amazing thing we did! It was so neat to see the California coast from the sky at sunset. I felt like Brooke and I were on a Bachelor group date with our photographer and pilot haha. It was magical. You can get more information about Waverider Helicopter Tours here.
Dolphin & Whale Watching Boat Tour: it’s so nice to get out on the water. This is perfect for any age. We saw sweeping coastal views and beautiful water on our tour, but the definite highlight was the gorgeous dolphins that played right next to our boat. It was also neat to get a little information about the sights and animals we were seeing from the Captain of the boat. You can get more information on Oceanside Whale Watching Tours here.
SURFING Lessons: Ahhhh! I was terrified. Brooke spent a summer living in Hawaii in college, where she took many surfing lessons and learned to really like it. I have only had one previous lesson from my brother and his friend a few years back. It didn’t end well – as in I mooned my brother’s friend while trying to stand up on the surfboard!! I know. Sad. We got a surf lesson from the Hemsworth’s American brother. He was the greatest. He pushed us on our boards and helped us both get up multiple times on the surfboards. The cold California water scared me, but wearing a wetsuit I honestly didn’t even notice it. I definitely want to try it again. We went with Whitlock Surf Experience and they were amazing. Not only do they teach lessons, they also have a surf factory and print shop. You can find out more here.

What to Eat

Local Tap House & Kitchen: my favorite meal of the trip. Fresh and delicious. My hosts in Oceanside convinced me to try the quinoa burger and it was delicious. Everything we tried was good and the chef is constantly changing the menu. If you’re looking for a late night snack, you can stop by for a gourmet hot dog.
Oceanside Sunset Market: the town hosts this awesome street fair every Thursday night. They close down several streets to host food vendors, crafters, local artisans and musicians. We ate some of the best food of the trip here. Food vendors are put through a very strict vetting process before they are allowed to sell there. They must produce high-quality food that you can’t find anywhere else. This creates the most unique, fun atmosphere with some absolutely incredible chefs. If you go, make sure to try the salmon, authentic Belgian frites and homemade carmels. We ended our night with a horse-drawn carriage ride around town for wait for it… $5!
The Flying Pig: locally owned and operated farm to table restaurant. The owner coined the name flip flop fine dining. That’s exactly what it is. Great food with a casual vibe. Another huge bonus – it’s family friendly! The homemade pasta is to die for.

Where to Stay:

We stayed at the Marriott Springhill Suites. It sits right on the beach in the middle of everything so you can walk most places, plus has a great free breakfast every morning.
Our friends at Visit Oceanside set up our trip itinerary and it was perfect. If you need any help planning your trip or finding discount tickets, go here.

(the prettiest harbor! Lots of fun to kayak/paddle board on the calm water here)(the prettest whiteside dolphins. they were huge!) (lots of pretty palms in Oceanside) (Joanna Gaines would love Apotheque – the cutest shop/spa in a historic building)

Girls Trip to Arizona

Believe it or not, we have never been on a trip with just our mom, sister and sister-in-law. We’ve talked about doing a girl’s trip for a very long time, but it just never came together. Well, we decided 2017 is the year! We coordinated everyone’s schedules and decided on a location – Phoenix! We came to the conclusion that all we really wanted to do was relax, eat great food and shop. Phoenix is the perfect place for that! So instead of giving you a full minute by minute breakdown of the trip, I’m just going to share some of our favorite spots!

Where to SHOP:

LAST CHANCE: if you haven’t heard about the legend that is Last Chance, well you’ve got to visit in person. I would compare it to a much rougher version of TJ Maxx. The thing is, you can find absolutely amazing designer clothing and shoes deeply discounted. Brooke bought two dresses that are amazing and they were each $20. Just beware, long lines and you have to do some digging.
BILTMORE OUTDOOR MALL: this is just a beautiful outdoor mall that is fun to browse and wander through. We loved all of the gorgeous flowers.

Where to EAT:

SNOOZE: if we could adequately describe our love for Snooze, I think you would be scared. Let’s just say this – we happily went there for brunch two days in a row. It’s just that good. Plus, we all tried something different each day and I truly don’t think you can order anything bad. Favorites: Eggs Benedict, French Toast and any and all of the pancakes!
The STAND: Goooooood burgers and fries. A total hole in the wall that knows what it’s good at. Deliciously seasoned fries and Stand sauce (or fry sauce as we call it here in good old Utah). The best part may have been the Dulche de Leche milkshake. Never in a million years would I order that flavor, but we tried it and it blew our minds!
PIZZERIA BIANCO: Travel + Leisure just named Phoenix the best city for pizza! It’s largely thanks to this restaurant and its chef. They make incredible pizza in fun and different combos. Jimmy Kimmel is a huge fan and has even had them on his show before.

Where to STAY:

KIMPTON HOTEL PALOMAR in downtown Phoenix. It was beautiful and was in the heart of the city. The rooftop pool was the major selling point and we spent several glorious hours there basking in the sunshine. I think our pasty white skin might have burned a couple eyeballs, but it was worth it! We also got to do a fun workout together because your stay automatically includes a membership to the huge gym next door.

Now we want to hear your Phoenix faves because we can hardly wait to plan a trip back to the sunny desert!

{the most heavenly peanut butter chocolate pancake ever}
{i love nothing more than a good eggs benedict}
{quite possibly the prettiest Pottery Barn ever}{thank you Linds for convincing us all to order Dulche de Leche shakes at The STAND}{perfection in a burger at The STAND}{tell the truth, have you licked your screen yet?}{photo courtesy of Phoenix New Times cuz mine did not do Pizzeria Bianca justice}
{slumber parties are the best. we laughed A LOT}

Things to see & eat in Spain

Sam and I just got back from a 10-day adventure in Spain. We had never been before, so we spent months researching and planning. I wish I could have found something like this to help plan our trip – so here you go! I have highlighted three things to see, plus one thing you must eat in each of the places we visited!

Barcelona: beautiful, hip and braless. Apparently, the no-bra trend is very “in” right now. Barcelona is a beautiful and very hip city, it’s also the city that most definitely seemed the most touristy.

SEE:

Sagrada Familia: Gaudi’s church and a complete work of art that is still being completed. You need to get tickets in advance online. Worth going inside and we wish we would have bought an audio guide because you are unable to buy them once you are there, you have to purchase them with your tickets. Give this at least two hours
La Boqueria: This is Barcelona’s food market. It’s packed and a lot of fun. It gave us a great chance to try lots of different types of food in one place. My favorites were of course the fresh strawberry coconut juice and the chocolate stand. It’s located on Las Ramblas, which is the main walking street and area. You absolutely have to visit this part of town.
Park Guell: This was a residential area designed by Gaudi that has now been turned into a beautiful park owned by the city. It’s not perfectly manicured and definitely has very unique things to see. We liked visiting for a half day trip.
*Bonus – Rooftop Pool: Many of the hotels in Barcelona have rooftop pools and they are worth it! Ours had an incredible view of the city and it was so nice to give our feet a little break for a day.

EAT:

Paella: this dish is everywhere in Spain, but we saw it most in Barcelona. It is a Valencian rice dish with lots of spices, vegetables and most of the time, includes seafood. We decided to try the vegetarian version at the market and really liked it. Sam is not a huge seafood fan, but I think it would be delicious with fish!

Madrid: architectural, lovely and clean. I fell hard for this city. I didn’t have that high of expectations because for some reason, not as many people visit Madrid. They were completed exceeded. It’s a beautiful European city with gorgeous buildings at every turn, fantastic history and you can walk the entire thing.

SEE:

Royal Palace: I’m a sucker for anything that involves royalty and this did not disappoint. The Royal Palace is stunning on the outside, but the real treat is taking a tour and looking at the incredibly gilded and ornate interiors. Give yourself half a day to enjoy and take your time. I highly recommend the audio tour, I learned a lot.
Prado Museum: This is such a gorgeous museum and it is busy. We decided to chance it and do the free entrance that they offer from 6-8 PM. It was totally worth it! We had to wait in line for about 45 minutes and then got to roam the museum for free for two hours. We did purchase audio guides, which were helpful since we really only had time to see the highlights.
Retiro Park: it’s so refreshing to see a gigantic park in the middle of a city. This one is quite grand and you can easily spend hours exploring. It reminded me a lot of Central Park. We rented a row boat and had such an enjoyable afternoon at the park.

EAT:

Churros & Chocolate: they have this treat all over. We liked the chocolate part better than the churro because they are just plain pieces of fried dough and we are spoiled Americans that are used to have them smothered in cinnamon sugar.

Granada: cultural, detailed and different. This place was unlike anywhere I have ever been before. We drove a rental car from Madrid to Granada – which I actually would not recommend. As our hotel concierge said, “Granada and cars do not mix”. The city is a nightmare to drive in and it’s just a huge hassle. I would have taken the train in hindsight. Granada is such a fun mix of cultures because it is located so close to Morocco. This means there are a lot more food options and the buildings look different from other European cities. We had our best meal here at a place called Carmela’s.

SEE:

Alhambra: stunning, intricate, historical. This place was magical. It’s an old Moorish palace that has been restored to immaculate condition and it is just beautiful. We spent nearly an entire day here walking around and exploring because there is so much to see and learn about. You absolutely have to buy your tickets well in advance online.
San Nicolas Viewpoint: so so crowded, but the view really cannot be beat! It’s free and we loved watching the sunset here.
Street Performers/Guitar Players: this city comes alive at night. Families and couples all go for evening walks around 10 – 11 PM. It was fun to walk around and watch street performers and listen to people play music.

EAT:

Carmela’s: this is where we had our best meal of the trip. It was on the higher end, but every single thing we ordered was amazing. We ate french onion soup, a salad (with ham, of course), homemade pasta with a white wine sauce and a beef and rice dish. It’s in the heart of the city.

Costa Del Sol: salty, smoky and sunny. Europeans love to smoke, so you do have to expect a lot of that at the beaches. We tried to do our homework and found a beach favored by locals in Nerja. We rented beach chairs for a day and just enjoyed the Spanish sun. Beware all beaches in Spain are topless and there are lotsa boobs! If you’re looking for a beach vacation experience, I would recommend Costa Del Sol over Barcelona. There are many more beaches to choose from and they are less crowded.

SEE:

Balcony of Europe: gorgeous viewpoint above the ocean in Nerja. Free
White Hill Towns: these are absolutely the cutest and reminded me of Greece. We loved driving through town and seeing them.
Malaga: the most underrated stop on our trip. I wish we would have had more time here. Beautiful, walkable city right on the water. We loved spending one night here and would definitely go back.

EAT:

Gelato: I can’t leave it out because I had a lot of it on this trip. It’s the perfect treat after a day at the beach!

I hope this helps if you are planning a trip to Spain. If you have been, I would love to hear your favorite spots as well!

Happy Traveling 🙂

{Sagrada Familia in Barcelona}
{fresh strawberry coconut juice at La Boqueria}

{wandering through Barcelona}

{how come we don’t have macaron ice cream sandwiches in the US? best idea!}
{Park Guell in Barcelona}

{Royal Palace of Madrid}
{The gardens at the Alhambra in Granada}

{Nerja}

10 Things to do in Chicago

Sam and I went on a quick little trip to Chicago a few weeks back and it has taken me that long to narrow down my top favorite activities and restaurants. We went to visit friends and family and were so pleasantly surprised by what a beautiful city Chicago is! We only had three and a half days in the city, so we really tried to make the most of it and fit a lot in.

10. The Art Institute of Chicago: this was probably my favorite thing we did the entire trip. I love art museums and this one is chock full of beautiful art. Not only that, but it reminds me of one of my favorite movies “The Vow”, when they get married in the museum! $25 for adults. Click here for more information.

9. Deep Dish Pizza: totally and completely worth all of the hype. Collin and Ben took us to their favorite neighborhood spot Pequod’s and I have been craving it ever since! I liked this kind because it didn’t have a 3 inch layer of sauce on top of the pizza and the crust caramelized into cheesy deliciousness. We got one pizza for four people and were stuffed! You can look at the menu here.

8. Architecture Boat Tour: it’s everyone’s favorite for a reason. You get to see the city from a completely different angle, along with getting a healthy dose of history. We also had a hilarious tour guide, which always makes it more fun. We went during the day, but I’ve heard it’s magical at night. $40 Click here for more info.

7. Eataly: basically food heaven. It’s like a huge Italian grocery store with little restaurants throughout. Most importantly, they had a pasta only restaurant that was fantastic, along with a gelateria and crepe shop. Yes, I did try all three 🙂 You can get more information here.

6. Little Goat Diner: we flew in super late, but our friend Nate took us straight here for a little snack and we were so happy he did. We got chicken and waffles, the best nachos ever, and a delicious chocolate covered ice cream sundae. That’s how we do “snacks” around here! You can look at the menu here.

5. John Hancock Building – bar level: not sure what a secret this is anymore, but instead of paying for the viewing level, go to the bar and order some drinks and dessert while enjoying an amazing view of the city. The funniest part is that the best view in the building is in the women’s restroom and yes I did ask a stranger to take a photo of me in there.

4. Baseball game: Sam loved this. Chicago is a baseball city, so it was a lot of fun to just go and see what that is like.

3. Millenium Park: this is a must and it’s totally crowded with tourists, but it’s fun! After you take a little walk, make sure to stop for breakfast at Wildberry. It was one of the best breakfasts we’ve ever had. Thanks to our friends Nate & Allie’s advice we ordered a skillet, wild berry pancakes and cinnamon roll french toast and then died of happiness. Click here to look at the menu.

2. Second City: this is where Tina Fey and Amy Poehler learned how to do comedy. Do I need to continue? We laughed SO hard throughout the entire show. You feel like you are watching the next big thing in comedy, well because you actually are. Prices vary, you can get information on upcoming performances here.

1. Wicker Park: such a fun up and coming, sort of hipster neighborhood that is perfect for walking through. We started with Stan’s donuts (I had a chocolate frosting covered nutella filled piece of heaven, honestly the best donut I’ve ever had). Then walked through some fun boutiques and shops, they even have a little farmer’s market at the park on the weekend. We ended with some delicious mexican food at Blue Star.

Huge thanks to Nate, Collin and Ben for being our tour guides around the city! We had so much fun with you and can’t wait to come back.

Fun Food at Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa in Hawaii

We had such a blast “working” in Hawaii! We spent four days at the Disney Aulani Resort & Spa on the island of Oahu. It exceeded all of my expectations. Brooke told me it would be amazing, and it really was! One of the highlights was the food. It was different from what you can find at the Disney parks, but also had a fun Disney touch. Here are a few of our favorites:

This photo is from our “fun food” segment during the shoot. I was forced to try each item and they were all delicious! From left to right:

Spam Musubi: this is a hawaiian delicacy. All of the locals we talked to loved this and regularly ate it. I had never tried spam, and thought this particular dish tasted sort of like sausage, in a good way.

Kalua Pork Bratwurst dog: this was Brooke’s fave. She loves kalua pork and they put it in quite a few of their dishes at Aulani. A much more fun take on the regular old hot dog.

Malasadas: donuts without holes. These are little balls of heaven. I could have eaten all of them. They taste like a glazed donut covered in sugar.

Fried squid: I loved the saltiness of crunchiness of this one. Paired with one of the three dipping sauces, you can’t go wrong.

Sweet Maui Onion rings: I’m not an onion rings lover, but these taste very different from the ones I’m used to. They have thick slices of sweet Maui onions with a thin breaded and fried shell. I’m not sure what they put in the dipping sauce for these, but it is what makes the whole thing work.

Tropical juice in a pineapple: just as good as it sounds! It just tastes like Hawaii and you can’t go wrong drinking out of a pineapple when you’re on the island.

This is not your average snow cone. They fill the bottom with your favorite flavor of ice cream, then add the flavored ice — I got lychee flavor and it reminded me of a sour starburst, then they top it with sweetened condensed milk!

This is the Crunch Berry Crusted French Toast from Ama Ama — to die for! It has so many unexpected textures and flavors, I loved it.

Don’t worry, we found the cookies! They had these delicious cookies waiting for us when we arrived, do they know cookies are the way to our hearts, or what? They were extra chocolatey, thick and chewy. We ate at least one a day, don’t worry!

Things to Know about Food at Aulani

– There’s Dole Whip! It’s only available in one spot in the pool area, but you fill up the cup yourself, which was SO dangerous for me trying to pile it four feet high!

– Ama Ama is one of the fancier restaurants and it is delicious. You can tell everything is made fresh, it is my first choice of place to order fish at Aulani. I ordered the catch of the day (and took a dark flash photo that is too ugly to show you) and was really impressed by the quality.

– Minnie Mouse rice krispy treats: Brooke survived on them last time she was at Aulani and they are SO good! Available in some of their quick restaurants.

– They have mugs available to buy for $18 or $19 where you can fill them up an unlimited amount of times during your stay. If you’re into soda or lemonade, this is a great option because there are filling stations all over the resort.

– Their restaurants have live music in the evenings, so even when you are done eating, you have great entertainment.

If you ever get the chance to go to Aulani, GO! It is a total dream!

How to Pack for two weeks in Europe in a CARRY ON

The prettiest store front in Rome

When Sam and I were planning our trip to Europe last year, we decided to only bring carry on bags. Sam fit everything in a large backpack and I brought this rolling carry on, which Sam carried over cobble stone streets 90% of the time. If you plan to fly any budget airlines in Europe, you can only take a carry on bag, which is another reason why we did this. You should also make sure to check that your bag measurements work for the different European airlines. We were so glad that we chose to pack light. I’ve been asked a few times how we did it, so here is a packing list.

EUROPE PACKING LIST

2 jackets – one active/workout and one for sightseeing

1 pair of comfortable leggings (I wore these on all travel days- planes, trains & everything in between)

2 comfortable lightweight dresses (good for hot weather and can be packed very tightly)

1 pair of pants (I took these navy blue pixie pants from Old Navy because they are stretchy and not too hot)

1 embellished top (for when you want to class things up a bit)

1 cardigan sweater (lightweight)

1 short sleeve top

2 comfortable t-shirts

1 swimsuit (this is HARD for me as I love to have options, but seriously worth saving the room)

1 pair of athletic shoes

1 pair of walking shoes (I will swear by these Keds until the day I die because they were so comfortable!)

1 pair of flats

7 pairs of underwear (we bought laundry detergent and washed them halfway through our trip in our sink in our tiny room in Florence, Italy)

2 normal bras (cuz let’s be real, you’re gonna get sweaty)

1 sports bra

10 pairs of socks (I packed a lot of super thin ankle socks to wear with my walking shoes and was so glad I had them so my shoes didn’t smell and I didn’t get blisters)

1 money bag (this is a small pouch you wear around your neck and keep credit cards and cash in. After seeing a girl get her purse stolen in our first couple of days, we were so glad we used this)

1 small over the shoulder purse with some kind of locking clasp (I found my small bag (similar here) at Forever 21 and it was perfect. A great bag makes all the difference)

3 CARRY ON PACKING LAWS:

1. Pack in like colors. I picked cream, blue and gray as my main colors so that I could mix and match all of my pieces. This really helped and I would highly recommend doing it.

2. Don’t pack any jewelry. I had one pair of earrings in the entire time and I was so glad I didn’t bring my wedding ring or anything else that could have been misplaced.

3. Less is more. If you leave a little space in your bag, you can buy clothing on your trip, which is the best part!

If you can’t fit everything in your bag, just sneak the extras into your husband’s backpack and he won’t notice until you’re already in Europe!

Hope this helps if you’re planning a trip!

Soulstice Retreat

Sunshine, mountain air, fitness classes, yummy food and women from around the world… sign me up! We were so excited to be invited to spend some time at Soulstice Retreat in Deer Valley at the Stein Ericksen lodge. We are lucky enough to know Albion Fit founder Liz Findlay and the amazing ladies behind Awaken Retreats. Needless to say, we were pumped to find out we won a one night stay at Soulstice Retreat! They know how to throw a party!

The retreat included group fitness sessions running all day long. We took HIGH Fitness, Reformer Pilates, Aerial Yoga, HIIT and Core-X. Oh my gosh are we sore today!

Liz also organized a book club; we read The Art of Hearing Heartbeats. It was a fascinating read and I really enjoyed the overarching theme of overcoming challenges and what it means to truly love. It’s a page turner that really makes you think. There were also several inspiring speakers and of course the backdrop of stunning Deer Valley.

We expected we would have a great time, but we didn’t realize we would make friends from all around the world. Whether it was chatting at breakfast or having a hot tub party Saturday night, we felt so lucky to spend time with such fun girls!

{beautiful artwork by Hem Creative. they handmade all of the paper flowers}

{we went to our first HIGH Fitness class and absolutely loved it! The Six Sisters joined us for the fun, they are all so cute!}

We took a break from workout classes to hang at the pool with some friends. The perks of the pool at Stein: they pass out sunscreen so you don’t have to bring your own, cold water bottles whenever you want and they give you chilled watermelon pops! We were in heaven. It was such an amazing weekend! Huge thanks to Albion Fit & Soulstice Retreat for letting us come hang out!

Maui Wowie

Our striped maxi dresses are from Island Company. So soft & comfy! If you’ve been searching for a maxi dress that looks cute, but feels like pajamas, this is it!

Britt loved wearing the Albion Catalina Pin up top and cute ruffle bottoms… just enough coverage to feel fine about eating dessert, but still getting a great tan 🙂 I’m wearing the flattering-on-everyone Albion Venice Beach one piece.

We were lucky enough to spend a week in Maui with one of our favorite couples in the entire world. Britt and I met Erin while attending BYU and going through the Broadcast Journalism program. While there we were able to watch Erin meet Cole, fall in love, and eventually get married. They are one of those all around amazing couples that make you want to be better. Right now they live in California so we jumped at the chance to be able to spend 7 uninterrupted days with them in Hawaii. Erin is the type of friend that goes above and beyond to make everyone feel comfortable and have fun. Not to mention they have the worlds cutest baby who did not cry the entire trip! We love them dearly and are so grateful they introduced us to such a pretty piece of paradise! We stayed at their condo on Kaanapali Beach and tried to pack in as much as possible.

Our top 5 favorite things we did were:

1. Swimming with turtles at Napili Beach. They are ginormous and so cool to see in their element.

2. Bamboo Forest Hike. This is along the road to Hana and was a definite highlight. Although I fell so many times I stopped counting. It gets a little muddy 🙂 You pass countless waterfalls and the scenery can’t be beat.

3. Jumping off Black Rock. Every night a local man jumps from the rock at sunset as part of an island tradition. We decided to give it a try and it was extremely fun!

4. Hula Pie, anywhere and anytime. We fell in love with this dessert and most definitely ate waaaaay too much of it while we there. We loved all of the restaurants we tried on the island. Some favorites included: Leilani’s, Hula Grill, and Cheeseburger in Paradise.

5. Paddle boarding along Kaanapali Beach. Paddle boarding is always fun and the water is the perfect temperature so it doesn’t matter if you fall in!

We can’t thank Erin and Cole enough. The trip was fabulous and we hope they become our permanent travel buddies!

Twin Travels: Montage Staycation

We were lucky enough to get little taste of winter this weekend at the Montage. They invited us to bring our husbands up to Park City for a one night stay! The non-stop rain in the valleys made for snow capped mountains in Deer Valley. It honestly felt a little like Christmas. We loved getting the chance to relax and unwind. If you haven’t been to the Montage before here are some fun facts:

Free s’mores every night from 4:30-5:30 around the fire on the patio. These are no ordinary s’mores of course – they make flavored marshmallows daily like peppermint and cinnamon. I loved the delicious hot cocoa that goes with it.
Each guest is greeted by the Montage dogs in the reception area {adorable!}
Thanks to their partnership with Mercedes, guests can drive a Mercedes for a scenic drive or to get around town.
The outdoor pool and hot tubs are open 24/7.
The game room is decked out with a bowling alley, dartboards, shuffleboard, and countless arcade games. We spent a good amount of time in there. Who knew shuffleboard was so fun?

We loved every minute of our stay. When we tried to pin point why we liked it so much we decided it’s because the Montage feels like a big, cozy, beautiful home. Our suite was gorgeous and we are hoping to go back soon! Thanks to everyone at the Deer Valley Montage for such a fun weekend!

So much snow! We seriously could have gone skiing if the lifts were open.

Idiot photographers 🙂

Of course we had a snowball fight and hot cocoa to go with the amazing s’mores

Just reading fancy old leather bound books in the coolest little library

And yes, comfiest beds ever!

The 3 Caribbean Islands You Should Visit

Parker and I were lucky enough to go on a Caribbean cruise with the entire Hackett clan. My mother-in-law Linda was nice enough to give us the trip for Christmas, so we have anxiously been waiting since then! The islands we visited were all so beautiful – yet so different from one another. Although I absolutely loved every minute, I had a few favorites along the way that I wanted to share.

Puerto Rico: It was my second time in Puerto Rico and the more time I spend there, the more I love it. The city of Old San Juan has colorful buildings and tiny cobblestone streets with a European feel. We spent a day exploring the old fort and finding the most divine burger place that puts mini fries ON your burger!

Dominica: A tiny, non-commercialized island. We made a surprise stop there and it might have been my favorite place. The island has waterfalls, hot springs, and volcanoes so there is a ton to see! It’s incredible to be walking through the jungle and feel like you are in Jurassic Park.

St. Maarten: I loved the Dutch and French influences on the island. This was definitely the most developed and affluent island. The shopping is great with little cafes that offer gelato and crepes. We spent most of our time at Maho Beach where planes land right behind you. Perfect photo op!

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