Have you heard of Idyllwild? Idyllwild is a small, quaint town nestled about two hours outside of SD/LA in the San Jacinto mountains. This mountain native town – full of character, beautiful pine trees, and surprisingly good food/restaurants! – is a nice half day adventure if you’re looking for a nearby but off-the-grid escape.

I had never heard of Idyllwild before – I’m surprised no one talks about this place! It probably gets overshadowed by the nearby Palm Springs, Big Bear, etc. but honestly Idyllwild is like the SoCal version of Yosemite! Besides the cute village, there are tons of hikes/trails/lakes, historic mountains/boulders, and instagram-worthy A-frame cabins hidden in tall pine forests.

What To Eat?

Honestly, all the restaurants there looked pretty good and were quite packed! Lots of really cute outdoor dining with forest backdrops.

Michael and I ate at Mile High Cafe – it is an…ASIAN DINER!! And they do it really well. Michael got country fried steak and I got loco moco! I haven’t had loco moco in forever. If you’ve never had it, it’s basically hamburger and gravy over rice, usually topped with eggs with mushrooms on the side. It’s a popular dish in Japan/Hawaii!

What To Drink!

Connected to the Mile High Cafe is Alpaca Coffee & Tea. Y’all, I have been to my fair of drink places and…this has to be the BEST MATCHA DRINK I HAVE EVER HAD! Not LA, not SD, but in freakin’ IDYLLWILD. Get the matcha strawberry latte. It’s freakin’ $8 but it is SOOOO GOOD. Delicious, true japanese matcha and fresh strawberry puree – swirled into thick, creamy milk…it’s divine. I was blown away.

After getting some food in your system, you can walk around the town and look at all the unique small shops and their trinkets! Idyllwild, what a secret gem! It’s definitely not for everyone, but if you like adventuring to unique places or if you’re an outdoorsy person – maybe do a quick trip to Idyllwild!

Thank you all for your continued support and reading! I hope you have a great week 🙂

Xo,
Em