Tag: Places I LOVE

COFFEE TIME – Jolts & Juice Coffee House

April 12, 2018 3:00 AM April 12, 2018

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If you ever find yourself in Eastern Oregon or Western Idaho, please do yourself the favor of stopping by Jolts & Juice Coffee House. (Click here to find a location…

If you ever find yourself in Eastern Oregon or Western Idaho, please do yourself the favor of stopping by Jolts & Juice Coffee House. (Click here to find a location near you). This locally owned coffee house is full of wonderful things to distract your mind and please your palette!

Recently while visiting for my cousin’s wedding I came across the Downtown location of Jolts & Juice Coffee House. It is located on the North East corner of S Oregon St and SE 3rd Ave. It has the greatest curb appeal! As we drove through town I spotted it out of the corner of my eye and just knew I had to make a stop before my visit came to an end.

Ambiance

Sunday morning I popped in for a hot cup of coffee to get my day started. Bicycles, antique signage and vintage farm equipment hung from the ceiling while old doors and windows created private spaces within the dining area. There was so much to look at, I was caught off guard when it was my time to order! The place was filled with people; from large groups to cozy couples and the all too familiar – girl with her laptop 👩🏻‍💻. The room was warm and inviting; exactly what you look for in a place to socialize, read or work.

Although I generally opt for drip coffee, the Spring specials definitely drew my attention! I contimplated ordering a coffee and a Lavander Chai Latte – just to try it! 🙃 The menu offers a wide variety of coffee drinks from your traditional drip coffee to their menu favorites the “Copper Camel” or “Johnny Earthquake“. In addition, they offer blended coffee drinks and fresh fruit smoothies to appease every taste!

From start to finish the menu had me wishing I could stay all day just to try-out each and every item!

The front counter offered pastries, pre-made salads and sandwiches. All that were beautifully arranged in the most tantalizing way! How can one resist?!

With fresh coffee, roasted daily in-house, it really is such a gem in the heart of Ontario. I will be certain to stop by every time I’m in town — and bring friends so I can try more options on the menu. 😉

Any of you ever enjoyed a cup from Jolts & Juice?

Fun fact (if you’ve read this far 🙃) I was actually born in Ontario! (My first home was on SW 2nd Ave 🏡💕)

xo,

Carolyn

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A D V E N T U R E

Places I LOVE – The Strand – Galveston Island, Texas

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March 22, 2018 3:00 AM March 22, 2018

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Spending time at the beach can be so rejuvenating; whether that is inherent with vacation or it comes with fresh sea air and the constant white noise. Every time we…

Spending time at the beach can be so rejuvenating; whether that is inherent with vacation or it comes with fresh sea air and the constant white noise. Every time we visit the ocean it recharges our systems and prepares us for the next adventure. This past weekend we were lucky enough to join the family for a quick trip to Galveston Island, Texas. Our days were filled with beach visits, family board games and a fun trip to The Strand. One of my favorite places on the island.

Galveston Island

For those of you that don’t know, Galveston Island is located south-east from Houston in the Gulf Of Mexico. From Dallas, it takes about four and a half hours (five with your token stop at Buc’cee’s Convenience Store 😜). Galveston is the closest beach option for us in Dallas. If you are lucky enough to live in south Texas there are other proximal options such as Corpus Christi and South Padre Island.

On the northern end, bay side of the island you will find the port (that services many cargo ships, oil rigs and even Carnival Cruise Lines). Along the water, you will find many local businesses, delicious restaurants and informational museums. This business district is known as The Strand and is my favorite place to visit when in Galveston.

The Strand

Although there are many businesses that are located outside of the main strip, The Strand is primarily located on Strand Street and spans five city blocks. This district includes uniques shops such as Hendley Market, Gracies and The Admiralty (to name a few of my favorites). As well as many souvenir shops; lined with bright colored t-shirts, novelty shot glasses and fridge magnets – you’ll be sure to find the perfect gift for that special someone you left behind. 😉

MOD Coffeehouse

This past weekend our main motivation for visiting The Strand was starting our day off with a great – fresh brewed cup of coffee. For this we visited MOD Coffeehouse we arrived about 10:00 on Sunday morning to find tables filling up quickly, both inside and on their outside patio. Our group (of 9) ordered a variety of drinks from brewed coffee, to smoothies to their signature “Just Trust Me” latte. 🤔 Everything was reasonably priced, made quickly and came out piping hot! The coffeehouse was filled with beautiful art to look at while you were there – so many gorgeous pieces! Overall we were very pleased with our visit and will be sure to return next time we are in town.

LaKings Confectionary

Next stop on The Strand stroll is LaKings Confectionary. LaKings Confectionary is a wonderful candy store – soda fountain and ice cream parlor – where many of their treats are made onsite using 19th-century formulas and methods passed down thru the King family. A visit to LaKings will surely take you on a trip down memory lane. The variety can be overwhelming but the flavors are always satisfying! On this trip, we opted just for candy allowing each child in our group to pick their own bag of treats. As we walked out of the store the kids swapped flavors chatting about the experience and of course who’s candy was the best. 😜

Tips to Remember

👟 Wear good walking shoes, strolling The Strand can take as long as you want it too!

🍔 Come ready to enjoy a bite, there are many delicious local restaurants to choose from!

💦 Stay hydrated – Texas summer can be brutal!

🍻 (If of age) it is fun to note that when on The Strand you are legally allowed to carry an open container! So grab a cold one and continue your visit! 🍺

🛍 Remember most (if not all) of these shops are locally owned. Shopping small is so important to communities such as this one!

Have y’all ever visited Galveston? What was your favorite spot?

Let me know in the comments – I’d love to get some more ideas for our next trip!

xo,

Carolyn

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A D V E N T U R E

Places I LOVE – Beautiful Aspen, Colorado

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February 22, 2018 12:10 AM February 22, 2018

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Originally our family is from Colorado. We all grew up in Southern Colorado and had the fortune of the Rocky Mountains in our backyard. One thing I have realized since…

Originally our family is from Colorado. We all grew up in Southern Colorado and had the fortune of the Rocky Mountains in our backyard.

One thing I have realized since becoming a Texan is that Colorado is waaay more fun to visit. As a resident we enjoyed the beautiful scenery, great camping and winter sports, but not as much as we do now. Planning a Colorado vacation is one of the greatest and most difficult tasks – what do we want to do this time? With so many options it might be daunting but thankfully there are no bad options.

This past summer we had the pleasure of attending a sunrise wedding in the gorgeous Maroon Bells (just outside of Aspen). The wedding was scheduled in early July and the weather could not have been more perfect. Sunshine and a light breeze kept us comfortable the whole stay.

Travel

It is about 50/50 whether we travel by car or plane when heading back home. To meet our time restraints for this trip we opted to fly. Flights from Dallas to Denver are reasonably priced for most months of the year. As a family we are light packers and tend to choose economy over comfort. With this particular trip I found flights with Spirit Airlines to be most cost effective. I know that there is some bad press when it comes to Spirit but we have never had any issue. And when you can fly round trip for less than $ 100/person – I mean com’on! 🤷🏻

Upon arrival we picked up our rental car that I booked with RentalCars.com. I love RentalCars.com because their app is user-friendly and they have the option to “Book Now, Pay Later”. I love this feature because it gives me the ability to book a rental car even if the trip is still a distant possibility. Cancellation is free up until right before the reservation so it gives you the freedom to lock in a great rate without the commitment. After a quick turnaround at the checkout counter we were on our way, headed west on I-70. Mountain Bound!

Lodging

While we were in Aspen, Colorado we stayed at the beautiful Gant Hotel. Our room featured three bedrooms on a split level floor plan. The condo had a full kitchen, dinning room and living area. The kitchen was stocked with all the cookware and serving utensils you could need and the couch pulled out to feature even more sleeping area. It was a wonderful space for wedding prep and family chit-chat – our room was the hub for family throughout the stay. Adreena enjoyed the beautiful grounds, pool and hot tub with her friends. While Aaron and I enjoyed the walk ability of Aspen. We would gather up and walk as a group from the hotel to lunch, drinks and dancing. It was amazing how close everything felt. Other than the wedding I am pretty sure we never moved the car!

Colorado

On our way back down the mountain we opted to drive through the historic town of Leadville, Colorado. Leadville is known as the highest incorporated city in the United States. It is a former mining town that still has all the charm from its yesteryear. Downtown Leadville features one long drag lined with historic buildings from saloons to candy shops – it really is a wonderful place. Throughout the year Leadville features many festivals and events. Some of my favorite include Boom Days and Skijoring. We stopped for lunch and then were back on the road headed for Denver.

Many times when we are in Colorado for play we visit Grand Mesa Lodge. The Grand Mesa is the largest flat top mountain in the world and is located on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. At the lodge you will find fun things to do regardless of your age, ability or the season. Grand Mesa Lodge features 14 individual cabins and even some hotel rooms for rent. During the summer months there is hiking, biking, four wheeling and water sports. The winter months are full of snowmobiling, sledding, cross-country skiing and of course epic snow ball fights. Near to the lodge is Powderhorn Ski Resort – a smaller resort with a personal feel. We thoroughly enjoy skiing/snowboarding at Powderhorn. Of course if you prefer to just snuggle up in the rustic cabin with a hot cup of coffee – the lodge has you covered there too.

On the way back to Denver you pass by Glenwood Springs (home to the worlds largest hot springs pool), many other ski resorts and great shopping. With all these distractions it can be challenging to make back to the airport in time! 😅