Happy Tuesday, friends!  If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you probably noticed more than a couple of snaps from a snowy winter wonderland recently, and today I’m sharing a bit more about our trip to Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky, Montana.

Eric and I first laid eyes on Lone Mountain Ranch during this road trip last summer, but they were completely booked at the time so we settled for a quick lunch before hitting the road again.  We knew we wanted to eventually make it back for a stay, so we started looking into packages and summer dates sometime around January of this year.  Obviously within a couple of months Covid-19 was the new reality, and that trip was shelved for the future.

Fast forward to sometime around the end of summer and I came across an Instagram ad that Lone Mountain Ranch was staying open through the month of October (something they don’t normally do) and offering incredible cabin rates for that month.  For reference, LMR offers a bunch of different packages, but for the most part, it’s an all-inclusive experience that includes your meals, trail rides, horse-back riding, and tons of different activities.  (And for additional reference, the packages are pricey.)  But because it’s 2020 and nothing is normal, we were able to book a cabin for a sort of a la carte stay that was so perfect for us.

We stayed in the “Ouzel” cabin, and given the chance, I would 100% book it again.  It was spacious but so cozy with a wood-burning stove fireplace and a clawfoot tub that I loved.  There are no TV’s (which we both enjoyed), but the wifi and cell service on the property is excellent which made it easy to get work done when needed.  Horn & Cantle, the restaurant on the property, is seriously delicious, and we ate there for every breakfast and almost every dinner.  The Korean Chicken Wings were probably the best wings I’ve ever had, and the Vegan Enchiladas were a surprising favorite for a couple of meat-eaters.  The entire staff was beyond friendly, warm, and so helpful, and going during Covid restrictions, we felt completely safe – mask rules were in effect in any building we entered.

When I first booked it, I figured we would get some pretty chilly weather.  I wasn’t really thinking it would be covered in snow and -6 degrees during one of the days, but it honestly just added to the trip.  We spent one full day exploring Yellowstone National Park, and after seeing it last summer on our road trip, it was pretty cool to see it again in the winter.  The snow really does add a magical layer to the park.  We spent Saturday eating and shopping in downtown Bozeman (about an hour from the ranch) and then a lazy Sunday in the cabin, sitting by a fire, reading a book, and watching the snow.  (I had scheduled horseback riding that had to be cancelled due to the weather – even the locals were surprised by the amount of snow and negative temps in October.)  Overall, the trip was incredible, and Eric and I both agree that we’ll be back to Lone Mountain Ranch, hopefully sooner rather than later.

xoxo

P.S. – We were supposed to leave on Monday and fly home, but we decided we were just too close to Jackson Hole to NOT go.  (Jackson has been a favorite of ours that we try to visit at least once a year.)  So we extended our trip a couple of days and took the rental car the four hours to Jackson.  It was a short stay but totally worth it.  (You can see a bunch of my favorite spots to visit in Jackson Hole here.)

Madewell jeans;  Time & Tru sweater and boots;  Wool socks;  similar fur jacket;  Saint Laurent handbag;  Quay sunglasses Grounds of the Rustic Creek Inn Madewell jeans;  Free People scarf;  Time & Tru boots;  Carve Designs coat (similar here);  Quay sunglasses

And so we went.  This time it was just the two of us, and we got to town with no real plans, no reservations, and no speed but slow.  It was warm out, so the days were perfect for roaming around town, moseying into local shops, swinging through Grand Teton National Park, and grabbing a magazine to read outside in the town square.  By nighttime, we were nursing our second or third food coma of the day and having zero regrets about it.

People have asked which season we preferred there, and it’s really hard to say.  It’s just two entirely opposite ends of the spectrum, but we loved both.  During the summer, there are definitely A LOT more people in Jackson, but it didn’t stop us from getting into anywhere we wanted to go.  A pro of the summer though is definitely ease of moving around.  When you don’t have to bundle up in ALL of the layers, walking a few blocks here, there, and everywhere seems like no big deal.

And so, here goes – a few favorite spots that we hit this time around.  And we will definitely be back in any season – so let me know if we’ve missed any of your favorites in town!

Hotel Jackson – Y’all, I really cannot say enough good things about this hotel.  I can’t decide what I loved most – the cozy room, the prime location, the beyond-friendly staff, or the restaurant.  The room was pretty perfect for us – nothing crazy big, but nice and new with an in-room Nespresso machine and L’Occitane goodies in the shower.  The location really can’t be beat either.  It’s right in town so you can walk to pretty much everything, but it’s about a block or so off of the main street so it’s really quiet.  The valet, doormen, and front desk staff were super friendly and helpful, and a bartender there introduced me to Bear Root Bitters, a new favorite of mine.  (Highly recommend a few drops of the Habanero Ginger for spicy margaritas.)  The restaurant and outside bar were both great, and I’m recapping those below.

Happy Hour at Bin 22 – This place is the cutest little combination of a small restaurant and bar with a market full of great beer and wines.  We stopped in during our last trip just to grab a couple of bottles of wine, but this time we stumbled upon their happy hour at the bar.  Glasses were around $5 (I think), and I got to try a couple of new-to-me wines that I loved.

Dinner at Snake River Grill – When we visited in December, we regretted not having dinner at Snake River Grill, so this time we made up for it by eating here twice.  I’m pretty sure their Steak Tartare Pizza is one of Eric’s favorite meals of life, and we had a crispy fish taco appetizer special that really rocked my socks.  This place is seriously delicious, and whether you go with steak, fish, or anything else on the menu, you really can’t go wrong.

Drinks at Smokin’ Iron at Hotel Jackson – The back patio bar at Hotel Jackson is serving up live music, super comfy adirondack seating, and SO MANY flights.  Flights of beer, mimosas, bloody Mary’s, margaritas or sangria – pick your poison and then choose your flavors.  Eric says I’m a sucker for miniature things, and he’s right because I totally love this concept.

Brunch at The Bird – We met a local (who BTW has this awesome company – seriously yummy bars) during happy hour at Bin 22 who suggested we check out brunch at The Bird.  And he was so, so right.  The burgers were delicious and served on English muffins, which may sound a little odd, but it totally works for brunch.  Overall, the cabin-meets-bar atmosphere was super fun, the deck is dog-friendly, and the mimosas just keep flowing.  The Bird is a few minutes out of town, but there’s a shuttle van that will pick you up and then bring you back to town afterwards.

Snake River Sporting Club – The last time we were in Jackson, we met a local couple at dinner one night and have kept in touch ever since.  For this trip, they asked if we’d like to do pool time and dinner at Snake River Sporting Club, and after looking into it, we knew we’d be crazy to pass up the offer.  Y’all, this place is something to see.  The food was delicious, we had the entire patio deck to ourselves, and the views from both dinner and the drive in were incredible. It’s members-only, but if you happen to know someone in town who’s a member, ask them, beg them, force them to take you here.  It’s bananas.

Sloshies at Creekside Market & Deli – Those same friends introduced us to Sloshies, and our lives may never be the same.  They’re only sold during the summer months (hence why we never heard about them during our frigid December trip) and consist of fresh-squeezed juice and vodka that’s been swirling around in a slushie machine for hours.  They’re like a frozen greyhound and are basically what summertime cocktail dreams are made of.  I’m told there are a few places around that sell them, but we got ours (on multiple occasions, including on the way to the airport) from Creekside Market.

Lunch or Dinner at FIGS at Hotel Jackson – Lebanese food may not come to mind first when you think of restaurants in Jackson, but I’m telling you, this lunch was bomb.  It’s located in the lobby of Hotel Jackson, so Eric and I grabbed one last feast here before heading home.  The falafel sliders, kofta kabobs, and spicy hummus with homemade pita bread did not disappoint, and I legit thought about shoving the rest of the pitas in my bag for the plane ride home.  I don’t eat Lebanese food often, but this is definitely the best that I’ve had.

xoxo

 The lobby at Hotel Jackson Lunch at FIGS in Hotel Jackson Sharing flights at Smokin’ Iron Bar in Hotel Jackson Brunch at The Bird View from dinner at The Snake River Sporting Club

Last week I shared all about our December trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and mentioned that it was just a little COLD.  There was no snow, but we did get a night of 9-degree temps, so, you know, pretty chilly.  Luckily for me though, I was way prepared and packed my suitcase (OK, suitcases, plural) with all of the cozy things.

I’ve got another chilly trip in just a couple of weeks (Sundance, YAY!), and since half the country is currently freezing their tails off, I figured I would share a few of the cold weather essentials that saved my butt from the crazy cold in Jackson Hole.

Carve Designs Down Puffer Jacket (also love the black version here) – This jacket is so lightweight and easy to pack, so I had my doubts that it would actually be warm enough.  And I’m happy to say that I was so wrong.  The hood and “handwarmer” pockets are lined in the softest fleece which made a world of difference – as long as I had my hood on and my hands in my pockets, I barely noticed that it was, oh, nine degrees out one night.  Plus, I loved all of the zipper pockets so that I could leave my handbag at home and just carry the essentials in my coat.

Free People chenille infinity scarf (on sale) and beanie – You know I’m ALL about ALL the chenille things this year, and this infinity scarf and hat combo just may be my favorite.  I’m seriously thinking I may need to snag the blue version for an upcoming trip to Utah.

Free People oversized fringe scarf – This one was also super warm – wrapped up tight, it seriously helped a sister out while watching the snowmobile races and on a morning out in the National Elk Refuge.

cabi Layer Turtleneck (similar version here) – I have a couple of these layering turtlenecks from last year, and I wore one every single day of the trip.  A snug-fitting first layer is a must for me, and these easily layer under pretty much anything.

Hunter boots and fleece sock inserts – Layering up my frozen toes was KEY.  I had seen a ton of photos of gals wearing their Hunter boots in snow, so I decided to order them for the trip and give them a whirl.  The boots alone would have been pretty chilly, but paired with the boots socks (and these cozy socks as a base layer), these were super warm and comfy for roaming around town.

Ugg boots – Although it was SUPER cold in Jackson Hole, there wasn’t much (if any) snow on the ground so Uggs worked just fine for the daytime for me.  For nighttime though, I definitely would have needed a taller pair like this one or these.

Faux fur lined footless tights (and these fleece-lined footless tights) – Y’all, these were AWESOME for beating the cold.  I picked them up at Target a couple of hours before we left for the airport, and I was so happy that I did.  Besides the one day that I wore jeans, I lived in these faux fur lined footless tights and can’t recommend them enough for cold climates.

What cold weather gear do you guys swear by?

xoxo

Photos thanks to Erin Wheat

Ever took a trip you loved so much that you changed your departing flight to give you just a few more hours and one more breakfast there?  Today I’m excited to share more from our trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming that we took just about a month ago.  This post has been a couple of weeks in the works, but I feel like it’s been planned for years.  As I mentioned back here, Jackson Hole had been a bucket list destination of mine for a while, so when Eric and a friend of ours got to dreaming up a trip, I immediately hopped on board.  As did a second friend, so tickets were booked and we were off.

So many people have asked Why Jackson Hole? and What did you do there? Where did you stay?  If you’ve ever been, then you already know the Why – because it’s amazing.  What did we do?  Mainly, we roamed.  (Our hotel was perfect walking distance from everything.)  We went in all the shops around the town square, walked down all the cozy side streets, checked out the art, found a random bridge over the prettiest creek, and ate ALL of the chili.  Below, a few of our favorite spots from the trip.

The Penthouse at the White Buffalo Club – Just typing that feels bougie AF, but hear me out.  There were four of us – Eric and I plus two guy friends – and the week we visited was one week shy of Jackson Hole’s high season.  (AKA, more popular, more expensive season.)  For those reasons, it was actually really affordable and SO perfect for our group.  There were three bedrooms, each with its own full bathroom, along with a kitchen, dining room, full media room, and an outdoor jacuzzi space on the roof, so everyone had their own personal space along with a ton of common space to hang out.  In general, you’ll want to be out and about, exploring Jackson Hole, but some nights it was a whopping 9 degrees out so yeah, we appreciated being able to hang at “home” sometimes.  When we do make our way back to Jackson Hole, we will most likely be parking it right back here.  (And will most likely try out the restaurant then.)

Million Dollar Cowboy Bar – This place is just a staple in Jackson.  When I told people we were going, anyone who had been before told us we had to stop in here.  And truth be told, on our first night, we dropped our bags at the White Buffalo and headed to the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar to grab a drink.  In a serious It’s a Small World moment, we ran into a friend of a friend from Newport Beach who hooked us up with tickets to the Snocross races that were in town.  Ever get to stand in the (imported) snow and watch snowmobiles race?  Well, now I can say that I have, and we enjoyed it so much that we watched two nights in a row.  But back to the bar – there’s live music and barstools that are actually saddles and some pretty good fried pickles to boot (pun intended).  We found ourselves stopping in here multiple times.

Breakfast at Cafe Genevieve – This one I’m gonna say is one of my favorite breakfast places, like, ever.  When it’s 12 degrees out, you find yourself really appreciating a good home-cooked meal, and Cafe Genevieve did not disappoint.  It was the coziest little spot with what seemed like a Southern flair to me.  I had the Grits & Eggs and we ordered biscuits and gravy for the table, so, you know, diet food.  Everyone was super pleased with their meals here.

The Silver Dollar Grill at the Wort Hotel – For me, this was my favorite spot for both lunch and the nightlife, and I think as a consensus, it was everyone’s favorite chili.  (I told you, we were basically chili-hopping.)  There were live bands a couple of the nights we were in town, and the food here was so, so good.  Anytime of day, you could stop in at The Wort and meet someone new to strike up a conversation with.  And so we did.

Breakfast and sweets at Persephone Bakery – Admittedly, I missed breakfast here because I was in the National Elk Refuge at the time shooting a few photos, but the guys said it was great.  Plus, Eric (knowing my probable FOMO) brought back a smorgasbord of things for me to try, including a massive Rice Krispies treat that I snacked on for the entire trip.  (It was the holidays and vacation after all.)  The next time we’re in Jackson, I’m definitely making it here to peruse the treats myself.

Snake River Brewing – This local brewery was another favorite of ours because it was such a cool place to hang.  The boys tasted flights of beers while I had a soft pretzel as big as my head and an H2OMG Ale, all while thawing our bones next to a wood-burning fire.  (The fire spot was so key.)  Once you’ve thawed, bundle back up again and hit the vertical farm that’s across the street for an experience that’s both inspiring and slightly confusing.

Dinner or apps at Snake River Grill – On our last night in town, we had reservations at Local, but our server at Cafe Genevieve told us that we just had to check out Snake River Grill.  So we decided to pop in for appetizers before dinner because that’s what you do when you’re on an eating tour and apparently really trying to pack it on for the holidays.  I kid.  Sort of.  This place is cozy and nice, and the food was delicious.  I think we were all pretty sad that we actually had to leave and go to dinner.  The next time we are in town, we are for sure having dinner here.

Dinner and drinks at Local – Although we were sad to leave Snake River Grill, we really enjoyed our dinner at local.  They’re known for their local steaks and such (which is why we went), and I was in it to win it with the list of sides – gimme all the truffled mac and cheese.  Local also has really good craft cocktails.  I had a favorite drink there, but unfortunately it’s no longer on their menu and I can’t for the life of me remember the name.  So that’s helpful, Nikki, but in general, you can’t go wrong.

Overall, this was one of my favorite trips that I’ve taken, and there’s no hesitation when we say that we will be going back.  And soon.  The people, the food, the amazing scenery – there’s nothing not to love about Jackson Hole, except maybe for the freezing temps (which honestly I didn’t even mind).  Which is why now we just have to go back in the summer, right?

xoxo

Photos thanks to Erin Wheat