C&C on the Move: Jackson Hole

As you likely know, my +1 and I spent a good portion of last week in Jackson Hole, WY. I grew up ski racing in Jackson but hadn't been there in nearly 20 years, and never in the summer.

We had SUCH a great time....eating, hiking, shopping, site seeing and enjoying our child free time. Luckily it wasn't too crowded given that many schools throughout the country are back in session.

This is going to be a long (and good) one, so sit back and relax, and without further adieu....the C&C recap of Jackson Hole, WY.

First and foremost let me tell you about the awesome place where we stayed, The Fireside Resort Cabins. They are located between Wilson and The Village and are a short drive into downtown Jackson. It was the perfect accommodation for us....a little mix of modern and mountain, an amazingly comfortable bed and linens, small kitchen to make breakfast and a place to relax after a long day of adventures. I would highly recommend the cabins to anyone visiting Jackson.

Now on to our adventures. We spent four days in Jackson and hiked/climbed everyday.

The Tram Hike at the Village at Jackson Hole- approx 7 miles 4,2000ft elevation gain and you can ride the Tram down. It's a gorgeous view of the valley and a beautiful hike.

The Middle Teton- 15 miles, approx 6000ft elevation gain. It took us less than 8 hours start to finish with stopping time (can easily be a 12 hour day). No ropes are required but there is some "climbing" to reach the summit.

Amphitheater Lake-10 miles, 3,200ft elevation gain. The trail is well maintained and not too steep, so this is a great long hike for all levels.

Lake of the Crags- 6 miles, 3000 ft elevation gain. We actually didn't make it all the way to the Lake because of a time crunch. This hike is STEEP, but the views are awesome. Accessible from Jenny Lake Boat Dock.

Laurance S Rockefeller Preserve to Phelps Lake- approx 2 miles round trip, flat and easy hiking for all levels and ages with a great swimming opportunity at the lake.

That's my husband...he swam out to the rocks. I waded in to give my legs a nice "ice bath".

And after all that hiking/climbing what else is there to do but eat, and eat, and eat?

Persephone- (pronounced per-seh-phony)This was my favorite spot of the trip. The food, decor and atmosphere were all incredible. We ate here multiple times.

Picnic- Same owners as Persephone and equally as awesome. They are located "off the beaten path" but worth the slight detour. We took lunch "to-go" one day and also stopped for coffee a few mornings. I loved the decor!

Lotus Organic Cafe- We ate lunch here our first day in town and could have easily gone back. There was so much to choose from, but I had the "Green Bowl" which was so tasty.

Trio- This was hands down our best dinner in Jackson. I had a halibut that was to die for (pardon my poor photo quality).

Our last night in town we ate at their sister restaurant, Local. The buffalo burger was amazing!

Hatch- I was a bit skeptical of this place given we have some great taco spots in Portland, but after our 8 hour adventure, tacos and a margarita just sounded so good that we decided it was worth the risk, and it was.

The margarita (with Avion Tequila, my favorite) did not disappoint!

We had three different types of tacos, pork, chicken and brisket, and they were all amazing!

There were a few other spots that were on our list that we didn't make it to like Cafe Genevieve and the Healthy Being Juicery, but I know we will be back again soon.

We didn't do a lot of shopping since we were too busy hiking and refueling afterwords, but there were two shops where I found some great treasures. The first, Roam, I already introduced you to as it's where I found the Little Truths Studio Print.

I picked up a handful of things from this store, mostly gifts, so I can't share! ;) 

My other favorite was a store called Mountain Dandy; a masculine store, focusing on the American Maker, with a collection of American and Industrial Furniture. The owners were super friendly and so was the woman working in the store when we went in for our 3rd visit.

We found some great gifts in this store as well. 

There were many a treasure I could have easily come home with....the ceramic dishwater from Alex Marshall Studios was amazing! I am coveting a set of the plates. 

And these wooden trays....

As you can see, we had an amazing, and very full 4 days. We easily could have spent an entire week there, so I cannot wait for our next trip back. 

If you're considering a trip to Jackson, with or without kids, feel free to reach out. I'm happy to give more advice, if you haven't already been bombarded with enough of it! 

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Farm Spirit

Over the weekend I had one of the most amazing dining experiences in recent memory, maybe one of my top meals ever. 

At the suggestion of a friend, my +! and I went to Farm Spirit, a vegan restaurant that offers a small plates multiple course dinner to 14 diners Wednesday through Saturday night. They also offer a wine pairing and a non-alcoholic beverage pairing. We went with the wine!  

Upon arrival we found our names on the cute wooden placards and this simple place setting. I immediately knew it was going to be a good night.  All of the diners eat at the bar that faces the kitchen/prep-space, which makes for a fun and educational experience.

In total we had 12 courses (13 including the bread), all sourced from local farms and vendors. I won't go into detail about every dish, because there are a lot of little details, and everything is worth mentioning, but that would take up a lot of space. Not only was the food pretty on the plate, but it was DELICIOUS!

Here were the first four courses.

The bottom left was probably our favorite dish of the night. It was Maitake mushrooms, smoked potato (the white), black garlic, soubise, wild spring onion and leek ash. And some tasty "potato" chips. It was incredible!

The top left is a Fennel Vinegar Kiefer that we drank before the "dessert" courses. It was fresh and delicious and unlike anything I've ever had. The sour rye bread with pureed filberts, pickled shallots and dill was also one of my favorites (top right).

Farm Spirit serves delicious, innovative and healthy food, but it's not just about the food. It really is a dining experience. The service is impeccable. If you leave your seat, they immediately replace your napkin with a fresh and clean one. The water glasses were never below half full, and the chefs are attentive, friendly and engaging. 

At the end of the evening we chose from a selection of 2 coffees (pour over) or two fresh made teas. I went with the decaf tea. And, probably my favorite part of the dinner...really the cherry on-top was the amazing "breakfast bread" they sent us home with in this cute package. Mine didn't even make it to the car, let alone to breakfast! 

No doubt my +1 and I will be making another reservation very, very soon. 

If you live in Portland I highly recommend making a reservation. I suggest going as a party of 2 since everyone sits at the bar, which isn't very conducive to group conversation.

Naturally Knotty

A few weeks ago I received a gift in the mail from a dear friend in Virgina (thanks AH). I opened the box to find a beautiful cotton striped scarf. One of the things I first noticed on the box was the return address, Beaverton, OR. How was it that I didn't already know about this company? Of course, the first thing I had to do was look it up.

Naturally Knotty is a local Portland area company committed to providing eco-chic accessories using environmentally-friendly manufacturing practices. They just recently opened a store in Lake Oswego, and I am hoping to stop in next time I am near there.

Here is just a small selection of their scarves.

I love mine! It's so soft and light weight. I can't wait to share these great scarves as gifts with my own friends!