In October, Laura and took a little trip down to St. George to visit Alexis for a week. Lex had recently bought a brand new townhome and I was so excited to see it! I was also super excited to get to know her adorable dog Banks a little better.
I was immediately obsessed with Banks, he is the best boy. Out of all the dogs I have met in my life, he is the only one that has made me think I might want a dog one day. He is super chill, very cuddly, loves to play and snuggles his toy teddy bear which is beyond adorable.
We wasted no time in getting some food and treats! Pinkbox Donuts was a new donut place that had just opened up and we were all very excited to check them out.
Inside their shop was so adorable, and they had so many different flavors of donuts! We each picked 4 flavors we wanted to try to total a dozen.
They were so fun! We thought they were pretty yummy. Later on the trip we tried some donuts from Lin's grocery stores, and I'll be honest, those were better. So when in St. George, Lin's donuts are the ones to get. Pinkbox is super fun tho and I would go there again.
We got dinner at Viva Chicken, a Peruvian quick service restaurant, it was so delicious. We loved it so much we actually went back a couple of days later for lunch.
That night we watched Only You, such a fun nostalgic film. Banks chose to cuddle up on my lap and he brought Bear. He stayed there the entire movie.
The next day was a pool day! It was the most gorgeous temperature, warm enough that we could float around in the pool but the sun wasn't crazy hot. As we floated around in the pool we discussed destinations for our big trip next year. The big contenders are Maui, Oahu, or Paris.
For lunch that day we headed to Tacos Plaza. We had heard how amazing their quesabirrias were and we needed to try them out. Their quesabirrias are chuck roast slow cooked for 7 hours, wrapped in a double layer of slightly fried tortillas topped with cheese and served with a side of consume. They were rich and delicious, I'm not a huge fan of Mexican food and I thought this was pretty tasty. Also, as a side note, their chips are delicious but I wouldn't order their quac or queso again, they weren't very flavorful.
Then it was back home to our boy!
The next day Lex had to work, so Lu, Banks and I hung out at home. Laura had brought her new oracle and tarot cards so she wanted to practice reading. We got DEEP with our reading and it lasted all afternoon, I loved it.
When lex got home we made a treat run! We went to Bahama Bucks for shaved ice. Laura, for some reason really wanted to try their Piccadilly special so we made the trip specifically for that. The Piccadilly is a tigersblood snow cone topped with chamoy, chopped pickles, sour sand and chili salt. Her reasoning for wanting to try it was that it was really weird but had to be good or else why would they sell it. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of it but she could only eat two bites before throwing it away because it was so gross. So it remains a mystery why the Piccadilly is on their menu.
I, on the other hand, was super excited about their seasonal flavors and ordered a caramel apple shaved ice and asked for a gummy bears add on for a little extra flare. It was sooooo delicious, I highly recommend.
We headed straight to the hot tub after our treat run. Lex's complex has a ginormous hot tub, we took pool floats in there one night. It was delightful enjoying my delicious shaved ice while soaking in the hot tub, major vacation vibes.
The next day we took a little day trip to Springdale for lunch and then to Zion National Park for a short hike.
We got lunch at Oscars Cafe and it was awesome. We were seated in their covered patio so we got to enjoy the beautiful autumn weather and fresh air. Their food was hearty and so flavorful and fresh. I loved our meal here.
When you order sweet potato fries, they bring you a caramel dipping sauce instead of fry sauce. So unique and delicious.
Then we headed to Zion! I love National Parks so I was excited to get out and enjoy some gorgeous nature! We parked at the visitors center and rode the shuttle up to the last stop, Temple of Sinawava.
None of us are big hikers, so we opted to do the Narrows Riverside Walk, a 1.9 mile out and back trail that is relatively flat. It was pretty popular the day we went, it was fall break time, so there were quite a few people on the trail.
We had the most breathtaking views the entire time.
The trail eventually crosses into the river and that is where the Riverside Walk ends and the Zion Narrows trail really takes off. This is where we turned around.
Even though it wasn't that strenuous of a "hike" we were all surprisingly exhausted when we were done and couldn't' wait to get home to watch another movie and snuggle with our boy.
He has the cutest face.
Lex had to work again the next day so it was another, low key hang out day. When she got off work we went on another dinner and treat run! For dinner we tried out Roctaco, it was SO GOOD. Their flavor combinations are unique and complex. My favorite taco I tried was the Uncle Al.
Right next-door to Roctaco is Flake Pie Co. They make the most adorable little pies and we got a bunch to try.
Banks got to come with us!
The flavors we got to try were:
Pumpkin Cheesecake*
Mint Chocolate*
Caramel Chocolate
Key Lime
Banana Cream
(*my favorites)
This was the Fig and Peach with mascarpone Flakie, their homemade version of a pop tart.
As always, we ended the night with snuggles from Banks and bear.
I slept in the guest room while Lex and Lu shared Lex's king bed in her bedroom. Banks hated that we didn't all sleep in the same room, he had a hard time keeping track of all of us when we were in different rooms! I had to sleep with my door wide open, I tried just cracking it open, but that wasn't enough for Banks and he would whine outside my door. He would then go back and forth from my room to their room giving us all snuggles. Such a sweet considerate boy.
The next day, we watched a movie in the morning and then headed to the pool for another relaxing day. We went back to Bahama Bucks in the evening so Laura could get something that was actually good and Lex wanted to get a s'more shake that was new. I couldn't quit the caramel apple shaved ice with the gummy bear add on, I happily got it again and enjoyed it just as much as the first time.
Then back home for more movies/shows and trip planning. We eventually settled on Paris next March!
Even though we were watching movies, Banks stole the show. Just look at that face!
Banks always went to sleep before us, I think he secretly hated that we stayed up so late. He always wanted to be a part of the party but sweet buddy would get so tired and couldn't keep his eyes open. He always seemed so relieved and excited when we would head up to bed, then he knew he could sleep and not miss anything.
Then came the day Lu and I had to drive home. We enjoyed a lazy morning and took our time packing up, then we headed to get one last meal together before we left, even Banks came!
We went to Feellove Coffee and it was such a cute place, I loved it's fun, vintage vibe.
They have lots of different kinds of drinks, I got a caramel chai iced latte. Their food is just as delicious, I got a pumpkin chocolate chip scone and avocado toast, it was all so good.
It was such a fun week! I wish Lex lived closer so we could see her more often, I always love hanging out with her.