Travel – Page 4

T.W.O.’s Favorite Orange County (OC) Spots

Published on September 5, 2013September 4, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

31^st Street, Newport Beach

For many years, T.W.O. has been riding their beach cruises to this street’s beach front to soak up the sun. It’s a great place to catch-up on your summer book read, gossip magazine news and a little game of smash ball. Generally, this beach spot is not too crowded so you don’t have to worry about finding a place to sit.

Balboa Island

This island is famous for its Balboa Bar, which is a chocolate dipped frozen banana. It’s THE BEST in the WEST! Other than these gastronomical gems, Balboa is a great place to stroll along the board walk and enjoy the sun! And if you have young children, the island offers a Fun Zone and a Ferry Boat that will definitely keep your children on Cloud 9!

Sugar Shack

Located on Main Street in Huntington Beach, the Sugar Shack is a restaurant that T.W.O. and their family have been going to for breakfast every Christmas Eve. The eggs, pancakes, hash browns and the hot chocolate are highly recommended. The restaurant is also known for its hamburgers and Turkey Dinners on Wednesday nights.

Fashion Island

Where the shopping bags meet the surf! In T.W.O’s opinion, there is no better way to spend the day shopping than in an outdoor shopping mall that has views of the ocean. The center has many of T.W.O.’s favorite stores- Norstrom’s, Bloomingdales, Macy’s, Trina Turk, Rebecca Taylor, Elie Tahari, Kate Spade,Nike, and the list goes on! One of T.W.O.’s favorite spots to dine for lunch while shopping is True Food Kitchen, which has the most amazing salads!

Crystal Cove Shake Shack

Shake Shack is a great place to cool down with a shake and enjoy the views of the Pacific Ocean. This small little hut is located on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) near Laguna Beach that is worth stopping at! They are most famous for their date shake creation. So take your next date here and share a date shake!

Cannery, Newport Beach

A local favorite, The Cannery is a wonderful restaurant that is known for its gastronomical, fresh seafood. Whether you go for brunch, lunch dinner, or drinks, this waterfront spot will not be a disappointment. They also offer a fantastic happy hour from 4-6:30 PM daily!

TK Burger, Newport Beach

At the beach and craving a hamburger? T.W.O. would highly recommend that you make your way to TK Burger. This spot is filled with locals because they know that it is the best burger you can get in town with sand on your feet. All their food is fresh- never frozen and cooked to order. They also have locations in Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo, Anaheim Hills and Santa Ana.

Happy Exploring!

The Traveling T.W.O. Journal

Published on September 3, 2013September 3, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Travel journals have been around since the beginning of time. The pioneers kept journals while traveling to the West to document their hardships, sightings and experiences to the new unexplored land. Many of these journals have been used to learn more about history and many were lost in the rough, leaving unanswered questions. Today, T.W.O. has adapted the same concept with their travels around the world.

Before every big trip, T.W.O. buys a journal to document their memories and capture their favorite quotes and experiences. The journal selection process is important; you just can’t select a book with paper in it. Below are some requirements that are needed:

– Hard cover
– Memorable quote or picture on the front, depicting the trip
– Wire ring binding
– 70+ pages

The main idea of the travel journal is to write about each day’s activities so that you can remember everything years later. Hotel and restaurant names, shopping stores and city neighborhoods are all noted in the book.

T.W.O. uses the travel journal to suggest places to friends and family traveling to the same destination. The most important part of the book is the “scrapbook” section, which has restaurant business cards, post cards, wine bottle labels, maps and anything else that comes across the way during T.W.O.’s travels. (There is even a smudge of chocolate from a croissant T.W.O. had in Paris in the travel journal!) Scotch tape is important to bring along so you can tape the items into the book that same day.

At the end of the trip, T.W.O. recaps their favorite memories and quotes. T.W.O. finds it important to document these experiences as soon as you can because as time goes own, details are forgotten. And just like the pioneers, these journals will be passed to future generations. From wagons, to cars, to trains to planes, we will see what the next century brings!

Happy Travels!!!!

T.W.O. in Madrid

Published on August 26, 2013August 26, 2013 by twinswithoriginality1 Comment

After a plane flight, metro ride, and adventure walking with our suitcases over cobblestone, T.W.O. made it to our first stop in Spain- MADRID!! Ole! Madrid is an amazing city full of history, architecture, exquisite restaurants, friendly people and not to mention, ZARAs on every corner! T.W.O. was in heaven!

T.W.O. was in Madrid for 4 days at stayed at the Vincchi Soho hotel in the heart of the historical area of Madrid. T.W.O. would definitely recommend Vincchi Soho- it is clean, modern, the staff is very friendly and it is in a great location of the city- walking distance to everything!

While in Madrid, T.W.O. explored everything- from plazas to palaces, ZARAs to bull fights, restaurants to mercados, and Rosés to papas fritas. T.W.O loved it all! Here are just some of the highlights of T.W.O.’s adventure in Madrid!

Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor was one of the biggest plazas in Madrid. T.W.O enjoyed stopping by this plaza one, two, even three times a day to see this beautiful site.

Mercado de San Miguel

Mercado de San Miguel is a must-see if you travel to Madrid. This mercado is a great spot to head for lunch if you don’t want to deal with a restaurant. Inside the mercado, there are over 30 merchants selling their respective tapas specialties. T.W.O would highly recommend the burrata cheese crostini with pesto and the croquette with cheese and jalapeno.

Palacio Real de Madrid

Palacio Real de Madrid is another site to see in Madrid. Pay the 12 euros and enjoy the breathtaking art and architecture inside the palace. You won’t be disappointed.

Plaza de Santa Ana

Plaza de Santa Ana was T.W.O.’s favorite plaza in Madrid. They spent everyday in this plaza whether is was for breakfast, lunch, dinner or their siesta!

Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas

When in Madrid, go to a bull fight! T.W.O. enjoyed this amazing experience and would suggest everyone see one if they are in Madrid. The art of this sport is spectacular and the local people are so passionate about it. Bull fights typically take place on every Sunday during the summer months.

Lateral

Lateral was T.W.O.’s favorite restaurant in Madrid. It is located in Plaza de Santa Ana (how ironic!). T.W.O. would suggest the stuffed piquillo peppers, goat cheese with caramelized onions, and the patatas bravas.

Strolling around Madrid and Parque del Buen Retiro

T.W.O. enjoyed strolling around Madrid, especially when it involved shopping at Zara! During the stroll, T.W.O. walked through Parque del Buen Retiro. It was absolutely gorgeous and reminded T.W.O. of Central Park in New York City. This park is a nice place to take a picnic, go for a run, or just enjoy an evening walk!

T.W.O. truly enjoyed Madrid and would definitely go back- well actually; they did, for one day! In terms of the future, Madrid will be revisited. It is a great city for everyone- young adults, couples, families and elders! T.W.O. me encantό Madrid! #gemelasenespana

Introducing T.W.O

Published on August 14, 2013August 14, 2013 by twinswithoriginality5 Comments

…..And T.W.O. is launched!!!! After more than 20 years of keeping our recipes, DIY projects, travels and style behind closed doors we decided to share them with the world. T.W.O is excited about this new adventure and hopes that you will enjoy all the posts as much as T.W.O had in creating them!

Now sit back, relax and enjoy T.W.O!