Ontario Mills Lights Up the Lunar New Year

Posted on January 23, 2017 by Erin

Ontario Mills Lights Up the Lunar New Year

By Erin

*This is a sponsored post*

California’s largest outlet and value retail shopping destination, Ontario Mills, is celebrating the Year of the Rooster with traditional performances, activities and giveaways on January 28. This Spring Festival is to commemorate the Lunar New Year. On Saturday, January 28th, guests will be treated to sensational performances by cultural lion dancers, Kung Fu masters and towering stilt walkers in addition to fun activities and exclusive giveaways to ring in The Year of the Rooster. I am looking forward to all of this year’s festivities.

As January 28th officially kicks off this year’s Lunar New Year, Ontario Mills joins in the celebration. Starting at 1:30 p.m. in Fashion Alley, guests will be treated to face painters, balloon artists, a themed photo booth and a special Teavana tea station with cookies, all available while supplies last. The performances will begin at 1:30 p.m. with theatrical stilt performers, dressed in ceremonial costumes, walking and greeting guests. To follow, five professional Kung Fu martial artists will perform individual routines at 2:30 p.m. For the grand finale, the Ane Thanh Lion Dance Group will perform a traditional and honorary lion dance show with live drumming and cymbals at 3:30 p.m.

“From the diversity of the Inland Empire to the international guests hailing from over 80 different countries worldwide, we’re proud to host an event celebrating culture and custom,” said Lisa Restaino Morony, Director of Marketing at Ontario Mills. “As Ontario Mills has celebrated countless milestones this past year, we’re looking forward to what fortunes The Year of the Rooster will continue to bring.”

The festivities continue throughout the day with exclusive prizes from 1 p.m. through 4 p.m. Guests who spend $55 or more and present their receipts at the Lunar New Year informational table in Fashion Alley, will receive either a Lunar New Year tote or special hand-fan, while supplies last. Ontario Mills will also be distributing Lunar New Year Offer Guides featuring over 20 special retailer offers from January 27 through February 19.

For more information and further updates, visit http://www.ontariomills.com, and follow Ontario Mills on Facebook, on Twitter and Instagram.

About Ontario Mills

Ontario Mills, California’s largest outlet and value retail shopping destination, offers the ultimate shopping experience with more than 200 outlet and value retail stores, including Kate Spade New York, Michael Kors, Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH, Coach Factory Store, UNIQLO, Ulta Beauty, Tommy Bahama Outlet, Nordstrom Rack, H&M, Forever 21, J.Crew Factory, Tommy Hilfiger Company Store, Abercrombie & Fitch Outlet, Hollister Co. Outlet, Michael Kors, Tory Burch Outlet and Nike Factory Store. Shoppers can enjoy dining and entertainment venues such as Market Broiler, Rainforest Cafe, Dave & Buster’s, Blaze Pizza, Johnny Rockets, GameWorks, Improv Comedy Club & Dinner Theatre and AMC 30 Theatres.

For more information on Ontario Mills, please call (909) 484-8300, visit www.OntarioMills.com or follow Ontario Mills on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OntarioMills, Twitter at www.twitter.com/ShopOntario and Instagram at www.instagram.com/shopontario.

About The Mills^®, A Simon Company

The Mills^®, one of Simon Property Group’s five real estate platforms, offers a unique brand of shopping with a mix of popular name brand outlets, value retailers and full-price stores, plus family-oriented dining and entertainment concepts. The Mills’ are well located in major metropolitan markets and many are recognized as leading tourism destinations. Notable properties include Arundel Mills (Baltimore), Gurnee Mills (Chicago), Grapevine Mills (Dallas), Ontario Mills (Los Angeles), Opry Mills (Nashville), Potomac Mills (Washington, DC) and Sawgrass Mills (Ft. Lauderdale/Miami).

About Simon

Simon is a global leader in retail real estate ownership, management and development and an S&P100 company (Simon Property Group, NYSE:SPG). Our industry-leading retail properties and investments across North America, Europe and Asia provide shopping experiences for millions of consumers every day and generate billions in annual retail sales. For more information, visit simon.com.

Carmel by the Sea: a Foodie Paradise #LLBlogNotAConf

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Erin

By Erin

I traveled with a group of talented writers to Central California. We spent a few days in Carmel by the Sea, the Carmel Valley and Monterey for #LLBlogNotaConf.

Taking a vacation up the Central Coast in California is one of my all time favorite destinations. Enjoying family vacations in this part of California has always been a favorite. So much so I have been there countless times again and again on my own with friends as an adult. When I heard that there was a trip being planned to head up this way with some of my favorite writers and fellow foodie friends for LLBlogNotAConf, I could not pass the opportunity up.

Carmel by the Sea

Carmel-by-the-Sea is a beautiful little European-styled village, sitting above a picturesque white-sand beach that has inspired artists, sparked romances, and attracted celebrities for decades with its charm. One of the top-10 destinations in the U.S. year after year, Carmel-by-the-Sea is a place you will want to vacation at too. Everything is within walking distance from your adorable hotel or inn. Activities range from the performing arts and cultural activities to hundreds of Carmel shops, restaurants, wine tasting, art galleries, and so much more, with tons of other options nearby as well. Food is a huge part of traveling for me, so I will share some of my favorite spots with you here and in the surrounding areas nearby.

Right now the city is in the midst of their Centennial Celebration, with lots of events all year-long culminating in a special parade on October 29th. You can find a list of upcoming events here.

Now, on to the FOOD right? Here are some of my top picks for places to stop along your drive up to Carmel from Southern California and while you are in and around Carmel.

The Apple Farm

A childhood favorite of mine, I always have to stop at The Apple Farm in San Luis Obispo for breakfast on my way through the Central Coast cities. Not only is the food amazing, but so is the atmosphere. There are so many things to see, you will want to make sure to leave a little time to wander around a bit before or after your meal here.

Jocko’s Steak House

If you LOVE steak as much as I do, then you MUST stop here on either your way to or from Carmel (or both if possible!) Located in Nipomo, CA they serve some of the most delicious steak around for a very unbelievable price; $24 for the Small Spencer (ribeye) pictured below, which was more than I could eat by myself. There was so much food with dinner. The steak was perfectly done, the pinquito beans were amazing, and the garlic bread was super garlicky. It also comes with a baked potato, salad, a relish tray that has a bunch of pepperoncini and sweet cherry peppers, dessert and coffee. Some of my favorite stuff, all included in one price. Such a crazy good deal right?

You don’t eat here for the ambience – that leaves much to be desired. It’s pretty plain and simple. You walk in to see a variety of animal heads plastered all over the walls and then walk into a very non-descript dining room. You come here for the food. It gets insanely busy here (since it’s that good) so it is best to make a reservation in advance if you know you will be coming up this way.

Wine Tasting

If you’re looking for a little wine-tasting before your meal, or you want to spend a relaxing afternoon strolling around town while sipping on some wine, make sure to get yourself a Wine Tasting Passport (The passport costs $65 and is a $90 value)! Sip and savor some wine in one of the many super friendly and pet-friendly tasting rooms. With your Passport you get 9 tasting tickets, so you will get to sample a wide variety of wine from many different tasting rooms.

Carmel Belle

Once you have made it to Carmel and you’re ready to have an amazingly delicious lunch (or breakfast or dinner) then make your way over here! We joined our group here for lunch after doing a little bit of wine tasting, and it really hit the spot. From salads, soups, to sandwiches and comfort foods, you are sure to find something that will make your taste buds happy. I tried the Mozzarella and Prosciutto La Quercia Sandwich with Tomato Bisque soup, both were delicious and very satisfying. Their soups are made by scratch daily. And dessert? Carmel Belle has plenty of options to make your sweet tooth happy too. 🙂

Mozzarella and Prosciutto La Quercia Sandwich with vegetables on country toast.

Scrumptious made from scratch Tomato Bisque Soup.

An assortment of delectable desserts to choose from. I’m in heaven! 🙂

Finding Dory at the Monterey Bay Aquarium! #FindingDoryEvent

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Erin

Finding Dory at the Monterey Bay Aquarium!

By Erin

*I was invited by Disney on a press trip for Finding Dory. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.*

Last month myself and 24 other amazing writers went on an adventure of a lifetime with the quest of Finding Dory. This trip landed us in Monterey Bay, California at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We were free to wander around as we wished to try to find her. Have you seen her? Finding Dory will be swimming into theaters everywhere on June 17th.

The mission of the nonprofit Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the ocean. For over 30 years, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has worked to protect ocean life for future generations by inspiring young and old with the beauty and wonder of the ocean. So come along with us and let’s take a tour of the aquarium and see if we can find Dory!

Sea Otters

The first thing that caught our eye after entering the aquarium were these adorable otters! These playful California sea otters make their home in a two-story exhibit that they share with coastal marine life. These gals are super fun to watch. Very playful, they were given toys to play with and chunks of ice that they would find creative ways to break apart to find some yummy treats to eat inside. I could have very easily stayed here all day watching these amazing animals, but we needed to find Dory!

The Otters are so cute @MontereyAq! #FindingDoryEvent pic.twitter.com/xwirDdqeV3

— Erin (@HorsingAroundLA) March 7, 2016

Before moving on though, we had to check out the special delivery that had arrived just two days before. Outside, in front of the aquarium a wild sea otter had given birth to an adorable little pup on the rocks. Guests were all standing out on the overlook watching the mother and her baby. If you look closely, you can see her below on the left side, on the second rock sticking out. Yep, that little brown blob is her. Then you can also see a closer up shot I was able to get of her. She swam off into the ocean with her pup the same day we had to leave. 🙂

Touch Pools

Next we made our way over to the Touch Pools! Here you can get up close and personal to Mr. Ray’s cousins, the bat rays, sea stars (like Peach!), and other friends of Nemo and Dory at this interactive exhibit. There is also a very cool Wave Crash gallery nearby here that pumps about 600 gallons of water and “crashes” every 30 seconds! The walk-through tunnel in the wave crash exhibit is one of the most popular family photo spots in the Aquarium.

Kelp Forest

Our next stop on our journey to find Dory, was to the magical kelp forest! This three-story exhibit is the first and largest living kelp forest community created at any aquarium. Pixar animators studied the water movement and play of light here at this very exhibit! How cool is that?

Horsing Around In LA

Tag Archives: Travel

Ontario Mills Lights Up the Lunar New Year