He makes me smile!

I love it when my husband plans a weekend for us! He takes care of every detail so that I can just enjoy the ride. Friday morning we got the kids off to school and headed north for Traverse City.
We stopped at Beans to Brew on our way out of town for a Chai and a bagel to go. Our next stop (3 hours later) was Sleder's in Traverse City for lunch.

Then we started a tour of 3 different vineyards. I have never done this before. I really enjoyed it. Mark had been to all of them before on a "work" trip. He had actually arranged it all for work when the plans that they had for sailing got canceled due to rain. The first winery was Bowers Harbor. At each stop we were able to taste 6 different wines. This was great for me because I enjoy a glass of wine now and then but I never know what to order. Mark usually orders for me. Now I have a little more knowledge of what I like and what I don't like.

Next we went to Chateau Chantal. This vineyard had the most amazing views. It is located high up so you can see for miles and with all the colors right now it was just beautiful.

Here is a view from the drive as we were leaving.

The last winery we visited was Chateau Grand Traverse. I must have consumed to much wine by then because I was enjoying myself so much I forgot to take pictures of it. Wink! We arrived to this one just in time to join in on a tour. It was very interesting to see the whole process of making wine.
Here is a picture from a roadside "Kodak moment" spot. Mark enjoys asking random strangers to take our picture. At least the wife of the man Mark asked was laughing also.

After we were done "touring" we went to do a little shopping. I love walking downtown Traverse City.
Then it was off to the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa to get checked in and to change our clothes for dinner. We weren't in the same room as last time so our view overlooked the parking lot, but out past that... still gorgeous.


We had a wonderful, delicious dinner at Amical. It is a bistro downtown. I highly recommend it but don't forget to make reservation. Mark had made us a reservation earlier in the day while we were shopping and it is a good thing. We heard the hostess tell someone who came in without one that it would be an hour and a half wait. Yikes! That was at 8pm at night. We were seated within 10 minutes and we arrived 5 minutes before our reservation.

Mark waited patiently for me to get ready Saturday morning. The fact that there are hunting shows on the TV makes it really easy for him to be patient with me.


The next morning, after sleeping in without hearing kids (heaven), we went back downtown to the bookstore for Chai and a bagel. My hubby knows what I like. Then we did a little more shopping (big sales at Kohl's) and headed for home.

Here is a picture of the golf course Mark was planning on taking me to on the way home. I would have loved to do that but I had left off my wrist brace (still not completely healed from breaking it this summer) and my wrist was already bothering me. I didn't want him to pay the money if it was just going to aggravate my wrist more.

We stopped in Rockford to have a late lunch at Reds on the River. It is a beautiful restaurant and it lived up to what people have told us about it.

Then back home to my kids. I am so proud of how well they got along and behaved while we were gone. We left Zack in charge. He took the girls to the football game Friday night. Then Saturday morning he took them to Grand Video and let them pick up a couple of movies to watch. I had my doubts about leaving them home overnight alone but Mark thought Zack was capable of watching them. He was right.
A wonderful weekend had by all.
Smiles!

Weekend Get-away

Edited to add: Whoops! I goofed and this never posted. It should have posted Friday. Oh well still figuring out this "post while I am away" thing.

Mark is taking me away to the Grand Traverse Resort this weekend. We went there two years ago and really enjoyed ourselves. It rained a lot that weekend but the view from our room was still gorgeous.

I can't wait to take a nice long soak in this bathroom again.

Have a great weekend!
Ginger- No stealing all my Duck, duck, goose points while I am gone this time. ROTFL!
-Smiles!

Can you say "Pampered"?

First in regards to my last post. Little Noah is doing great! Thank you for all your prayers and please continue to pray for him and the family as they wait his home coming.

I have a hubby that loves to pamper me and I love him for it! He took me to Petoskey this weekend to stay at The Inn at Bay Harbor and it was wonderful!!!

Here is sweet hubby filling up before we hit the road. You can't tell but there is no snow on the ground here and hubby isn't wearing a coat.

We left our house Friday around 1pm. Mark had taken half a day off from work. First stop, Jimmy John's for lunch.

We are about 30 minutes from home in the next picture and if you can see the temp on the mirror it says 18 degrees Brrrrr! You will also notice the ground is covered in that white stuff that we didn't have at home.

Hubby tells me to reach behind his seat for my first surprise.

He had a gift bag for me and in it was a bottle of wine, a can of whole cashews, a King size Kit Kat bar, a three CD pack of Celtic music (he thought it was the Celtic woman and was bummed when he realized he read it wrong but it was still nice music), a berry smelling candle, and hand warmers (for while we are shopping downtown Petosky on Saturday in case it is really cold I can put one in each coat pocket).

We are about half way now. There are flurries on and off but the roads are still pretty good.

We arrived at the Inn just before 5pm. Just in time for my 5 o'clock appointment at the Spa. Oh yeah, my hubby knows how to start the weekend off right.

I was treated with a 75 min. Swedish Massage to start with. Then I used their ladies room to take a shower and do my hair. Everything I needed was supplied. (My hair gets a little messy after the massage and I knew dear hubby had fancy dinner plans.) Then off to get a manicure. That took until 7:20pm. Hubby was waiting for me when I got out and he took me up to our room which I hadn't seen yet because we got there a little later then planned.

Time to get dressed to go out for dinner but I don't want to ruin my new manicure. "Will you help me undress and dress?" He planned that too didn't he. Smiles!

We ate at Latitude Restaurant. (Picture taken Saturday morning in the daylight) We started the meal with Lobster Roll for an appetizer and then I had the Fire Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Mark had the Char-Grilled Beef Filet. The servings were HUGE I couldn't even eat half of my meal but Mark was gracious enough to not let it be wasted.

Back to the Inn for a surprise "turn-down" service that Mark had requested. A hot bath was already drawn for me.

I wasn't able to really "sleep in" Saturday morning because my internal alarm clock woke me up so I decided to make the most of that tub that I can stretch my legs out straight out in (and at 5'10" that says a whole lot for that tub). Mark was in his glory while I soaked he was watching hunting shows. We don't have cable so he seen this a a HUGE bonus for him. Then it was time to say goodbye to our wonderful view and go get us some breakfast/lunch at Chandler's and do some shopping.

We didn't shop downtown long because of the looming forecast (freezing rain and snow). We were heading home by 2pm. We hit a couple of stores back in Grand Rapids and then we ended our laid back, relaxing weekend the same way we started it with a stop at Jimmy John's for dinner. (We like Jimmy John's can ya tell?)

Mark and I agreed that this had to be our most relaxing weekend ever. We never felt rushed. It was just wonderful!

I took a short video (really bad lighting) of the room and if I can get it to upload I will post it so you can get the "full effect" of my wonderful getaway retreat.

Smiles!