Stephanie Withers

I’m open about this because I want to help others who deal with unmedicated mental illness not feel so alone and inspire them to live a fuller life as well as educate those who don’t know what it’s like to be a prisoner to your own mind. She writes from a place of passion – for travel and new experiences, veganism, and environmentalism – and bundles her interests into her new blog, Sophia Rose Roams. While she’s new to the game, she’s always learning and growing and is definitely a versatile blogger worth watching. She’s got great content about family friendly destinations throughout the U.S. and researches new places based on themes that she’d like to check out.

By the time this story begins, my friend and I had already been camping with the wildlife in Virginia, stayed overnight in a beautiful home in Tennessee (when the owners were on a trip across the country), bunked with her church friend in Missouri (meeting the dog who knew how to smile and scared the living daylights out of me cause I thought it was snarling), and booked it across Kansas to land in Boulder, Colorado. We were pretty bummed that we couldn’t spend another night in the park as we were expecting more storms and my sleeping bag was soaked. What I don’t have photos of is the cool train dining car turned into a coffee shop or the health food co-ops we found. We talked about where he was from, how he came to Colorado, and joked a little about the town of Ward.

Beaumont, TX is home to some amazing food options If you’re not a vegan over here in Southeast Texas, you’re in luck! Last time I got pizza there, we ordered two medium pizzas – one of my vegan creation and one a plain cheese pizza – and we paid $36. Jackfruit, vegan desserts, several vegan cheese options, organic produce, bulk bins with beans, nuts, and seeds, and SO MUCH MORE. Finding vegan food in Beaumont, Texas is difficult, but not possible… I’ll continue to be on the hunt for vegan options in Southeast Texas, so keep an eye on this post as I’ll update it when I do!

The property was part of an original King’s Grant to the Frampton family in the 1700s, but the old farmhouse was burned down by General Sherman’s troops in 1865. We spent some time talking with the woman that worked inside (as we know my sister is a big fan of doing by now) and touring the property before getting in the car and heading down the road to a small store where we were told we’d ‘find the best pie’. The gardens expanded in the 1800s as the young man who inherited the property wanted to create a series of romantic gardens that would make his bride forget her home in Philadelphia and stay forever with him at Magnolia. We learned a lot about the family, the property, and the gardens from the tour through this massive home that’s set up like an American history museum.