Tag: Restaurants

  • Things To Do Besides Hiking In Sedona Arizona

    Things To Do Besides Hiking In Sedona Arizona

    Best Things To Do Besides Hiking in Sedona

    Hiking is our favorite activity while visiting Sedona but there is so much more! Here is our list of things to do in Sedona besides hiking. Enjoy!

    Chapel of the Holy Cross is stunning. It’s a definite must stop with breathtaking views. Depending on what time of year you are visiting, it can get very busy. We always make sure to get there early when the chapel opens to avoid big crowds. You can light a candle for someone you love, shop in the chapel store, or just sit for a quiet moment. If you park at the lower level, there is a golf cart driver that will take you to the top or you can get in a short strenuous hike. You can also book a tour through the Sedona Trolley Company.

    Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park is the perfect location to relax and take a deep breathe. It’s a place for meditation and spiritual renewal. The 14 acres located next to Thunder Mountain is considered holy to the native peoples. This beautiful 36-foot stupa gets its name from Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Limitless Light. Peace Park is free and runs off donations. It’s such a special spot, I visited this park almost every day while in Sedona.

    Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park Sedona Arizona

    Posse Grounds Park is Sedona’s first park. 78 acres to explore and enjoy! There are trails, a dog park, skate park, softball fields, tennis courts, bike skills park, basketball court, sand volleyball court, picnic tables, a multi-use grass field, and our favorite…the fitness trail.

    Posse Grounds Park Sedona Arizona

    Of course, so much shopping! Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village offers many unique shops and restaurants. You can spend a full day walking around, shopping, eating, and people watching. We really enjoyed sitting on the Oak Creek Brewery patio and drinking their locally brewed beer. I also loved stopping at Sedona Candle Magic shop and watching them make the candles (See below). A couple other favorite shopping locations are Hummingbird House and the Hillside Sedona Shopping Center.

    My favorite shop to buy crystals is Mystical Bazaar. The staff is so helpful and friendly. They also offer aura photos, psychic readings, and beautiful jewelry.

    things to do in Sedona

    There is a huge artist market too! I found great gifts here.

    I also always find the local farmer’s markets when traveling. It’s a great way to enjoy fresh food and local shopping. The Sedona Farmer’s Market is open in the winter and summer seasons.

    Last but not least, treat yourself to a massage at Therapy on the Rocks or one of the many spas in Sedona.

    Happy Traveling!

    Originally posted in 2020.

    © What Stirs Your Soul Media

  • Best Restaurants In Sedona – Arizona

    Best Restaurants In Sedona – Arizona

    Best restaurants in Sedona

    Our all time favorite restaurant in Sedona is The Hudson. We order the pork chop every time. The Hudson’s tagline is “A Neighborhood Restaurant” and we couldn’t describe it more perfectly. When we sit at the bar and chat with the bartender, locals, and tourists, it feels like we’ve known everyone forever. Their service is impeccable. Do not leave without ordering dessert! I can’t resisit their flourless chocolate cake. Enjoy this list of the best restaurants in Sedona, your mouth will be watering!

    Hudsons Sedona Arizona

    Our favorite dessert in Sedona

    Speaking of dessert, this beauty is from Creekside American Bistro. This hot banana churros with ice cream is incredible! Yes, that IS banana bread. It was so good! I would recommend ordering this as your meal. 🙂 We loved stopping in for a lunch and sitting at their cozy bar. They also have great burgers and I really enjoyed their salads.

    Best Restaurants in Sedona, Arizona
    Salads in Sedona

    Breakfast at the airport offers the most incredible views

    Breakfast at Mesa Grill is a must! Beside a yummy breakfast, you get an amazing view on the way up, and it’s cool to watch the planes land. They also offer an awesome dog-friendly patio with a full dog menu. They even bring your dog a bowl of water when seated. We were so impressed by the level of service especially with our dog. Allen gave it two paws up.

    Breakfast in Sedona, Arizona
    Best Restaurants in Sedona, Arizona
    Best Restaurants in Sedona, Arizona
    Best Restaurants in Sedona, Arizona

    Best brewery, winery, coffee shop and more in Sedona

    The Oak Creek Brewery is a great location to sit at the bar and catch a game OR sit on their patio for some sun. The cheese tray is perfect to split and enjoy with your drinks. My husband’s favorite Oak Creek Brewery beers were the Amber Ale and Gold Lager.

    Best Restaurants in Sedona, Arizona

    The Secret Garden Cafe has the best rueben and coleslaw. The slaw has blue cheese and raisins added which brings it to another level. The perfect spot to stop after shopping at the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village. They offer a cute patio and we appreciated their friendly service.

    Best Restaurants in Sedona, Arizona

    The views from Mariposa are unbeatable! My favorite item on their menu is the deep fried avocado. Oh yes….let me say that again…deep fried avocado. Delicious!

    Best Restaurants in Sedona, Arizona
    Best Restaurants in Sedona, Arizona

    For a special treat, enjoy lunch at the L’Auberge de Sedona. The patio sits right on beautiful Oak Creek. It’s so peaceful listening to the sounds of the creek while sipping on a glass of wine. Make it extra special and book an appointment at their spa.

    Best Restaurants in Sedona, Arizona

    For coffee, stop by Creekside Coffee (now Rattle & Hum Coffee Roasters). They source the highest quality green beans from around the world. Their coffee warms the soul. Look at that view!

    Best Restaurants in Sedona, Arizona

    For fresh juice (and for more superb coffee or a delicious meal), visit Indian Gardens. This cafe and market is a historic general store just 4 miles north of Sedona. It’s a nice short drive with hikes along the way. They have wonderful to-go lunches for your hike or picnic.

    Best Restaurants in Sedona, Arizona
    Best Restaurants in Sedona, Arizona

    There are a lot of wineries to check out while in Sedona. We ended up only stopping at Page Springs Cellars. It was one of our favorite afternoons with live music, an excellent cheese tray, and very good wine. Page Springs Cellars is located approximately 15 miles south of Sedona. Another beautiful drive with other wineries on the way, you can make a day of it.

    Best Restaurants in Sedona, Arizona

    Last food tip. Check out the Whole Foods nightly happy hour! Great prices and good food. They also offer a really good coffee and juice bar.

    Please let me know if you have any questions about the best restaurants in Sedona. I would love to help!

    Check out our “things to do besides hiking” blog post for more fun Sedona ideas.

    Happy traveling!

    #WhatStirsYourSoul

    ©What Stirs Your Soul Media

  • Jackson Hole, Wyoming – Favorite Restaurants

    Jackson Hole, Wyoming – Favorite Restaurants

    Best Restaurants in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

    Driving Teton Pass towards Jackson from Idaho at sunrise is breathtaking. For the last few years, we have made it a priority to get up early and catch the sunrise at 8,432 feet. Then it’s off to Nora’s Fish Creek Inn for breakfast! Don’t miss any of the best restaurants in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

    Teton Pass Wyoming

    Our Favorite Breakfast Jackson Hole Wyoming

    Nora’s has rustic charm with outstanding service. The food always tastes like home. You can tell it’s cooked with love. ❤️

    Nora's Fish Creek Inn Jackson Hole Wyoming
    Best Restaurants in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

    To keep us going throughout the day, we stop for one more cup at Cowboy Coffee Co. They are located right across from Jackson’s quaint town square. Jackson Hole has that magic that makes you want to slow down and soak it all in. The town square is lovely to walk around, shop, and enjoy the scenery.

    Cowboy Coffee Co Jackson Wyoming
    Jackson Hole, Wyoming
    Jackson Hole, Wyoming

    The first time we went to Snake River Brewery, we were surprised. We knew that we loved their beer but we were not expecting the food to be so amazing! They make the best french onion soup and homemade pretzels. My husband loves their burgers and pizza.

    Snake River Brewing Jackson Hole Wyoming
    Snake River Brewing Jackson Hole Wyoming
    Snake River Brewing
    Snake River Brewery Jackson Hole Wyoming

    Best Eats Grand Teton National Park

    For beautiful mountain views, visit the Blue Heron Lounge at Jackson Lake Lodge for lunch or dinner to see the sunset. If you decide to stay at Jackson Lake Lodge, make sure to sign up for their Jackson Lake Scenic Breakfast Cruise! One of our all time best experiences, you can read about it here.

    Jackson Lake Lodge Grand Teton National Park
    Jackson Lake Lodge Grand Teton National Park

    Hand Fire Pizza located in the historic Teton Theater offers a fun location with delicious pizza. We were impressed with the level of service. We sat at the bar and enjoyed conversations with the manager and bartender. It’s always nice to get tips and ideas from the locals!

    Hand Fire Pizza Jackson Hole Wyoming
    Hand Fire Pizza Jackson Hole Wyoming

    For dessert, stop by the Jackson Drug for an ice cream cone. The first Jackson Drug opened in 1919 and closed its doors in 2001. In 2016, Nikki and Jessica Gill reopened bringing back a piece of Jackson’s past. You can read all about the history and their story here.

    Jackson Drug Co Jackson Wyoming

    While in Jackson, you have to stop at the famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. You can literally saddle up at the bar. Check out amazing live music and hit the dance floor.

    Cowboy Bar Jackson Wyoming
    Cowboy Bar Jackson Wyoming

    Other mentions that I didn’t get pictures because we were too busy enjoying ourselves. 🙂 Cafe Genevieve is our favorite! Every meal has been delicious, it’s cozy and quaint, with excellent service. You can sit outside on the porch with your dog too.

    We also always have a great time at the Silver Dollar Bar at the Wort Hotel. If you’re there on a Tuesday, make sure to stop in and enjoy the locals two stepping around the dance floor.

    Happy Traveling!

    ©What Stirs Your Soul Media

  • The Block – Dog Friendly Patio – St. Louis Park, Minnesota

    The Block – Dog Friendly Patio – St. Louis Park, Minnesota

    For Valentine’s Day, we brought our favorite Valentine (our rescue dog, Allen) to The Block in St. Louis Park to check out their dog-friendly patio. We were so impressed! They have thought of everything to make your dining experience with your pup amazing.

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    Allen has been to restaurant patios but has always been the only dog so we weren’t sure how he would behave in this setting with other dogs. When we walked in, I explained that to the server and she was so accommodating. She told me that they have frozen Von Hanson‘s smoked beef marrow bones that work well to keep the dogs busy and distracted. Of course, the bone worked and Allen LOVED it!

    Once seated, they bring your dog a mat to lay on, a big bowl of water and a little treat. They offer a menu just for the dogs from frozen bones to full meals. On one end of the patio, there is an awesome wall for photos and other end, a TV playing dog videos.

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    Besides being dog-friendly, the food was delicious! I really appreciated all of their gluten-free options. I loved this burrata salad and Terry loved all the craft beer choices. We also had cheeseburgers (mine with a yummy gluten-free bun) and the tater tots were perfect on this chilly Minnesota day!

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    For dessert, I was excited to see Muddy Paws Cheesecake, hand-crafted locally by our friend, Tami! They also offer some super fun, over the top, shakes that I can’t wait to try.

    Find the menu, weekly specials, hours and location HERE. We are so happy to have a new quality restaurant in SLP and to hang out on the patio in the summer!

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    The Block, 7007 Walker Street, St. Louis Park, Minnesota 55426

    ©Tracy Blowers

  • Best Restaurants in Kanab, Utah

    Best Restaurants in Kanab, Utah

    Best Restaurants in Kanab, Utah

    Kanab, Utah is the perfect home base while visiting one or all of the Mighty Five National Parks (Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion). It’s also close to Lake Powell, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and so much more. The list goes on and on! On top of our list is volunteering at Best Friends Animal Society. Here is our list of the best restaurants in Kanab.

    1. Vermillion 45 is a new casual French/Italian bistro. The food was spectacular! We have come to expect the unexpected in Kanab and Vermillion 45 fits right in. We loved the casual vibe and the open kitchen. The owner, Walt, was walking the restaurant and chatted with guests every time we were there. We really enjoyed talking with him and that level of service. Vermillion 45 is down-to-earth fine dining.

    Best Restaurants in Kanab, Utah - Vermillion 45
    Fricassee De Legumineuse En Gratin – Vermillion 45

    Sego Restaurant and Chef Shon in Kanab, Utah

    2. I dream about Sego Restaurant all year and Chef Shon’s deep fried soft boiled egg. It is heaven! Chef Shon is magical in the kitchen and Sego is such a special place from the food to the service. It’s our date night go-to. They have the best charcuterie boards and we love the social style of dining.

    Sego Restaurant, Kanab, Utah
    Best Restaurants in Kanab, Utah
    Charcuterie Board – Sego Restaurant
    Sego Restaurant, Kanab, Utah
    AZ. Beef Filet – espresso chili rub, ancho & agave steak sauce, horseradish cream sauce, s.w. parmesan potatoes – Sego Restaurant
    Best Restaurants in Kanab, Utah
    Grilled Caesar – romaine, caesar, fried egg, parmesan – Sego Restaurant

    Best Vegan Pizza in Kanab, Utah

    3. I wouldn’t have believed it if you told me that I would LOVE the vegan pepperoni pizza at Peekaboo Canyon Wood-Fired Kitchen. Peekaboo’s items are all vegetarian or vegan recipes. They opened my eyes to vegetarian food. Peekaboo is our favorite spot to dine al fresco for lunch.

    Vegan Kanab Utah
    Half avocado topped with quinoa and lime-cilantro vinaigrette.
    Vegan Pizza Kanab, Utah

    4. When in Kanab, you have to stop at the Rocking V Cafe! Not only for the food but for the art. The owner, Victor, is always there to greet the guests and will put a smile on your face. It’s the perfect spot to kick off your trip with a fun atmosphere and yummy food. Visit Victor’s Instagram page at @rockingvcafe to see all the PORKCHOPPERS.

    Best Restaurants in Kanab, Utah

    5. New to us this year but not new is Wild Thyme Cafe. Two words: Corn Bread.

    Best Restaurants in Kanab, Utah

    Lunch at Best Friends Animal Society

    Bonus number 6! Best Friends Animal Society offers a $5.00 vegetarian lunch buffet every day. It’s so good and feels like home. We love their salad bar!

    Best Friends Animal Society Lunch Kanab Utah

    Last little bonus but not least because it’s the only way to start the day. 🙂 Our two favorite coffee shops – Willow Canyon Outdoor Company (Again very unexpected but that’s what we love about Kanab) and Kanab Creek Bakery.

    Check out the best pet-friendly lodging in Kanab, Best Friends Roadhouse.

    © What Stirs Your Soul Media

  • Restaurants – Driggs, Idaho – Teton Valley

    Restaurants – Driggs, Idaho – Teton Valley

    Big Hole Bagel & Bistro was our first stop for breakfast in Driggs, Idaho. It’s so cozy and offers 100% organic locally roasted coffee from around the world! I loved the veggie omelet with the addition of avocado. The building is historic and has been part of Main Street for over 100 years. There is a full bakery in-house so the bagels are baked fresh every morning! Isn’t the front door cute?

    One of the things that I love most about traveling is researching and planning the trip. I kept reading awesome reviews about Rise Coffee House. They have a lovely outdoor patio with a nice lawn area to sit and sip your coffee. The morning that we stopped in there was an acoustic guitar player which made the atmosphere perfect. I could have sat there all day. Try one of their mouth-watering pastries!

    Forage Bistro & Lounge was another restaurant that I added to our list while researching Teton Valley. The food was incredible!! Look at this pork chop that Terry devoured. It was so good, he literally ate every last bite. The service was superb and we can’t wait to visit again! They also recently opened a brewery called Citizen-33. We will check it out in August and put up a blog post.

    The owners of the townhome that we rented through VRBO told us that we had to check out Music on Main in Victor. Music on Main is on Thursday nights. This summer the dates run June 20th through August 15th, 2019 (No shows on July 4th). We had a blast! It felt like a family picnic. Everyone was so friendly and there was so much good food to choose from. Plus if you’re planning on drinking, there is a shuttle provided by Grand Targhee Resort with pickups in Alta, Wyoming at the resort and in downtown Driggs.

    Last, a great option for cooking at home! A fun story about how we found barrels & bins community market. We stopped at The Coffee Pot Bakery and Cafe in Bozeman, Montana on our way through to Driggs. I started chatting with one of the employees and she told me that she was from Driggs, Idaho. She said she previously worked at barrels & bins and that we should check it out. I always love recommendations! We ended up going there every day for fresh pressed juice. The juice is truly made fresh so don’t be in a rush, it’s worth the wait. It was also wonderful to buy our groceries from local farms.

    *There’s also a Farmer’s Market every Friday throughout the summer in downtown Driggs. We found some wonderful local jam, bakery items and had fun talking with the locals. There’s a lot of beautiful crafts too!

    We still have so much to explore on the “quiet side of the mountains”. We are headed back in August and I can’t wait to share more with you!

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