Hawaii

Hawaii—the land of beautiful beaches, dramatic landscapes, and blossoming rainbows

Hawaii tips:

• Be prepared for wild weather changes—sun, rain, wind, and temperature swings are all possible at any moment when you’re on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean

• Keep your eyes peeled for rainbows! Even if it hasn’t rained where you are there are constantly rainbows around that are a real treat to spot.

• The islands are very small and you can see a lot in a small amount of time. It’s also really quick and easy to fly between islands, so don’t limit yourself to just visiting one.

  • Try to get an open jaw flight so you can fly into one island and out of a different one

• Two things you may potentially want to do that I did not:

  • Whale Watching Tour: I did not visit during whale season in Hawaii, but if you are there particularly January-March that is peak whale watching time. I’ve seen a lot of whales in my life and they are magical—highly recommend prioritizing this if you’re there in season.

  • Coffee Tour: Everyone has probably heard of Kona coffee, and Maui coffee is becoming more popular as well. There are plenty of coffee farms and estates you can tour and taste to see how the coffee bean process works on several of the islands. I have experienced this quite thoroughly in Central America and decided I was all set for more coffee deep dives, but I wanted to put it on your radar as another potentially great thing to do in Hawaii.

I visited the Big Island, O’ahu and Maui, and below are all of recommendations for those three islands. The only other island I contemplated visiting was Kauai to see Waimea Canyon State Park and Nā Pali Coast State Wilderness Park, but since it is such a small island and there is not much out there I decided to spend another day on Maui instead.

Waipi’o Valley

The Big Island (AKA The Island of Hawai’i)

I would recommend 3 full days to explore the entirety of the island, starting and ending your loop in Kailua-Kona.

• ‘Akaka Falls Trail: This impressive waterfall is reached by a half mile long trail with a few sets of stairs. Kahuna Falls is also along the trail but the view can be overgrown. It is a nice, paved trail that takes about 20 minutes to complete. The entrance fee to the state park is $5 per person, and it is $10 to park, but you can skip that by simply parking alongside the road outside of the gate.

  • The Hive: An adorable café located in Honomu on the road to ‘Akaka Falls. They’re open for breakfast, lunch and coffee and everything is delicious. Highly recommend!

• Mauna Kea: The highest point in Hawaii! You can go up the volcano from either Hilo or Kona, but the Hilo side is a bit closer. The visitor center is at 9,000ft elevation and there are a couple of short trails with nice views here.

  • Mauna Kea Visitor Center Pu'u Kalepeamoa Trail: A short 1.2 mile long trail up a steep hill to a beautiful viewpoint of Mauna Loa. You are up above the clouds and it is stunning. This is also a popular spot for sunset. It takes about 25 minutes to complete.

  • You’ll need a 4x4 if you want to drive to the summit, and to take some time to adjust to the altitude at the visitor center. You can also hike up, though this is a very strenuous trail. There are summit tours for sunset and stargazing as well.

• Green Sand Beach (Papakolea): There are two options for visiting the famed Green Sand Beach—hike or ride in a local’s pick-up. I hiked the 5 mile long, mostly flat trail out to the beach which took about an hour each way. You essentially walk along the 4x4 path on the coast to the pretty beach. It is quite exposed to sun and wind, so prepare accordingly.

  • I would highly recommend going in the morning before anyone else is out—including the trucks which I would imagine get noisy and chaotic. Even though this is a beach hike I would recommend hiking boots or tennis shoes for the rocks. Keep your eyes peeled for dolphins!

  • If you want to have someone drive you out, arrive from ~9am onwards and there will be locals with trucks waiting to take folks out for $20.

  • The Southernmost point in the US is also right around the corner from the parking lot—it’s about a 10 minute walk down the rocky coast to the marker.

• Punalu’u Black Sand Beach: A famed black sand beach right off the highway worth stopping at.

  • Honua’s Coffee House: A convenient stop for coffee, breakfast, or lunch between the green sand beach and black sand beach.

• Waipi’o Valley: A sacred, fertile valley with a beautiful overlook. Visitors cannot enter the valley aside from a shuttle which runs Monday-Saturday. You cannot hike into the valley either—it is overlook or shuttle only.

• Kaya’s Kawauni: A nice little café off the highway. They open early and the team is super friendly.

Thurston Lava Tube

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park:

The ideal time to visit this park is when there is visible lava flowing, which is obviously impossible to time. Check the park’s website to stay up to date on if there is any chance to see flow while you’re on the island.

The entrance fee is $30 if you do not have a National Park Pass. The park is undergoing construction until ~2026 so expect some closures and modifications.

• Kilauea Overlook: A cool viewpoint with three overlooks of the crater

• Thurston Lava Tube Trail (Nāhuku): A quick, very unique trail through a lava tube. Highly recommend! It is just about 10 minutes and .4 miles long and mostly flat.

• Kīlauea Iki and Crater Rim Trail: This trail is 3.4 miles long with 741ft of elevation gain and takes about an hour and a half to complete. It takes you down into and across the crater then back up along the rim. I did this trail backwards, and would highly recommend that way to have less uphill at the end—start going left from the Lava Tube parking lot.

  • If you’d like to skip the hike, the view at Kīlauea Iki Overlook captures everything quite well and is neat!

• Chain of Craters Road: As you might imagine, this is a chain of a variety of craters along the road. It is 20 miles each way out to the coast and back.

• For a unique experience, stay at this Airbnb on a lava field at the base of the volcano. This tiny home is off-grid and was a very fun place to stay about an hour from the National Park. For a more traditional stay after visiting the park I’d recommend nearby Hilo.

Kailua-Kona

• Ola Brew Co: A nice spot with tasty beers, seltzers, hard juices, hard teas, and a food menu. They also have a location in Hilo.

• Stay at Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa: This is a very expansive property with two pools, two restaurants, tennis courts, yoga, and more. They also have a Giant Manta Ray viewing deck to be able to seasonally view these huge, smart fish. It is one of the few spots to see these unique creatures!

• Kona Brewing: A full restaurant-style brewery with a pretty patio space. The beer is mass produced and average at best.

• On The Rocks: A bar and restaurant on the water with great happy hour specials and validated parking.

Hilo

• Rainbow Falls: A nice large waterfall right near town in Wailuku River State Park

• Makuʻu Point: A great spot to watch sunrise with waves crashing along the rocks.

• Popover: A solid little bakery with sandwiches and donuts

• Wailuku Brew Works: This brewery is located in Keeau, just outside of Hilo. It is a small spot that is quite popular. They have a large tap list, cocktails, and a small food menu from Uncle Bob’s BBQ. The beer is pretty average.

• Skip Wailoa River State Recreation Area

• Skip Hilo Bayfront Beach Park

Manoa Falls

O’ahu

It’s a quick 30 minute flight from the Big Island to O’ahu. O’ahu is most folks least favorite Hawaiian island and I would echo that—I wanted to go to despite this reputation to see a few key things, and I would still recommend visiting overall, just spend the least amount of time here. A day or two is perfect.

Traffic can be awful and Honolulu is just an average big touristy city essentially, but there are still some gems!

• Manoa Falls Trail: This is a moderate 1.9 mile long trail that is relatively steep at points with 577ft of elevation gain up to a pretty waterfall. It can be muddy so proper footwear is key, and it is a very popular trail so expect many other folks. The trail takes just about an hour to complete and parking is $7.

• Howzit Brewing: Great beers at this little industrial taproom in Honolulu. They occasionally have food trucks as well. Parking is awful.

• Stay at Wayfinder Waikiki: A nice hotel a few blocks inland from the beach. They have a beautiful saltwater pool, a delicious onsite restaurant Redfish Poke, and nice amenities. Parking is valet only, but it looks like if you put some effort in you could find street parking.

• Visit Pearl Harbor National Memorial. This is a heavy experience, knowing the tragedy that took place here, but a must. Reserve your USS Arizona experience in advance to take a quick boat ride out to see the memorial. There is a standby line if you don’t get a reservation in advance as well. Note that bags are not allowed into the memorial and parking is $7

• Ka’iwa Ridge Trail (Lanikai Pillbox Trail): You can go as far up and out for this trail as you’d like—to different viewpoints, the first pillbox, the second pillbox, or beyond. It is a very steep trail with loose rocks and dirt, so be prepared and know your limits. It’s rated moderate but I would say that is not accurate, it is a difficult trail. The view of the coastline from above is beautiful. To hike to the first pillbox and back is 1.5 miles and takes about 45 minutes. Note that you cannot park at the trailhead itself, it is a private road, but there is street parking down the hill.

• Inu Island Ales: A tiny spot with a wide variety of beers in Kaneohe.

• The Sunrise Shack: This is a cute spot for açaí bowls and smoothies. They have multiple locations—the one in Kailua is on the way to Lanikai.

• Nu’uanu Pali Lookout: This is supposed to be a beautiful viewpoint, but I tried 3 times to visit it and each time the clouds blocked the view. Good luck!

• Diamond Head Crater Summit Trail: This is a popular 1.9 mile long relatively steep trail with 515ft of elevation gain. Reservations are required, and the latest you can enter is 4:30pm with gates closing at 6pm. I had a reservation but ended up skipping it because the weather was not cooperating—I am still including it on my suggestions because I had planned to hike it and have heard good things.

Haleakalā National Park

Maui

It’s a quick 20 minute flight from Honolulu to Maui. I would recommend 3-4 full days to explore the entirety of the island. If you like boujie-beach filled vacations you can definitely do that on Maui, but my recommendations will focus more on the adventure aspects of the island.

• Kanaha Beach Park: A nice beach behind the airport with some shade from the trees. A good beach to spot sea turtles at!

• Tiffany’s: Delicious restaurant for Asian fusion eats. Great vibes and really fantastic eats. It is a popular spot, so you can join the waitlist online ahead of time if needed. Located in Wailuku, not too far from the airport.

• Esters Fair Prospect: A really cute cocktail bar serving up killer drinks with a few snacks as well. Located on the main strip of Wailuku.

• Take a helicopter tour! I went with Air Maui, but there are several companies offering very similar tours. I did the West Maui and Molokai Tour which was neat—Molokai is the neighboring island that has virtually no tourism so it was awesome to get to drop into the valleys full of waterfalls and see such remote areas.

  • Air Maui has a single seat special where you can call the day before to see what single seats they have left open and get added to the tour for just $100 (saving hundreds of dollars!). Huge win for solo travelers.

Pa’īa

A nice little town 10 minutes from the airport—wander the shops and restaurants along the main strip. The Road to Hana also starts/ends here (depending on your route).

• Wabisabi Soba & Sushi: A solid spot for Japanese eats with outdoor dining

• Baldwin Beach Park: Beautiful beach with ample parking

Haleakalā National Park

This National Park has two sections: Summit & Kipahulu. There is not a road through the park to connect the two. Kipahulu is along The Road to Hana, so more on that later. For the Summit section there are just a handful of trails and overlooks here, so I would say a half day is plenty of time to tackle this section.

The entrance fee is $30 if you do not have a National Park Pass.

• Watching the sunrise at the summit is the most popular thing to do in the park. Reservations are required to enter between 3-7am and the summit visitor center parking lot has limited spaces so go early to snag a spot. Don’t give up hope—most of the folks that were there the day I was left because it was cloudy but about 10 minutes after the sun actually rose it burned off all the clouds and it was stunning.

  • The summit is at 10,000ft so it can be cold and windy, especially before the sun comes up, so be sure to dress appropriately. The weather changes rapidly at that elevation so you never know what to expect!

• Leleiwi Overlook Trail: This is a quick .3 mile trail out to a nice viewpoint where you can see the crater, the coastline, and the summits on the Big Island. There is a cozy little shelter at the trail end to block the wind.

• Sliding Sands Trail (Kéonehe’ehe’e): This trailhead is at the summit visitor center goes out downhill across the crater—you can do a few different things here: hike out as far as you’d like a turn back, hike to Kapalaoa Cabin, or hike point to point and hitchhike back. Just keep in mind you are starting this trail at 10,000ft of elevation gain so it can be tough on your body.

The Upcountry

• Mahalo Aleworks: A solid brewery in Makawao. The upstairs patio has nice views. They partner with Upcountry Sausage and neighboring Marlow for food.

  • There is also a food truck park across the street with Maui Pizza Truck which is delicious!

• MauiWine: A lovely winery in Kula offering tastings, glasses, and bottles in a little cottage. The winery is all quite tasty. Make reservations in advance to avoid a wait.

• Ocean Distillery: A great spot for food and drinks with beautiful views. Vodka is their primary liquor distilled here, but they have a robust menu offering. They also offer tours.

• Sun Yet-Sen Park: A little roadside park with a nice view, especially for sunset.

• I stayed at this Airbnb which was a nice little studio. It’s a half hour from the National Park entrance and has pretty sunset views.

• Skip Kula Botanical Garden

The Road To Hana

The Road to Hana

The famed Road To Hana is a must while on Maui. It is a scenic drive full of 620 curves with roadside waterfalls, state and national parks, beautiful views, and more!

I would recommend downloading the Shaka Guide ahead of time for nice narration through your drive and recommendations on where to stop. I don’t normally pay for things like this but it was a good tool for this unique path + gave lots of history and context to what you are seeing.

I did the reverse loop starting with the backside of the road which is desolate and beautiful—most folks miss this part and just drive from Paia to Hana and back which is fine, but there are some great stops after Hana and why drive the same route twice if you don’t have to? It took me about 7 hours to do the drive from Kula to Paia with lots of stops and hikes along the way. Some recommendations:

• Kipahulu section of Haleakalā National Park: There are just a couple of trails here on this rainforest-y side of the park and very few folks. The Seven Sacred Pools Trail (‘Ohe’o Gulch) is a .6 mile long mostly flat trail out to the famed pools along the coast and takes about 20 minutes to complete.

• Wailua Falls: A really big waterfall right off the road not far after the park

• Skip Venus Pools: This is a muddy overgrown path out to swimming hole and rocky beach about 5-10 minutes from road

• Hana is a nice little isolated town with a few amenities

• Waiʻānapanapa State Park: This is an awesome area with a black sand beach, sea arch, blowhole, and lava tube along a rugged coastline. Reservations are required to visit.

• Don’t miss the lava tube cave off the side of the road not too far after the state park

• Pua'a Ka'a State Wayside Park: Home to a nice little waterfall and stretch break

• Keep your eyes peeled for Rainbow Eucalyptus and Banyan trees along the route after the park

• Twin Falls: This is one of the most popular attractions on the road and the last one before Paia. I found it to be the most overrated and wouldn’t return. It’s $10 to park and enter with 3 waterfalls here and folks swimming in each. After spending most of the day on my own discovering these unique views and hidden waterfalls it felt very toursity and meh to me.

West Maui

• Waihe’e Ridge Trail: This trail is 4.5 miles long with 1,591ft of elevation gain and is rated hard. This trail is on the tropical side of the island so expect hot, humid, and potentially rainy conditions making this trail incredibly muddy and pretty steep at times. There is a picnic table at the summit to sit and enjoy the views—but be prepared that a lot of the times the summit is covered in clouds and the best views are from a bit lower. It takes about 2.5 hours to complete.

• The backside of West Maui from Waihe’e Ridge to Kapalua is a wild ride—literally. It is a one lane road for long stretches with blind curves along the cliffside. The drive is not for the faint of heart, but it is quite beautiful and definitely a unique experience!

  • Olivine Pools: This is an interesting little viewpoint of the pools below—be extremely careful here, the trail is very slick and folks have died on the trail getting down to the pools. I’d recommend just stopping at the rock cliff where you can see the pools below to be safe, especially if it has rained and the trail is slippery. 

  • Nakalele Blowhole: This is another unique stop on the route to a large blowhole. Keep in mind this is a naturally phenomenon and not a waterpark—be careful.

  • Slaughterhouse Beach: This is a really nice beach with good waves and soft sand.

  • Dragon’s Teeth Trail: A short .8 mile long trail that is mostly flat out to Makaluapuna Point and a labyrinth with sharp jagged rocks that are “teeth” sticking up on the shoreline. It takes about 20 minutes to complete and I would recommend proper footwear for the rocky terrain.

• Kapalua Bay Beach: A small but really nice beach popular for snorkeling because the water is so clear.

• Island Vibes Café: A delicious little spot for breakfast and lunch. Good vibes indeed!

• Miso Phat Sushi: This popular sushi restaurant has two locations in West Maui. The eats are delicious and they are BYOB.

• Maui Brewing: This brewery has 5 locations—3 on Maui and 2 on O’ahu. They have full restaurants with each and very different settings. The Kahana location is not the vibe. It’s hot, dark, there’s no outdoor seating, and the food is mediocre—so try one of the other taprooms while you’re visiting.

• Kayak: Hawaii in general but also West Maui is a popular spot to kayak—most tours are a combination of kayaking and snorkeling, some on clear kayaks. My booking got cancelled due to high winds, but would definitely recommend checking it out.

• Kahekili Beach Park: Another great beach with plenty of parking, super clear water and beautiful views of Lanai and Molokai 

• Maui Fruit Ninja: This pop-up moves locations and has crazy acai bowls and yummy juices. Definitely recommend!

• Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop: Super cute shop for delicious pies and lunch items, plus a farmers market is next door.

• Papawai Scenic Lookout: Pretty spot popular for whale watching in the winter months.

• Lahaina: Previously a popular town in West Maui that was destroyed by wildfires. They’re working quickly to rebuild so perhaps in the future it will be somewhere to visit again.

• ‘Īoa Valley State Monument: I would not recommend going out of your way for this—there is one trail the lao Needle Lookout Trail and Ethnobotanical Loop which is a quick and easy .6 of a mile that takes about 15 minutes to complete with a couple of lookout points. Reservations are required, but you can actually skip paying for parking in advance and park in the road outside the gate.

Idaho

The Sawtooth Mountains are a gorgeous area of Idaho. They are part of the Rocky Mountains in Central Idaho and a beautiful, peaceful escape. The Sawtooths are popular for hiking, camping, fly fishing, and whitewater rafting. There are nearly 400 alpine lakes in this region and a plethora of jagged peaks. It’s the perfect spot for a long weekend because they are isolated from pretty much anywhere else you’d want to combine it with for a longer road trip. This isolation means it is not super well known or popular, which is a big win in my book.

Imogene Lake

Hiking in The Sawtooth Mountains:

None of the trails in this area are too steep, but they can be quite long. Remember to keep in mind the elevation if you’re coming from sea level—this area sits at around 6,000ft of elevation and then you’ll climb further up from there.

• Sawtooth Lake via Iron Creek Stanley Lake Trail: This trail is 12.8 miles long with 1,817ft of elevation gain and takes about 5 hours to complete. Note that AllTrails lists this at 9.6 miles. Sawtooth Lake is absolutely stunning and an iconic sight in the Sawtooths. The mountains and lake are gorgeous. The trail is pretty exposed and leads through the wilderness to Alpine Lake and from there it heads uphill to Sawtooth Lake for one more mile. This trail is close to the town of Stanley somewhat popular, but there is overflow parking and it’s not by any means crowded.

• Imogene Lake Trail: This trail is 15.2 miles long with 1,459ft of elevation gain and takes about 5.5 hours to complete from the upper trailhead. Note that AllTrails lists it at 13.4 miles. This is a great two-for-one trail with both Hell Roaring and Imogene Lakes. Hell Roaring is only about an hour from the upper trailhead which is a nice way to divide up the hike. If you visit Hell Roaring in the morning you may be treated to a gorgeous reflection in the morning light. Imogene Lake is much larger and also beautiful. You can hike all the way around the lake if you’d like. The trail is very quiet, I only saw a couple of folks the entire way (even on a holiday weekend).

  • There are two trailheads to access Hell Roaring and Imogene Lakes. The upper trailhead requires a 4 wheel drive/high clearance vehicle to access. The lower trailhead adds a couple of miles to your hike.

• Pettit Lake to Alice Lake: This trail is 13.9 miles long with 1,900ft of elevation gain and takes about 6 hours to complete. The trail begins at Pettit Lake which is very pretty in the morning light. It then winds deeper into the wilderness with a few dramatic viewpoints and several river crossings. It is a quiet, exposed, and rocky trail that can get buggy in the afternoon. Alice Lake is a beautiful alpine lake that you can also hike around if you want to add in more mileage. The AllTrails route takes you to Twin Lakes, which adds about 2.4 miles and 200ft of elevation gain, though AllTrails says this route in total is 13.6 miles.

Hell Roaring Lake

Things to do in Stanley, Idaho:

Stanley is the tiny town that calls the Sawtooth Mountains home. It’s a great base for exploring this region with a few hotels, restaurants, and outfitting businesses. You could also stay in the Sun Valley area, but that is not quite as “mountain-weekend”-y, much more touristy, and you’ll have longer drives to trailheads.

• Stanley Lake Overlook: Stanley Lake is a gorgeous alpine lake that is accessible without hiking through the mountains (though you can do that too!). The overlook is a great spot to lounge on the water, but there is also a boat launch area with a beach and a campground.

• Sawtooth Hotel: A great spot for dinner with a view! The food is tasty, though a little pricey, and the team here is very nice.

• Relax in a hot spring: Thanks to its geography and geology, Idaho is home to more soakable hot springs than any other state in the U.S.! There are over 20 in the Stanley area, and I checked out two:

  • Sunbeam Hot Springs: This a spacious hot spring with several different pools of water with different temperatures. It is located about 15 minutes north of Stanley.

  • Valley Creek Hot Spring: This is right in downtown Stanley. It is a bit smaller and has some road noise, but the water is warm and relaxing.

• Stanley Baking Company: A cute spot for baked goods, coffee, breakfast, and lunch. It is wildly busy so expect a wait in the summer months, but it’s worth it.

• Papa Brunee’s: A solid spot for pizza and subs. It can be a little hectic but the food comes out pretty quickly.

• Stay at Basecamp Lodge: This is a cute lodge and RV park in Stanley. There are thoughtful touches and it’s on the cheaper side. I enjoyed my stay but if I were to return to the area I would probably book something with a view.

• Redfish Lake: This area can be the most crowded of the Sawtooths. It is home to a lodge, multiple campgrounds, two restaurants, a boat launch, kayak/SUP rentals, trailheads, and more. It’s worth checking out, but not quite the vibe I wanted personally.

• Skip: Stanley Supper Club: 0/10 experience here.

• Heads up: Groceries from the only store in town, Mountain Village Mercantile, are extraordinarily overpriced and they have a limited selection—do your best to avoid it.

Shoshone Falls

Twin Falls Recommendations:

Twin Falls has a nice little downtown. It’s a very outdoorsy city with a bunch of bike trails, a gorgeous golf course on the Snake River, trails, waterfalls, parks, and more. It’s about 2.5 hours from Twin Falls to the Sawtooth Mountains, and you’ll pass through the popular ski area of Sun Valley on the way.

• Koto Brewing Company and Milner’s Gate are the two breweries in town and O’Dunkens is a beer bar that looks solid—they were all closed when I was in Twin Falls due to a holiday.

• Shoshone Falls: This is a massive waterfall known as the Niagara of the West. It is taller than Niagara Falls, just not as wide, and very cool to see. There is a $5 entrance fee to see the falls.

• Perrine Coulee Falls: A nice waterfall that you can reach via this trail that is half of a mile long with 200ft of elevation gain and takes about 20 minutes to complete, or you can also just see the fall from the road.

• Redhawk Gastropub: A restaurant with views of the Snake River Bridge and Canyon on their nice patio. They have a solid tap list, the food is tasty, the service is a little lacking.

• Snake River Canyon Rim Trail: This is a great trail to bike along the edge of the Snake Canyon. You could go as long or as short as you’d like with nice views throughout.

• Centennial Waterfront Park: A great park on the Snake River. There is a boat launch and picnic tables with nice views of the canyon and bridge.

• Java Blue Lakes: A nice little spot for coffee, breakfast, and lunch.

TF Brewing

Stops on the way to/from the Sawtooths:

Craters of the Moon National Monument

This is a very unique attraction made of dried lava from Great Rift fissures. The park has several trails with craters, cones, and caves. It is neat to explore but not worth going too far out of your way for. It is $20 per car to enter without a National Park Pass. Located 2.5 hours southeast from Stanley, 1.5 hours northeast of Twin Falls. There is a 7 mile loop drive that each trail and viewpoint is located off of.

• Spatter Cones and Big Craters via North Crater Trail: This trail includes Spatter Cones, Snow Cones, and Big Crater. It is 1.3 miles long, but also connects to the North Crater trail so you can make it as short or long as you’d like. Most folks just see the spatter and snow cones, but the Big Crater is pretty neat.

• Inferno Cone Trail: This is a quick .4 mile roundtrip trail up to a panoramic viewpoint. It is short but steep and takes about 15 minutes to complete.

• Caves Trail: A mostly flat 1.8 mile long trail to Indian Tunnel and Dewdrop Cave. These are made of lava tubes and neat to see. It is a bit treachorous with boulders in the cave and the trail can be a bit hard to follow. Bring a headlamp for better sight. Note the AllTrails route includes Boy Scout and Beauty caves which were closed during my visit. You will need a free permit from the visitor’s center to access this area. Do not wear or bring anything that has been in a cave ever before to protect the bats from white nose syndrome.

Salt Lake City

I flew in and out of Salt Lake because it made sense from Charlotte with cheap, nonstop flights at good times. It would be easier to access the Sawtooths by flying into Boise, Twin Falls, or Sun Valley, but this made more sense for me. If you also are in SLC, check out all of my Utah recommendations here. Highlights from this trip:

• Bonneville Salt Flats: The salt flats are pretty neat—they are the remnants of Lake Bonneville and it’s, well, salty and flat. They do car racing here occasionally, but otherwise you can just walk around and take in the sights and uniqueness. The best spot to access the salt flats is by just making a quick stop at the west bound rest area on I-80 West, about 1.5 hours from the SLC airport.

• Templin Family Brewing: A stellar brewery with a wide variety of beers but superb Lagers. This is a popular spot with frequent food trucks, a small snack menu and cocktails. They have a nice back patio space as well.

• Epic Brewing Company: Epic is most known for their big Stouts and have been in the beer game for ages. Their SLC taproom does not have any taps because of Utah’s wild beer laws, but they have a huge menu of bottles and cans you can get pours from.

• Grid City Beer Works: A great brewery with a Lager and Cask focus. They have a tasty food menu and lots of vegan options as well. The vibes here are a fun mix between classic brewery and restaurant, plus they have a rooftop deck.

• Great Salt Lake State Park: This is a nice spot for sunset and to see the Great Salt Lake. There is not quite a beach but you can access the water if you’d like, just keep in mind it is indeed very salty. There are also a ton of spiders in the area because of the salt, meaning the observation deck and surrounding rocks are covered in webs and eight legged critters. There is an entrance fee of $10 per car.

Have you been to idaho? What are your favorite spots to explore? Let me know in the comments! Cheers—Alexis

Colorado

colorado is a gorgeous state with amazing SCENERY and some of the best breweries in the countrY!

Check out my recommendations for Denver, Frisco, and Boulder:

Colorado Tips: 

• Be aware of the altitude! It's real! Stay hydrated and take things slow to avoid feeling sick, especially when you first arrive

Denver Top Recommendations:

• Cerebral Brewing: Quite possibly my favorite stop—Cerebral has a killer tap list with juicy IPAs, thicc Stouts, and great vibes!

• Voodoo Donuts: Creative and crazy donuts that are incredibly delicious!

• The River North (RiNo) neighborhood is full of art and breweries, what more do you need? 

  • Bierstadt Lagerhaus: This is the Mecca of Lager beers. Get a Slow Pour Pils and Giant Ass Pretzel and don’t look back

  • Our Mutual Friend Brewing: Lots of fantastic IPAs in particular. They also have rotating food trucks and an outside patio

  • Ratio Beerworks: Fantastic outdoor space with cornhole and a patio. They have a wide variety of beers and it’s an overall fun & funky spot

  • Odell Brewing: Another solid option in the RiNo neighborhood with a variety of beers

  • Central Market is a great food hall in the heart of the RiNo neighborhood

Union Station Denver

Denver Top Recommendations CONTINUED:

• TRVE Brewing Co.: A dark taproom filled with metal music specializing in Sour and Farmhouse Ales.

• District Denver: A fantastic spot for brunch with $15 mix and match bottomless drinks, delicious food, and a cute patio.

• Crooked Stave: Their Denver taproom is small but they still have a variety of beers to choose from and a huge bottle selection.

• Denver Biscuit Company: A phenomenal, albeit touristy, spot for breakfast! The biscuits are massive, flaky, soft, and amazing.

• Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater: The amphitheater is touristy but worth checking out! They do concerts, yoga, and numerous activities in this space.

  • I would definitely recommend hiking in the park! We did a 4.3 mile trail that had diverse landscape and wasn’t too challenging.

• New Image Brewing: In the suburb of Arvada, New Image has a small food menu, outdoor patio, and great IPAs!

• Onefold: Fancy breakfast burritos for the win! They’ve also got super delicious coffee at this little cafe.

• Burns Family Artisan Ales: A quaint brewery with big beers and homey vibes. This is not your standard brewery, they have super unique beers!

Cabin Creek Brewing

More Ideas for Denver:

• Illegal Pete’s: A great spot for burritos, nachos, and tacos!

• Check out the giant blue bear at the Convention Center!

• Check out a bottle shop! Argonaut Wine & Liquor and Baker Wine & Spirits are two great options.

• Spangalang Brewery: A microbrewery in the Five Points neighborhood with yummy beers and a patio.

  • Famous Original J’s Pizza is right around the corner as well!

• Epic Brewing: 25 taps! Food trucks!

• Larimer Square: A little bit more of a 'fancy' area, the lights at night make it a beautiful place to grab dinner or a drink!

• Wynkoop Brewing: More of a brewpub, Wynkoop is a hot spot for lunch during the work week, being located right downtown. 

• Great Divide Brewing: There is a lot of hype around this brewery but I wasn't super impressed. The staff was straight up rude and the beer was just alright. There are plenty of other places you should visit before here!

Our Mutual Friend Brewing

FriscO Beer & Travel Recommendations:

Frisco is just over an hour from Denver and definitely worth an adventure to!

• Hike! The Frisco area is absolutely gorgeous. We did a moderate 3.4 mile hike to a small lake that was right near downtown and had amazing views!

• Outer Range Brewing Co.: An absolutely amazing brewery with killer IPAs. The brewery has amazing mountain views from the taproom as well. There’s also a coffee shop and a “Thai-ish” fried chicken restaurant in the building.

• Cabin Creek Brewing: Located in Georgetown, Cabin Creek is the perfect stop on your way back to Denver. It is right off of I-70 making it super convenient! Cabin Creek has a full food menu with delicious pizzas and is located right on the lake surrounded by mountains!

Frisco, Colorado

Boulder beer and travel recommendations:

Boulder is only about 30 minutes outside of Denver and well worth a visit! 

• Boulder is definitely a college town so be aware of football games and other big events that could hinder your transportation/plans

• Avery Brewing: Great beers in a large facility. An extensive tap list.

• Mountain Sun Brewing: They have a cute little outdoor space and delicious food! 

• West Flanders Brewing: Super friendly bartenders, lively atmosphere right off the main strip of town

• Boulder Beer Co.: They closed their taproom, but look for their beers on tap around town. The Nitro Chocolate Porter is delicious!

Seattle, WA

Seattle is a large port city surrounded by nature that is super fun to explore!

Seattle Tips:

• Pack a rain coat! Even on days with a tiny percent chance of rain you will probably see some sprinkles, even in the dry months.

• Avoid driving if you can. Seattle is not a very car friendly city, so if you can ditch your ride I would definitely recommend it.

• It is extremely uncommon for breweries in the area to have kitchens, so plan ahead to ensure you’re not brewery hopping on an empty stomach. Most taprooms will have food trucks later in the day and/or on the weekends, but I’d recommend looking at each spot’s website or Instagram to see what they have planned.

Planning a Washington Road Trip? Check out my recommendations here! I visited Seattle, Bellingham, North Cascades National Park, Chelan, Leavenworth, Yakima, Mount Rainier National Park, Olympic National Park and more!

Adventures & Ales Top Seattle Recommendations: ​

• Fair Isle Brewing: An amazing brewery focused on Saisons and Farmhouse Ales. Their taproom is cute, their staff is really nice, and their beer is absolutely incredible. By far my favorite stop in Seattle. 49th Street Beast is their onsite food truck.

• Great Notion Brewing: This fantastic Portland based brewery has two locations in Seattle, one in the Ballard neighborhood and one in the Georgetown neighborhood. In Ballard the taproom has nice indoor and outdoor seating with Burb’s Burgers inside for eats. They are particularly great at Sours and Stouts.

• The Masonry: A stellar beer bar and pizza restaurant in Lower Queen Anne. They have a solid draft list and a good list of beer bottles, wines and cocktails. Their pizzas are fantastic and the menu also includes salads and small plates.

• Fast Fashion: This is a great brewery with two locations in Seattle: Lower Queen Anne (connected to The Masonry) and in the SoDo neighborhood. They are known for their tasty IPAs but still have a robust tap list.

• Kerry Park: A tiny and touristy park with fantastic views of the skyline and the water. Don’t expect to really hang out here, it’s really just a viewpoint, but I definitely recommend checking it out!

• Fresh Flours Bakery & Cafe: A delicious bakery with great breakfast options. Be prepared for it to be busy and for things to sell out quickly.

• RidgeWood Bottle & Tap: A great beer bar and bottle shop in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood. They have a huge tap list with a great selection. The vibes are chill and there are some water views from the front patio space.

• Fulcrum Café: A cute coffee shop in Belltown with a small food menu. Their coffee is great!

• The Fat Hen: A cute spot for brunch just north of the Ballard neighborhood. They have a coffee bar, full food menu and a few cocktails. Everything I had was delicious and it is a great little neighborhood spot.

• Fremont Brewing: The most widely-known Seattle brewery is probably Fremont. They have a large distribution footprint and a large taproom to match it. Their beer garden is a fantastic spot to hang out. Their beers are solid, but flights can be pretty pricey as a heads up.

• Dirty Couch Brewing: A brewery focused on Sours and Wild Ales with a nice patio.

• Holy Mountain Brewing: Holy Mountain has two locations in town—their OG taproom and the newer Phinney Ridge taproom. Phinney Ridge is a nice, sleek space with a smaller tap list. There are a few places nearby to snag eats. The original taproom has frequent food trucks and a large open space.

Fair Isle Brewing

• Brewery hop in the Ballard neighborhood! This area is packed full of breweries so I would make a plan ahead of time or you’ll never hit all the ones you want to because there are so many to choose from!

  • Fair Isle and Great Notion from above are both located here!

  • Stoup Brewing: A great brewery with a large tap list, delicious IPAs, a nice patio, and frequent food trucks.

  • Urban Family Brewing: Urban Family is directly across the street from Stoup and has great Sours and Hazy IPAs. They have a nice patio and beers to-go as well.

  • Lucky Envelope Brewing: Another brewery in the Ballard neighborhood. I found the tap list to be less than ideal and their beers they had when I visited to be mediocre, but perhaps with different selections on tap they would shine more.

  • Rueben’s Brews: A popular brewery with a nice patio and delicious beers, particularly their Hazy IPAs.

Pike Place Market

Seattle Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Chihuly Garden and Glass: A very cool glass museum with an indoor gallery, outdoor gallery, glass blowing demonstrations and onsite restaurant. Tickets are $35 which I was shook by but I would say it is worth it! Located in the Seattle Center next to the Space Needle.

• Pike Place Market: The ever-popular market that is a Seattle icon is a must visit. Try a variety of foods, see flying fish, and be surrounded by hoards of tourists.

  • I highly recommend visiting the Beecher’s Cheese storefront.

  • Parking can be a nightmare, so I would recommend walking/Lyfting but if you do drive the street parking is way cheaper than the parking lots/garages.

  • This is where the ridiculously popular Starbucks is that basically always has a line. I’d recommend local Anchorhead Coffee instead if you need some java.

  • Cloudburst Brewing’s smaller original location is located here too.

• Discovery Park: A popular park with multiple trails along the beach. I did this trail on AllTrails which ended up taking about an hour and 45 minutes and was 4.8 miles and 28 flights up. The beach itself is pretty rocky and a bit dirty, but it was still nice to be on the water. On a clear day you can see the surrounding mountains as well. One thing to note if you do the full loop trail you will walk near a waste treatment plant which is a bit smelly, but it is just for a short period of time.

• You can also hike at Mount Rainer, which is a bit further out from Seattle but absolutely worth it! Be sure to check road closures and weather advisories before making the drive. Mount Rainier recommendations are here!

• Rattlesnake Ledge Trail: A popular trail about an hour from Seattle only a few miles off the highway. I did this trail on AllTrails which ended up taking about 2.5 hours and was 6 miles and 131 flights up. You are quite literally climbing directly up the mountain and it takes about an hour to get to the first view point. There are two other ledges for views from slightly higher up that are less crowded.

• Alki Beach: A cute little sleepy town with a rocky beach and views of the Space Needle and surrounding mountains

  • Ampersand Cafe: Average coffee shop right across from the beach

  • West Seattle Brewing: They have a taproom at Alki Beach but it was closed during my visit. Google and their website + social media said they were open, so I’d recommend trying to call ahead to confirm their hours if you plan to visit.

• Gas Works Park: An old industrial park with great views of the city and the water. Ideal spot for a picnic or just to hang out in the grass.

• Lake 22 Trail: This trail is 6.4 miles long with 1,450ft of elevation gain and is rated moderate. It is a rocky trail out to Lake 22 which is pretty and overall it’s not too tough. The trailhead is 1 hour north of Seattle in Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. It takes just over 2.5 hours to complete.

• Biscuit Bitch: A popular and touristy spot with delicious biscuits. They have 2 locations and you can order online to avoid any potential lines.

• Seattle Center: Wander this area that is home to the Space Needle, multiple event spaces and a large outdoor park.

Chiluly Gardens and Glass

Other Seattle Things To Do:​​

• Cloudburst Brewing: Cloudburst has two taprooms—one on Shishole and one near Pike Place Market. I visited their Shishole location that has a food truck onsite, a nice patio, and solid beers. They tend to focus on IPAs.

• Ballard Coffee Works: A cute coffee shop in the heart of the Ballard neighborhood with a few food options as well.

• The Pine Box: A craft beer dive bar with a food menu in an old chapel. The vibes are fun and their selection is solid. The Pine Box is located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, parking in this area can be tough.

• The Beer Junction: A beer bar and bottle shop in West Seattle with a few taps and a large can/bottle selection.

• Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery: A popular taproom with a large variety of beers on tap.

• Narrows Brewing: This brewery is not in Seattle, but if you venture down to Tacoma, be sure to check it out! They are located right on the marina with a small patio. They have great views and delicious beers.

• Georgetown Brewing: Named after the small industrial neighborhood they are based in, Georgetown has a huge operation and widely distributes. They have a small beer garden and taproom and are definitely more focused on distribution.

• TeKu Tavern: This beer bar and bottle shop has a great can and bottle selection alongside some solid taps.

• Ravenna Brewing Company: An average brewery in the northeast Suburbs with frequent food trucks.

• Best of Hands Barrelhouse: A brewery in West Seattle focused on Farmhouse and Sour Ales. When I visited that did not seem to be the case with just one Saison and one Sour on tap. The beers I did have were average. It is a nice little taproom, so if you’re in the area check it out, but I wouldn’t go out of your way to visit.

• The Good Society Brewery and Public House: A brewery in West Seattle with a small food menu and nice patio. The beers were mediocre at best in my opinion.

Fremont Brewing

Check Out BELLEVUE:

• Bellevue is right across the water from Seattle and has a cute downtown and over 100 parks.

• Bellevue Brewing Company: Located in The Spring District, a planned community, they have a great patio, a large variety of beers, cocktails, wine and a full food menu.

• Get on the water: Rent a kayak or stand up paddleboard from the REI Boathouse on Meydenbauer Bay. The bay leads out to Lake Washington with pretty views. They also offer tours.

• Take a Circuit to get around: Bellevue offers Bellhop for free electric transport in town.

Have more time in the Pacific Northwest?

• Drive a bit further north to Vancouver, BC! Vancouver is about 2.5 hours north of Seattle and a cool city. Check out my full beer and travel guide here!

• Drive down to Portland! This beer mecca is about 3 hours south of Seattle and full of fantastic spots to check out! Here is my full beer and travel guide for Portland!

• Take a trip to the beautiful Oregon Coast! Check out my one day Oregon Coast itinerary and recommendations here!

Utah

Utah is home to 5 national parks and beautiful landscapes everywhere you look!

Utah Tips: 

• Check out my Utah road trip itinerary blog here to plan a fantastic adventure across the state!

• Be very mindful of the time of year you plan to visit—summers can be excruciatingly hot in the desert and winters mean lots of snow. May and September are great times to visit.

• Be mindful of the elevation—Salt Lake City sits at 4,265ft and Bryce Canyon averages 8000ft for example. Give your body time to adjust if you’re traveling from somewhere closer to sea level.

• When visiting the 5 National Parks you’ll need a national park pass or pay to enter. If you don’t have a pass paying $35 one time will grant you park entries for a week.

• Be sure to check park alerts. Things change rapidly with weather, erosion and more. Each park’s website will list closures and other issues that may arise.

• Look up at night! Utah is home to very dark skies that allow for fantastic stargazing throughout the state, especially near the parks.

• Utah has a wild amount of beer laws that seem pretty bizarre compared to the rest of the country. They can’t sell draft beer above 5% ABV, but they can sell canned beer with higher ABV. You’re not allowed to bring in any empty vessels to taprooms, so leave your refillable water bottles in the car. There are separate spaces for bars and restaurants that are required to have separate entrances, so choose your vibe ahead of time.

• Download offline maps ahead of your trip to ensure you can get directions from point a to point b since a lot of Utah is pretty remote with spotty phone service.

Doing a road trip? Check out my Grand Canyon, Sedona and Las Vegas guides!

Moab: Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point STate Park

Arches National Park

Arches is an iconic park full of—you guessed it—arches! You also have nice views of the surrounding La Sal Mountains. It’s a small park that you can drive from one end to the other in 30 minutes without stopping. Everything in Arches is quiet exposed so be sure to wear sunscreen, bring plenty of water, and try to avoid hiking during the hottest times of the day.

You’ll need a timed entry pass to enter the park between 7am and 4pm April 1st to October 31st. This helps to reduce crowds and traffic. If you are unable to get a pass you can enter without it before 7am or after 4pm.

Recommendations:

• Delicate Arch Trail: This trail is 3.5 miles long with 630ft of elevation gain and takes about 1.5 hours. It is rated moderate and has a relatively steep climb up slickrock in one section. It is a popular trail, but it’s the most iconic arch there is so it’s worth it! Highly recommend climbing up to the little peek through window right before you round the corner to the arch. There are also petroglyphs near the trailhead.

• Devil’s Garden Trail: This trail is 8 miles long with 1,086ft of elevation gain and takes about 3.5 hours. The trailhead housed at the end of the park, about 30 minutes from the entrance. It is rated hard and is the longest and most difficult trail in the park—but don’t let that deter you it’s really just walking through thick sand that is hard and there is one section of scrambling. You can also just do shorter segments of this trail if that is more of a fit; most folks just go to Landscape Arch and turn around, making the primitive trail incredibly quiet.

  • Going counter clockwise you will hit Tunnel Arch, Pine Tree Arch, Landscape Arch and then transition to the primitative trail with thick sand. From here you’ll come to Private Arch, Double O Arch, Black Arch Overlook, Navajo Arch, Partition Arch, and then back to Landscape Arch on your way back to the trailhead. You can also add on Black Angel.

• See Balanced Rock: This is a quick, neat stop off the main road with a massive rock balancing.

• Windows Loop and Turret Arch Trail: This trail is 1 mile long with 154ft of elevation gain and takes about 30 minutes to complete. It is rated easy and tends to be crowded because it’s accessible with large arches. You’ll see North Window, South Window and Turret Arch, which are all quite cool. You can also make this a longer loop with a primitive trail.

• Panorama Point: A beautiful viewpoint with sweeping views of the area.

• Explore the Fiery Furnace: There is no set trail in the fiery furnace and you have to have a permit to enter or go via a ranger-led tour. I opted for the ranger-led experience to get to learn more about the area and see things I might not find on my own (since there is no trail). We hiked about 3 miles with 500ft of elevation gain on this ranger route. It is a pretty awesome experience with some tight slot canyons, Twin Arch, Surprise Arch and some technical maneuvering. They keep these groups very small and release tickets 1 week in advance.

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands is divided into different districts by the rivers and each section is quite far apart. Island in the Sky is the area closest to Moab and where most folks go, but it is still incredibly quiet in this entire park. The Needles is further south and a lot emptier. To the east is The Maze and then there are the rivers themselves.

Island in the Sky

This section is 45 minutes west of Moab and has similar vibes to the Grand Canyon. It can get quite windy here being in a canyon so watch your hats and wear layers. You could easily hit everything you’d like to do here in half of a day.

• Green River Overlook: A scenic spot where the Colorado River and Green River meet.

• White Rim Overlook Trail: This trail is 1.8 miles long with 160ft of elevation gain and takes about 45 minutes to complete. It takes you out to a nice viewpoint of the rim with the La Sal Mountains in the background.

• Grand View Point Trail: The Grand View Trail and Viewpoint is at the end of the park. There is a 1 mile each way flat trail along the rim or you can just soak in the viewpoint.

• Mesa Arch Trail: This trail is .9 miles long with 88ft of elevation gain and takes about 20 minutes to complete. It is rated easy and is a popular spot to see sunrise. This is a little arch overlooking the canyon.

• The Neck: A cool viewpoint especially in the afternoon with the way the sun hits. You’ll see a sign for this on the main road.

The Needles District

This area is 1 hour and 45 minutes south of Moab with vastly different scenery. You’ll pass Wilson Arch about 30 minutes south of Moab which is a nice large arch right off the road. Newspaper Rock is right before the park with petroglyphs. Keep your eyes peeled for cows on the road once you get close to the park!

• Chesler Park Viewpoint Trail: This trail is 6.6 miles long with 1,151ft of elevation gain and takes just under 3 hours to complete. It is an interesting hike with changing views throughout. It is rated as moderate and you can also double the length by doing the loop trail instead of just the viewpoint trail. The last chunk of the road leading to the trailhead is unpaved and quite curvy but you don’t need four wheel drive to get through it.

Dead Horse Point State Park

This state park is 13 miles from the Island in the Sky area of Canyonlands on the same road. It’s a great tack-on after Canyonlands. It is a tiny little park—it’s only 3 miles from the entrance to the end. Dead Horse Point is a popular spot for sunset which is absolutely gorgeous! There are also yurts here, a few short hiking trails as well as mountain biking trails. The entrance fee is $20 if you don’t have a Utah parks pass.

Moab Recommendations:

An outdoorsy town that’s the gateway to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. It is very conveniently located and full of restaurants, bars and hotels.

• Moab Garage Co.: A very cute spot for breakfast, lunch, coffee and ice cream.

• Proper Brewing & Burger Company: A solid brewery with fantastic burgers. They have a nice back patio and cocktails as well.

• Fisher Towers Trail: This trail is 5.5 miles long with 1469ft of elevation gain. It is rated hard and takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes to complete. The trailhead is 40 minutes from Moab up near Castle Valley and the drive out is gorgeous alongside the Colorado River and then out to the red rocks. This is a very quiet trail with absolutely amazing views—I highly recommend it!

• Moab Brewery: An average brewery with a full food menu. They also have a distillery next door. It is a popular spot and a nice place for a post-hike beer.

• Horsethief Coffee: A cute coffeeshop with a nice outdoor seating area right outside of Arches. They open earlier than everyone else in town which is nice if you’re heading into the park in the morning. They have coffee, tea, breakfast and to-go lunch options.

• Spanish Valley Vineyard and Winery: A nice winery just south of downtown. They offer tastings with 6 pours for $20, glasses or bottles. Be sure to check out the back patio for nicer views.

• Corona and Bow Tie Arch Trail: This trail is 3 miles long with 500ft of elevation gain. It is rated as moderate and takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete. The trailhead is 20 minutes from downtown Moab alongside the Colorado River. It is a quiet trail that is very open and exposed leading to a very large arch. You can also add on Pinto Arch for a longer hike.

• Canyon Pizza Co.: A delicious spot for pizza!

• DoughBird: A popular spot for doughnuts, chicken sandwiches and coffee. The doughnuts are “fancy” and absolutely fantastic!

• Big Horn Lodge: A nice spot to stay that feels very “national park” style. They have a pool, it’s very clean, and it’s a 5 minute walk to Moab Brewery.

• Spitfire Smokehouse + Taps: A BBQ restaurant and bar. The tap list here is solid and their cocktails are popular. The food is just average.

• Red Rocky Bakery & Cafe: A solid spot for coffee, breakfast and lunch. They move pretty slowly so this isn’t the spot if you’re in a rush, but the food is great.

• Moab Food Truck Park: A park with numerous food trucks. They tend to all be open for lunch but only some are open for dinner.

Scout Lookout at Zion

Zion National Park

Zion has a dramatic landscape and is different from the neighboring parks because it is much more green! Don’t let the trees fool you though, you’re still in the desert so be sure to hydrate. The park is small with not too many different trails. The Kolob Canyons section of the park has a separate entrance to the west and sees far fewer visitors.

• There is a park shuttle that is required for use up the main road of the park during most of the year. It takes 40 minutes to get from the Visitor’s Center to the end of the park, shuttle stop 9. The shuttle comes frequently and is easy to use, just don’t miss the last one at the end of the day.

• The Narrows and Angel’s Landing are the two most talked about hikes here and the two most difficult to actually be able to complete:

  • The Narrows is a hike in the river that is closed each year for a varying amount of time due to snowmelt and the river moving too quickly. You can see the historic opening and closing dates on the park website. If The Narrows is “a must” for you, plan your trip in late summer or fall.

  • Angel’s Landing requires a permit which you can only get via a lottery. There are seasonal lotteries and day before lotteries you can enter—the more entries the higher your chance of winning. If you don’t get a permit you can still hike 4/5ths of the same trail via Scout Lookout (below).

Recommendations:

• Zion Canyon Overlook Trail: This trail is 1.5 miles long with 187ft of elevation gain and takes about 30 minutes to complete. It is rated as moderate but is really quite easy. This is a popular trail because it’s short but the stunning views make it a must do in the park! The trailhead is 10 minutes from the east entrance of the park, just don’t miss the parking options otherwise you’ll have to drive all the way through the tunnel, turn around and come back.

• Scout Lookout via West Rim Trail: This trail is 4.5 miles long with 1,115ft of elevation gain and takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes to complete. It is rated as hard due to the steep climb up and Walter’s Wiggles, a series of 21 steep switchbacks near the summit. There are sweeping views from the top. It is a very exposed trail so be sure to bring sun protection and lots of water. Although this is rated as hard it is mostly paved along the way and there are plenty of spots to take breaks from the climb. There is a bathroom both at the trailhead and just past the Wiggles. The trailhead is shuttle stop 6. This is a great alternative if you’re unable to attain a permit for Angel’s Landing, since it shares 4/5ths of the exact same trail.

• Camp Outpost: A great spot for lunch or dinner with a view. They also have great cocktails and a solid beer list. The food menu includes appetizers, salads, sandwiches and rotisserie. I enjoyed this spot so much I visited twice!

• Zion Canyon Brew Pub: Walk across the pedestrian bridge from the Visitor’s Center towards Zion Village and bam you’re at a brewery! They have a great patio and solid beers. The Brown Ale should not be missed. The food here is average, but the beers and views were worth it.

• Deep Creek Coffee Company: A nice spot for breakfast, lunch, coffee and smoothies. They have a great upper deck as well. You can order online ahead of time to skip the potential line!

• The Watchman Trail: This trail is 3.5 miles long with 636ft of elevation gain and takes about 1.5 hours to complete. It is rated as moderate and has really nice views. Early morning is the ideal time for this hike because the sun on the surrounding mountains is gorgeous and the trail is still quiet. The trailhead is at the Visitor’s Center making it super convenient!

• Emerald Pools Trail: This trail is 3.4 miles long with 700ft of elevation gain and takes about 1.5 hours to complete. It is rated as moderate and is extraordinarily popular. There was a bridge out when I visited so the trail was not a loop and was slightly longer than what it would have been and this also led to more crowds with everything being out and back. It starts out with a nice walk above the Virgin River and then you’ll head to each of the pools. The Upper Emerald Pool is the best with a large waterfall, the Lower is also cool with a smaller waterfall you can walk under, and the Middle is very lame. Overall I was not super impressed with this trail but it was nice to sit at the waterfall.

• Perks! Coffee, Espresso and Smoothies: This is also located in Zion Village right across the pedestrian bridge from the Visitor’s Center. They have a small breakfast and lunch menu, coffee, ice cream and smoothies.

• The Zion Narrows Riverside Walk: If The Narrows are closed during your visit you can still hike the riverside trail. This is rated easy and is at the end of the park, shuttle stop 9. The trail is 2 miles long with 200ft of elevation gain and takes about 40 minutes. It is a very popular trail but quite boring overall.

• I stayed at this fantastic Airbnb in La Verkin which was about 25 minutes from the park entrance. It was only $77 a night and was full of great amenities and the nicest hosts! Highly recommend if you don’t want to pay the Springdale prices.

  • River Rock Roasting Company: A solid coffee drive-thru right across the street from the Airbnb. They also have a larger location about a mile away that’s open all day with pizzas and views.

Sand Hollow State Park

This state park is 45 minutes southwest of Zion. It is a large water reservoir surrounded by red rocks and with a view of the Pine Valley Mountains. The water is super clear (though chilly!) and very nice. The park is most visited for hanging out at the beach, camping and riding ATVs. It is $20 to enter without a Utah parks pass if you’re not a Utah resident.

Queens Garden at Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon is a magical park full of colorful hoodos. This is definitely a park for layers—the elevation is much higher so it can be very hot one minute and super chilly and windy the next. It is a small park and just 18 miles from the park entrance to the end of the road. There is a park shuttle to alleviate parking issues during the busy season, but I did not find it necessary. Keep your eyes peeled for prairie dogs in the road if you’re driving! This is probably the most isolated park with not too much around, but there is shockingly great phone service here.

Recommendations:

• Wall Street and Queens Garden Loop to Peekaboo Loop (Figure 8): This trail is 7.5 miles long with 1500ft of elevation gain. It is rated as moderate but is pretty strenuous with constant ups and downs throughout. It takes about 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete the Figure 8, but you can also break it up and just do a smaller loop. The trailhead is at Sunset Point which has a beautiful view of the entire area. Next the trail heads straight down into Queens Garden amongst the hoodoos before getting to the valley floor. Peekaboo Loop is much quieter than Queens Garden since most people don’t do the full Figure 8 Loop and there is a bathroom at the midway point of Peekaboo. After this is The Wall of Windows which is quite neat. The trail ends with a series of pretty steep switchbacks alongside Thor’s Hammer.

• Fairyland Loop Trail: This trail is 8.7 miles long with 1,545ft of elevation gain and takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes to complete. It is rated moderate and is very quiet. It truly does look like a fairytale along this trail—there are views all around and the hoodoos are beautiful. Although this is technically a bit longer and steeper than the Figure 8 it was much easier since it’s not constantly up and down. The parking lot at the trailhead is just before the park gates and is tiny, but you can also park near the general store and hop on the trail which has far more parking. There is no bathroom at the trailhead and it is recommended to take the trail clockwise.

• Drive the Southern Scenic Drive: The only road heading south takes you 15 miles to the end of the park from Inspiration Point. There are numerous viewpoints and pull offs along the way, be sure not to miss Natural Bridge. The road ends at Rainbow and Yovimpa Viewpoints which is much higher elevation and has beautiful views.

• Mossy Cave, Turret Arch and Little Windows Trail: This trail is 1.4 miles long with 121ft of elevation gain. It is rated as easy and takes about 40 minutes to complete. It is outside of the park gate on the main road nearby, but still technically part of the park. It is a popular trail because it is short and easy, but there is plenty of overflow parking and it’s worth checking out. The walk along the river is nice and then at the fork to the left is Mossy Cave which is underwhelming and to the right is the top of the waterfall and a view of Little Windows and Turret Arch in the hoodoos. You can also go down close to the falls and under them.

• Lower, Mid and Upper Inspiration Points Trail: This trail is .8 miles long with 134ft of elevation gain. It takes 15 minutes to complete and is rated easy. Each viewpoint has a nice lookout above Figure 8 trail. This is on the Rim Trail which connects to everything else so you could add this on to another hike if you’d like.

• Watch the sunset at Sunset Point or the sunrise at Sunrise Point: This is definitely more of a park for sunrise than sunset. Sunset was a bit disappointing with not quite the glow that was expected.

• Valhalla Pizzeria: A pizza joint at the lodge with counter service. They also have salad and some snacks on the menu. The pizza is average but with not much around it gets the job done!

• The General Store: A nice stop for anything you might need—sandwiches, coffee, beer, groceries, souvenirs and more!

• Bryce Country Cabins: This is a nice spot to stay 13 miles from the park entrance in Tropic. The cabins are clean and relatively new. The area just outside the park is very touristy so this is a nice reprieve, but there is not much in the area.

• Bryce Canyon Coffee Company: The only coffee shop in town but skip it. They have a small food menu that is all premade and does not look great. The iced latte was truly awful.

Red Canyon (Dixie National Forest)

This is part of Dixie National Forest and is 20 minutes from Bryce Canyon National Park. It is directly on the way if you’re traveling from Zion to Bryce. There is no entrance fee to access this area. It is incredibly quiet here with next to no people.

• Pink Ledges, Bird’s Eye and Photo Trail Loop: This trail is 2.4 miles long with 338ft of elevation gain and takes about 1 hour to complete. It is rated moderate and you could also just do smaller segments of the trail if that’s your preference. Pink Ledges is an awesome section of somewhat pink red rock with unique texture.

• Red Canyon Arch: You’ll pass through two arches in the road from Red Canyon to Bryce Canyon—they are quite a sight!

Spooky Slot Canyon

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument 

This is a large, beautiful area of protected land that sits between Bryce Canyon National Park and Capitol Reef National Park. There is zero phone service in this area so be sure to be prepared.

Recommendations:

• Dry Fork Narrows, Peekaboo and Spooky Slot Canyons Trail: This trail is 5.5 miles long with 650ft of elevation gain and takes just under 3 hours to complete. It is rated as moderate, which the hiking part is, but the slot canyons themselves are very difficult. Dry Fork Narrows is the easiest, it’s a relatively wide and flat canyon. It is the coolest “hike” I’ve ever done and would highly recommend! Peekaboo is the most difficult and is basically rock climbing at points—you’ll need to be able to pull your body up over rock ledges. Spooky is very, very narrow—there is a sign at the trailhead that says if you can’t fit through this gap you won’t make it, take that seriously. This is not a trail for kids, dogs, anyone not in shape, or anyone even mildly claustrophobic.

  • The road out to the trailhead is pretty horrible. It’s a washboard and would be impassable after/during rain. It would be much easier to navigate in a high clearance car, but you can make it in a sedan. I’d recommend parking at the upper parking lot instead of the lower like AllTrails says because it is less driving on the road and it is closer to the canyons. Keep your eyes peeled for rattlesnakes in the slot canyons!

• Lower Calf Creek Falls Trail: This trail is 6.8 miles long with 531ft of elevation gain and takes about 2.5 hours to complete. It is rated as moderate and is a very exposed trail, so try to avoid the peak afternoon heat. The waterfall at the end is very nice and there is a little pool you can swim in/enter, but beware that it is very cold water!

  • You’ll need a National Park Pass or pay $5 to park at the trailhead. This is a pretty popular area for camping and hiking, so expect to see many other people.

Cassidy Arch at Capitol Reef

Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef is a small park that is not quite as exciting as the others in the state but still worth a visit. There isn’t a park gate here and the road through the park is a main traveling road which is a bit odd. Capitol Reef is an interesting combination of elements found in other parks—arches, natural bridges and canyons.

Recommendations:

• Grand Wash Trail via Northeast Trailhead combined with Cassidy Arch Trail: Together this trail was 7.5 miles long with 1007ft of elevation gain. It is moderate overall and takes about 3.5 hours to complete. The Grand Wash section is an easy stroll through the wash with tall canyon walls. The Cassidy Arch section starts off steep and then mostly levels off and leads to a huge arch. Be sure to go out on top of the arch and to also walk just past the arch for a nice sweeping view. Overall there is a lot of sun exposure on this trail so go early and bring lots of water.

  • The Grand Wash Trail itself is 5 miles long with 341ft of elevation gain and is rated easy. This trail is very quiet. The Cassidy Arch Trail itself is 3.1 miles long with 666ft of elevation gain and is rated moderate. This trail is more popular but not crowded. There is no bathroom at the northeast trailhead for Grand Wash but there is a bathroom at the Cassidy Arch trailhead.

• Hickman Bridge Trail: This trail is 2.1 miles long with 416ft of elevation gain. It sakes about 50 minutes to complete and is rated moderate. It is essentially a short uphill walk to a large natural bridge. It is a popular trail but not crowded by any means. There are also nice views of Capitol Dome.

• Panorama Point: A nice viewpoint of the surrounding area. It is not “epic” but it is worth a stop.

• Goosenecks Overlook: This viewpoint is at the end of the same road that Panorama Point sits on. The goosenecks are tight curves in the river that you can see from above. The surrounding views are also nice.

• Stay in Torrey:

  • Red Sands Hotel and Spa: A nice and well-priced hotel with a pool, fire pit, nice views and thoughtful amenities. It is 10 miles from the National Park.

  • Chak Balam Mexican Restaurant: A delicious spot for Mexican eats, highly recommend for dinner!

  • Dark Sky Coffee: A drive-thru or walk-up coffee shop with a small food menu. The coffee is great, food is a bit bland.

Grid City Beer Works

Salt Lake City Recommendations:

• Templin Family Brewing: A stellar brewery with a wide variety of beers but superb Lagers. This is a popular spot with frequent food trucks, a small snack menu and cocktails. They have a nice back patio space as well.

• Epic Brewing Company: Epic is most known for their big Stouts and have been in the beer game for ages. Their SLC taproom does not have any taps because of Utah’s wild beer laws, but they have a huge menu of bottles and cans you can get pours from.

• Grid City Beer Works: A great brewery with a Pilsner focus. They have a delicious food menu and lots of vegan options as well. The vibes here are a fun mix between classic brewery and restaurant, plus they have a rooftop deck.

• Bonneville Salt Flats: The salt flats are pretty neat—they are the remnants of Lake Bonneville and it’s, well, salty and flat. They do car racing here occasionally, but otherwise you can just walk around and take in the sights and uniqueness. The best spot to access the salt flats is by just making a quick stop at the west bound rest area on I-80 West, about 1.5 hours from the SLC airport.

• Bjorn’s Brew: A dog themed coffee shop in South Salt Lake. They have delicious coffee, a great breakfast menu, and they help save dogs.

• Great Salt Lake State Park: This is a nice spot for sunset and to see the Great Salt Lake. There is not a quite a beach but you can access the water if you’d like, just keep in mind it is indeed very salty. There are also a ton of spiders in the area because of the salt, meaning the observation deck and surrounding rocks are covered in webs and eight legged critters. There is an entrance fee of $10 per car.

• SaltFire Brewing Company: An average brewery with a small tap list and large can selection. They have frequent food trucks and events as well as a nice patio. Not a huge fan of breweries serving a canned IPA that is 4 months old personally.

• Beer Zombies also has a location in Salt Lake City but the taproom has really terrible reviews.

Horseshoe Bend

Natural Bridges, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and Lake Powell

This is an add-on that ventures into northern Arizona and tribal land, but there are tons of great places to check-out in this section between Canyonlands and Zion.

Natural Bridges National Monument

This is an interesting area with several natural bridges along a short loop drive. You will need a national park pass or pay $20 to enter. You can do several short trails or one long hike along the Mesa Trail. Overall This is cool but not epic, so don’t go too far out of your way to check it out.

• Sipapu Bridge Trail: This trail is 1 mile long with 260ft of elevation gain and takes about 25 minutes to complete. You can also hike all the way down under the bridge as well. This is a very large natural bridge and quite cool to see!

• Kachina Bridge Trail: There are two options to view Kachina Bridge—the short paved trail to the overlook or the 1.5 mile/400ft of elevation gain trail to under the bridge. There is a bathroom at this trailhead.

• Owachomo Bridge Trail: This is the easiest bridge to get down under with a .7 mile trail with 216ft of elevation gain. It is also a very large bridge and the trail takes about 20 minutes to complete.

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

This tribal park is a scenic drive that takes about 1 hour to complete. It is a 17 mile loop on a slow, unpaved road. The entrance fee is $9 and you can reserve this online ahead of time. There are also guided tours of the area. There are also a couple of short hiking trails here. Overall I wasn’t super impressed and preferred the view from the road driving in of the park more than the park itself.

Page, Arizona Recommendations

Page is a great home base to explore Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and Lake Powell. It is just across the border from Utah.

• Antelope Canyon: This is a must do while in northern Arizona! Choose either Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon and book a tour in advance. Tours are the only way to explore the canyons because they are on tribal land and there is flash flood danger. There are many different tour companies to choose from and they are all right around the same price. It is a skinny slot canyon that is incredibly colorful and sun beams come through like magic. This is a touristy activity but worth it.

• Horseshoe Bend: This is a quick 1.6 mile mostly flat trail roundtrip that leads to the beautiful Horseshoe Bend. Be sure to go past the viewing platform for even better views. This is an extremely popular spot for sunset but sunrise is also very nice and I was the only person there. The entrance fee is $10 and although it is part of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area they do not accept national park passes. Look out for giant swarms of gnats.

• Kayak Lake Powell: This is a pretty area to rent a kayak—there are a few different companies and I would recommend Lake Powell Paddleboards and Kayaks. The water is clear and beautiful and you can see some pretty large fish. There are a couple of beaches and Ice Cream Cone Slot Canyon is a cool spot to check out.

  • Water levels will determine where you can launch from. The Wahweap Marina boat launch is 15 minutes from downtown Page. Rentals are for all day from 8am to 6pm but you can go for as short or long as you’d like. They also offer kayak tours. Lake Powell is part of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area so you’ll need a national park pass or pay to enter. There is a restroom and water station at the top of the boat ramp.

• Stay at this great Airbnb: The location is fantastic right near Horseshoe Bend, there are thoughtful amenities throughout, and it is only $87 a night!

• State 48 Tavern: A nice spot for dinner and drinks. They have a solid front patio, all local craft beers on tap, and tasty food.

• Grand Canyon Brewing & Distilling: An average brewery with a huge space and full food menu. They have a nice front patio, pool tables and shuffleboard. The service here needs some improvement but overall it’s a fine spot.

• Lake Powell Espresso: A cute spot for coffee, breakfast, lunch and a bar at night.

Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix is a great beer city in the desert with a cute downtown and fun vibes

PHX Tips: 

• Downtown is the heart of the city with lots of great businesses to check out and it is very walkable.

  • If you’re lucky enough to be in town on the first Friday of the month downtown has a fun First Friday arts walk.

• Be mindful of when you’re visiting, it gets extraordinarily hot in the summer months but has a lovely climate the rest of the year.

• Be sure to check out Scottsdale while you’re in the area as well—recommendations below!

• Doing a Southwest road trip? Check out my Tucson guide here, Sedona guide here, Las Vegas guide here, and my Grand Canyon guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Phoenix Recommendations:

• Wren House Brewing Company: The best brewery in the Phoenix area! Their beers are delicious and they have a cute little taproom with a back patio. They also have a taproom in Prescott, AZ.

• Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company: A fantastic brewery with a location in downtown Phoenix and in Gilbert, AZ. The beers are delicious and the vibes are even better. They have a superb patio space, frequent live music, cocktails, wine and a full kitchen including brunch. They are very focused on local ingredients and Earth-friendly practices. It is a popular spot, but worth the crowds.

• The Wandering Tortoise: A fantastic beer bar with 21 taps and a wide selection of cans and bottles as well. They have frequent tap takeovers and great vibes all around.

• The Theodore: A great beer bar downtown offering 5, 10 or 16oz pours which I love. This is a super cute spot with an outside area as well. They have 24 taps and a great can and bottle selection.

• Deseo—A Coffee Shack: A very cute Mexican inspired coffee shop. They have unique drinks and delicious pastries.

• The Shop Beer Co.: A good brewery in Tempe with a really nice patio. They have 15 taps with a nice variety of beers to choose from.

• Greenwood Brewing: A great woman-owned brewery with a small, cute taproom and nice outdoor patio. The beers here are solid and they do a lot of distribution as well. You can get local food delivered if you’re hungry!

• Wayward Tap House: A nice little beer bar with a good selection of local and non-local brews. They have a patio space as well and chill vibes.

  • Testal Mexican Kitchen: A nice spot for Mexican eats including vegan options and delicious burritos is right across the street. Grand Avenue has several shops and restaurants to pop around.

• Pedal Haus Brewery: A solid restaurant-style brewery with great vibes. They have a downtown Phoenix taproom and their main brewery is in Tempe. In Phoenix they have an awesome rooftop and fun space overall. Be sure to check out their happy hour! They’ve got a full food menu, cocktails and wine alongside their house beers.

Piestewa Peak Summit Trail

Phoenix Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting:

• Piestewa Peak Summit Trail: This trail is rated hard and is 3.65 miles long with 1148ft of elevation gain. From the summit you have a great view of all of the Phoenix area and Phoenix Mountains Preserve. Despite its steepness it is still a very popular trail due to its proximity to downtown. Be aware during the hot months of the year the trail is closed from 11am-5pm.

• Hole in the Rock Trail: A very short walk up to a hole in a rock that you can climb into and look out over Phoenix. This is a very popular “trail” that is .2 miles long with 32ft of elevation gain. Located in Papago Park.

• The Churchill: An open air food court with several small businesses to eat, drink and shop at. Check out Stoop Kid for bagels, coffee and burgers.

• ‘A’ Mountain Hayden Butte Trail: A short .9 mile trail with 279ft of elevation gain in Tempe on ASU’s campus. This is a very “classic Phoenix” hike with solid views. Unfortunately only paid parking is nearby the trailhead.

• Desert Botanical Gardens: A unique botanical garden with loop trails featuring different plants. Tickets are $29.95 each and it is located in Papago Park.

Hole in the Rock

Other Phoenix Things To Do:

• Tombstone Brewing: This is an interesting spot. The beers were good but the vibes were a bit off for me. Their Phoenix location is in a strip mall with somewhat trashy vibes and not great service. They have a food menu as well and the pretzel is tasty. The main taproom is in Tombstone, AZ.

• Stay at the Hampton Inn: This is a nice and new hotel right downtown. You can walk all over from here, but the only downside is they do not have onsite parking. 

• O.H.S.O. Brewery and Distillery: Outrageous Homebrewers Social Outpost has 4 locations across the greater Phoenix area. The Arcadia taproom has a full food menu including happy hour and brunch. It is a very large space with a front patio, back patio and a huge indoor space as well. They are a brewery and distillery and next door they have a market with a slightly different menu.

• Huss Brewing Company: An average brewery with a full food menu and full bar. They have a large taproom and spacious patio and are housed at the convention center.

• Press Coffee: A nice spot for coffee in central downtown. They have a small food menu as well and ample seating.

• Angel’s Trumpet Ale House: A 60’s style beer bar with a full food menu. They have a nice beer garden space and an average selection of beers.

• Skip: DoubleTree near the airport. I would highly recommend not staying at this hotel. The AC and WiFi are both spotty at best, it’s loud, and did not feel super clean.

Wine Girl

Scottsdale Recommendations:

• The Canal Club: An adorable spot for brunch. It is a bit boujee but the food is delicious so it’s worth it!

• Wine Girl: An adorable wine bar with a small food menu and Instagram-y vibes.

• Trevor’s: A great beer bar, bottle shop and liquor store. They have 24 taps and a cocktail list with a massive selection of cans, bottles, and liquors. Trevor’s has a nice patio space and frequent food trucks.

• Goldwater Brewing Co.: A good brewery with chill vibes and a beer garden out back. They brew many different styles of beer, but their IPAs are what they do best.

• Hotel Adeline: A nice hotel with a killer pool. They host pool parties in the hotter months and have a full bar, cabanas, DJs, and more.

• Merkin Vineyards: A cool spot for wine with tastings, glasses and bottles alongside a food menu.

• LDV Winery: Another Old Town winery option directly across the street from Merkin. They have a nice patio and tasty wines.

• Farm to Craft: A cute restaurant for brunch, lunch and dinner with great cocktails.

• Breakfast Club: A brunch spot with an extensive fresh made juice selection.

• Julio’s Too: A delicious restaurant for authentic Mexican food.

Sedona, AZ

Sedona is a Stunning city in northern arizona with a plethora of beautiful hikes!

Sedona Tips: 

• Sedona is a touristy little town full of souvenir shops and overpriced restaurants, but it is absolutely worth the downsides of town itself for the surrounding beautiful nature. Don’t expect to have super great eats or drinks, aside from a few spots.

• What you’d think of as “downtown” is called “Uptown” here.

• A lot of trail parking lots are closed Thursday-Sunday and you’ll need to take the shuttle. Be sure to research ahead of time if you are visiting during a weekend.

• March-May is the most popular time to visit Sedona because they do get snow in the winter being in the mountains but it also gets extraordinarily hot June-September.

• Taking a Southwest road trip? Check out my Phoenix guide here, Tucson guide here, Vegas guide here and my Grand Canyon guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Sedona Recommendations:

• Boynton Canyon Trail with detours to Boynton Vista & Boynton Subway: First you’ll come to Boynton Vista which has some views of the surrounding area. Next oddly enough the trail runs by an RV park but then you dig deeper into the wilderness. The Boynton Sunway is next which some folks call a secret but it is clearly marked on Google Maps, AllTrails and with sticks on the ground so it’s hard to miss. This is an absolute must visit! Be sure to wander around the entire section of the subway after you climb up—there are great views from the subway itself but also from the surrounding rim. After the Subway you’ll continue onto the Canyon, which is cool but a bit of a let down after the amazing Subway so if you’re short on time or energy you could skip it.

  • This trail is 8.5 miles long with 1200ft of elevation gain and takes about 4 hours with the detours. You will need a National Park Pass or Red Rocks Pass to park at the trailhead which has limited parking so be sure to start early. Additionally by starting early you will avoid the crowds.

• Devil’s Bridge Trail: A popular trail out to a floating bridge with beautiful views. This trail is 5.1 miles long with 521ft of elevation gain and takes about 2.5 hours. You can either take a 4x4 dirt road out or add a little extra mileage and take the Mescal Trail. This trail is very exposed and gets very hot on the 4x4 road so be sure to start early. Also be prepared that at times there can be a lot of folks trying to get photos on the bridge, but I did not run into this issue.

• Stay at Orchards Inn: A fantastic hotel in the heart of Uptown Sedona. The views from the balconies are absolutely stunning. The room itself also had a lot of amenities such as a fire place, huge TV, beautiful art and more. It is walkable to everything in town. Highly recommend!

• Sedona Beer Company: A solid brewery with a wide variety of beers alongside wine and kombucha as well. They have a front patio, back patio, and spacious indoor taproom. There is a full food menu and overall good vibes.

• Seven Sacred Pools via Soldier Pass to Brins Mesa Loop: This was a very cool trail with a variety of things to see along the way—Devil’s Kitchen, Seven Sacred Pools, Brins Mesa and stunning mountain views. This trail is 5.6 miles long with 846ft of elevation gain and takes about 2.5 hours. Start clockwise so you get a bit more shade, but either way the second half of the trail is quite exposed.

  • As a heads up the parking lot here is tiny, but there is additional parking on the opposite side of the trail at Brins Mesa. The gate to the parking area is closed until 8am and it is completely closed Thursday-Sunday and you’ll need to park 1.2 miles down the road and shuttle or walk to the trailhead. There is no restroom at this trailhead.

• Firecreek Coffee: A great little spot for coffee and pastries!

• 89Agave Cantina: A delicious restaurant for Mexican eats in Uptown Sedona. They have both front and back patios and a spacious indoor seating area. Highly recommend!

• The Art of Wine: A wine bar with curated flights, glasses and bottles. They’ve also got a small food menu and a selection of craft beers. They are housed in a shopping center with mainly indoor seating options.

Boynton Subway

Sedona Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting:

• Airport Mesa Trail also known as the Sedona View Trail: A nice and easy trail with a few different panoramic viewpoints. This is 1.5 miles long with 223ft of elevation gain and takes about 40 minutes. You can also drive between the viewpoints if you’d prefer—parking at the top with the airport is $3.

• Grasshopper Point Swimming Hole: An awesome swimming hole that I’d highly recommend. It is a 5 minute walk from the parking area down to Oak Creek. The water is nice and clear, though the bottom is rocky so you may want to wear shoes in the creek. You can also jump off the cliffs here into the water. This is the perfect post-hiking activity! There are several different swimming holes in the area, be sure to check them out! Parking here is $9 if you don’t have a Red Rocks Pass.

• Explore the Verde Valley Wine Trail:

  • Take a wine tour or visit wineries on your own! These two wineries were delightful and just 20 minutes from Uptown Sedona:

  • Page Springs Cellars: This winery has a beautiful property with seating options on the river deck, picnic space, back deck, and inside. They offer flights ($15), glasses, or bottles and a selection of food. The winery is solar powered which is pretty awesome!

  • Oak Creek Vineyards & Winery: 1 minute down the road from Page Spring. They have a nice patio with misters and indoor seating options as well. Oak Creek offers their wine via flights ($12), glasses, or bottles and they also have a small food menu. They have the smallest vineyard in the area but the most varieties of wine.  

  • Winery 1912: A winery in the heart of Uptown Sedona with flights, glasses and bottles. All seating is indoors, but there are nice views. The staff is very friendly and they also have a small food menu.

Devil’s Bridge

Other Sedona Things To Do:

• The View Coffee Cafe: A Starbucks spin-off with a small breakfast menu. The name is accurate—they have a fantastic view!

• Oak Creek Brewery & Grill: An average brewery on the second level of a shopping center. They also have a full food menu and are more restaurant focused.

• Oak Creek Espresso: A nice spot with coffee and a small food menu.

• The Secret Garden: A cute little spot for lunch and coffee in the same shopping center as Oak Creek Brewery and Grill.

• Oak Creek Brewing Co.: A small brewery with average beers, a large patio and a small food menu.

• JesseLee’s Craft Beer Market: A small craft beer store but they have a solid selection of cans and bottles to choose from.

• Bell Rock Inn: A nice hotel stay in the Oak Creek area that is now owned by Hilton. They have two nice pools and clean rooms.

• Skip Pago’s Pizza and Italian Cuisine: The staff here was super rude and the food was average.

Tucson, AZ

Tucson is a small southwestern city home to Saguaro National Park!

Tucson Tips: 

• It’s hot! Crazy insight here, I know. I visited in September and it was over 100 degrees every day, so just be mindful of when you’re planning to visit.

  • June to September is monsoon season, so just be aware that things can get a bit wonky with wind and water during those months.

• The beer scene in Tucson is not super impressive—there is a good number of breweries but they tend to be just average at best.

• Parking in downtown Tucson can be an absolute nightmare. If you’re heading downtown in the evening/on the weekend I’d recommend a rideshare or walking as much as possible.

• Planning a Southwest road trip? Check out my Phoenix guide here, Sedona guide here, Las Vegas guide here, and my Grand Canyon guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Tucson Recommendations:

• Explore Saguaro National Park: This park is full of giant Saguaro cacti. It is split into East and West sections on each side of Tucson which are about 45 minutes apart.

  • Gould Mine Trail: This trail is 2.4 miles long with 400ft of elevation gain and took 1 hour. There are nice views of the Saguaros and you also have a fantastic view of the surrounding mountain ranges. Keep your eyes peeled for desert tortoises too!

  • Valley View Overlook Trail: This is a quick and easy hike with a nice overlook of the valley. Overall it was 1 mile long, mostly flat and took about 20 minutes. There are also nice signs along the way with information about the plants.

  • Bajada Loop Drive: This is a scenic drive on a dirt road with nice views throughout. The road can be a bit sketchy if you’re visiting during the rainy season due to washout, but it is a quick and pretty trip.

  • If you venture to the East side of the park Bridal Wreath Falls is supposed to be great, I chose to skip it because there would not have been water on the falls during the time of year for my visit and there was extreme heat.

• Crooked Tooth Brewing Co.: A nice brewery with a solid beers that tend to be Sour focused. They have a cute taproom and a back patio. They also have a small snack menu or you can order from neighboring Anello, a pizza restaurant.

• Ermanos Bar: This is a cute bar with a wide selection of craft beer, cocktails, wine and a full food menu. They also have a back patio for outdoor dining. The beer selection is pretty great and the cheese board was delicious.

• Pueblo Vida Brewing Company: A small brewery in the heart of downtown with average beers and a nice team.

• Stay at Hotel McCoy: A super cute hotel with vintage vibes and modern amenities. They have a fantastic pool and outdoor area with ping pong, foosball, and more. They are located 6 minutes from downtown. Overall the hotel is definitely geared towards younger folks with DJs and events, but it is still a family friendly spot and quiet in the evenings.

Sabino Canyon

Tucson Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting:

• Explore the Sabino Canyon: This is a gorgeous area that I highly recommend visiting.

  • Take the Sabino Canyon Crawler into the canyon. This is an hourly shuttle through the canyon with various stops. You can hop off at different stops as you please or it is a 1-hour roundtrip journey if you stay on for the duration of the canyon. The crawler departs every hour and is $15 to ride. Book your seat in advance as it does fill up. The ticket price also includes a guided narration via headphones of the canyon which was quite informative.

  • Parking in the lot is $8 daily or free with a National Park Pass.

  • Bear Canyon is also nearby and another option to explore!

• Linda Vista Loop Trail: This is a 2.7 mile long trail with 426ft of elevation gain in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness. There are beautiful cacti, red rocks, mountain views and city views throughout the trail. It takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete.

• Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway: This a scenic drive through Coronado National Forest and the South Catalina Mountains. It takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to get to the summit which is at 9171ft of elevation. There are lookouts along the way with nice panoramic views of the area. There are many hiking trails, camping areas, a few restaurants, and ski areas (seasonally) at the top of the mountain.

Hotel McCoy

Other Tucson Things To Do:

• Borderlands Brewing: A brewery with a nice outdoor patio full of misters for the Arizona heat. They also have a small food menu and chill vibes. I found the beer here to be average and pricey, but I would still recommend checking it out if you’re in the area.

• Harbottle Brewing Company: A mediocre brewery in South Tucson. Unfortunately when I visited there was one staff member working for both the bar and kitchen and the spot was overrun with 20+ children and just a few adults. The beer was average at best and the food looked not great.

The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is a beautiful National Park that everyone should see!

Grand Canyon Tips: 

• Depending on your location and your goals, choose which rim you’d like to visit. This guide focuses solely on the South Rim.

• You’ll need a National Park Pass or pay to enter the park.

• Keep your eyes peeled for elk! I saw several throughout my visit.

• Dress in layers—it can be super windy and cold one minute and super hot just a little bit later.

• Taking a road trip? Check out my Phoenix guide here, Sedona guide here, Tucson guide here, and Las Vegas guide here.

Grand Canyon Recommendations:

• Desert View Drive: This is a beautiful scenic drive that is 25 miles long and heads east along the rim. This is a great drive to do in the late afternoon/evening because the colors are vibrant. There are scenic vistas throughout. Choose a vista and watch the sunset here!

• Watch the Sunrise at Mather Point: The sunrise is beautiful here! It is definitely a popular spot so be sure to arrive early to get a nice spot. I’d recommend at least 50 minutes before sunrise to see the magic start.

• South Kaibab to Cedar Ridge Trail: This trail is 3.1 miles long with 1102ft of elevation gain and takes about 1.5 hours. The trailhead is only accessible via the orange eastbound shuttle which departs from the visitor’s center every 15 minutes from 6:30 to sunset or every 30 minutes earlier. It starts with very steep switchbacks but progressively just heads down into the canyon. You can go as far as you’d like, just keep in mind you’ll need to climb back up! The views throughout are fantastic.

• Bike the 21 miles west along the rim! Take Hermit Road out to the last stop of the South Rim, Hermit’s Rest. You can rent a bike from Bright Angels Bicycles right near the visitor’s center. You could also shuttle between the stops or walk if you prefer, or there are shorter biking routes if you prefer. It took just under 2 hours to get to the last stop, Hermit’s Rest, with stops at every viewpoint along the way. In total I biked for about 3 hours and 40 minutes. It’s harder than you might think—you’re biking at 7,000ft elevation and the route out is essentially all up hill.

• Yavapi Lodge: A nice place to stay inside in the park that is convenient!

• Yavapi Tavern: A restaurant inside the park with counter service. They have several draft beers, a full food menu with shareables, burgers and more. There is also a coffee shop in the building and dining hall.

Surrounding Area recommendations:

• Flagstaff is a nice spot to stop on the way to the Grand Canyon. It is 1 hour north of Sedona and 1.5 hours south of the Grand Canyon. There are a lot of stop lights in the city and a lot of traffic, so keep that in mind if you choose to visit. Parking tends to be pay to park only unfortunately.

  • Dark Sky Brewing Company: A solid brewery with an IPA heavy tap list downtown. Pizzicletta is housed here with wood fired pizzas. They also have a beer garden next door with different food options and a large patio.

  • Mother Road Brewing Company: Another brewery option downtown with solid beers. They have a nice patio and super friendly team. Roadside Stove is an onsite food truck with a Cajun menu.

• Kingman is a decent stop between the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. Route 66 runs through here and the area is surrounded by beautiful mountains.

  • Rickety Cricket Brewing: They have 3 locations and the Kingman spot is their restaurant. They have a large tap list, a pizza focused food menu and a large space. They are in the heart of downtown.

  • The Home2Suites in Kingman is very nice. It is new hotel, there is free breakfast, the rooms are large and super clean, there is a nice pool and various seating options. They’re also dog-friendly!

Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas: The land that never sleeeps and is full of Casinos, but also surprisingly great opportunities to get into nature!

Sin City Tips: 

• Look, I am going to preface this entire blog post with the simple fact that I am just not a Vegas girl. It’s not my scene. I don’t gamble. I don’t like hoards of tourists. I don’t like overpriced things. It’s just not my ideal spot to visit. I spent a lot of time exploring the other areas around Vegas far more than the Strip area. If you are in Vegas for any reason I’d recommend exploring the Arts District and surrounding parks.

• Traffic on the strip can be ridiculous, so just keep that in mind when planning your outings.

• Be mindful of the extreme heat from June-September if you plan to do any hiking/outdoor activities during your visit!

• Doing a road trip? Check out my Phoenix guide here, Sedona guide here, Tucson guide here, Palm Springs and Joshua Tree guide here, Los Angeles guide here and my Grand Canyon guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Las Vegas Recommendations:

• SerVehZah: A great beer bar that also has some wines and liquors available. I was impressed with the tap list and can selection. Located in the Arts District.

  • CraftHaus Brewery has a taproom right here as well. This is their smaller satellite space while their main brewery is in Henderson (below).

• Beer Zombies: Easily the best beer spot in the Vegas area with 3 taprooms across the city. The Dean Martin space is quite small with just a few bar stools but the tap list and can selection here is still fantastic. They make their own beers which are great and they also have guest taps and cans.

• Neon Desert Brewing: A great brewery near the Arts District with tasty beers. The tap list tends to focus on IPAs and Lagers and they also have wine and canned cocktails.

• Valley of Fire State Park: A beautiful state park that is about 45 minutes east of Vegas. The entrance fee is $15. Be prepared that some trails are closed June 1 to September 30 due to extreme heat. With visiting during early September I missed out on some of the popular trails such as The Fire Wave because it was closed, but it was also a nearly completely empty park at this time which was very nice. It is not called Valley of Fire for no reason, it is extraordinarily hot here. Things to see at the park:

  • The Seven Sisters: I would actually recommend stopping at the viewpoint along the road of the Seven Sisters for a nicer view and photo versus the Seven Sisters picnic area itself.

  • Atlatl Rock: Take the stairs up to a viewpoint that has petroglyphs 

  • Arch Rock: Right around the corner from Atlatl rock is a large arch carved out of rock.

  • Beehives: Unique sandstone formations

  • Hike the Rainbow Vista Trail: This is 1 mile long out to an overlook that is mostly flat and takes about 25 minutes. The trail is all sand so it’s more difficult than it sounds!

  • Hike the White Domes Trail: This is a 1 mile long loop trail at the end of the road in the park. There is a cool canyon and a large colorful rock. It takes about 30 minutes to complete.

• The Silver Stamp: A dive bar with fun retro vibes serving up a surprisingly fantastic beer selection alongside your other classic dive bar staples. They’ve also got a small food menu with hot dogs, pickles and chips. Located in the Arts District.

• Able Baker Brewing: A nice brewery with ample indoor and outdoor seating in the Arts District. Arts District Kitchen is housed inside for eats. They’ve got a pretty large tap list with a variety of beers to choose from.

• Explore the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area: This is a popular area to visit since it is just 30 minutes west of Vegas. To enter between October 1st to May 31st you will need a reservation. You will also need a National Park Pass or will need to pay $15 to enter. This area is focused on conservation not recreation so that is why it is not considered a park, but a conservation area.

  • The scenic drive here is incredibly pretty showcasing the striped mountains and pretty canyons. There are turnouts for views throughout the loop drive. It would take about 35 minutes to drive with no stops.

  • Calico Tanks Trail: This trail is 3.1 miles long with 406ft of elevation gain and took about 1.5 hours. There are a couple of scrambles making it a little challenging but overall it is a moderate trail. There are views of the Vegas skyline and entire Red Rock Canyon which are quite beautiful. The parking lot is labeled Sandstone Quarry.  

Valley of Fire State Park

Las Vegas Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting:

• Neon Museum: Home to the old neon signs from throughout the Strip and a super unique museum. Be sure to visit at night when things are aglow and book tickets in advance.

• Welcome to Las Vegas sign: This feels like a must do but it’s even more touristy than you’d expect. The line for a picture in front of the sign is ridiculous so personally I snapped one of just the sign from the side and left. There is conveniently a parking lot in the middle of the road for this though.

• Kayak Willow Beach to Emerald Cove: This is a pretty area to kayak or SUP with mountains along the way and very clear water. This is also a popular area for boat launches, fishing and camping.

  • You can take a tour or rent a kayak or stand up paddle board from Willow Beach Marina and go on your own. The rentals are by the hour and in total it took me 1.5 hours to go to Emerald Cove and back to the marina at an average pace.

  • Keep in mind it is a $300 fine if you take off your life jacket. You will need a National Park Pass to get into Lake Mead Recreation Area or to pay $25 to enter.

• Stay at or explore Caesar’s Palace: This is a nice place to stay on the Strip with a great pool area. The hotel itself is insanely massive with numerous restaurants and bars inside alongside the sprawling casino.

  • Skip Carmine's Italian Restaurant that is housed at Caeser’s. The food was pretty meh for the prices. If you are trying to eat at one of the “nicer” hotel restaurants be sure to make reservations far in advance.

• Explore the Fremont Street Experience: A large open air space with a variety of bars, restaurants, and touristy activities. The only brewery here has since closed but the queso at Nacho Daddy is legit.

• See the Hoover Dam: Overhyped in my opinion but proceed as you will. To enter the dam area you’ll need to go through security first and then pay $10 to park in one of the designated lots or you can park for free at the Bridge View area. From that parking area you can take the stairs or ramp up to the bridge to see the Dam. There is also a Lake View area and Visitor’s Center.

Kayaking Lake Mead

Henderson THings to do & Tips:

• Explore Henderson’s “Booze District”, an industrial area that is home to 3 breweries, 1 winery and 1 meadery:

  • CraftHaus Brewery: A solid brewery with a small food menu focused on pretzels and sausages. The team here is pretty rude.

  • Bad Beat Brewing: Great beers and chill vibes!

  • Astronomy Aleworks: A quiet brewery with a unique tap list.

• Mojave Brewing Company: A popular brewery in downtown Henderson. They have a front and side patio for outdoor seating and solid beers. They also share a building with Biscuits and Bourbon.

• Lovelady Brewing: This brewery has 2 locations in Henderson, the downtown spot is a 4 minute walk from Mojave. They are housed in a cool building and have a front patio. The beers here are pretty average.

• Skip the Skyline Hotel in Henderson: The staff here was quite rude, the room was musty and overall I regretted not just booking a Hilton.

Red Rock National Conservation Area

Other Vegas Area Ideas:

• White Owl Canyon via 33 Hole: This is a pretty hike in Lake Mead National Recreation Area. You will need a National Park Pass or to pay $25 to enter the area. On the route to the trailhead there are a couple of nice overlooks and beaches. The canyon is quite cool with how twisty and colorful it is and there are nice views of the mountains. The trail is 4 miles long with 300ft of elevation gain, but it feels a bit more difficult due to the loose rock that is difficult to traverse. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for seashells along the trail as well!

• North 5th Brewing Co: A brewery in North Las Vegas with a wide variety of beers that are solid. The folks here are very nice and they also have a few picnic tables for outdoor seating.

• HUDL Brewing Company: An average brewery on Main Street in the Arts District. The tend to do dark beers best! You can get BBQ from the spot next door SoulBelly BBQ.

• 595 Craft & Kitchen: A craft beer bar and full restaurant with a solid beer list. The eats were tasty and bartender was friendly!

• Oyo Hotel and Casino: A nice spot to stay just off the strip. The rooms are average hotel rooms with views of the strip and the pool area is quite nice. Inside there are several restaurants, bars and the casino, but in comparison to Caeser’s Palace it is much smaller.

Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park

Palm Springs is a cute little desert town and conveniently just an hour from joshua tree national park!

Palm Springs and Joshua Tree Tips: 

• Palm Springs is all very midcentury modern and trendy. The town itself is quiet small and can easily be explored on foot and in a short time period.

• The area is very pretty since it is surrounded by mountains. It does get very hot with being in the desert and is quite windy as well.

• Doing a road trip? Check out my Los Angeles guide here, San Diego guide here, and Las Vegas guide here!

PALM SPRINGS RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Las Palmas Brewing: A cute brewery downtown with a back beer garden space. They are focused on Farmhouse style beers and do a good job with them. They also have natural wine and usually a guest tap or two.

• Boozehounds: A super cute spot with indoor, atrium and outdoor seating. They have happy hour, brunch and a full food menu. They are dog-focused and super dog-friendly. The food and drinks I had here were superb.

• Townie Bagels: A cute spot for delicious bagels and coffee.

• Stay at Movie Colony Hotel: This is a nice midcentury modern hotel with a lovely pool and a great price tag. The location is conveniently walkable to everything downtown. It is also pet-friendly if you’re traveling with a pup! There are lots of cute and cheap hotels in town, but I did enjoy my experience here!

• La Quinta Brewing: This brewery has 3 locations—the brewery in Palm Desert, the taproom and grill in Old Town La Quinta and a quaint taproom in Palm Springs. In downtown Palm Springs they have a nice patio with misters perfect for people watching and gazing at the sunset. They have 10 taps, guest taps, and average beers.

• Hop on the Aerial Tramway: Unfortunately this was closed during my visit, but I have heard great things!

Boozehounds

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK Things To Do:

• Joshua Tree National Park is not a very exciting national park. Expect lots of the namesake Joshua Trees and piles of rocks.

• The park is one hour east of Palm Springs and can easily be explored in a half of a day. You will need a National Park Pass or to pay to enter.

• The west side of the park (closest to Palm Springs) is much cooler with a lot of Joshua Trees whereas the east side is more much classic desert.

• Things to do in Joshua Tree National Park:

  • Hidden Valley Trail: This is a mostly flat loop trail that is 1 mile long and takes about 25 minutes. The views here are decent but nothing too crazy.

  • Keys View: A nice viewpoint of the surrounding mountains.

  • Cholla Cactus Garden: A cool area to go for a stroll and explore the various types of plants.

  • Arch Rock Trail: This is a mostly flat 1.1 mile out and back trail to Arch Rock. It takes about 30 minutes and you essentially walk through the desert to one rock and back.

  • See Skull Rock: A rock that does indeed look like a skull

  • Barker Dam Trail: This is a mostly flat loop trail that is 1.4 miles long and takes about 30 minutes. It is not super scenic and there are some petroglyphs but they’ve mostly been painted over.

Bend, OR

Bend is an awesome adventure town on the Deschutes River in Central Oregon!

Bend Tips: 

• Bend is a pretty small city, but I would recommend visiting with a car to allow you to get into the nearby forest, lakes, and volcanoes. I would say 3 days is the ideal amount of time to visit since it is pretty small, but you could also spend plenty of time exploring the plethora of nature-filled activities in the area.

• The climate of the city itself is pretty dry and desert-like, which I personally was not expecting. It can be hot, dry, and dusty.

• The Bend Ale Trail is a super fun way to explore the brew scene in town. Download the app or pick up a paper passport to log your stops and receive all kinds of fun prizes! It also includes wineries, cideries, and distilleries if you want to explore more than just the beer scene!

• Overall Bend is pretty sleepy, during the week most things close at 9pm.

Adventures & Ales Top Bend Recommendations: ​

• The Ale Apothecary: A fantastic brewery that has all spontaneously fermented and barrel aged beers! The beers are absolutely delicious and this is a must visit. Ale Apothecary has a small taproom and patio with limited hours so make sure to plan ahead for your visit!

  • GoodLife Brewing is also right next door!

• Canoe & Brew! I partnered with Wanderlust Tours to take a canoe trip out on the Cascade Lakes. The drive out to the lakes is about 40 minutes and it is a gorgeous ride through the forest. We canoed on Hosmer Lake and then stopped in the marsh to enjoy some beers from Cascade Lakes Brewing.

• Bevel Craft Brewing: A nice brewery with a great outdoor space and food trucks onsite! Fun fact—the owners are professional disc golfers with seven professional world championship titles between the two of them!

• Waypoint Hotel: I loved my stay at The Waypoint Hotel! Some of my favorite parts were that you can walk into town, they have a nice hot tub/pool, they a food truck onsite, they have local beers on tap, they have a nice little outside seating area with a fire pit, and the rooms are beautiful! I definitely recommend staying at The Waypoint Hotel for your Bend visit!

• Traveling with a group? AvantStay has some amazing larger homes for rent! Check them out here and get $250 off your stay with my link!

The Ale Apothecary

• Wild Roots Coffee House: A cute little coffee shop on the edge of town with delicious Sparrow Bakery pastries

• Boss Rambler Beer Club: A great brewery in a snazzy space! Their Hazy IPAs are particularly delicious and they also have slushees. Their outdoor space is super cute and very welcoming. Boss Rambler is directly next to Sunriver Brewing and also has Megaphone Coffee inside.

• Crosscut Warming Hut No. 5: A great beer bar with food trucks out back, a nice patio, a fire pit, and a plethora of local beers to choose from.

• Crux Fermentation Project: A popular brewery with a large outdoor space and food trucks onsite. The infamous El Sancho taco truck is housed here so be sure to go hungry.

Canoe & Brew

Bend Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Hike Tumalo Falls & Double Falls: Tumalo Falls is definitely one of the most popular sites in the Bend area because you don’t have to hike to see this huge waterfall and it is super close to town. It is very busy and parking can be difficult. Be sure to grab the $5 parking pass on your way in, there is a machine as you get close to the trailhead. Tumalo Falls you can see from the parking area or from another viewpoint higher up. From there the trail to Double Falls is much less crowded. I did this trail on AllTrails which ended up taking an hour and was 2.5 miles long and 28 flights up. The trail also continues further to more waterfalls if you have more time/energy to explore! Overall this was an easy and beautiful hike.

• Hike the Matthieu Lakes Trail: This trailhead is about 45 minutes from town and says the Lava Camp Trail. The first portion of the trail was quite buggy (highly recommend bug spray) and boring in my opinion, but once you get to through that to the lakes it is much nicer. From South Matthieu Lake you can see the North Sister Volcano and then on your way down you’ll walk along a ridge with nice views of the entire Three Sisters Wilderness. I did this trail from AllTrails that ended up being about 2 hours and 20 minutes, 6.2 miles, and 62 flights up. As a heads up you are supposed to have the $5 day pass to park at the trailhead.

• Float the Deschutes River! This is a super popular activity and perfect for the hot summer months. Here is more information on how to float!

Double Falls

Other Bend Things To Do:​​

• Sunriver Brewing Co.: A restaurant-style brewery with average beers located in the heart of the Galveston neighborhood. Sunriver has a full food menu and a small back patio.

• Backporch Coffee Roasters: Another cute coffee shop with Sparrow Bakery goods

• Immersion Brewing: A brewery with average beers and a full food menu. Located directly across the street from the beer bar Crosscut.

• Bend Brewing: A touristy brewery with a full food menu and average beers. They have a nice seating area along the river that is beer-only.

• Monkless Belgian Ales: A Belgian-style brewery with food and views of the river. Personally I had a terrible experience at Monkless and I would not recommend visiting. The beers were not good, the food was not good, and the service was terrible.

Have more time in the Pacific Northwest?

• Drive up to Portland! This beer mecca is about 3 hours north of Bend and full of fantastic spots to check out! Here is my full beer and travel guide for Portland!

• Explore the Columbia River Gorge! This gorgeous area is about 2.5 hours from Bend and has some fantastic hikes and breweries. Here are all of my recommendations for the Columbia River Gorge!

• Take a trip to the beautiful Oregon Coast! Check out my one day Oregon Coast itinerary and recommendations here!

• Drive up to Seattle, Washington! Full beer & travel guide coming soon!

• Drive a bit further north to Vancouver, BC! Vancouver is one of my favorite cities I’ve visited, check out my full beer and travel guide here!

Portland, OR

Portland is a Mecca for craft beer lovers & A super fun city to explore!

PDX Tips: 

• There are so many breweries. Unless you live in the area or are staying for quite some time it is impossible to hit them all, so be sure to plan ahead so that you can visit the best of the best!

• You don’t really need a car in Portland. Once you get to specific neighborhoods you can walk to many places and it’s not too big of a city. I personally preferred having a car so that I could do day trips, but would’ve otherwise been fine without one. Be prepared to do a lot of parallel parking if you decide to visit with a car

• The weather in Portland can be very finicky—even with a 0% chance of rain it sprinkled and the sun really doesn’t like to come out until midday, so I would just recommend always having layers, one of which being a raincoat

• You can’t pump your own (very expensive) gas in Oregon, just pull up to the pump and someone will come out to do it for you

• Visiting Portland with your pup? Check out Pup Passport, a digital passport that lets dog owners have fun by exploring breweries and cideries with their dogs and get exclusive discounts at the same time!

Adventures & Ales Top Portland Recommendations: ​

• Great Notion Brewing: Arguably one of the best breweries in the country, Great Notion is at the top of the list for places to visit in Portland! They have three taprooms in the area and each location has a slightly different tap list:

  • Alberta Brewpub: Their original location and a must visit! They also have a nice outdoor space and a small sandwich menu

  • NW Brewpub: Another great spot with somewhat more restaurant-vibes than the OG. They have fantastic murals and a large bar you can sit at

  • Beaverton Taproom: Their suburb location a bit further out of town

• Wayfinder Beer: Yummy beers, a massive patio, and a full food menu—highly recommend!

• Cascade Brewing: The House of Sour! Cascade is an absolute must-visit in Portland. They specialize in Sour Ales and absolutely crush it. Their taproom has a small food menu, a great shaded patio space, and super nice staff members

• Migration Brewing: A great brewery with four locations in town, but I would highly recommend the Rooftop at Canvas spot! It is right across from the soccer stadium and has amazing views of the city and surrounding volcanoes. The tap list at this location is small but the views make up for it.

• Take a day trip to the Columbia River Gorge! Check out my full one day itinerary here with waterfall hiking and brewery hopping in Hood River!

• Ruse Brewing: A fantastic brewery in South Portland making delicious beers in a chill environment

Great Notion Brewing

• Bentley’s Bagels: Super delicious New York-style bagels!

• Baerlic Brewing: A cute spot with good beers, patio seating, and Ranch Pizza onsite

• Upright Brewing: Good beers made with lots of passion from their team. They have a shared space, so food is available from PBS Cafe. It is somewhat of an odd intersection, so Google Maps can be a little confused as you are trying to get there as a forewarning

• Belmont Station: A great bottle shop and beer bar!

• Crema Coffee & Bakery: A great coffeeshop with fantastic baked goods!

• Ex Novo Brewing Co.: Detroit-style pizza + solid beers, what more do you need? Ex Novo is a cool spot that can be quite popular. They have two locations in the Portland area, one in north/central PDX on Flint Street and one in the suburb of Beaverton. Their menu was heavy on IPAs which I enjoyed!

Mt. Hood

Portland Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Hike in Forest Park: The park itself is massive and can be quite popular. I followed this AllTrails out and back trail up to Pittock Mansion for an incredible view of Portland and Mount Hood. The trail was 6 miles, 70 flights up, and took about two hours and fifteen minutes.

• Pine State Biscuits: Touristy but delicious biscuit spot! They have multiple locations throughout Portland and you can order online ahead of time if you’d like

• Mount Hood National Forest: Mount Hood is only an hour from Portland and is a super easy drive. I recommend hiking Mirror Lake, it is conveniently right off the highway and has some incredible views of Mount Hood. I followed this AllTrails loop trail, which ended up being 4.3 miles, 40 flights up, and took about an hour and a half. It is not too strenuous of a trail and the reflections in the lake are awesome. You do need a $5 day pass to park which you can purchase in advance or on your phone day of.

• Salt & Straw: Fantastic (but touristy) ice cream spot with multiple locations throughout Portland

• Eat at a food cart! I have never seen so many food trucks/carts in my life as in Portland. There are so many options it is absolutely insane, so be sure to have that experience while you’re in the city.

Pine State Biscuits

Other Portland Things To Do:​​

• Breakside Brewing: Breakside has two locations in Portland: Dekum and NW Slabtown. They have a full food menu and large beer menu

• Culmination Brewing: A small brewery with solid IPAs. Miami Nice is the food truck onsite

• Ecliptic Brewing: An average brewery with a nice outdoor space and full food menu

• Life of Pie Pizza: Yummy pizza spot with daily happy hour from 11-6 with $7 Margherita pizzas and $5 House Beer and Wine

• StormBreaker Brewing: An average brewery with a great outdoor space and full food menu

• Hammer and Stitch Brewing Company: Newer brewery near Forest Park with a full food menu and large patio with standard beers

• Albina Press: A cute little coffee shop on Hawthorne

• Level Beer: Located right near the airport making it the perfect stop on your way in or out of the city. They have food carts onsite, a cute greenhouse-style outdoor space, and average beers

Have more time in the Pacific Northwest?

• Take a trip to the beautiful Oregon Coast! Check out my one day Oregon Coast itinerary and recommendations here!

• Head down to Bend, Oregon for small town vibes with a fantastic outdoorsy & beer scene. Full beer & travel guide here.

• Drive up to Seattle, Washington! Seattle is about 2.5 hours north of PDX and a fun city to explore. Full beer & travel guide here.

• Drive a bit further north to Vancouver, BC! Vancouver is one of my favorite cities I’ve visited, check out my full beer and travel guide here!

Austin, TX

Austin has become one of the trendiest cities in the US and for good reason! Tacos, nature, & plenty of breweries--what more do you need? 

ATX Tips: 

• Be sure to plan your day(s) out ahead of time so you don't spend too much time hopping from one part of town to another, it's a relatively large city

• If you’re flying into Austin and taking a rideshare keep in mind you’ll need to walk out to the parking garage to get to the pickup area. It’s only a few minutes, but don’t call your ride until you’re walking or you might be late!

• This may be obvious for some of you, but just in case: breakfast tacos. Duh. When you think about all of the tacos in Austin you might automatically think lunch/dinner, but don't sleep on breakfast tacos (see what I did there?)

Adventures & Ales Top Austin Recommendations: ​

• Live Oak Brewing: A traditional German brewery with your standard Hefeweizen, Kolsch, and so on. The vibes are casual with disc golf and lots of picnic tables and live oaks (if the name didn’t give that away for you). The German food truck onsite, The Black Forest, is amazing. This is right near the airport, so go on your way in or out of town!

• St Elmo Brewing: Industrial vibes with a large outdoor space, and tasty beers. Spicy Boys Fried Chicken food truck lives onsite for eats.

  • This is located inside The Yard, a fun development space with a winery, distillery, cocktail bar, sake, seltzery, restaurants. and a coffee shop.

• Banger's Sausage House and Beer Garden: Highly recommend particularly for brunch. Get there early or expect to wait, but the 'manmosa' with a  full bottle of champagne in it is well worth the wait! They also have live music and a great outdoor space. Touristy but fun!

• Traveling with a group? AvantStay has some amazing larger homes for rent! Use my link here to save $250 off your booking!

• Wine country: If you have access to a car the wineries west of the city are awesome! Fredericksburg is the most popular of the Texas Wine Trail. Vinovium is a more casual wine stop that has cute outdoor seating and super friendly staff!

• Better Half Coffee and Cocktails: A fun spot any time of day—their menu rotates for the morning and evening with great options. They have a nice patio space and the interior is very cute.

  • Holdout Brewing: Located directly next door to Better Half! They have a nice patio space and good beers.

• Vacancy Brewing: A great brewery right across from The Yard. They are small but putting out tasty beers. They’ve also got a food truck onsite with a contemporary Tao menu.

• Southern Heights Brewing Company: A solid brewery in East Austin with chill warehouse vibes. The team here is super nice and they have a large tap list with a wide variety of beers.

• Torchy's Tacos: They’ve got several locations across town—their queso is SO good!

• Zilker Brewing Co: Beers are good, atmosphere is fun, and they have a food truck that lives out front.

• Walton's Fancy and Staple: Great spot for breakfast, lunch and flowers.

• Meanwhile Brewing: A nice brewery with a massive outdoor space. There are tons of picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, a field, a playground and a stage. They also have 5 food trucks onsite with something for every palate. In addition to their beers they have cocktails, wine and coffee.

Torchy’s

Austin Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Rainey Street: The street has changed a lot in the last few years but it is definitely still worth spending time on. The street is full of cute old houses converted into bars and restaurants.

• Voodoo Donuts: SO good. This Portland donut shop has extreme donuts that are truly fantastic.

• Dirty 6th: The tourist part of 6th Street is basically a less cool version of Beale Street in Memphis or Bourbon Street in New Orleans. I definitely recommend getting on the jackalope (you’ll see) if you find yourself here.

• Lady Bird Lake: The "lake" is really just the section of the Colorado River that runs through downtown, but there are great trails around it, as well as kayaking, paddle boarding, and more!

• The Broken Spoke: Get your Texas Two Step on at this classic dance bar.

• UT Austin: The University of Texas, Austin is a pretty campus to wander through on your adventures downtown!

St. Elmo

Other Austin Things To Do:​​

• Jester King Brewery: It's a solid drive outside of the city, but their sours are stellar so it may be worth adding to your itinerary, as it is definitely the most famous Austin brewery.

• Vista Brewing: 30 minutes from Austin in the countryside, Vista has gorgeous grounds, delicious food, and a great beer selection. They specialize in barrel aged farmhouse ales, but everything was good here. Snag a cheese plate and some beer fried donuts if you know what’s good for you!

• Lazarus Brewing: A little pricey, but the beers were good, the food was tasty, and the atmosphere was fun. Live music and a mixed indoor/outdoor style

• Oskar Blues Brewing: The Austin location of the popular Colorado brewery. Live music stage, outdoor seating, and all the yummy beers this brewery is known for.

• Irene's: cute little restaurant with delicious frosé.

• 4th Tap Brewing: A co-op brewery where the employees are part owner. It's pretty far north, but if you're in the area it's a cool spot with good beers!

  • Also in North Austin is North by Northwest Brewing that has great food, it’s definitely more restaurant-focused than brewery-focused though as a forewarning

• Mount Bonnell: A fun "hike" with great views of the city and the river. Very easy and quite short.

• Pinthouse Pizza and Brewery: Great IPAs, great pizza. Two locations in Austin for your convenience.

• Texas State History Museum: Learn about the The Lone Star State at this thorough museum right near UT Austin.

• Oddwood Brewing: A solid brewery in East Austin with their own food menu and a BBQ food truck onsite. They have a nice patio space.

• Batch Craft Beer and Kolaches: A mediocre brewery with a great patio, a large selection of kolaches, and frequent food trucks.

Skip: ​

• Graffiti Park/Hope Outdoor Gallery: overrun with tourists with their own spray paint, this used to be an awesome outdoor exhibit but sadly it's no longer worth your time

Dallas, TX

Dallas is a booming metropolis ​that is very... Texas. Ya know? Those Texas vibes? That's Dallas.

Dallas Tips: 

• The city is huge, be sure to have a plan for transportation

• Because the Dallas-Fort Worth metro is so large you could spend a solid chunk of time here—I’d say up to a week if you explore both cities!

Pssst: Check out all my Fort Worth tips here!

Adventures & Ales Top Dallas Recommendations: 

• Peticolas Brewing: A very fun taproom with repurposed materials, games, outdoor space, and yummy beers. Try the velvet hammer!

• The Rustic: Live music, a wide variety of beers on tap, and delicious food. I'd recommend the family style brunch (& then eat it all yourself)

• Braindead Brewing: Delicious beers, delicious brunch, and a fantastic outdoor patio

• The Foundry: Another very cool live music venue with cool seating options, lots of beers and cocktails, and a restaurant

The Rustic

Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth is looked at as Dallas’s little sister, but it is full of its own adventures & personality.

Pssst: Check out all my Dallas recs here!

Fort Worth Tips: 

• As is true of most places in Texas, Fort Worth is quite spread out so be sure to either rent a car or plan ahead for your adventures

• Some breweries in Fort Worth have funky hours/rules. If you’re trying to brewery hop I would definitely try to be here on a Saturday to ensure you can visit the best spots.

Adventures & Ales Top Fort Worth Recommendations: ​

• Martin House Brewing: A great brewery with a huge list of brews. Check out the sours especially!

• Snooze AM Eatery: This ever popular brunch spot is phenomenal. Pancake flights, huevos rancheros, and more!

• Torchy’s! If you’ve read my Austin post you know how I feel about Torchy’s. The best queso ever. The best tacos ever. GO!

• Magnolia Avenue: Wander around the numerous coffee shops, bars, and shops on this cute little street.

Rahr & Sons

Fort Worth Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• The Stockyards: So touristy. So over the top. Check out the cattle drive daily at 11:30 and 4 and then roll out

• Fort Worth Water Gardens: A cool spot with several water fountains, each a little different

• Sundance Square: The main square of Fort Worth. Many shops and restaurants are centered around it. Grab a coffee and just soak it all in.

Other Fort Worth Things To Do:​​

• Rahr & Sons Brewing: A brewery with limited hours, get here right when they open because it’s 3 beers and a pint glass for $10, but your time is limited!

• Trinity Trails: Walking trails long the Trinity River. A great way to get outdoors and venture between neighborhoods!

• HopFusion Ale Works: A popular brewery in Near Southside that usually has a food truck. Lots of beers to choose from so I would recommend a flight!

• Cowtown Brewing: Solid beers and a huge meat menu

• FabLab LTO: In the heart of Near Southside, this cute little collection has local goods and shops that give back to charity

• Locust Cider: A good cidery with several different options!

Skip:

• Wild Acre Brewing: Mediocre beers, obnoxious staff

• Fort Brewery & Pizza: On Magnolia Ave, this spot has bad pizza and average beers

San Antonio, TX

San Antonio was a little disappointing to me, but there’s a lot of potential in this Texan city, so check it out!

SA Tips: 

• Like most of Texas, San Antonio is pretty spread out so be sure to have a game plan before you start your adventure

• San Antonio is also pretty close to Austin so it makes for a good quick side trip!

  Check out my Austin recommendations here!

Adventures and Ales Top San Antonio Recommendations:

• Weathered Soul Brewing: Located in Northern San Antonio, this brewery is cranking out some good stuff so be sure to check it out! They have a nice patio for sunny days and their staff is incredibly nice. They’ve also got a small food menu if you’re hungry.

• Wander the downtown area: There are a lot of similarities between downtown SA and the French Quarter in New Orleans with beautiful architecture, so take some time to just wander the area and soak it all in.

• The Growler Exchange: Beer bar with 30 taps with a mix of local and beyond. They have pizza and bar snacks as well (skip the pizza). They are close to the airport so I would recommend it for a beer on your way in or out of town!

San Antonio Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• The Riverwalk: See it. Get out. The Riverwalk sucks in my opinion. It’s SO touristy. I would say snag your classic picture then scoot out of there.

  • If you decide to stick around I would recommend Speisekarte Biergarten, a German-esque biergarten on the river.

• The Alamo: If I were to do it again, I would not waste my time going into The Alamo. Look at the outside, it’s pretty, then move on. There is frequently a long line and there is really not much to see.

• The Pearl: They’ve converted the old brewery space into a mixed use development with a food hall, restaurants, and plenty of outdoor space. Skip the brewery here.

The Alamo

Other San Antonio Things To Do:

• Alamo Beer Co.: Another brewery option, they were closed to the public when I was in town but it seems cool!

Skip

• Southerleigh Brewery: Horrible service. This is the brewery located inside the old Pearl Brewery compound.

• Freetail Brewing: I was incredibly unimpressed with Freetail for it being one of the biggest breweries in SA. I went to their brewpub location where the food was tasty but the beer was just average.

• Viva Taco Land: They don’t have tacos!? Pardon me, but if tacos are in your name, I would expect to be able to eat tacos. They don’t have any food during the day until food trucks occasionally roll up in the evenings. Very misleading and disappointing.

Waco, TX

Waco is home to all things Chip & Joanna Gaines, so it is a unique spot to visit.

Waco Tips: 

• You definitely only need a day to take it all in! Even with long waits and seeing every Chip & Jo staple you can easily do it all in one day.

• Waco is situated perfectly between Austin & Dallas/Fort Worth so it works well as a day trip from either!

Check out my Austin recommendations, Dallas recommendations, and Fort Worth recommendations!

Fixer Upper Things To Do in Waco:

• Magnolia Table: Open for breakfast/lunch/brunch, anyone who watches Fixer Upper saw Chip & Jo go through the process of buying and renovating the restaurant. The show doesn’t show how incredibly thoughtful each part of the design of Magnolia Table is. From the process of putting your name on the list for a table, to the waiting area, to the to-go area, to the seating within the restaurant itself, Joanna really outdid herself. The Jo’s recipe biscuits are great (mmm hello strawberry butter) and the house made tater tots are drool worthy, but truly you can’t go wrong. You will wait for a table. There’s plenty of space to sit while you wait, coffee, and a to-go pastry area if you need something to hold you over!

• The Silos: There are multiple things occurring at the Silos, this is where you can spend a majority of your time in Waco.

  • The bakery is everything you’ve dreamed of and more. The cupcakes are SO good. The line moves quickly, don’t be deterred. I had the silobration and the wonderland, which was the Christmas special. Both were amazing and I regretted not getting a half dozen just for myself. They also have cookies, cinnamon rolls, and other bakery items.

  • Magnolia Shop: a large shop of Joanna’s designs, Jimmy Don’s metal signs, and an abundance of Magnolia swag.

  • The silos outdoor space: The turf grass behind the bakery & shop is home to food trucks, swings, gardens, photo op spots, and occasional live music/movie showings.

• Little Shop on Bosque: This kind of felt like the reject of all things Magnolia, understandably so as Chip and Jo have now built the huge shop at The Silos & the Market at Magnolia Table. This truly is a “little shop” as the name implies, but it’s where all the magic started.

Magnolia Table

Bonus idea:

• Waco Winery: This is advertised as a rooftop winery implying that you could have a nice view of Waco, which is not accurate, but it’s still nice to sit outside and sip rose. The extensive menu of housemade wines will include something you’re sure to enjoy. A tasting of 5 wines is only $10!

Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles is as smog and traffic filled as you’ve heard, but it is also a city with some of the best beer in the world and plenty of fun things to do!

LA Tips: 

• Rent a car. I don’t always recommend renting a car, and you may think I am crazy with what you have heard about LA traffic, but I do recommend it. The city is massive and very spread out so a car is the easiest way to get around. Plus, rideshares like Uber and Lyft are quite expensive in the LA area.

  • If you are planning to Uber/Lyft from the airport you will need to take a shuttle from the terminal. You can’t actually order your ride until you get into the pickup zone but there are cars waiting for riders there.

• Intentionally plan out your time. There are several cities within the Los Angeles area worth exploring—downtown, Anaheim, Costa Mesa, the beaches, and more—that are all spread out, so be sure to have a plan of attack for your visit.

• If you are in town on a Monday or Tuesday be prepared that a lot of businesses (especially breweries) are closed.

• Downtown LA and tourist sites like the Hollywood Walk of Fame are pretty run down—overall I found central LA to be quite dirty. It’s not quite the glitz and glam that movies make it out to be.

• San Diego is closer than you think! It is about two hours from one downtown to the other, but both cities are sprawling so much that you can easily traverse between the two! I highly recommend exploring San Diego while you’re in the LA area—check out all of my San Diego recommendations here!

• Doing a road trip? Check out my Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park guide here and my Las Vegas guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Los Angeles Recommendations: 

• Monkish Brewing Co: Monkish is arguably one of the best breweries in the country. Their original taproom is located in Torrance, conveniently close to LAX if you are flying in/out of the city. They are best known for their New England IPAs which are absolutely spectacular, but their funky beers are delicious as well. They have a great patio space and food pop-ups Thursday-Sunday.

  • Monkish has a second location in Anaheim next to Farmer’s Park and the Anaheim Packing District. Parking can be a challenge here when the market is busy but it is worth it for their fantastic beers.

• Bottle Logic Brewing: A powerhouse brewery specializing in Stouts located in Anaheim. They have a nice patio, a large tap list, and phenomenal beers.

• Green Cheek Beer Co.: A top-notch brewery with locations in Costa Mesa and Orange. They have a wide array of beers to choose from, including a few guest taps, and they are best known for their Lagers. They also have a small food menu.

• Windsor Homebrew and Bottle Shop: A curated bottle shop and homebrew supply store with locations in Anaheim and Costa Mesa. Their bottle shop selection is incredible and the Anaheim location also has a selection of beers on tap that are hard to find and highly rated.

• Traveling with a group? AvantStay has some amazing larger homes for rent! Use my link here to save $250 off your booking!

• Highland Park Brewery: A fantastic brewery in downtown Los Angeles with a wide variety of beers and delicious food. Chill vibes, great beers.

• Kings Brewing: Located in Rancho Cucamonga, Kings is best known for their thicc Fruited Sours but they also highly value a good crisp Lager. They have a massive tap list and a friendly team.

• Homage Brewing: Homage has two locations—their original taproom is in downtown Pomona and they have a smaller secondary taproom in the Chinatown neighborhood of downtown LA. They are best known for their Saisons and Lambics which are top-notch.

• The Bruery: The Bruery is a highly awarded brewery creating uniquely delicious beers. Their main brewery and taproom is located in Placentia, right near Anaheim, Their second location, Bruery Terreux Tasting Room, is 5 minutes away in Anaheim proper. This location houses their Lambics and Wild Ales, but you can get those on tap at the main taproom as well.

Monkish Brewing

Los Angeles Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Griffith Park: A massive park with hiking, an observatory, access to the Hollywood Sign, a Greek Theater, the L.A. Zoo, tennis courts, a golf course, an equestrian center, and more!

  • I enjoyed the Glendale Peak Trail in Griffith Park that was 3.6 miles long and 67 flights up. It is quite exposed so be sure to bring lots of water. The trail can be popular but on a weekday morning I only saw a few folks. You get great views of the skyline, Hollywood Sign, and surrounding mountains.

• Hit the beach! Whether it is Santa Monica, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, or any of the smaller beaches in between, spend some time at the Pacific Ocean.

• Getting a picture of The Hollywood Sign: While in L.A. this is basically a must do, but it turns out it’s a bit harder than you would expect. You can go to the top of the park but then you are behind the letters and can’t actually read them, so I set out to take a photo from the front of the letters. As a heads up, Google says you can do this from “The Last House on Mulholland” but you cannot, they have closed the road. The entire Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood that is in front of the Hollywood Sign has signs up throughout it preventing parking and there are several roads closed because of tourists. I managed to snag a quick photo near 3389 Deronda Drive, but even that was technically not allowed.

• Elysian Park: Another massive greenspace in the city! There is a good view of the skyline at Angel’s Point.

• Check out the Top of the World: I did the Top of the World via Canyon Acres Trail in Laguna Beach that led to a great viewpoint of the surrounding mountains, ocean, and city. You can also drive up to right below The Top of the World if that is more your style. For the hike it was short but steep—2.7 miles long and 70 flights up. It is very exposed so be sure to bring lots of water. Overall it took me just over an hour and was a great workout with great views.

Griffith Park

Other LA Things To Do:​​

• Radiant Beer Co.: Located in Anaheim, Radiant is a young brewery with vibrant branding and a nice patio. Their beers are solid and they were named 2021 GABF Small Brewery of the Year.

• The Camp: A cute development in Costa Mesa with a bunch of shops and restaurants to explore.

  • Slurpin’ Ramen Bar: A small ramen bar located near The Camp in Costa Mesa with delicious ramen and other appetizers and sides.

• Mumford Brewing: A solid brewery in downtown Los Angeles.

• Sandbox Brewing Company: Sandbox is a small spot known for their Fruited Sours. They are located in an industrial complex in Montclair.

San Diego, CA

San Diego is as glorious as you are imagining. Great weather. Great Beaches. Great Beer.

San Diego Tips: 

• San Diego is massive. The county is quite spread out and encompasses multiple different cities within itself. I would recommend only a couple of days in the downtown area and then get yourself to a cute beach town and relax for a few days.

• There are over 150 breweries in San Diego, so it can be quite overwhelming to start planning your San Diego trip. Don’t fret! A lot of those breweries have multiple taprooms throughout the San Diego area, so once you decide what areas you would like to visit you can narrow down your selection.

• Expand your trip into the Los Angeles area! I loved getting to roam around SoCal and was surprised at how close the two cities are to each other because of their large sprawling sizes. Check out all of my LA recommendations here!

• The airport in San Diego is central to downtown so it is very convenient to fly in/out of.

• Doing a road trip? Check out my Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park guide here and my Las Vegas guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top San Diego Recommendations: ​

• Pure Project: The best brewery in the San Diego area. Pure has several locations to check out—Vista, Miramar, Balboa Park, and Carlsbad. They also have a North Park location that will be opening soon. I visited Balboa Park and Carlsbad and thoroughly enjoyed them both!

  • Balboa Park: This location is, you guessed it, right off of Balboa Park in downtown San Diego. They have a cute patio, a biergarten across the street, and pizza onsite from Urbn Pizza.

  • Carlsbad: This location fully emits the chill, beach vibes of Carlsbad. They have a nice set-up with a fire table, casual seating, plants, and super friendly staff.

• Mostra Coffee: An absolute must-visit while in the San Diego area! They have 3 locations—Banker’s Hill is the closest to central SD, Carmel Mountain Ranch is the original spot, and the 4S Ranch location has a great selection of craft beer. I loved the Crème Brûlée Latte and Choconana Cold Brew.

• Eppig Brewing Waterfront Biergarten: A cute taproom directly on the marina. The seats are right along the ocean and you can see the San Diego skyline and surrounding mountains in the distance. The Lagers here were great. Eppig also has another location in Vista.

• Traveling with a group? AvantStay has some amazing larger homes for rent! Use my link here to save $250 off your stay!

• Societe Brewing Company: A great brewery with delicious beers and an onsite food truck, Chachos Tacos, serving up really tasty eats.

• Mujeres Brew House: San Diego’s first Latina-founded community brewing space. The beers here are tasty and they have the option to do a chamoy rim which I highly recommend. They also have a cute patio space and a food menu.

• The Lost Abbey: This Belgian brewery has four tasting rooms in the San Diego area—The Main Tasting Room in San Marcos, The Church in downtown San Diego, The Sanctuary in San Marcos, and The Confessional in Cardiff-By-The-Sea.

  • I visited The Confessional that is housed in a shopping center with multiple food options around that you can grab takeout from and enjoy at The Lost Abbey. This taproom is quite small and has beachy vibes. Their Barrel Aged beers are great.

• Get lost in the Miramar brewery scene: This industrial area has over 15 breweries within just a couple of miles. Many of these breweries have other locations as well.

  • AleSmith Brewing Company: This Miramar brewery is one of the older breweries in San Diego and one of the most popular. They are best known for Speedway Stout and the different variants they make of that beer. Their taproom is very large and commercialized with a full gift shop and tour buses frequently stopping in, but the beers are solid and worth checking out.

Pure Project Carlsbad

North Park Recommendations:

• North Park Beer Co.: A solid brewery with chill vibes. Their West Coast IPAs are top notch. Mastiff Sausage Company has a location inside for food.

• Bottlecraft: A great beer bar and bottle shop with 12 taps and a plethora of cans and bottles to choose from. They are also home to Venissimo Cheese so you can enjoy charcuterie with your beers. Bottlecraft has several locations throughout the San Diego area.

• The Original 40 Brewing Company: Another solid brewery with a wide selection of taps to choose from. They have a full food menu and their pretzel is particularly delicious.

• Pariah Brewing Co.: Another brewery option a bit further north. The beers were tasty but the environment was a lot. Beer pong and staff getting drunk at the bar is not particularly a great look.

• Rouluer Brewing Company: An average brewery with a full food menu.

Oceanside Recommendations:

• Bottlecraft: A great beer bar and bottle shop. This location is smaller than North Park but they still have a fantastic selection of beers. They also have a restaurant inside, Shootz, that specializes in fish tacos. Their back patio has great vibes, and from 4-6pm they have no corkage fee so you can enjoy a something from their can/bottle selection at list price.

• Craft Coast Brewery & Taco Stand: A solid brewery that has a patio, a full food menu, and is quite popular.

• The Buccaneer Cafe: A cute little shack right across from the beach that is a great spot to grab breakfast. I would not recommend their coffee drinks, but the food is delicious.

• Booze Brothers Brewing Co.: An average brewery in the heart of Oceanside. You can order food from Rosewood, the restaurant next door, if you are hungry.

• Kilowatt Brewing: I was super unimpressed with Kilowatt. They intentionally create a party vibe with their loud music, bright lights, and games, which might be fine, but there were several people that were absolutely trashed that the bartender continued to serve. The Sour I tried was tasty but the rest of the beers were not good.

Carlsbad Recommendations:

• Burgeon Beer Company: A great brewery with a wide variety of beers to choose from. This is one of the few spots in San Diego without outdoor seating, but the beers are worth leaving the sunshine behind for a little bit.

• As I noted above, Pure Project Carlsbad is a fantastic brewery with a great vibe. They have a nice set-up with a fire table, casual seating, plants, and super friendly staff.

• Carlsbad State Beach: The large beach that runs through Carlsbad! There are volleyball courts and it is a great spot for dolphin watching.

• Café Topes: A cute spot for breakfast/lunch but overall I would say the food was average at best.

• Pizza Port Brewing Company: One of the OG’s of the San Diego beer scene, Pizza Port now has 6 taprooms in the area: Solana Beach, Carlsbad, San Clemente, Ocean Beach, Bressi Ranch, and Port Side in Carlsbad. My intent was to visit the Carlsbad location but it was an absolute madhouse when I visited. The wait for one small pizza was an hour and 45 minutes and the line for beer was winding through the entire restaurant.

La Jolla Cove

San Diego Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Mission Beach: A great beach to lounge at and watch the surfers. I enjoyed the Ocean Front Boardwalk Trail for a morning stroll. There are several access points to the beach so you can make your walk as long or as short as you’d like. I saw a plethora of dolphins from the shoreline which is always fun. They also have beach volleyball and free parking at this beach.

• Children’s Pool at La Jolla: You can see seal pups here December-May or the beach is open the rest of the year. There were a ton of seals in the area when I visited in January, it was awesome to see. Heads up if you wander onto the little bridge you may get soaked by a wave!

• La Jolla Cove: So. Many. Sea. Lions!!! Extremely cool spot to check out. This is again seasonal, but highly recommended if you are in the area in the winter/spring months.

• Windansea Beach: Not actually a beach, but instead a cool rocky area where waves smash into the coastline.

• Cowles Mountain from Big Rock Trail: Cowles Mountain is the highest point in the San Diego area so the views from the top are fantastic. There are a few different trails that can lead you to the top, but this one was quiet until you joined the other trails at the top. The last section is very steep, but overall it was still moderate. Overall this trail was 5 miles and 99 flights up. As a forewarning if you do this hike from this starting point there is no bathroom at the trailhead.

• Explore Balboa Park: This massive greenspace is home to the San Diego Zoo, several museums, walking/hiking trails, a golf course, Japanese gardens, and so much more!

• Ocean Beach: A cute little beach town to explore. There a fun little cafes like The Template and a large fishing pier. They’ve also got a solid beer scene with Pizza Port Brewing Company, California Wild Ales, and OB Brewery.

• Sunset Cliffs: It’s recommended you visit at sunset for awesome views, but it is still a cool sight to see anytime of day. There is also a hiking trail you can follow along the cliffs—Sunset Cliffs Trail.

• Torrey Pines State Reserve: There are a lot of different hikes in this park to explore, but be aware that it is either $20 to park inside the park or you can park on the road but then for most trailheads you have a long uphill walk to the trail. I enjoyed the Torrey Hills State Beach and Broken Hill Trail Loop. It was a 3.3 mile/28 flights up hike that was quite popular. It was a beachy hike with nice overlooks.

• The Cedros Design District in Solana Beach is a cute area to explore!

• Drive the Coronado Bridge to Coronado Beach. The bridge has great views of downtown and the ocean. The beach is pretty and the sand is very soft here. There is free street parking throughout the area.

• Point Loma Tide Pools and Cabrillo National Monument are two popular spots to check out as well, but be aware that the road closes after 5pm. It is $20 to access the area unless you already have a National Park Pass.

• Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala: A beautiful old mission established in 1769. There is a $5 entrance to access the interior.

Mostra Coffee

Other San Diego Things To Do:​​

• Et Voilà!: A French Bistro in a cute part of town worth hopping around. They have a great Happy Hour, a cute back patio, delicious food + drinks, and fantastic service.

  • Blind Lady Ale House is also in this neighborhood but had shortened hours when I was in town.

• California Wild Ales: An interesting brewery specializing in Sours. Their original taproom is near Torrey Pines and their second spot is in Ocean Beach. I think they have the potential to make some great beers but they did not have a great tap list when I visited.

• Panchita's Kitchen and Bakery: A quick stop for delicious breakfast burritos.

• Border X Brewing: A brewery focused on community, culture, and Mexican craft beer. They also have a food menu.

• Abnormal Beer Co.: A restaurant-style brewery with a cute patio and a full food menu.

• Half Door Brewing Co.: An average brewery in downtown San Diego. The space is super cute in a converted house-style setting with a porch and upstairs balcony. It is right by the baseball stadium and has food as well.

• Best Pizza and Brew: A brewery, beer bar, and pizza spot with a bit of ocean views in Cardiff-By-The Sea.

• Spill The Beans: A cute coffee shop in the heart of downtown with tasty food

• Harland Brewing: An average brewery with several locations in the San Diego area. The Bay Park location has a cute patio but there is very limited parking and the beers are just okay.

• Chicano Park: An area under the freeway filled with street art.

• Resident Brewing: A brewery in the heart of downtown San Diego housed inside The Local. Overall it had restaurant vibes and a full food menu. The Stouts were great but other beers didn’t quite hold up.

• Duck Foot Brewing: An average brewery in the Miramar area with a variety of beers to choose from.

• Torrey Pines Gilderport: A spot on the coast to watch the hang gliders. Overrate in my opinion, but some people really enjoy it. There is a little cafe onsite as well.