I was invited to be part of a Fayetteville, NC blogger and influencer meetup hosted by the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitor Bureau. This is not a sponsored post. All views and opinions are my own.
In just over a week it will be time to celebrate Valentine’s Day! If you are in the Fayetteville, North Carolina area I have some special spots for sweeties and sweets just for you!
I was invited to Leclair’s as part of an Fayetteville, NC blogger and influencer meetup hosted by the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitor Bureau. This is not a sponsored post. All views and opinions are my own.
Have you explored where you live lately? Let me tell you about a local Fayetteville, NC find, Leclair’s General Store and a little bit more.
It getting hot out there and that means finding different ways to beat the heat. Since I live in North Carolina my husband has banned the beach this year. If you haven’t heard North Carolina beaches have had a small shark problem this year, like only 8 or so shark attacks in the last few weeks. Then there is that whole man of war thing. We like our kids. We would rather they didn’t become shark snacks. Since the beach is out for now that then leaves good ole swimming pools and various bodies of freshwater. So far this summer my family has been exploring local bodies of freshwater. We went camping at Jordan Lake which only made my husband want a boat. I’m not sure that trip to the lake was a good idea. A couple weeks later we finally had an adventure and my husband and I had the opportunity to float the Cape Fear River. Floating a river is something we had talked about doing since we lived in El Paso. There you could go and float a section of the Rio Grande that was in New Mexico. Then I have classmates from high school that are always floating at Rainbow River in Florida. There must be something to this floating thing and my husband and I were going to find out.
We floated the Cape Fear River, had a good time and as usual a bit of an adventure also! We definitely learned a few things that will help make trips in the future even better. Check out my 10 tips for a river float trip!
1. Check the weather. You not only want to make sure you are going to have good weather for your trip but if your area has had rain, especially a lot you will want to check that river levels are safe for your float trip. This is where the adventure in our trip came into play. Our trip was suppose to last about 5 hours and it lasted just under 2! Why? We had heavy rains the day before and the river was rising and the current was very strong. The group I was with was the only group that went down the day I went because conditions turned dangerous. We had several floaters that missed the take out spot. Heck, my husband and I missed the first take out spot despite his swimming and my paddling.
2. Wear Sunscreen. I think this one is simple, wear sunscreen and reapply. Sunburn sucks.
3. Protect your feet Wear water shoes, sandals or a pair of five fingers. There is no telling what is on the river bottom. Plus you will need something to wear to walk down to the river and then once you are done. I chose an old pair of my minimal running shoes. They are my go to shoes for mud runs and things like this.
4.Leave valuables at home. Don’t bring anything you are not afraid to lose. If something falls into the river it is typically gone for good. It doesn’t care if it is your favorite sunglasses. My oldest son has a pair of eyeglasses at the bottom of Elephant Butte Lake in New Mexico… That was a lesson he and my husband learned fast.
5. Ziploc Bags. Ziplock bags are your friend. They are perfect for storing your phone and valuables such as car keys and copies of your ID and some cash.
6. Nalgene Wide Mouth Bottle. One thing that is better than using a Ziploc Bag is a Nalgene Wide Mouth Bottle. Not only are they perfect for water and other drinks but they are a great way to have watertight storage for your keys and smaller valuables.
7. Bring Beverages and not just the alcoholic kind. You need to stay hydrated during your float trip so be sure to bring some water and other drinks. If you choose to bring alcohol, first and foremost drink responsibly. Bring cans over bottles as glass is just dangerous in this situation.
8. Bring snacks. You are going to be out on the water for a bit and your bound to get hungry so bring some snacks. Just be mindful of what you bring. Things can easily get wet and you will be left with soggy food. You also want to be mindful of the trash you are bringing. Fruit, nuts and beef jerky are all great options.
9. Bring a cooler. If you are bringing food and drinks you are going to need somewhere to put everything. Just stay away from Styrofoam coolers as they have a tendency to fall apart and are banned in many areas.. Most places offer a float with a bottom for a small fee.
10. Carabiners and Rope. Some places offer rope or have rope around their floats but not all do. Having rope around your float and adding a carabiner allows you to hang things off of your float. The rope is also useful to attach your cooler float and other floats together.
There you go my 10 Tips for a River Float Trip! So listen to your river guide for instructions, wear your life vest (because safety first!) and have fun!
When my husband and I lived in the Fayetteville area during our first round at Fort Bragg we never went to downtown Fayetteville outside of the day we were married and to pick up our boy’s birth certificates. Back then we were always told to avoid the area. I can remember hearing about how they were trying to revitalize the area and every now and then I would hear about something that was going on. After being away eight years things have changed and I can safely say that staying away from downtown is NOT advice anyone should take. Downtown Fayetteville is full of places to explore, eat and shop! It is an area of Fayetteville I am still exploring so I was disappointed I missed part of the adventure my fellow bloggers went on during the Fayetteville Familiarization Tour. Luckily though I was able to check out the Dogwood Festival and Fourth Friday with them and check out some areas I really need to go back and explore!
Fourth Friday has been held in some way or form for the last about 15 years. Every Fourth Friday of the month part of downtown is closed where you can walk on the streets. There are exhibits, all sorts of free entertainment as well as food and drinks that come to together in historic downtown Fayetteville. It is a very relaxed and fun atmosphere.
On the Friday that we went we first came across a set up by the Climbing Place, where you could climb and race to the top of the rock wall. It was busy and we watched as father’s raced their children up the rock wall to see who would be first.
Next we came across the Fayettevillains. Check out the great video that Angela from Mommy PR took of them HERE
and finally we reached the Market House where Air Born Aerials was set up. Here is some video that I took:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7FzUosWuNY
They were amazing! Aerial silks have always amazed me.
Simply the upper body and core strength that is needed to do this amazes me!
I learned afterwards that there was even an exhibit inside of Market House. Honestly there is so much to do it is very easy to miss things with everything going on.
Just exploring I was making a mental list of all the places that I needed to come back to and visit. Fourth Friday was definitely a good way to get out and explore downtown Fayetteville!
In addition to Fourth Friday the Dogwood Festival was going on. The Dogwood Festival has been around since the early 80’s. Much like Raleigh is the city of oaks Fayetteville is the city of dogwood’s, giving the festival it’s name. The festival which is held every 4th weekend in April, hosts local and national music artists, arts and crafts,plenty of food and of course fun! Friday night’s featured artist was country singer,Craig Campbell.
As part of the blogger familiarization tour we were given the VIP treatment and hung out at the VIP tent but not without first walking the red carpet.
I have to say that red carpet sure can make a girl feel special.
We were able to sit back and relax while waiting on the night’s headliner.
While remaining close but somewhat far away from the stage
There are concert’s at Festival Park several times throughout the year and having been in the VIP section before I can say the set up varies. I was happy to find this up close video of the flash mob the Fayetteville Police did. Their video is much better than the one I posted on instagram so here it is:
While in the VIP area they served a buffet dinner from Hilltop House, another great local restaurant that serves contemporary southern food. One of the best buffets I have had since I became gluten free. The tiny potatoes I had were my favorites!
Here is what everyone else ate:
The food was great!
All that was left was to wait on Craig Campbell’s who eventually came out after 9:30. He started off his set with Brooks and Dunn’s, Play Something Country and the crowd loved it! His concert closed out an eventful day.
Are you interested in Fourth Friday and want to check it out?
Check out their Facebook page HERE
Want to learn more about Downtown Fayetteville?
Check out their page HERE
Today is my kiddos last day of school. We are saying see ya later to 2nd, 5th, 7th and 9th grade. Yes, I have the trifecta of kids in elementary, middle and high school and next year one of my monsters will be “homeschooled”. Homeschooling is not a decision we took lightly. There are so many factors to consider before deciding to homeschool, the largest being is this in the best interest of my child.
In our case we live in a smaller county in North Carolina and I have a child with special needs. My second son has Autism and since he was 3 year old he has gone to school. In fact he even started out in the country where we currently live. Back then though I was new to the world of Autism. I didn’t have anyone helping me figure things out, in fact Autism was often considered a gray area. I have learned a lot since my son’s diagnosis 10 years ago. I have learned to advocate for my child. Simply if I did not do it, who would?
I can be thankful for being a military family because it has allowed me to see how other school districts in different states work with special needs children. My son went from what I now call a glorified daycare program here in North Carolina to an intensive pre-k in New Jersey. He went from receiving only Speech therapy to Speech, OT and PT multiple times a week. They used ABA in the classroom, Had tons of aides and my son even had his own one on one in kindergarten. My son flourished during his 3 years in New Jersey. His Early Intervention Services there went above and beyond.
From there we moved to Texas. Our transition was tough. It took almost his entire 2nd grade year to update his IEP to a Texas one. I won’t lie, I was pretty frustrated during the process but it pushed me to further research IEP’s and state and federal laws. I ended up becoming pretty good with IEP 101. Once in 3rd grade though his school system had started a program for high functioning kids and by the time we left after he graduated 5th grade we were sad to go. My son was flourishing and doing extremely well in school.
As if transitioning to middle school wasn’t enough the Army sent my husband back to North Carolina in 2013. We researched schools and narrowed down the area we looked for houses. It was harder to find a house than we thought but eventually found our perfect house. We were also back in the school district my older two started school in. Easy peasy right? Wrong. Very, sadly wrong.
We tried, we gave it a good honest try but things just did not work out. I had already planned on 6th grade being a possibly bumpy year but had hoped for better things in seventh grade. What I found were teachers and administrators who were unknowledgeable about Autism and the fact that there is not a one size fits all formula that covers all children with Autism. I dealt with teachers who did not follow my son’s IEP and BIP. My son was even suspended after he had a meltdown caused by a teacher and his failure to follow my son’s BIP. That teacher has yet to say anything to me about that incident and didn’t even go to my son’s IEP/BIP mandatory meeting that was held because of the suspension. That speaks volumes to me. This entire incident was the straw that broke the camels back. This is what brought us to the world of homeschool.
We now had the fact that teachers and administration all agreed that my son would benefit from an one on one aide. Something I had previously requested and was told that there was no funding for. Yes, they really said that. So they were going to work on getting my son a one on one aide. This was back in March and he never received a one on one aide and we never met again to discuss getting my son one outside of one phone call.
The one phone call came from the principal. She was excitedly telling me about this great new program that the Army offers called ABA. Since my son was a military child he could get a one on one tutor with that program. All I could do was shake my head and then explain to the principal who is a military spouse herself what the program actually was an ECHO benefit and what ABA therapy is and how it wasn’t anything new. I also told her I was not going to be using my child’s medical benefits that he may need outside of school for something the school should be providing especially since they agree he needed it. Back to the drawing board she went and the topic was never discussed again.
When the final straw was broken my husband and I decided to homeschool our son. We had both looked into the possibility but it had always been just that. An option lingering in the back of our heads if things did not improve. We knew there was an online public school and as if it were fate it was the last week to sign up for the lottery. I signed my son up just so we had that option and to our surprise my son was selected. I rushed and did all the necessary paperwork to enroll my son. We had our plan. The program, NC Virtual Academy, had the same requirements as any other state public school. Our son had a regular school calendar, he would have to log attendance, school days were 6 hours, there would be structure built in, he would have a teacher and I would only be his learning coach, he would keep his IEP oh and he will do this all at home on the computer. A place where he never had the behavior problems or any of the other issues he had at his middle school. It sounded like a win-win for him.
I waited somewhat optimistically for an update about that one on one aide but it never came. I finally told his special education teacher the other day that he would not be back the next year and he would be attending the virtual academy. The next day at his award ceremony she agreed it would be good for him and understood we need to do what is in his best interest. She also reached out and offered to her help if we need it. She was in tears. You see once you learn my son’s “quirks” he is one of those kids you fall in love with.
Today I disenrolled him from school. It was easier than I thought it would be. They had me prove he was enrolled in the NC Virtual Academy which made me wonder what do parents who traditionally homeschool do? As I was leaving his special education teacher saw me and gave me a good bye hug. I told her I would still be around. I had a 6th grader that would be there next year. Yes, I’m trusting them with my youngest son, well for now.We will see how 6th grade goes. My oldest did ok so i’m trying to stay optimistic. The fault in the school is the lack of support for special needs students.
My reassuring moment was when I was leaving I walked past the principals. Typically someone says something about my son, or has a story, something. There is almost always a something. I was thinking maybe they would say something about that one on one aide but no. So I told the principal of the school my son would not be back and received a rather unconcerned reaction, I was kind of surprised. This was the same principal who called me a couple months prior that was working to get my son that one on one aide. Wow, I didn’t think this was going to be that easy but ok, thanks for making this easy. I knew in that instant I had made the right decision for my child.
So here we go onto our newest adventure, homeschooling. It’s an adventure I never really thought we would take on but I guess, never say never! Here’s to 8th grade and a smooth transition to the homeschooling world!
It’s that time of the year again, it is time for Memorial Day. Memorial Day for many is the long awaited weekend that welcomes summer. A time to head to the beach, pool or fire up the grill for a BBQ. There are those who confuse Memorial and Veteran’s Day and for this I kindly ask please do not Thank a Veteran on Memorial Day. That’s not what Memorial Day is all about. Memorial day is the day to remember all of our soldiers that have fallen while in the line of duty. My husband has lost several brother’s at arms, I know those who lost their spouses, children who have lost their father. I don’t know many in the military community that do not know someone who gave all.
With Memorial Day on us I want to urge people to do something a little different this year. Find a way to remember those who gave their all so you do not have to. An easy way is to look and see if you have any military history museums in your area. Living in the Fort Bragg area we are blessed with several great museums but if I could only pick one it would be the Airborne and Special Operations Museum.
The Airborne and Special Operation’s Museum has been in Fayetteville since August of 2000 and tells the story of the Airborne and Special Operations Soldier from the 1940’s until present time. Since it opened in 2000 I have gone several times but it wasn’t until I went on the blogger familiarization tour with the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau that I was really able to get a deeper look into the museum. We have gone on our own and taken family in the past but I have always had a little one or two so while I was able to walk through the museum I never was able to really give it the full attention it deserves. Even with the blogger tour I would have loved more time. There is just so much to see and learn.
When exploring the museum there are two routes to go, explore the outside first or the inside. Outside you have the original Iron Mike statue from Fort Bragg. There are also memorial stones and pavers lining the walkways up to the museum. There is also something outside that you won’t find elsewhere, a memorial to the K-9 Soldier. On Memorial Day (Monday, May 25,2015) at noon they will be holding a special memorial day ceremony to honor the bravery and dedication of the special operations K-9 Soldier.
Since we were visiting on a rainy day we went straight inside. Upon entering you see 2 paratroopers hanging from the ceiling. Here is one of them:
Once you have signed in you are set to explore the museum. Inside they have a temporary exhibit, the main exhibit and a simulator ride. The current temporary exhibit is, Task Force Ranger And The Battle of Mogadishu. This is better known to many from the book and movie, BlackHawk Down.
This exhibit just received the John Wesley Powell Prize, an award that is typically given to museums such as the Smithsonian! It really is a great exhibit and thanks to receiving the award we get to keep the exhibit a bit longer than planned. You have until October 2016 to check it out.
Here are a couple highlights from the exhibit:
and this:
There are no words to describe this note.
Moving on we go onto enter the Main Exhibit hall.
Walking through there is something to look at at every turn.
I loved looking at the uniforms and how much they have changed but also have stayed the same. The unit patch for the 508th is exactly the same logo today!
There was honestly too much for me to include in this blog but here are some of the bigger exhibits:
You walk through the 1940’s to present day with close attention to detail in an attempt to not miss a thing. I saw pictures that were similar to those of my grandfathers from World War II, you can read about how the Pathfinders began and why they were important, learn about different weapons and gear that was used. The tour is self guided so you can spend as much time or as little as you would like!
When you finish looking at the exhibit there is one more experience waiting for you. The Airborne and Special Operations Museum also has a simulator ride! They just updated it and it was to debate during Armed Forces Weekend but I have something for you. Here is a sneak peak of the ride:
I’m sorry but if you want to see how it ends you will have to go to the museum!
The museum is located at:
100 Bragg Boulevard
Fayetteville, North Carolina
The museum Hours are:
Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 12pm-5pm
Closed Mondays and Federal Holidays.
The museum will be open on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veteran’s Day.
We are closed on Federal Holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day, and Easter.
The Exhibit Gallery closes at 4:45.
They recommend allowing 2-3 hours to tour the museum grounds.
Admission is free to the museum but they accept donations.
You do have to pay to ride the Motion Simulator, it is $5; half price for those under 36″. Tickets are available in the gift shop.
If you check out the museum from May 16 thru June 27th 2015 you will also have the opportunity to check out the North Carolina Field of Honor. Hundreds of American Flags are flying honoring those who serve, who have served and those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice. The Field of Honor You can read more information about the North Carolina Field of Honor HERE.
ALL GAVE SOME. SOME GAVE ALL.
I really like doing things outdoors along with doing things that challenge myself. That is part of why I do half marathons and will be doing a full (Yes, I have gone full crazy!). I like riding “scary” rollercoasters and thrill rides. I’m not sure if I would jump out of an airplane like my husband but zip lining has always looked intriguing. I don’t like heights though. I can do them but not without that butterflies that makes me want to puke feeling in my gut. So when I saw Zippiest on the itinerary for the Fayetteville blogger familiarization tour the butterflies hit. I told myself I had this. Plus anyways, I didn’t want to come off as a scaredy cat in front of the other bloggers.
I was ready. It is zip lining, it is safe, you are hooked in, no falling off the cable. Why not?
So I signed my life away.
We got started with getting rigged up, harnesses, helmets, gloves and a leather sleeve for braking.
Gave each other names and wrote names on each other’s helmets… I was just Gourmet. After my blog.
We were then ready for training!
We went over the basics, how to stop, how to turn, self recovery. We practiced maybe 1-2 feet off the ground.
and then I was off! Well after everyone else. I ended up going last.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG7lO58iwYk&feature=youtu.be
The taking off was the hardest part and taking that leap. The actual zipping was fun. If that makes any sense.
As we zipped through the trees we learned that they all had names. Like this one was Consuella, Sway for short. Head out to Zipquest if you want to know why Tiffany was making the face she did.
By the time we were half way through I had the hang of things and was going first or second. That hard to go feeling went away. The only time I had an issue going again was when my fellow bloggers were making me laugh hard. Zipping was fun, I even yelled out a few woohoo’s while on the line.
We zipped through the trees and over water from tree to tree, platform to platform. Going higher and longer on each zip.
We went up floating staircases
and crossed rope bridges. I was banned from going first and then almost kicked out of the blogger group when I went last. I went too fast which made the bridge really swing…oops!
One of my favorites was zipping by the waterfall at Carver Creek. If you keep your eyes open on the same zip you can see a mill also. It was on this zip I decided I liked those long zips where you can’t see the other side.
In the end it was a great time and something I would definitely do again. Our guides were great, they were funny and very patient with us crazy bloggers. Thank you Erich and Kyle you guys are awesome!
A zipline tour will take about 2 and a half hours and features 8 ziplines with 16 platforms. There are also 3 (floating) spiral staircases and you cross 3 suspension bridges. You zip among the various plants, trees and wildlife in the Carver Falls area and actually zip over Carver Falls. In case of inclement weather (or other reasons such as injury) while out on the tour there are emergency ziplines that can be used as needed. Those tour guides also go through regular training to include monthly recertification. You are in good hands at Zipquest.
Zipquest offers both military and group discounts.
Zipquest is located at:
533 Carvers Falls Road
Fayetteville, NC 28311
Their hours are,Monday through Saturday 9am to 5pm & Sunday 10am to 5pm and reservations are highly suggested.
You can find out more information about Zipquest HERE
What do you think? Are you ready to go Ziplining?
Whether you are PCS/moving and need someplace to stay while you are house hunting, have family coming in from out of town or are just looking for a local stay-cation, I have the place for you in Fayetteville. The Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau started our blogger familiarization tour at the Fairfield Inn by Marriott on Ramsey Street and we were given a brief tour of the hotel. Every person has their own reasons for picking a hotel, the rooms, the amenities, the breakfast and this place has it all at an affordable price.
When you first walk into the lobby you are greeted by it’s open floor plan and a small seating area directly to your right as you walk in. To the left is check in as well as a small shop (Corner Market) where you can buy snacks and alcoholic beverages. We decided the wall behind check in was an awesome wall to take selfies! To the back was a large seating area what is used in the evenings and in the morning s for breakfast.
Moving on to the hotel rooms they are very nice and looked just like Fairfields pictures on their website. We were shown a room with a king bed as well as a studio with a king bed. Both rooms were quite roomy with plenty of space to maneuver around. The regular room had a space saving cubby hole built into the wall with your typical amenities- microwave, fridge and coffee maker. Where as the studio had a small kitchenette area that included dishes. The beds felt cozy, perfect for after a day exploring Fayetteville. If you had work to do they had a very nice desk in the room. The bathroom was your typical bathroom except for one thing, the shower. The shower was AMAZING! The pictures we took just did not do it justice. I would have loved to stay the night like a couple of my fellow bloggers to fully experience the room but it just wasn’t in the cards for me since my husband was away doing exciting Army stuff in Louisiana.
Among the other amenities the hotel has an indoor heated salt water pool. Personally, I love salt water pools over the typical chlorine pool. The pool area also included access to a patio area outside. This pool was really calling my name, if only I was staying the night! Directly across from the pool is the fitness room. The room was a very large room filled with a row of Precor treadmills and ellipticals and a rack with some free weights. Just enough for a quick work out while you are away. I really appreciated that there was more than one of each machine also!
A welcome addition to the Fairfield was an outdoor area in the back of the hotel with a BBQ grill and a fire pit and comfy seats. The fire pit is gas and is set to a timer for those oops, I forgot to turn it off moments. The back patio had everything you could need for a relaxing evening.
The Fairfield Inn does offer a complimentary breakfast and it is more than your typical cereal and maybe baked goods. They offer both hot and cold breakfast items and you can find something to meet most dietary needs. Even though I was not staying there I was able to try out their breakfast. Being gluten free this is often a challenge at many complimentary hotel breakfasts but I was able to have a couple pieces of bacon, a sausage patty and some yogurt. They also offered your typical make your own waffles, scrambled eggs, assorted pastries, fresh fruit to include a fresh fruit salad and more.
The Fairfield Inn isn’t just a place to spend a night away from home but they have meeting space and small banquet space. Are you part of an organization that holds regular meetings but is constantly looking for a place to meet? The Fairfield Inn has a conference room that you can rent seats 12 that is set up just to host meetings. Are you having a small wedding, sweet 16 or other small party? They have a room just for you. The room even includes a door directly to the outside to a patio area where your guest can smoke or just hang out.
The Fairfield Inn by Marriott is a great hotel for all your hotel needs where you get your money’s worth. They also offer government/military rates upon availability. I hope you take it into consideration when looking for a hotel in Fayetteville!
I don’t think i’ve purposely ever eaten Greek or Mediterranean food until I recently went on the Blogger familiarization tour of Fayetteville. I don’t really know why other than I never ate it growing up. My husband has never asked for it either. I like to try new foods so I was excited to try it and I am so glad that I did! Discovering where I lived so I could bloom whereally pays off as I was finding some real gems.
Sherefé is a Mediterranean grill located in downtown historic Fayetteville. If you are into historic buildings that alone will make you want to check them out!
The building itself is amazing! It has it’s original brick walls, that I loved.
After we ate we were given a tour of the building and upstairs has a room that can be used for large parties that is simply gorgeous.
You have the original brick walls and wood floors and it is decorated with upcyled mirrors that were found in the building when it was purchased.
The restaurant is simply beautiful.
Enough about what it looked like let me tell you about the food! That is why we were at Sherefé after all, for lunch. We were brought out their beautiful Mediterranean Delight, a sample of their many appetizer offerings. There wasn’t a single thing on the plate that I tried that I did not like! The hummus was addictive and perfectly garlicky, falafel that was gluten free with an amazing tzatziki, the quinoa tabouili and the dolma (stuffed grape leaves) were all great. Why hadn’t I tried greek food sooner?
As we were snacking on our appetizers the restaurants owner Mustafa Somar came into the room and at first wondered why we were not eating exclaiming “This is like grandma’s house, no one goes hungry”. We just had so much food in front of us much like grandma’s and were saving room for our lunches. Mustafa was a delight to talk to and especially listen to. He has strong beliefs about our food and where our food comes from. He only uses quality ingredients like antibiotic free, corn fed chicken. My you are so amazing moment came while he was talking about gluten. I am gluten free not because I think it is cool or a way to lose weight but because my body gets sick with the tiniest amount of gluten. When gluten makes you sick it is hard to find restaurants that cater to you and truly understand the importance of being gluten free. Mustafa and Sherefé understand. The care in this is shown not only on their menu but to the care they put in what they make. Simple small things like using rice flour or quinoa instead of bulgar to make a dish gluten free. To not having deep fryers and instead pan frying dishes. Sherefé is a gluten free person’s dream! I was in love!
Not only was I in love with their care for those that are gluten free but they also are very accommodating for special diets in general and that care extends to their menu where everything is clearly labeled.
Sherefé also offers several vegetarian and vegan dishes and can adjust dishes for your dietary needs.
For lunch I chose Chicken under a Brick, a rosemary, garlic, all natural chicken, chimichurri along with Roasted Vegetables with Ginger & Quinoa. It was so delicious and perfectly cooked! Those around me with me had various other items off the menu from Doner Kabob, Norwegian Salmon and Sherefé’s Small Plate Taste and everyone enjoyed their dishes. Tiffany from Mrs Tee raved about their Lemon Chicken soup which is gluten free and one of the restaurants popular choices selling out whenever they make it. I can’t wait to go back and try more of their menu offerings especially their Greek Yogurt Cheesecake that is gluten free. I just need to remember to leave room for it!
Sherefé has daily specials which can be viewed on their Facebook or emailed directly to your inbox. They also offer many of their house made soups for sale frozen, which make for a great quick lunch! Interested in learning to cook? Sherefé can help you there also! Mustafa is not only an culinary arts teacher at FTCC but he offers classes at his restaurant. Upstairs in a room next to the room they use for large parties they have a kitchen they use for cooking classes.
Sherefé is located at 114 Gillepsie St and is open Monday – Thursday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm and Friday – Saturday: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm. They are closed on Sundays. They offer both walk in and reservations.
Check them out for yourself and see how delicious it is!
Being a military spouse one of the biggest lessons I have learned is to bloom where you are planted. Basically, where you are will only be as good as you make it, it is your choice whether you love or hate a duty station. When you bloom where you are planted you are making the choice to get out and explore and see what your community offers.
When I moved back to the Fort Bragg area in the summer of 2013 one of the many ideas flying around in my ADHD head is I should really start a bloom where you are planted series and write about all the hidden gems I come across that make Fort Bragg great. Thanks to the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau my idea is going to become a reality almost 2 years later! The Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau contacted me and asked me if I would be interested in a blogger familiarization tour of Fayetteville. I said, yes please and I have to say i’m glad I did because it was an awesome adventure!
I joined 3 other Fayetteville area bloggers that I only “knew” online. We had talked a couple times about meeting up with other local bloggers but we just hadn’t done it yet. Life happens and we are all busy ladies. Finally being able to meet some of my fellow local bloggers was another added perk of this adventure. I am so glad I got to meet Krystal of Army Wife 101, Angela from Mommy PR and Tiffany from Mrs Tee Love Life Laughter because they are all really wonderful ladies! Our adventure was filled with laughs and I cannot imagine any better ladies to go on this adventure with.
Our adventure started on a Friday at the Fairfield Inn and ended at Zipquest on Saturday afternoon. There was so much stuff packed into the two days that I cannot put it all in one post so I will be adding separate posts about all of our adventures and the oh so wonderful food that we ate! I cannot wait to share with you all of the things we did. I hope you will love them as much as we did and go out and discover Fayetteville! There are many hidden gems in this area and I cannot wait to share them with you in my Bloom Where you are Planted series!
