Re-Energize Your Soul In Idyllwild

Idyllwild, CA

Small towns get in a person's blood and stay there. It's the way people in small towns treat you like their neighbor and have conversations with you like it isn't the first time you've met. The shops and restaurants have as much character as the people who live there and nothing is unoriginal.

Red Kettle in Idyllwild

I feel like my soul gets rejuvenated when I spend time in a small town, and Idyllwild did not disappoint. We started the day with lunch on the patio of the Red Kettle. The place was packed and the server referred to everyone as Sweetie and Honey. The sun was warm, the breeze refreshing, and the diner homey. 

Merkaba tea shop in Idyllwild

Some shops carried trinkets and t-shirts, as expected, but many of the stores catered to specialty items and local artistry. The aroma of the tea shop wafted though the open windows and onto the street, beckoning. Front porches on stores were as cozy as any on a home, with potted plants and benches to sit on. 

Mountain Paws encouraged dogs to come in and enjoy the treats and browse through the store with their owners. Dogs were every where in town, strolling the streets with their humans and leaning out of open windows in cars, enjoying the day as much as anyone. 

A one mile drive out of town brought us to a great hiking spot with trails climbing into the mountains. The crisp scent of the pine trees and fresh mountain air kept us hiking ever higher, looking for the next view of the beautiful valleys below. 

As a final stop, we went to the ice cream shop before we left town, for thick shakes (too thick for the straw and almost too heavy for the plastic spoon) and chocolate dipped cheesecake. We meandered back through town to our car, wanting to enjoy the late afternoon. 

Everything slows down in the afternoon in a small town, just the way I like it.