Wine and Spirits Travel

It didn’t take me long to feel relaxed and comfortable at the Inn at Bay Harbor, a hotel in the Marriott Bonvoy Autograph Collection.  My suite was perfect, and I had slept well. I was ready to take the relaxation to another level. My day was wide open with the exception of the start of it -- at The Spa. I arrived a few minutes before my appointment for the Ginger Glow treatment.  I changed into my luxurious robe and sat down with a cup of tea in the quiet waiting area. The Ginger Glow is one of the signature offerings at the Inn at Bay Harbor, and I can certainly understand why its so popular. I could easily rename it “Heaven on Earth.” It began with a scrub made of ginger, with a hint of eucalyptus, to get rid of the dead cells on my skin.  After that was rinsed off, I had a full body massaged with a ginger oil and hot stones. The next part was probably my favorite as arthritis always has me seeking warmth: my whole body was wrapped in a warm r

I had really enjoyed my time in Sault Ste Marie , Michigan, with Brittany and Jamie. We had seen a lot and learned quite a bit about this important basin that borders the U.S. and Canada. We packed up our things at Superior Place and got ready to head south a bit to our next Michigan stop, but first we had one more Sault Ste Marie restaurant to try. Antlers Restaurant gets its current name from the taxidermy display on the countertops and walls. It was previously known as the Bucket-of-Blood Saloon, a favorite in this area during Prohibition. The original restaurant goes back four generations and we could see why it was so popular. The Poutine (a French dish of fries in gravy) is very popular here. Brittany and Jamie agreed it was one of the best they ever had since it had Wisconsin cheddar cheese curds mixed in. For their main courses, they chose the Whitefish Po’boy and the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, both of which were very good. I wasn’t quite

It was my final day at the Boyne Mountain Resort with my friends Brittany, Angela, and Kylie. We continued having a great time until the very end. After packing up our large three bedroom suite, we filled up during our final breakfast at Everett’s. I would miss the comfort and selection of this restaurant in the Main Lodge. The grounds of the Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls, Michigan are beautiful and very easy to navigate. Could imagine it is also a fun family atmosphere in the summer, but on this Sunday, we saw a lot of people coming to enjoy the winter sports for the day. We split up from that point. The younger women were going off to zip line through the snow. Angela and I were heading to the spa. The Spa, Salon & Fitness Center at Boyne Mountain is quite big and has everything you need for relaxation, as well as fitness classes and workout equipment. Angela and I were there early enough to enjoy the steam room, sauna, and whirlpools, whic

It was our second full day at Boyne Mountain Resort in Michigan and we were having a blast. I had brought along my friends Brittany and Angela, and Angela’s daughter Kylie. Boyne Mountain put up in a very spacious Salzburg Suite in the Main Lodge. It had a cozy living room, full kitchen, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Angela and I each claimed the larger bedrooms and the (grown) girls had a lot of fun in the colorful kids room, which had two bunk beds. We once again had breakfast downstairs at Everett’s, where the buffet had a nice selection of choices and the Vanilla Bean Pancakes and French Toast, in a vanilla cinnamon custard, are amazing. From Everett’s we could also see snow-filled views of the Boyne Mountain’s Alpine Village . After breakfast we went down to the village and walked around the shops until it was time for Brittany and Kylie’s ski lessons. The Skier Services building is huge. It’s where you get equipment, register for lessons,

Last year I had a great trip up to Boyne Highlands with my brother, youngest niece and nephew.  While we were there, we heard a lot of great things about its sister resort, Boyne Mountain . It didn’t take much convincing when I was offered a trip to go check it out for myself. I brought along friends Brittany, Angela, and Kylie for a girls/family getaway at this Michigan resort. The adventure began on Thursday morning as we headed up for the eight-hour drive to Boyne Falls . Boyne Mountain Resort has many different accommodations. We would be staying in the three bedroom, two bath Salzburg Suite, a duplex with a full living room and kitchen. We arrived early evening and checked in quickly. After we unpacked our groceries and got changed, we headed straight to the Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark . It is located in the Mountain Grand Lodge and Spa building we were staying in. The waterpark was a lot of fun and we enjoyed a few hours of sliding a