travel

Jackson Hole

December 6, 2022

two women with three little boys standing in the snow under the antler arch jackson WY

Every year after Thanksgiving, we go on a family ski trip. It’s been the best tradition and the boys love getting a taste of the mountains and snow! This year we decided to head to Jackson Hole, Wyoming – a place none of us have been before. We loved our time in Jackson Hole. Such a charming place and all the snow we got made it even more magical!

family ski fitting at ski concierge FS jackson hole

How to get there:

We flew American Airlines direct from Dallas. They have one flight a day into Jackson. The flight was a quick 2.5 hour flight. It’s a small airport, which is nice. The kids loved getting on/off the plane outside. Plus, the view of the mountains is incredible!

Where to Stay

Since this was a ski trip, we decided to stay in Teton Village (this is where the ski resort is). There are a few hotels and also houses to rent. We opted to stay at Four Seasons Jackson Hole and we’re so happy we did. It’s in the heart of the ski resort and we had the best views of the ski slopes from our room and the restaurants.
Type of room: The five of us had a mountain side one bedroom suite, which was perfect for the size of our family. We had plenty of space, two bathrooms, a table that sat us and my parents for breakfast in the morning and the largest closet (so many of you couldn’t get over it!). My parents stayed in the mountain side room and it was great for them! The rooms were renovated over the summer and beautiful! We had cosy fireplaces and patios with beautiful views to watch the snow come down.
Convenience: I can’t explain how convenient staying here was! We did ski rentals on site at the hotel, ski school was right next door and ski-in and ski-out made it so much easier (and fun) with kids.
Spa: After our second day of skiing, we opted for the spa and it was much needed! The treatments were so relaxing and we enjoyed the steam room and hot and cold plunge pools before our treatments. The spa has such a cozy relaxation room with large fireplace. We decided to do the spa in the evening on the day we had pizza in the room. It was very relaxing!
Pool: The outdoor pool/hot tubs are right off the ski slopes, so we relaxed in the heated hot tubs and got to watch the last skiers finish. The boys loved moving from the heated pool to the heated hot tubs. I wasn’t brave enough to go back and forth in the cold!
Champagne igloo: The Moet & Chandon champagne bar “Fahrenheit Forty-Seven” opened while we were there. It’s an “igloo” outside the hotel and it’s the perfect sport for aprés-ski! The whole backside of the igloo is opened to the ski slopes, so you feel like you are right there. We loved it!
Special touches: There were so many thoughtful, special touches during our stay. A toy for the kids at check-in, hot chocolate anytime they wanted, s’more kits and in-room amenities each evening: charcuterie boards and wine, popcorn and huckleberry soda, chocolate chip cookies and milk, etc.

Where to Eat

Ascent Bar: This was the lobby bar at the hotel and we got a snack in here for lunch the day we got in. It has great views of the ski slopes and we had so many good things to eat here.
The Handle Bar: The best place to stop for lunch. Located in the Four Seasons, we would ski right up to it and have lunch. This spot get very busy at lunch and they only take reservations for hotel guests. Otherwise, it’s a wait list. We also went for après ski a few times to get pretzels and hot chocolate for the boys and a margarita for us.
Calico: This is on the road from Teton Village to Jackson. We had a great first dinner here. It was so cozy, the italian food hit the spot and we all loved it.
Westbank Grill: This is onsite at the Four Seasons and it is a delicious steakhouse. We were pretty tired after a day of skiing, and it was warm, inviting and with so many delicious options. The twice baked potato hit the spot after skiing all day and so did the steaks.
Il Villagio Osteria: We ordered pizza and salad from here one night and we highly recommend! Within walking distance and everything was delicious.
Persephone: We loved getting coffee and pastries here! So cute and good.

A lot of the restaurants we were wanting to try had not opened yet for ski season. In hind sight, it worked out well for us because the kids (and we) were beat from skiing!

Skiing

Pre-reserve your lift tickets/ski school prior to your trip!
The boys had the best time at ski school. We did two days for each of them and the older boys skied a third day. They learned so much and were able to ski with us on the mountain! My favorite part of the trip.
We rented all of our skis and helmets from the Four Seasons ski concierge. It’s so convenient to get to the lifts and ski school is a two minute walk from the ski concierge at the Four Seasons.
It’s such a great mountain for beginners (and more established skiiers). The boys were skiing down the mountain with the first ski school day. I loved getting to see them on the mountain while we were skiing too!
I got a lot of questions about what to wear since it is so cold there. We did this for all of us and we all stayed warm! Hot chillys shirt and pants for a base layer, smartwool socks, fleece sweatshirt, ski jacket, ski pants, gloves and a turtle– and hand warmers inside all of our gloves.

What to Know

Rental cars- We decided to rent a car because there were seven of us and we wanted the option to explore the area. Just FYI – Hertz is off site from the airport. You hop on a bus at the airport and drive into Jackson to pick up your car. We used the car to get to/from the resort to the airport, and also to go into the town of Jackson to explore and have dinner.
Although the skiing was open, a lot of the restaurants have not actually opened back up for winter yet. It wasn’t really that big of a problem for us because the boys were so tired after skiing, they just wanted to stay at the hotel and be cozy! We ate out twice, ordered pizza in the room and did room service one night.
It’s COLD! I have never been in weather so cold before. Hand warmers were necessary for everyone and they made a huge difference in staying warm.
You need to pre-reserve your ski days/ski school in advance.

What to Pack

Cheers,

Stia, Jean and Katherine

London

October 19, 2022

Caleb and I just spent four nights in London and we had the best time! It was a quick trip, but we were so glad to be there and it actually seemed like the perfect amount of time away. I grew up with my grandparents living in London and I studied abroad in London, so we’ve done most of the touristy things on previous visits and when the boys have been with us. This trip was more about wandering, walking, eating and drinking, visiting a few museums we haven’t been to on previous visits… and shopping! It was a great few days away in place we love.

Stay

We tried to find a hotel that was centrally located. We ended up booking the The Cadogan, which is a Belmond hotel. We’ve heard great things about Belmond hotels and this location lives up to the hype. The hotel has 54 rooms total, which means you have a very personal experience.

We had a deluxe corner king room. It was plenty big by London standards, especially for two people.
The bathroom was amazing with heated floors, stand alone tub and large shower.
The hotel was right on Sloane Street, but our room overlooked Pavilion Street and it was very quiet.
I really can’t say enough great things about the service and our experience. From the moment we got there, everyone was so helpful and accommodating.
We took advantage of the concierge and they were so helpful in getting us tickets, reservations, making suggestions and just providing amazing service.

Where We Ate

The Grenadier: This is a pub in Belgravia that we love. We went for lunch the day we flew in and it didn’t disappoint. It’s such a great pub that is tucked away down the cutest streets.
Kutir: The most amazing Indian food we’ve ever had. The restaurant is in a Chelsea townhouse and it’s so charming. Best chicken tikka masala ever and it also just won London’s restaurant of the year!
Chiltern Firehouse: Last time we ate at the Chiltern Firehouse it was January, so we ate inside because it was so cold. This time, we had beautiful weather in London and we had the best lunch outside on the patio. Great food and even better people watching.
Daphne’s: This is a neighborhood spot in Chelsea and it’s as good as it is pretty! We shared an appetizer, pasta, main and veggies and everything was so wonderful!
The Churchill Arms: This pub is located in Kensington and is known for their beautiful display of flowers and the Thai food that they serve!
Cafe Kitsune: We walked to breakfast here our first morning and had a great latte and yogurt/granola cup.

What We Did

National Gallery: This was a museum that neither of us had been to and was the perfect place to go on our first morning!
Shopped: We shopped along Bond Street, Sloane Street and at Harrod’s
The Wallace Collection: This was another museum which is located in the Hertford House. It was a great museum to wander around!
Afternoon Tea: The Connaught was a great place for Afternoon Tea. It’s located in Mayfair and it’s such a charming area!
Walked around: We walked all around London, even walking 23k steps one day! It’s our favorite way to find new areas and explore one of our favorite cities

What I Wore

Cheers,

Stia, Jean and Katherine

Family Trip to Santa Fe

August 2, 2022

family standing outside at four seasons santa fe

The boys have been begging for a road trip this summer. We wanted to go somewhere cooler, but not too far. We ultimately decided on Santa Fe and we are so happy that we did! We broke the road trip into two parts on the way there ( 5 hrs to Amarillo and 4 hours from Amarillo to Santa Fe). We had a great trip and we all loved it!

Santa Fe is such a great destination. It’s so unique, the food is amazing and we loved the cooler temperatures in the morning/evenings. Since we did this trip as a family, this is what worked for us:

Stay

Four Seasons Santa Fe is just 15 minutes North of downtown Santa Fe. Once you pull into the property you realize how peaceful it is! There are only 66 rooms, but the property is sprawling and feels very private. There are a lot of amenities on-site. Restaurants, a pool, spa, game room, hiking trails and an adventure center to plan excursions.

Each room is a casita, so there is a lot of privacy between buildings. We booked a two-bedroom interconnecting casita and we had plenty of space for the five of us. The bathrooms were huge, had heated floors and a huge tub. Four Seasons has the most comfortable beds ever, which we always appreciate! Each room has an adobe fireplace and the hotel has a fire butler who will come light it for you. We took advantage every evening! The patios are spacious too!

We loved visiting in July. The temps were in the mid 50’s in the morning and mid 80’s during the day, which is a welcome change from home! We also loved the late afternoon storms that rolled in – so much fun to see rain!

Eat

There are SO many restaurants in Santa Fe. We found the food to be delicious and the margs, too! Here’s where we ate:

Cafe Pasqual: This is where we stopped for lunch when we drove in. It’s in the heart of downtown and SO good! Everything is made from local and organic ingredients. It’s a small restaurant, so get there early to put your name on the list for lunch or make a reservation for dinner.
Terra: This is the restaurant at the Four Seasons and we had a wonderful dinner here. The cocktails were unique and delicious. For appetizers we had the shrimp and peach burrata salad. So light and fresh! I ordered the halibut and it was one of the best fish dishes I can remember. The perfect amount of spice.
Room service: We did room service the first morning we were there, before our hike that day. We ate on our patio in our robes and enjoyed the 50 degree morning!
Tesuque Village Market: This local market/restaurant is just two miles from the resort. One evening it was pouring rain, so instead of going out to eat, Caleb picked up wood-fired pizzas from here. They were SO good! We ate in our room and played lots of games with the boys. It’s a small restaurant and market that uses a lot of local and organic ingredients, so we went back for breakfast one morning. It was yummy!
Pool Shack: One day we did a cabana day and ate lunch by the pool at Four Seasons Santa Fe. We highly recommend a pool day while in Santa Fe. It was such a great way to relax after a day of hiking. I had the adobo tuna bowl for lunch and it was probably the best thing I had all week!
The Shed: This restaurant has been in Santa Fe forever and it did not disappoint! It was one of our favorite margaritas of the trip!
Iconik Coffee: We stopped here on our way out of town and highly recommend for a coffee!

Do

We barely touched the surface of all that there is to do in Santa Fe, but this is what we did as a family and thought it was the perfect itinerary:

Explore Downtown Santa Fe: There are so many different restaurants, shops and art galleries to explore.
Visit MeowWolf: This is an immersive art experience and worth visiting!
Bandelier National Monument: The Four Seasons Santa Fe has an on-site adventure center to help plan all kinds of different tours/experiences. We booked the “Ancient to Present” tour of Bandelier National Monument. We left the hotel with our guide in a FS sprinter van and made our way to Bandelier National Monument. The drive was about 45 mins and we stopped at a lookout point on the way there. The hike was so much fun and the boys loved climbing the ladders into all the caves! It was a 4 mile hike and very doable for all ages. I did have Ford in a backpack carrier and Caleb carried Henry part of the time. It was such a great experience!
Pool Day: The pool at the Four Seasons is a great place to relax after a morning hike! It has a beautiful view and the water is the perfect temperature. We had a cabana which was the ideal place to rest after our day of hiking! We were greeted with a glass of Chandon Spritz, a fruit tray and snack tray. As soon as we settled in, the boys had a “treat-ment” which was a foot soak in coconut water, followed by a foot massage all while enjoying an ice cream treat! They loved it!

We loved our first road trip as a family so much that the boys are begging for us to plan another soon!