Carlsbad Flower Fields na Cálifornia

Como o semestre está terminando nos EUA e o clima está melhorando com a chegada do verão; esta é a  melhor época do ano para aproveitar a natureza na California. O Carlsbad Flower Fields são 20.234 m2 de flores maravilhosas.

New Section: Our Travel Bucketlist

After a bit of redesigning we have decided to add a tab at the top of our blog that links to our current travel bucket list! As a bit of a preview, here are some of the locations that we are currently obsessing over thanks to some of the wonderful travel photographers and other bloggers out there:

Chiang Mai, Thailand, Asia

http://olivimage.com/portfolio/thailand/

Everest Hiking Trail, Nepal, Asia

http://www.nepaltraveldoor.com/trekking-in-nepal.php

Cape Town, South Africa

http://www.worldseabirdconference.com/

Marrakech, Morocco, North Africahttp://www.letstravelsomewhere.com/travel/africa/morocco-africa/

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/lassi_kurkijarvi/2784554829/

Muscat, Oman, Middle Easthttp://www.newhorizons.com.au/frmHotelSearch.aspx?c=21&d=84

Alaska, USA, North Americahttp://www.adventuresbydisney.com/north-america/alaska-vacations/

Havana, Cuba, Central America

http://keepcalmandwander.com/35-things-to-do-in-havana/

Machu Picchu, Peru, South America

Can you think of anywhere that we should add? Let us know in the comments!

Carlsbad Flower Fields

With schools letting out across the country and the sun shining more days than not, there has never been a better time to get outside and smell the flowers, literally. The Carlsbad Flower Fields are 50 acres of breathtaking flowers and fresh, crisp air that leaves you feeling transported.

Camping in Joshua Tree National Park

Over Spring Break we decided to take advantage of our 3 days off to pack up the car with our newly acquired camping gear and head out to the desert for our first ever camping experience together. Only 3 short hours away by car, Joshua Tree is known for it's namesake, the Joshua Trees, and it's beautiful camping trails and rock climbing opportunities in the harsh desert environment. With many different areas set aside for campers, Joshua Tree National Park is perfect for an outdoor getaway.

24 Hours Series: Los Angeles

Living only 3 hours away from Los Angeles, every time someone comes to visit, we always make a trip up to Tinseltown for a day of sightseeing. With Hollywood and Santa Monica pier being two of the most recognizable attractions in the USA, Los Angeles is a perfect place to visit for anyone looking to check things off of a travel bucket list.

Restaurant Week San Diego 2014

One thing that I've learned since being back in the USA after more than two years abroad, is that you never really stop traveling. Once you have experienced the feeling of your heart fluttering when you try something for the first time, or go somewhere new, there is no going back.
For that very reason, I have created a list of everything that I must try (food-wise) as well as everything that I must do for the first time while in San Diego so that I never have to lose that feeling and luckily for me, I have made some amazing friends here who feel the same way!
So to begin this post, I just want to thank the lovely Melissa of http://dreamitjustdoit.wordpress.com/ for experiencing restaurant week with me here in San Diego, CA for the first time!

(http://www.sandiegorestaurantweek.com/)

xo Jessica

5 Reasons Why you should go to San Diego's Brazilian Day

With an average of over 60,000 attendees per year, the Brazilian community of San Diego hosts what they call Brazilian Day on Garnet Avenue in the Pacific Beach neighborhood this Sunday, September 7th, 2014. A day full of delicious Brazilian foods and drinks, samba, capoeira, music, and more; Brazilian Day is an exciting way to learn about Brazilian culture and even practice a little Portuguese without ever leaving California.

Griffith Observatory: Los Angeles, California

Sitting high above the city in Los Angeles, California, the Griffith Observatory is a must visit for anyone in the city. With a stunning view of both the city down below and the Hollywood sign, that alone is enough to make the trip up a memorable one; but when you add in a world class observatory with science and space related exhibits, it becomes both educational and awe-inspiring.

Restaurantes em San Diego, Califórnia-EUA [Parte 1: Fast Food e Restaurantes Casuais]

San Diego- San Diego, frequentemente chamada a cidade mais bonita dos Estados Unidos, é, com certeza, uma cidade linda que vale a pena de visitar. Tem praias bonitas, um centro chique com muitas lojas e restaurantes com comida de todos os países e estádios que servem como as casas de times bem conhecidos e populares.

Atrações em San Diego, Califórnia-EUA [Parte 1]

San Diego- San Diego, frequentemente chamada a cidade mais bonita dos Estados Unidos, é, com certeza, uma cidade linda que vale a pena visitar. Tem praias bonitas, um centro chique com muitas lojas e restaurantes com comida de todos os países e estádios que servem como as casas de times bem conhecidos e populares.

24 Horas em Detroit

Crescendo numa cidade perto de Detroit me levou à muitas visitas para a cidade. Ás vezes, Detroit pode ser conhecida por ser uma cidade  perigosa mas, na verdade, é uma cidade com moradores que amam a cidade e que têm orgulho de todos as coisas boas que tem lá. Para começar a nossa series de "24 horas", nós vamos te dar nossas dicas de que não perder se você só tem um dia na cidade de Detroit, Michigan-EUA.

(Detroit Institute of Arts- Instagram @jesshazzy)

24 Hours Series: Detroit

Growing up only 30 minutes outside of Detroit led to many daylong visits to the Motor City. Although sometimes it has a bad reputation, it is a city full of people passionate about the city and has many hidden (and not-so-hidden) gems. In honor of this, the first of our 24 hour series will tell you what not to miss if you can only be in Detroit for one day.

(Detroit Institute of Arts taken from Jessica's instagram-@jesshazzy)

Intercontinental Chicago Review

Right in the heart of the River North neighborhood and the Magnificent Mile, the Intercontinental Chicago exceeded all expectations and was a perfect spot to start and end each day. A landmark hotel with it's history in every detail, the Intercontinental Hotel is a wonderful hotel option for anyone visiting Chicago. Featuring a truly amazing pool on the 14th floor as well as a state of the art fitness center, spa, and restaurant, the Intercontinental will have you covered in all aspects of your trip.

(strategichotels.com)

Museum Campus of Chicago

A picturesque, pedestrian-friendly paradise, this small corner of Grant Park is the perfect place to spend a day, or three. Situated on beautiful Lake Michigan, surrounded by lush green landscaping; the three nationally recognised museums make this area of Chicago hard to beat for out-of-towners and locals alike.

Picture perfect city and lake views from one of the Museum Campus' many open areas.

Great eats near the Magnificent Mile in Chicago

With restaurants lining every city block within Chicago's busiest neighborhoods, it's hard to narrow a list of great places to eat below 50. Unfortunately, having not spent extensive amounts of time in Chicago, we have only been able to sample a small amount of the amazing cuisine. With that being said, out of all of the food that we have eaten in Chicago, here are our top 5 picks (as of now).

(www.thrillist.com)

The Metropolitan Opera in New York City

An opera at the Metropolitan Opera House located in Lincoln Center is a necessary night out for anyone, regardless of whether or not you like opera. Between the amazing MET Opera House, the awe-inspiring opera singers, and the overall experience of having an elegant night out, what is not to like.

Lack of Posting

Hello everyone!

Sorry for the lack in posts recently! Here are some updates on our lives and some travel plans we have coming up:

As far as life updates go, we got ENGAGED in Campos do Jordao, Brazil 3 weeks or so ago!! We are both so excited and enjoying this new step in our relationship and our lives.

Coming up in April, I'm going back to the US for a little bit of wedding planning, visiting with family, and hopefully some more travel! With school and everything that is going on, it has been hard to find the time to do any big trips but that being said, we will still keep posting as much as we can even if it's about places we've been in the past, places on our go to list, or any small adventures we may have in the next few weeks.

Keep checking back for more! Hopefully some of our trip to Campos do Jordao will be up by the end of this week. If there's anything else you would love to see on our blog let us know in the comments, we would love to hear from you!

xo
Jessica

Hotel Mela New York City Times Square Review

On my trip to New York City, I was all about the budget hotels so when I found the Hotel Mela on groupon I couldn't wait for my one night stay. A modern and sophisticated boutique hotel located 1/2 a block from Times Square, Hotel Mela was a hidden treasure right in the heart of Manhattan.

xo Jessica

The Manhattan Times Square, New York City Review

After booking the Manhattan Times Square through Hotwire's Secret Hot Rate, I was a little concerned after reading some of the reviews on tripadvisor. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised by this "diamond in the rough" (as a few of the users had called it) and left wishing that I could extend my vacation.

Centrally located between 51st and 52nd on 7th, The Manhattan Times Square is ideal for anyone looking to be in the center of the action and within walking distance of subway stations that are ready to whisk you away to another part of the glorious city that is New York City.

xo Jessica

Surviving the Fees of Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines is known as one of the American budget airlines and are constantly offering lower than average fares to some of the top tourist destinations across the country. Unfortunately, unless you know what you're getting yourself into and all of the ins and outs of flying spirit, you are going to end up paying just as much, if not more, than the same itinerary on another airline. Luckily, we am not new to flying on Spirit and have found some ways to avoid the hefty fees while still having a good flight.

xo Jessica