[outdoors] + [sightseeing] Mt. Nebo and Arkansas Wine Trail

Another mid-week roadtrip on the books for D and I thanks to his non-traditional works schedule. We decided to pick up and head to the great outdoors for a camping adventure at Mt. Nebo. The indian summer temps gave us the makings for an ideal night under the stars (well, technichally under a tent).

// photo credit: daniel ray photography (these are the pics that made us wanna go visit) //

The route down to Nebo brought us on a spur-of-the-moment detour to Arkansas Wine Country. Who knew such a thing even existed? Skeptical? Yes. But little did we know that Arkansas is the oldest and largest grape and wine producing state in the south - settled by German/Swiss immigrants in the 1870s. Turns out that there are five vineyards growing grapes and producing wine in the Altus/Paris area of the state - conveniently en route to Mt. Nebo State Park! We visited Chateau Aux Arc, Wiederkehr Cellars and Post Familie Village. We had out first taste of wine made with the Cynthiana grape at Chateau aux Arc - a dry, jammy red - reminded me of a drier Pinot Noir. Arkansas wine...winning! That is until we tried every other white wine at the other wineries. Simply not our cup of tea: VERY sweet, VERY VERY sugary. But that's part of the fun! We even got to sample some Muscadine wines at Post Familie Village. Great side trip!

// arkansas wine country //

Mt. Nebo State Park sit atop a 1,350-foot summit with awesome views of the Arkansas River Valley. The park is dotted with cabins and other structures built from Arkansas stone by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s. We lucked out with a campsite (#17, but #16 is ideal, followed by #14) on the edge of the mountain - views for days! The friendliest rangers at the visitor center made some recommendations for our 24-hour stay. Take a sunset walk to Sunset Point - about a 25 minute walk from the campground - and keep an eye out for deer! We saw LOTS and they are not scared of people. The one logistical mistake we made was our route to and from Sunset Point. Take the Rim Trail FROM the campground TO Sunset Point, and RETURN on the main road back to the campgroun...WITH headlamps or flashlights. We wound up on the Rim Trail after dark, and parts are a bit precarious. Especially with a little beagle in tow that's on the hunt for all sorts of critters.  But the sunset view could not be beat, it was the highlight of the trip.

// campsite no. 17 // sunset point //

Back at camp, D proved his manliness and Eagle 'scoutiness' by building us a proper fire and revving up his backpacking stove. Gourmet meal of mac and cheese and some foil packets, topped off with s'mores of course!

// quiet night by the campfire //

Sunrise came early and we were able to peek out of the tent to see it. Thanks to the rangers at the visitor center, we were given the perfect site to catch the sunrise form the comfort of our sleeping bags. And thanks to the camp stove, we were spoiled with french pressed coffee to boot!

// sunrise from our campsite //

Our morning hike circled the Rim Trail going the opposite direction around the mountain, taking us to Sunrise Point and past the private cabins. If tent camping is not your thing, or you can't secure one of the primo sites, opt for a log cabin. The views are amazing and they've been renovated within the past couple years: modern kitchens and jacuzzi tubs. Perfect option that we will head back to make use of!

// hiking the rim trail //

All in all, Nebo was a great two-day trip. The hiking trails are a perfect length for us amateur hikers, but offer a great combination of interesting views and some elevation changes and rocky passes. Can't wait to go back to this area...Mt. Magazine is next!

// Side note: If Indian food is your cup of tea (it's ours to be sure), don't miss the Kountry Xpress in Mulberry, off the Dyer exit on I-40 //

[travel] + [friends] + [sightseeing] Summer Travel ... Seattle + Vancouver

Hot off the heels of our midwest tour it was time to pack the bags again and head west! Long-time high school pals Rose (+ Trav + Adrienne + Wally + Raya) and Broke (Ernst + Elsa + Soph) settled in on the Pacific Coast - so what a great place to go visit. We picked Seattle - to spend time with Rose's little fam - with a ladies night up to Vancouver thrown in for good measure.

Rose and Travis are living the beach life on Alki Beach in West Seattle. Their cottage couldn't be cozier and more perfect for their family. Situated directly across from the beach, they've got access to the water, bike/walking trail and a two-thumbs-up view of sunsets over the sound.

Got a glimpse of what life is like with two working parents, two kiddos under the age of four and Raya the pup. Learned a couple things: avoid white clothing, patience goes a long way, us kid-less folks don't appreciate our sleep nearly enough and despite their mood-swings and messiness - kids are pretty awesome. // Oh and it's ok to let your kids eat a dozen donuts on the beach //

The city of Seattle sits on an isthmus (just like Madison!) between the Puget Sound and Lake Washington. It's a bigtime Pacific port - evidence of container shipping lines the sound. The Port of Seattle Seaport sits near Starbucks HQ, the Seahawks and the Mariners stadiums.  Now that my professional life focuses on industrial real estate, supply chain / logistics, it boggles my mind how goods get to consumers. It's a complex system to be sure.

A certain Starbuck's partner took me to see the new Starbuck's Roastery. The intention of the Roastery is to really experience coffee. We had the pleasure of doing a side-by-side tasting of the same coffee using three brewing methods: siphon, Chemex and pour-over. Gotta say that the Chemx brewed the brightest, cleanest cup. Loved every bit of this place. Can you believe the details? I'll let the pics speak for themselves. More here.

"We have designed a space that will heighten all the senses. This is a real-life Willy Wonka experience with coffee as the heart and soul, where customers will see coffee being moved through the roasting process right before their eyes."

- Liz Muller, VP of Concept Deisgn for Starbucks

Also got to meet some of Travis and Rose's social circle. They all met through PEPS (Program for Early Parent Support). This support system places new parents with others similar to themselves. For transplants to Seattle this is more than just about the kiddos, it's a social outlet and wellness group for the parents. Someone needs to bring this idea to Northwest Arkansas! Here's a little more about PEPS - http://www.peps.org/about.

After our quality time in Seattle we scooted north for a kid-free ladies night in Vancouver. A quick three hours later and we were in Canada, border crossing and all! Driving through the Pacific Northwest you really appreciate how beautiful that part of the world really is. The Douglas fir forests, the temperate weather and the soft breeze off the water made me feel a world away from Arkansas (I was!). Our hotel was situated smack dab in the middle of West Town - walking distance to Stanley Park, Gastown and Yaletown neighborhoods. The weather gods were good and gave us a perfectly sunny 75-degree day. We enjoyed the most delicious, inventive sandwiches at Meat & Bread al fresco in a public plaza before our afternoon adventuring. Fave was the corned beef with sambal gherkin mayo - I now follow them on Insta so I can remember the yumminess.

// found this cheeky little neighborhood map at www.mapurbane.com //

We explored the oceanfront and Stanley Park by bike - glad for the electric assist - who wants to break a sweat on vacation?! The park is 1,000 acres and is entirely open to the public. This is not a manicured, urban park dreamed up by a landscape architect, with the majority remaining densely forested. The bike path skirted us around the park's perimeter taking us precariously close to the water along the seawall, giving us views of the bay and rock face as we hugged the path. Our post-pike journey put us in search of a cold beverage. We popped into the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel in hope of stealing our way up to the rooftop lounge - but our plans were foiled. The kind concierge recommended pressing on toward Gastown - a perfectly chill, urban neighborbood for our purposes. But first, let me rave about the Fairmont. If I have the fortune of returning to Vancouver, this is where I'm staying, period. Modern, luxurious and comfortable - I'm sold! Check out some more pics HERE.

"Lying on top of a building the clouds looked no nearer than when I was lying on the street."

Gastown is a step back in time when compared to the glassy, steely high-rises directly next-door. The cobblestone streets are lined with "hip" boutiques, touristy shops, bars and restaurants. After a failed attempt to get seated at a "too-cool" establishment, we wound up at Lamplighter tasting some local brews and muching on pretzels and mustard. Guess that's just the "Wisconsin" in us.

Dinner at Kingyo Izakaya was a major highlight of the night in Vancouver. This is a spot that's not to be missed. Casual and affordable, yet creative and top-notch, Kingyo was amazing. It's in a smallish storefront on Denman, away from the fanciness you get a few blocks to the west. We enjoyed every single thing we ordered: deep-fried corn with soy butter, yellowtail carpaccio, black cod, kobe beef shabu shabu and my favorite, the Tantan noodles. We topped off the night exploring an Asian grocery up the block and took home some hard-to-find treats: Koala Yummies, Pocky sticks and bonito flakes.

We wrapped up our time in Vancouver with a morning stroll through Yaletown - a gentrified neighborhood with upscale condos, Yorkies and trendy eateries. We popped into a converted warehouse district and found a brunch spot, Flying Pig, with all the necessaries: champagne cocktails, caesars (that's evidently what Canadians call a bloody mary) and nouveau Canadian food menu.

The take away? It's an amazing thing to have such long-time girlfriends. 

These are the people that really know you. And it's a real blessing to get a chance to visit with each other despite living in three different states across the country!