Chasing Cozy

by Leslie Claire

TRAVEL

UPGRADE YOUR TENT CAMPSITE

Tent camping is something James and I have enjoyed from childhood, and something we have shared together since we started dating.

It’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea- I get that. I do think there are ways we like to improve upon our campsite that make it so much cozier!

 

In this post I’m going to share a quick list of tips for giving your outdoor adventure an upgrade.

  1. Don’t put your sleeping bag right on the ground. Get an air mattress or cot and put your sleeping bags on top.
  2. If you don’t love smoky flavor added to your food from cooking on the camp fire, get yourself a small camp stove. These run off of little propane tanks and you’ll be whipping up campsite gourmet in no time.
  3. Add some string lights to you campsite. These will improve the ambience and make your experience more festive. Plus, no one likes fumbling around with only a flashlight.
  4. Upgrade your s’mores!  Try dark chocolate or peanut butter cups instead of the traditional milk chocolate. Maybe even try making your own marshmallows!
  5. Bring a portable premade dessert with you to enjoy after a long hike. These mini lemon bundt cakes will keep well in a  cooler and are refreshing for summer!

Here are some of my favorite camp upgrades!


 I hope you enjoyed these tips and will share your cozy campsites with us over on Instagram! 

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THE CARIBBEAN COURT BOUTIQUE HOTEL- VERO BEACH, FL

 

After our wedding James and I were lucky enough to stay at one of Vero Beach’s hidden gems. The Caribbean Court Boutique Hotel has 18 charming guest rooms that are finished with details like hand-painted tile and original art. The uniqueness of each room lends to the coziness of the property.

 
 

The hotel truly is tucked into it’s own little Vero paradise with the property covered in tropical greenery and foliage. There is walking access to the beach and a pool on the property. I grew up in Vero Beach and still enjoyed my stay at the hotel. It was a refreshing take on the beach culture of the town. I could relax and enjoy myself while still accessing all of my favorite local cafes and eateries.

 
There were little lounge areas tucked into every nook of this property. You can’t see them unless you really take the time to walk through every archway and green canopy.

I was basically gushing over the beautiful pieces in our room to James the entire time we stayed. We stayed in two different rooms, each unique. My favorite details had to be the colorful tiles. I now need these somewhere in our future house. It’s not a style I would normally go for, but it was just so fitting for the mood.

 
 

 

 
 

The Havana Nights Piano Bar is located upstairs of the restaurant and provides a relaxing retro vibe for a chill cocktail hour. We enjoyed the high backed booths that lent a more romantic feel to the experience. After a long day on the beach with family and friends, this was a nice way to unwind for the night. There was live music provided by local musicians.

The restaurant where we ate every breakfast, Maison Martinique, served up the freshest food with more vintage Florida vibes. Each morning we enjoyed the omelette of the day and a fresh side of fruit.

I dined out by the pool to soak up some of the Florida sunshine while we could. Breakfast was served between 8 and 10 a.m. and I promise you will not find a better complimentary breakfast anywhere in town.

 

The staff was extremely friendly and accommodating, even when we needed to get a room key at 2:00 a.m. after our reception. (Evidence below) It felt like we were best fiends with the staff by the end of our three-night stay.

I am already ready to return to the Caribbean Court, because even though 45 degrees is “warm” for Michigan, it’s just not cutting it. I highly recommend this boutique hotel for a quick getaway with your S.O. I might even bring Archie next time since the property is pet friendly. (Big bonus points)

If you have any questions about this hotel or just want to hear me gush more about the greenery and decor, please reach out! You can find me here or on here.

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DIGGING FOR QUARTZ IN ARKANSAS

In this post we will dig into our trip to Arkansas. We went on this tripn to dig for quartz crystals and scope out the best places for future mining. We went into this venture without any previous connections in the area, so we really had to search on our own to find the hidden gems. During our research we found two places that really stood out and were close enough together that it wouldn’t take us the better part of the day to get from one to the other.

We got in the car and drove east towards Arkansas form Oklahoma. When you cross the Oklahoma state line into Arkansas, the scenery instantly changes and turns to beautiful forest with hills and winding roads.

Arkansas is one of the most well-known locations to search for quartz. Since we had never dug in this part of the country for this type of quartz, we decided to be prepared for some hard rock digging, similar to the Dolomite you would find Herkimer diamonds in. With that in mind, we brought hand tools like our trusty pinch point crowbar, a couple of hand hammers, a sledge hammer, safety gear, garden picks and a few chisels. We have gathered these tools from a medley of spots, some even second hand from expert diggers.

When we arrived in Arkansas, we checked into quaint motel owned by a local family. When we went downstairs for breakfast the next morning, we were thrilled to see other couples and small groups of people who were getting an early start to their digging day as well. We chatted and all shared tips about the best local spots for maximum quartz payout. This, combined with a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch (real throwback there), had us giddy to start our trek.

The first place we went to had a few advertisements around town and even a crystal shop you could visit to pick up your digging ticket. We figured this would be the more touristy place, but an easy place to start.

This first mine is known to produce some amazing and massive quartz crystals, but all these are found in the commercial pit, which you are not allowed to go into for safety reasons. Since this site was purely tailings from the mine in soft clay-like dirt, no heavy tools were needed. To dig this site we mostly used gloves and small gardening picks for excavation here.

At the end of our day we walked away with a few good pieces but nothing that blew our socks off. We dug here for a few hours but did not find much. After talking with some regulars, they informed us that these particular places hire people to dig through the mine tailings, which means you can find some very high quality quartz, but they will most likely be fragmented or small.

 

After this initial dig we went back to the hotel for some research and some much needed hot coffee. We were determined to find a place that let us do what we truly love to do, dig into the actual crystal producing formation. There’s just something sort of magical about unearthing a crystal from its formation and thinking that it could be the first time it has seen the light of day and that you are the first person to find it. It usually requires a lot of extra work, but just thinking that the next little layer you crack off the wall could reveal a huge pocket of perfect crystals makes it all worth it. I like to think of it as a little natural treasure chest that’s all yours.

With all this in mind, we landed on the Twin Creek Crystal Mine as out next dig site. We found this place online after digging thorough a few forums.

Excited to get out there and explore this new place, we woke early the next day to grab some food from the lobby and headed out. We love being the first people on site so we can pick our ideal digging claim for the day. We followed some directions that were piecemealed from the forums we searched and we eventually found ourselves on a tiny, unpaved mountain road. We followed the road until we finally saw a small sign that pointed us in the right direction. After about twenty more minutes of driving through small streams and VERY bumpy roads, we got to the top of the mountain.

OKLAHOMA SALT FLATS- SELENITE

What in the world is there to do in Oklahoma? This is a question I asked myself frequently right before we moved here a year ago (2017). After a little research, James and I decided we needed to pay the salt flats a visit.

If you like any of the following, your are in for a real treat with this place:

  • digging for crystals
  • unique and picturesque landscapes
  • winding roads through the back country
 
Our original intention was to camp at the salt flats and dig for two days. However, the camping area was nowhere near the permitted digging area. We turned this into a day trip instead. When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised by the barren but beautiful landscape. An added bonus, entry is free. The park is open April 1st through October 15th.

The main attraction here is dinging up crystals from the dried up lake bed. When we arrived we parked and walked out past where most people were digging to get to some mostly untouched ground. This was ideal, as we found tons of selenite crystals. Here is what we recommend for making the most of your trip:

  • Bring your camera. We visited on a cloudy day and the landscape was still so unique and inspiring. This would be a great  place for a photo shoot.
  • Bring gloves. We cannot emphasize this enough. You WILL and up with scraped hands, as the crystals are sharp. We recommend gloves that still allow flexible movement buy provide a protective barrier. We have these.
  • Shovels, garden spades and carrying containers for your finds are a a necessity. This folding shovel is ideal if you have a small car.
  • Bring digging clothes you don’t care about. The red dirt may stain. Even better, bring clothes to change in to for a comfortable ride back to your campsite.
  • SUNSCREEN is a must. There is no shade.
  • As always, bring lot’s of water. There are mot many places en route to stop for supplies.
We will definitely be visiting again and will check out some of the nearby cabins. Hopefully the weather will be sunny. Share your favorite crystal digging experience on our latest Insta post. For more lodging information check out the official Great Salt plains State Park website.This post contains affiliate links that I may make a small commission from.