Our Preparation Canyon Camping Trip

We’ve lived in Omaha for almost 4 years and the fact that we ended up here still surprises both of us. We love big experiences and feel our most selves when we are hiking mountains or swimming in lakes or oceans and Omaha doesn’t necessarily have any of the above in close proximity. HOWEVER we have recently started embracing the outdoor experiences that we DO have within driving distance of us and we have been surprised at the places we have found! Our most recent little weekend trip took us on the Loess Hills Scenic Byway which offered a combination of bluff views and rolling hillsides and landed us at Preparation Canyon State Park.

where we stayed

Preparation Canyon offers ten dispersed camping sites that are first come first serve. When we planned this trip we were feeling more of a car camping vibe (camping where your car is more accessible vs. backcountry where you have to carry everything into the woods) but next time we will for sure do the dispersed camping situation. This time though we booked a last minute reservation at a little mom and pop campground called Loess Hills Hideaway just outside the park.

The campground had 6 rv/tent sites available with electric hookups. The campground also had a couple of rustic cabins that could be rented. There was a community shower house/ bath house that was well maintained and very clean. There was wood for sale and even a washing and dryer if you needed it! The campsites were $15 a night and although they were very close together we lucked out with a spot on the end and didn’t have any neighbors. Worth noting it is cash only and there isn’t reliably someone there to give you change — so bring exact cash. The campground itself is very quiet which was exactly what we were looking for. It’s about a 7 minute drive to the southeast parking lot of Preparation Canyon so you can quickly hit the trails even if you opt to not stay at the state park. We didn’t have time, but there are also a few trails that you can access directly from the campground.

The hiking

Preparation Canyon State Park is nestled in the Loess Hills and it’s only an hour straight north of Omaha.

Whether you’re going up for the day or planning a camping trip in the area I highly recommend throwing on some hiking boots, a camel back, and some snacks and hitting the trails. A few things worth noting — as with a lot of central Midwest hiking, the park and trails are not marked as well as they could be. But do not be deterred, it’s still 100% worth your time. I just wish we would have had a little more guidance before we went.

We struggled to find parking when we just followed the google directions to get into the park so I would suggest parking by the dispersed camping parking lot on the southeast side of the park.

what we cooked

This trip was short and sweet and although I’d love for every meal to be photo-worthy I knew for sanity sake I had to keep the meals for this trip simple.

Dinner

We’re relatively new to camping still (only about two years of experience) and are still finding out camping groove, so we decided to try making foil packs for the first time. If you’re unfamiliar it’s a super simple camping meal that’s literally just chopping up veggies/potatoes and whatever protein you want, tossing it in olive oil, sprinkling it with salt, wrapping it in foil, and throwing it on the fire. The cleanup is minimal and the flavors that result from the food cooking together is just top notch. To make things even more simple I chopped all my ingredients before we left the house so as soon as we were ready to eat I could just toss everything in the foil!

We used squash, potatoes, and onions for our foil packs and they were super delicious!

Dessert

Keeping with the super simple theme, but knowing we would want something sweet, I packed a chocolate bar and a jar of PB to satisfy that post-dinner craving. Keep your chocolate in the cooler to ensure it doesn’t melt!

Breakfast

When we left for this trip I was trying my darned to not go to the store so our breakfast situation is a little random. I grabbed a bad a Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi, sautéed it in some coconut oil, added in some mixed greens once the gnocchi was all crispy, and then topped it with some sunny eggs. Super random, but it was truly so filling and satisfying.

The sunset spot

Loess Hills Overlook was a stunning place to watch the sunset. There’s a trail that is accessible from the overlook which we are certainly going to do next time. We went to the overlook in the middle of the day and took in the gorgeous rolling hills and wildflowers and knew we needed to return for sunset.

When we arrive for sunset there was a group already hanging out at the top of the overlook so we decided to just back up our car, pop the trunk, and lounge in our car to have more privacy. I truly was blown away by the incredible sunset colors.

If you’re in need of a little getaway from Omaha or just wanting to immerse yourself in nature I can not recommend this area enough!

Our first (and Likely last) Camping Trip + A Guide to Eau Claire, Wisconsin

If you're not caught up from my instagram, here's the story. Five months ago Josiah and I had to move out of our Chicago apartment because of an act of violence that made it no longer safe to live there. Instead of just moving to a new Chicago apartment, we both figured out how to make our jobs mobile, bought an old camper, and renovated it in hopes of traveling the United States for six months to a year. A lofty and insanely adventurous endeavor for sure. 

Knowing we were still tied to Chicago until I finished wedding season, we decided to take the camper out for a short test run to get a feel of what things would be like living in it for an extended period of time. We quickly learned that hauling a camper across the country was no willy-nilly task. We left on a Friday after Josiah got off work and what was supposed to be under 5 hours took us over 6 hours to get there. This included bottoming out the camper midway between home and Eau Claire resulting in the camper pulling in a tug-of-war fashion the entire rest of the way and also resulting in both Josiah and I’s blood pressure staying at an insanely unhealthy level for nearly 2.5 hours. Not the greatest start.

We arrived at our campsite and began setting up IN THE DARK. A series of other mishaps and fails quickly opened our eyes to the difficulties that could easily arise living full-time on the road. When Josiah woke up on our last night in Eau Claire, I reluctantly uttered the words "I hate camping." He's always been the one more into the idea than I, so I was surprised and really relieved when he replied, "Me too." 

Over Labor Day Weekend, despite our hesitation because of how stressful the last trip had been, we packed up our camper and towed it to a state park that was 30 minutes from our house only to realize that something was wrong with one of the electrical connections on the camper leaving us with zero electricity. My dad, Josiah, and one of my parent's friends tried everything imaginable to get it to work and after two solid hours, we resolved to just tow the camper back home.

Just a few days after our second failed attempt, our jeep was totaled in an accident leaving us with nothing to pull it with. Fearful of being halfway across the country (trying to work!) and dealing with the incessant list of issues that seam to arise, our cross-country road trip we had planned, has been put on the back-burner. So as of now Eau Claire, Wisconsin still stands as our first and only camping trip. Whether future trips will happen or not, who's to know. Maybe we're just Airbnb people after all. Either way, renovating the trailer was half the fun. (Or three-quarters. or 99.9%) and we were so happy to have had the experience!

Below you will find recommendations if you are visiting Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Food

• The Nucleus - A really great brunch place.

• Informalist - The farm-to-table restaurant we went to for our anniversary dinner.

• Farmers Market - There are so many vendors and it's all under a covering so even if it is raining it's worth going.

Coffee

• Shift - A super cute bike and coffee shop put together.

• Racey's - A dog-friendly little coffee shop connected to The Nucleus. You can actually order food from the Nucleus and eat at Racey's.

Sights + Shops

• Farmer's Market

• Downtown trail - A fun, paved trail that goes through the downtown and by the river.

• Lake Wisotta State Park - Great Hiking!

• Mount Simon - This is only a short little hike to get some great views of Eau Claire.

• Volume One: The Local Store - A super cool gift shop that sells all local goods.

• Revival Records - A really cool record shop!

Our Favorite Coffee + Food in Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville, oh Nashville, where to even begin. To be honest, Nashville has never been at the top of my list of places to visit. Country music has never been my thing and I had many other cities I still hadn't made it to yet that I considered "higher priority." But when some of our best couple friends invited us to join them in Nashville for the Fourth of July, we dropped everything and went. We spent three days there and despite the ridiculously intense heat, we enjoyed a lot of wonderful coffee and a lot of amazing food and I started to see where all of the hype surrounding this city came from! The lack of traffic and absence of general business alone (in comparison to Chicago) had me ready to sign a lease and move. Still not out of the question. ;) I can't wait to plan another visit! Here is a round up of all of the places we loved! If you've been to Nashville, share with me some of your favorite spots!

Hattie B's

Not a healthy place in the slightest, but worth every fried bite! Hattie B's serves up hot chicken to your preferred spiciness level and it is so good! Although fried, the chicken isn't nearly as greasy as a lot of other fried chicken I've had. I got the medium spiciness chicken tenders with coleslaw and fries. Highly recommend!

Pinewood Social

If you're not on broadway with all of the tourists, this place is the place to be! It's a super chill bar / coffee shop / bowling alley full of photo-worthy couch sitting areas. They also have a patio full of yard games and even have a pool! We spent our first evening here and contemplated another. It's the perfect spot to work during the day or cap off the evening at. Obsessed! 

Dose

Coming from Chicago I was initially slightly underwhelmed by the amount of trendy coffee shops in Nashville, but although there were few, the ones we went to, were great! Dose was no exception. My only consistent disappointment was the lack of oatmilk (my favorite non-dairy alternative), but eventually I anticipate some shops to start carrying it. Dose served up an amazing iced almond milk latte, drip coffee, and a very unique avocado toast (with roasted corn, jalepenos, feta, and pickled onions). It was super close to our air b and b in East Nashville so we popped over there a few times. They had a nice, bright vibe and a wide selection of tiems that I really enjoyed. Definitely recommend checking it out! 

Five Daughters Bakery

Known for their 100-layer donuts, this adorable bakery is a MUST if you're in Nashville. Josiah and I shared a peanut butter chocolate one that was really good! Next time I am going to try one of their paleo donuts! 

Burger Up

Although Burger Up is known best for it's beef burgers (obviously) after having Hattie B's fried chicken the night before, I decided to go with a lighter option. I ordered the quinoa patty and a kale salad with parmasan, hazelnuts, and dried cranberries. Oh my gosh, it was so good! Everyone else ordered different burgers and they raved about theirs as well. Definitely a solid place! 

Barista Parlor

I would consider this a coffee shop for serious coffee lovers, but it was super fun! It's a very open space that had a lot of tables available if you wanted to work here during the day. Although I paid almost $8 for an iced almond milk latte, it was so tasty! The neighborhood (Germantown) that this coffee shop was nestled in was cute and fun to explore too. 

Biscuit Love

I don't want to hype this place up to much because I probably wouldn't wait an hour in line again to eat here, but it was a fun experience and seems to be considered a staple when visiting Nashville. I ordered the sausage hash with two sunny side eggs and it was really tasty! According to everyone else at our table the biscuits seemed to be a bit overrated though. 

Ugly Mugs Coffee & Tea

The name alone makes me love this place! They serve up an amazing iced almond milk latte and according to my friend Caitlin, vanilla latte as well. Perhaps my favorite thing about this place was their "Love Coffee Love People" t-shirts that they sold. Definitely picking one up on my next trip! 

Wild Cow

Located right next to Ugly Mugs Coffee & Tea, this adorable little hippie vegetarian restaurant is stealing hearts of meat eaters and veggie heads alike. I ordered the sweet potato black bean tacos with vegan sour cream on corn tortillas with vegan queso and chips and Josiah ordered the chipotle portabello tacos with pineapple coleslaw on the side. Both dishes were so, so good! Their menu had so many amazing options, I'm sad we only got to eat here once! Be aware that they are closed on Tuesdays so you don't make plans to go only to realize they're closed. Not that that happened to us or anything. ;)

Crema

Probably my favorite coffee shop in Nashville! it reminded me so much of one of my favorite Chicago spots. They served up a delicious avocado toast that had goat cheese on it (game changer!) as well as another amazing iced almond milk latte. It's such a bright and plant filled space --- i love it! 

Our Favorite Coffee + Food in Paris, France

After spending three days in Amsterdam and enjoying all of the incredible dairy-free and gluten-free options they had to offer, I was initially a little underwhelmed with Paris' food scene. That's not to say I didn't find amazing places to eat foods that I enjoyed, but it was much more difficult to find a coffee shop with almond milk or oat milk to put in my coffee. This meant often times just drinking it black, which I'll admit, is't the end of the world. But after a bit more research I came across a handful of places that seemed worthy of time. I'm happy to report that after all of that searching we landed on a TON of great places that I will probably be dreaming about for years to come. This guide includes a few cafes and restaurants that have gluten-free and dairy-free options to make traveling with dietary restrictions not only less stressful, but exciting and enjoyable. 

Holybelly

This place was so fun! It reminded me a lot of a place we like in Chicago called Hutch. It's a very trendy brunch place and the line was pretty long to get in, but the food was totally worth the wait. I had a poached eggs, kale salad, and sausage, which is super simple, but was so, so satisfying and delicious! The only thing I wasn't a fan of was how close we were sitting to other people, but I would definitely still go back to this place. It is for sure one of those places though that if you go at prime brunch time then you are going to have to wait a very, very long time to get a table. We went on a weekday and waited maybe 20 minutes around 9am. 

Blackburn Coffee

This place was great! They had super cute hipster vibes going on and their espresso was amazing! The staff was very friendly and I would totally go back. I was planning to get drip coffee, but unfortunately they did not have any non-dairy milks and black coffee is not my favorite so I opted for espresso (which I do find tasty without any plant-based milks). 

Bob's Juice Bar

This place was super fun and very, very tiny. They have a pretty small menu, but everything is reasonably priced and what we tasted was delicious and refreshing! The little shop has a very west coast DIY feel that I found charming and the staff was very sweet. 

Ten Belles

I loved the little upstairs nook that this shop had! It was so cute! The coffee here was very good, but I was a little disappointed they did not have any non-dairy milks so I tried to drink it black and it was still great. 

Chambelland

This was my favorite place that we ate at in Paris and I would fly back again and again just to try each and everything in their display! The entire bakery is full of gluten-free goodies, but my favorite was their gluten-free breads. They're homemade daily they even use special flour mills that they've created themselves! While I wait to book my next trip to get some of their breads I might have to buy myself a gluten free bread cookbook to make some myself! Their date and nut bread was my favorite! 

O/HP/E

This place doubles as a cafe / decor shop and it has the cutest Scandinavian / modern kitchen tools and home decor. I wanted to buy literally everything they sold! I did treat myself to a little mug and saucer (as if I don't already have enough mugs) and everything time I use it I think of our wonderful trip! This is definitely a fun place to pop in, look around, and then grab a treat to mucnh on. 

Dose Dealer de Cafe

This coffee shop was close to our air b and b so we frequented it daily. I loved how the maintained the charming classic Paris atmosphere, but offered some trendier options. Their regular coffee as well as their almond milk flat white were great. They were super fast (which I definitley appreicate when I am getting my first cup of the day!) but they also had a cute outdoor seating area that you could sit and relax for as long as you wanted and not feel rushed. 

Le Guynemer

This was a nostalgic visit for us. When we were in Paris for our honeymoon we frequented this cafe because it was close to our hotel. Going back there was super fun! It's one of those places that gives you a truly authentic Parisian experience. It's located just outside of the Luxembourg gardens and is the perfect place to grab a late breakfast and espresso. 

Coutume

This is the restaurant that inspired me to start incorporating a salad into breakfast. I order the salmon, poached eggs, and avocado and it came with SO many greens! It was so unbelievably tasty and it felt so good to fill up on greens so early in the day. Josiah had toast with pickled beets, cauliflower, hazelnuts, and some sort of honey sauce drizzle. It's a very hipster brunch / lunch place, but it really did live up to the hype. Definitely add it to you list to visit! 

Thank You My Deer

I definitely would give this restaurant a 10/10 based on their amazing customer service. The owner greeted us so eagerly and kindly made sure that our every need was not only met, but anticipated. She was so, so very thoughtful! This was our last meal in Paris before heading back to Amsterdam and I can't think of a better way to be sent off. They have a very good gluten-free menu. We kept it very basic and just went with eggs with gluten-free bread. They had great coffee as well! We also ordered a carrot, strawberry, grapefruit juice that was delicious! It was so light and the perfect way to spent our last morning in Paris.