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Tag: travel

Tag Responsibly, Keep Jackson Hole Wild

The best part of travel is discovering something new. A new place, a breathtaking view, meeting a new friend, tasting different local food, or even challenging yourself to step outside your comfort zone to experience a new feeling.

The Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board started the “Tag Responsibly, Keep Jackson Hole Wild” campaign after people started geotagging their photos with specific locations on social media.

Not only is this campaign good for the environment, but it’s also good for us.

With social media and specific tags, don’t you think it takes the adventure out of traveling? Planning, researching, and asking questions is all part of the fun. When we talk to the locals, they always give us recommendations and we invariably meet hikers on the trails and exchange ideas. It’s great to look at social for inspiration and ideas but does it have to be an exact spot?

Let’s not lose our sense of wonder. If you’re only focusing on getting to that one specific location, the one that you’ve already seen a million pictures of on social, you’ll miss out on the surprises. You’ll miss the moments that can take change you forever.

It’s also good for safety reasons, many of the epic views that you see on social media, the person trained to get to whether hiking, biking, skiing, etc.

Let’s all help to keep it wild…

so we can enjoy these views for years to come…

You can learn more at www.visitjacksonhole.com

©Tracy Blowers

July 15, 2019
Devils Tower – KOA Campground – Wyoming
Devils Tower National Monument offers so many perspectives.

It’s America’s first national monument established in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt. There are many theories about how the tower was created. Most believe it was formed 65 million years ago as volcanic magma and lava cooled. You can learn more about the history of the tower and how the columns formed at the National Park Service site. Other resources listed below.

Traveling from the Twin Cities, Devils Tower is approximately 680 miles. It’s a perfect stop as you drive west or a short distance for a fun family vacation. The KOA is located at the base of the tower. They offer a full-service restaurant, a huge gift shop with lots of sweet treats, a heated outdoor pool, and hayrides. There is an outdoor nightly viewing of Close Encounters of the Third Kind (which was filmed at the site).

The campground is located on the Belle Fourche River surrounded by the beautiful Black Hills of Wyoming. We stayed in one of the camper cabins right on the river.

Devils Tower KOA also offers tent sites, RV sites and a park model cabin that sleeps 6.

The sites are spacious so even though we were there during Sturgis, we felt like we had our own space. They have nice picnic tables and firepits located next to each cabin. The shower houses were clean and convenient. There are laundry facilities and free WiFi if needed.

There is so much to do including hiking, climbing and wildlife viewing. We were fortunate to see whitetail deer roaming through the campground.

The Devils Tower Trading Post is across the street from the campground. They offer tons of souvenirs, an old fashioned ice cream parlor, and an awesome deck to view the tower.

Make sure to catch the tower at sunrise, it changes to a beautiful golden color.

In the same year that Theodore Roosevelt established Devils Tower, he authorized the Antiquities Act, giving the President the power to designate national monuments. I’m so thankful for his vision of protecting our nation’s land and history.

Our National Parks need our support and advocacy. Every little bit counts! I got this shirt from Parks Project. Visit their site to shop or for volunteer opportunities.

©Tracy Blowers

Resources
July 8, 2019
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.

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.

Charcuterie Board – Sego Restaurant

AZ. Beef Filet – espresso chili rub, ancho & agave steak sauce, horseradish cream sauce, s.w. parmesan potatoes – Sego Restaurant

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.

Half avocado topped with quinoa and lime-cilantro vinaigrette.

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.

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

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!

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

June 20, 2019
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!

June 17, 2019
Teton Valley – Grand Targhee – Bluegrass Festival

Driggs, Idaho is a hidden gem! ✨

We always travel through the Teton Mountain Range on the east side and stay in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We started hearing great things about the west side and the Grand Targhee Resort music festivals. Their annual bluegrass festival has been happening for over 30 years. We couldn’t wait to check it out!

Grand Targhee is located in Alta, Wyoming, just over the Teton Pass from Jackson Hole. On the way, you travel through Victor and Driggs, Idaho. Driggs is only 12 miles from Grand Targhee and it’s where we stayed. We rented a townhome through VRBO which was a first and great experience.

We arrived on Thursday before the festival and we were pleasantly surprised to hear about Music on Main in Victor, Idaho just down the road. We loved the sense of community, the fantastic food, and music. It was a perfect first night!

The bluegrass festival runs Friday through Sunday. It was so awesome to see some of our favorite bands in such an intimate setting! Fruition, I’m With Her, Marty Stuart and more. We were impressed with how the festival is organized and it’s the perfect size. Not too big, not too small and still a nice family adventure.

We can’t wait to go back this year!

Tip because we love them so much: The ENO loungers! I have neck issues and the high backs are so nice. They are super easy to set up, lightweight and have a great carrying bag. Plus cup holders!

Besides music, there are endless things to do in Teton Valley. Hiking, biking, floating down the river, hot air balloon rides, incredible food, and gorgeous sunsets.

Forage Bistro was one of our faves!

To learn more about traveling to Teton Vally, check out the Visit Idaho or That’s Wyoming websites. << click names to visit.

©Tracy Blowers

June 9, 2019
Force of Nature

Be like the river.

Create your own path.

People will doubt you but they don’t know what you’ve been through or your strength.

Many have doubted the water but she always finds her way.

xo

©Tracy Blowers

June 3, 2019

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