Frankfort Kentucky's Hidden Gem

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while since I told you about my adventures. As I said in my previous post, I've had a lot of changes happening in my life. But I'm back now! So expect to see more of me popping up in your email. If you haven't signed up to get email notifications, you totally should. Just type your email address in the box provided to the right of the page (you may have to scroll a little).

I recently went home to Kentucky due to a family emergency. I'm the type of person who likes to try to find the good in every bad situation, no matter how hard it may be. I guess the one good thing that came out of it is that I got to spend time with my family, which was nice. I haven't seen them in over a year now.

During my time at home I explored a lot with my mom. When we had the chance that is. We managed to find some pretty cool things and even met some pretty awesome people. All within a half hour of where I grew up. I guess it goes to show that every town has it's own hidden gems, even small ones.

Easily my favorite place that we found was this little shop in the historical part of Frankfort, not far from the old capitol. It's called Kentucky Knows! Now, if you've followed my blog for a while, you know that I am absolutely obsessed with coffee. Well, Kentucky Knows roasts their own coffee. That's cool and all, but there's something that really makes them stand out.

They allow their coffee beans to "sleep" in bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace Distillery. If you've ever been to Kentucky then you know that Kentucky is known for Horses and Bourbon. So you can only imagine how delicious the coffee is after being aged in these barrels. The coffee that is sold is always no more than 7 days old. So you know you're always getting the freshest coffee around.

Kentucky Knows offers a variety of flavors of their coffee. There is the Kentucky Bourbon Coffee, Carmelled Barrel Aged, Bourbon Cinnamon, and so many more.

You get to try a free cup when you come into the store.

Tony Davis, the owner, is a kind, welcoming and warm.

Tony Davis, the owner of Kentucky Knows

When we first walked in, he gave us a little tour and told us about the process of the coffee aging and told us about his woodworking. We stayed and talked to him for over an hour. At no point did we feel rushed or that he wanted us to leave. We felt completely welcome to stay as long as we wanted.

 He is a Marine Corp veteran. The discipline and patience he gained through his experience in service definitely shows in the amazing art he creates from the bourbon barrels after the coffee has aged. He makes absolutely amazing things. Everything is custom made to his customer's liking.

One of my favorite things he makes is his Kentucky Knows guy. Tony told us that he has always been within the barrels, that it just took them to let him out.

A barrel with the Kentucky Knows logo

Tony is planning to expand Kentucky Knows. He hopes to have live music for the community to enjoy, amongst many other great plans. So keep an eye out as he grows his business.

If you're ever in Kentucky, I highly recommend stopping by. It's definitely worth it! He creates so many things that I haven't shown you. So what are you waiting for? Go to Kentucky Knows!


www,kentuckyknows.com

Phone: 859-621-5261

337 West Broadway St
Frankfort, Ky 40601

A Little Catch Up

Hey y'all!

I know it's been forever since I last wrote a post. You probably thought I fell off the face of the earth or just stopped traveling (surely y'all didn't assume the latter). There's been a lot of big changes going on in my life lately. Buuuuuuut, I won't bore you with the details. No trust me, I could probably go on and on about all the things that have been happening. You'd lose complete interest and just stop reading.

That being said, I want you all to rest assured that I will be back to writing about my wonderful adventures! I can't wait to share all the amazing places I visit with y'all. I currently have a few posts in the making, so keep your eyes open!

That's all for now!

Best Coffee Shops on Oahu

As I'm sure many of you know by now, I absolutely LOVE coffee. When I travel, I always try out local coffee shops. I have stumbled upon the most amazing people in these shops and, of course, some super delicious coffee.

When I first moved to Hawaii, I set out to find the perfect cup of coffee. In my search, I have discovered some amazing places that often people wouldn't find. So here's my list of the BEST coffee shops on Oahu!

• Local Joe

It's the only coffee shop on the island where you can put any picture on your latte.

Pretty neat huh? And the coffee is delicous.

If you don't have a picture, you can choose from some they have

Phone: 808-536-7700

110 Marin St
Honolulu Hi 96817

Mon-Fri: 6:30 am - 5 pm
Sat: 8 am - 1pm
Sun: Closed

• Surfer's Coffee Bar

Surfer's is one of my favorite places to just go and hang out. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming and the coffee is super yummy.

The coffee shop is a non-profit coffee shop and all the employees are volunteers. 100% of the proceeds go to local and global non-profit organizations.

Phone: 808- 439-3644

63 Kamehameha Hwy
Wahiwa Hi 96786

Mon:  Closed
Tues- Thurs: 7 am - 7 pm
Fri - Sat: 7 am - 9 pm

• Brew + Foam

A friend actually found this coffee shop online and we decided to try it out. It's a little shop but the flavors are big. They have a Haupia Mocha. Try it. You won't regret it! And if you do try it, comment below and let me know what you think!

Also, they have super delicious Acai bowls.

Haupia Mocha

Phone: 424-234-2244

67-292 Goodale Ave # 105
Waialua Hi 96791

Mon-Fri: 6 am - 3 pm
Sat- Sun: 7 am - 1 pm

• Green World Coffee Farm

This was the first coffee shop we tried after moving to the island. It's pretty large. They even have a gift shop that you can buy local goods and tons of different flavors of coffee that are made in house.

Walking through the rows of the Coffee Farm

You can also walk out back and walk through the Coffee Farm itself. Before going here I had never seen a coffee cherry.

Phone: 808- 622-2326

71-101 Kamehameha Hwy
Wahiawa Hi 96786

Mon - Fri: 6 am - 6 pm
Sat - Sun: 7 am - 7 pm

• Glazer's Coffee

This coffee shop is small and cozy. It's a great place to bring a laptop and just chill.

The coffee is delcious! (I wouldn't steer you wrong, now would I?)

2700 S King St

Honolulu Hi 96826

Mon - Thurs: 7 am - 10 pm

Fri: 7 am - 9 pm

Sat - Sun: 8 am - 10 pm

These are just a few of my favorite coffee shops that I've tried on Oahu. What are your favorites? Have you tried any of these? If so, what did you think?

Wanderer Bracelets

I'd like to take a moment and tell you guys about an awesome company called Wanderer Bracelets.

I literally always wear mine. If you follow my blog, I'm sure you've seen my bracelets in my pictures.

Each bracelet is hand carved in Bali.

By purchasing a bracelet, you are supporting opportunity for these artists to share their work with the world. Not only that but you are giving them an opportunity to have sustainable work, which allows their families to stay together. If you had the ability to change the lives of over 100 families, wouldn't you want to?

Also, they are fighting against the ivory trade! So you're helping to protect elephants as well!

There are so many different designs available (and more being added constantly), many of which are travel themed! What better way to rep your passion, than by helping others in the process?  There were quite a few new designs added this week and there are more in the process of being added. There's a little something for everyone. They also make amazing gifts!

Click here  to browse the many designs they offer. If you use coupon code "scarlettsmiles" and you'll save 20% on your purchase.




As always, all opinions are my own.

Kauai: Day Two. Featuring, The Sleeping Giant.

After going to bed early the night before, we woke up before the sun. We packed our backpacks, loaded up on snacks and water and headed out.

Our first stop, the Sleeping Giant Trail. We were super excited to do this hike. It's one of the reasons we visited Kauai in the first place. It's 4 miles round trip.

We started on our way. The first part of the hike was pretty steep. Lucky for us, the sun hadn't risen yet. So we didn't have to worry about the heat beating down on us.

The trail had trees creating a canopy over us. The side didn't have any railing, so if you decide to hike it, keep that in mind (especially if you have children). The higher we hiked up the mountain, the more beautiful the view got.

We were about halfway to the top when it started raining. It rains a lot in Hawaii, so we were used to it. But the rain made the trail super muddy and slick. But that's one of the fun things about hiking, right?

We finally made it to the top, just as the sun began to rise.

We were a little wet from the rain

 It was absolutely breathtaking to see. When we first made it, the top of the mountain was engulfed by a cloud. So we stood looking over the nearby town, while in a cloud. Pretty neat huh?

There was a bench that we sat on and looked out, just taking it all in.

It was quiet and because it was early, there wasn't really any people.

To date, this is one of my favorite hikes that I've ever done.

As we headed back, more and more people started to show up. So if you want to do this hike, I totally recommend leaving early in the morning before the sun it up. It won't be nearly as hot and there won't be a lot of people hiking with you.

By the time we got back to our car, we were hot and covered in mud. Remember how I mentioned it rained earlier? Well, it's even slicker going down. So be careful. We headed back to take a shower before going about the rest of our day.

Next stop, Kilauea Lighthouse.

It was such a cute little lighthouse! Lucky for us, we were there on a day that they do the tour of the lighthouse and give the history.

The lighthouse has a very interesting past. At least I think it does. In 1927, two Army aviators attempted to make the first flight from the mainland US to Hawaii. The aviators were 20 hours into their flight, they see the light of Kilauea Lighthouse, after overshooting Oahu where they had intended to land. They circled the lighthouse until dawn came. They were then able to make the flight to Oahu.

After serving as a light for both aviation and marine navigation for 63 years, the Kilauea Light was replaced with an automated beacon and boarded up.

Many years after being boarded, the lighthouse was registered as a Historic landmark. They tore the boards down and restored it. You can now take a tour on certain days.

They ask you to remove your shoes before entering the lighthouse.

We had an amazing time exploring Kauai for a couple of days. We can't wait to go back!

What are your favorite things to see and do on Kauai?