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Nara Deer Park

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This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. This post is about the AMAZING Nara Deer Park!!

people and deer at nara deer park

A visit to Nara Deer Park is a MUST if you visit Japan!

We recently completed a 3 week tour of Japan. I completely fell in love with this amazing country. There is beauty beyond compare, and such a fascinating array of things to eat and explore!

One of the highlights of our trip was a visit to Nara Deer Park. Nara is fairly close to Kyoto, so we were able to take a day trip to Nara from Kyoto, where we were staying.

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Cedric’s Tavern and Toby

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This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. This post is about Cedric’s Tavern and our dog Toby. 🙂

Cedric's Tavern

April 2018 was the first trip we ever took with Toby our St. Bernard. We went to Asheville, North Carolina. If you haven’t been to Asheville I highly recommend you visit!

The Biltmore Estate and Antler Hill Village

Asheville is an incredible place, and the 3 of us enjoyed every moment. Any visit to Asheville MUST include the Biltmore Estate. The Biltmore was built by George Vanderbilt between 1889-1895 and is the largest privately owned home in the US. It is ENORMOUS!

In addition to touring the house itself, a visit to Antler Hill Village (also part of the Estate) also a must! Here you will find shops, restaurants, exhibits, and their farmyard.

Antler Hill Village is where we found Cedric’s Tavern. We were DELIGHTED to learn that the Vanderbilts also had St. Bernards. Cedric was George and Edith’s most beloved dog, and Cedric’s Tavern is named after him.

display with George Vanderbilt and Cedric

We popped in to have a drink, bought some Cedric’s Ale to take with us, and posed with the statue of Cedric and Cornelia Vanderbilt (their daughter and only child who inherited the Biltmore Estate).

Cedric's Pale Ale and glass
Statues of Cedric and Cornelia Vanderbilt

Below you will see some snaps I took of the Vanderbilts with their dogs (these hang on the wall in Cedric’s Tavern), as well as Cedric’s collar. This collar is now showcased in Cedric’s Tavern.

st bernard and the Biltmore Estate
The Vanderbilts and their dogs
Cedric's collar displayed

Cedric’s Collar Inspired Toby’s Collar 🙂

Cedric’s collar displayed inspired us to get the poor man’s version for Toby. You may be able to see a little of Toby’s collar below. 🙂 So if you are interested in the collar we bought for Toby, you can find it here on Amazon. It’s a leather padded dog collar which we have been really happy with. We purchased a name plate and had it engraved at a local store that sells trophys. Don’t you think he looks really handsome in his collar? 🙂

Toby and collar inspired by Cedric's collar

In conclusion, visiting Cedric’s Tavern was just so fun for us especially as owners of a St. Bernard. In addition to Cedric’s Tavern, there are so many amazing things to do in Asheville, especially if you are a foodie or craft beer lover! You can read about it here!

Asheville, NC – Food Lover’s Dream

Funkatorium Asheville Flight of Sour Beer

Finally, I hope you will visit the great city of Asheville, North Carolina sometime. You will love it!

Cheers!

Grace

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Asheville, NC – Food Lover’s Dream

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No Taste Like Home Tour

I confess when we decided to travel to Asheville, we didn’t know much about it. We discovered during our week there, that it is a food and craft beer lover’s dream. Asheville has an absolutely thriving food scene, and apparently has more breweries per capita than any other state in the US!

Here are a few foodie highlights from our visit, and if you love food you will LOVE Asheville!

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Taos Earthship Experience

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Taos Earthship, Taos, New Mexico

As soon as I saw this Taos Earthship on AirBnb, I knew we had to stay there. To my delight I discovered that it was dog friendly (a MUST as Toby has to have his adventures too!) and affordable! Located in Taos, New Mexico, it is set on a one acre lot that is private, serene, and the views are oh so incredible.

Taos Earthship
Taos Earthship – look at the views!

What is an Earthship?

The Earthship concept was pioneered by architect Michael Reynolds. This particular Earthship is a Michael Reynolds Earthship, and was designed by his wife. This AirBnb, hosted by Rex, who is the most accommodating and lovely host, is in a most unique community. The house faces a pyramid (about 3 minutes walk from the house), and the listing states that Michael Reynolds actually received inspiration for the earthships during meditations in the pyramid.

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Taos, New Mexico

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I love New Mexico, but had never stayed in the Taos area until recently. Better late than never! Taos is not just a ski destination. There are so many varied and wonderful things to do and see in Taos. Taos is for everyone!

Top Things To Do In The Taos Area

Ojo Caliente

Waterfall and landscaping at Ojo Caliente

Ojo Caliente is one of the oldest health resorts in North America. Translated it means “Hot Eye.” It is located approximately 45 minutes away from Taos, and the drive to the resort is beautiful from Taos.

Sign for Artesian Restaurant

They have a great restaurant on site, called the Artesian. Prior to experiencing the hot springs and saunas, we dined at the Artesian and had some great fish tacos and a New Mexican classic: the green chili cheeseburger. 🙂

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Explore Southern Utah

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This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.

Cliff walls stream rocks and trees at Zion National Park
Zion National Park

We were blown away by the beauty that was everywhere in southern Utah, and you will be too. Our family spent one week there (which was not enough), and we are yearning to go back.

If you are considering where to take your family on an affordable vacation that will be full of adventure and fun, you must consider southern Utah.

We found an amazing Airbnb to stay in, which was our home base. The Smithsonian Retreat is where we stayed, and it is located in the little town of Apple Valley. You can read about this incredible Airbnb in my post, Amazing Stay at the Smithsonian Retreat, Utah. It is perfect for a large family, and offers so many amenities including tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts. The house is awesome, but its standout features are the location and the views. I can’t say enough about it!!

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Amazing Stay at the Smithsonian Retreat, Utah

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Smithsonian Retreat House, Dog and Ford Excursion

The Smithsonian Retreat is what drew us to Utah. This is an Airbnb near Zion National Park, and having stayed there for a week I can confirm that it is truly an awesome property. If you are looking for lodging in Southern Utah, look no further this is it!

As you can see, it is dog friendly. The beautiful grounds are 2.5 acres (plenty of room for pooches to run!) and has volleyball, tennis, and basketball courts.

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Lovely Stay at Coyote Creek Cabin – Lindale, TX

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This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.

Coyote Creek Cabin Lindale

We started staying in vacation rentals a few years ago. It was important to take our Great Pyrenees dogs Curley and Dante with us whenever we went traveling, and Airbnb’s and VRBO’s were the way to go.

We no longer have Curley and Dante with us. Now we have Toby, our St. Bernard. He LOVES traveling, as did Curley and Dante.

So we continue to look for great vacation rentals that the 3 of us can stay in.

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