Lauren's Summer Travels Recap!
Hey there, Lauren here! I was lucky enough to escape Phoenix for a couple months this summer and wanted to share my adventures with you! Early June I packed my dog (and way too many other things) in my car and hit the road! I’m endlessly grateful for my amazing team who made it possible for me to even *dream* of taking this much time off. For me, owning a business means it’s typically really hard to “turn off” but I am very fortunate to have the best gals running my shop so I could take this time away to recharge.
Other than spending quality time with my loved ones and exploring new places, my goal for this trip was to reconnect with myself and slowwww down. Side note: I started meditating every day and am happy to report I’ve kept up the habit! I love Davidji on Insight Timer. This new routine has helped me find a deeper sense of calm to carry with me throughout my day. Do you meditate? Would love to hear your recommendations!
The first stop on my road trip was to spend a month (!!) with my family in St. Louis. Though not typically on many people's "must visit" list, St. Louis is a vibrant city with a really unique sense of community and endless things to do in the summer. It still feels like home to me even though I haven’t lived there since I was 18. I cherished time with my family without feeling rushed (what a gift!) and even got to welcome my newest nephew to the world.
It was so nice to be home for an extended period of time and get to do and see everything I always try to fit in on my typical long weekend trips. One of my favorite things to do was walk around the Tower Grove Farmer's Market and indulge in all of the locally grown veggies & fruits we don’t get in Phoenix during the summer!
A random highlight was this "botanical slushie" I got at the farmer's market made of passionfruit, mango, apple, local honey and mint - totally refreshing on a very humid midwest summer day!
Someday (if anyone wants??) I can post a thorough guide to St. Louis, but in the meantime here some of my favorites things to do/see/eat/etc:
Walks through Forest Park, Grant’s Farm, St. Louis Art Museum
Shopping small at Civil Alchemy, The Novel Neighbor, Forest & Meadow
Eating at Balkan Treat Box, Bowood by Niche, Olive & Oak, Union Loafers, Peacemaker, Pizza Champ
Coffee at Goshen, Telva at the Ridge, Comet Coffee, AO & Co
Summer treats at Ted Drewe's & Clementine’s Naughty & Nice
Next Stop, New Mexico!
After a teary goodbye to my family (...if you live far away from your loved ones, you know it never gets easier to leave) I drove down to Santa Fe to meet up with my partner. I'd visited a few times before and have always loved how the earthy design and architecture mirrors the surrounding landscape and compliments the bohemian, creative and spiritual nature of the town. You can feel the Native American influence at every turn - from the adobe structures lining each street to the art, handwoven rugs, turquoise jewelry and pottery for sale in galleries and shops, and of course in the cuisine.
We visited the Georgia O’Keefe museum, walked around the Plaza and found ourselves at the sweetest little coffee/wine bar called La Mama. Just as everywhere else in Santa Fe, it felt warm, welcoming and casual, yet refined.
A couple blocks down we stumbled upon the Los Poblanos Farm Shop & Bar Norte, which had an airy, cheery atmosphere and a very cozy bar. We used to carry Los Poblanos lavender skincare & food products in the shop and it was exciting to see the full expression of the brand in their store. Los Poblanos also has an inn & organic farm down in Albuquerque where they make their products and host farm-to-table dinners. On my list to visit someday!
A few independent shops/galleries I always love to pop by in Santa Fe are Folklore, Cielo Handcrafted, Hecho a Mano, SABO and La Boheme. 4Kinship is a Diné (Navajo) owned sustainable clothing shop that’s on my list for next time.
Other things we loved were stopping by ZiZi Ceramics studio (I eat most of my meals in her cobalt blue bowls!), the Santa Fe Farmer’s Market (a must!!), and hiking trails near St. John’s College. Vinaigrette ended up being a lovely spot for a light outdoor lunch, and on other trips I’ve loved stopping next door at Modern General Feed & Seed for coffee, breakfast and to browse their shop! The Shed is my dad’s favorite traditional Santa Fe restaurant in town - he’s a self-proclaimed Green Chile connoisseur, so in Jon we trust.
We stayed at this Airbnb (above) but I've also stayed at this one, both dog friendly! All of the art on the walls of our Airbnb was for sale and the owners took us on a tour of their home and we got to see their amazing art collection, what a treat.
If you’re looking for a hotel, El Rey Court is always a good time - stop by for a drink at their bar even if you don’t stay the night!
Next we were off to explore Taos for a couple nights! Key takeaway - the sunsets are incredible! We sat outside each evening as clouds filled the valley and the sky morphed into cotton candy.
The Taos Pueblo was highly recommended to us so we took a guided tour. The Pueblo is a living Native American community that's been inhabited for over 1000 years and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. We got caught in a hail storm after the tour and I ended up having my first Fry Bread, made by residents of the Pueblo! A really eye-opening and educational experience all around.
Taos had so many options for hikes but we only had time for one so we chose La Vista Verde Tail. It ended with breathtaking views (literally, if you're afraid of heights...lol) of the Rio Grande! We even saw a big horned sheep (who tbh wasn’t too happy to see us) and a mountain goat!
The Milky Way from our Taos Airbnb :)
Next stop, Colorado!
After Taos we made our way up to Silverthorne, Colorado, a little town outside of Breckenridge!
For this week of our trip my partner’s two kiddos joined us and we chose to stay in this area not only because it’s stunningly beautiful but because there are so many opportunities for outdoor activities in Silverthorne and the surrounding towns.
Our Airbnb had hiking trails and gorgeous views of the valley & mountains in the backyard (pictured above)! After we booked our stay we learned that the rental company has a ton of properties around the area and you can avoid Airbnb fees by booking directly through them!
A highlight of our time here was an 18 mile bike ride around the Dillon Reservoir that was full of gorgeous views and one very long, steady uphill (that resulted in a few tears) to see them! ;)
My dog Lucie had a great time running around the Old Dillon Reservoir and fetching her frisbee in the water :)
One afternoon we walked around Frisco and stumbled upon this darling little shop that felt like a happy, whimsical dreamland for young girls, or really anyone young at heart. This shop served as the perfect reminder that independently-owned brick & mortar retail provides an experience you just can’t find elsewhere. I was so inspired by the owner/artist’s creative expression and how she pours joy and love not only into her shop out onto the sidewalk, inviting passersby into her little corner of the world.
A couple restaurants we loved in Frisco were Outer Range Brewery & Ein Prosit
I always love trying to visit farmer’s markets wherever I go to get a feel for the character of the local community and of course to try the local produce! We popped by the Dillon Farmer’s Market the next day drove 20 minutes down to Breckenridge for a Sunday Market that featured lots of local makers.
One place we wished we knew about before planning this trip was the Dillon Amphitheatre! It’s an amazing venue right on the reservoir, overlooking the mountains. If you find yourself in this area in the summer be sure to check out their events calendar - a lot of great bands come through!
This photo was taken at a stop on our drive from Ouray to Durango. On the way, there's a stretch of road called the "million dollar highway" that has the most incredible views in exchange for driving on very, very steep cliffs mostly without guardrails. I’m glad I experienced the scenic drive and will be happy to never do it again!
Durango, CO was our final stop on the trip! We chose to stay here because similar to Silverthorne, we wanted to take advantage of all of the opportunities for outdoor activities! We brought our paddleboards on the road with us and finally made time to use them on the Animas River, which runs through the heart of the town. We were torn between doing a rafting trip and paddling, but braved the (small-ish) rapids on our boards and it was a blast! If you’re looking for a rental / river tour company, Mild2Wild offers a variety of adventure tours around Durango.
We also biked along the Animas River Trail, a scenic path that takes you through the historic downtown. Even saw a buck!
Durango Hot Springs is a must if you love a hot tub, ha. About 15 minutes north of town, pay $39 to soak in all kinds of hot springs and drink a beer. Glorious!
Our Airbnb here was about 15 minutes north of town on a lovely little ranch with a pond and a stream on the property. We spent a lot of time with the pups sitting in the yard and taking in the views. Highly recommend, especially if you’re traveling with pets!
Well if you made it this far, thanks for reading! Traveling is such a privilege and something I've been grateful to do often in my adult life, hence the name of my shop ;) Whether it's exploring a new neighborhood in your city, trying a new hiking trail or flying across the ocean, I hope this post might inspire you to escape your world and benefit from the joys of exploring somewhere new - heightened senses, a more open mind, and a new perspective on life.
xx Lauren
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