Wine and Spirits Travel

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

My friend Lisa and I started our morning with a room service breakfast at the Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton . I had the Michigan Cherry Bread French and she chose the Eggs Benedict. Both were excellent. After breakfast, we headed to Founders Brewing Co. for a tour and tasting. It was pouring rain so we decided to take an Uber. I didn’t know too much about this place before we arrived, but left with a lot of knowledge and a very positive experience. From the outside, the building could blend into the neighborhood. Inside, Founders Brewing was massive, new, and modern, even though they are working on yet another expansion. The history of Founders Brewery only goes back a few decades, but it’s rise in its industry came swiftly and has continued to flourish. The tour is definitely worth it to learn more about it. I have never seen such a clean and detail oriented brewery. It has been set up so that everything could be done to make quality

I had been to Grand Rapids only once, for a short trip. I was happy to return with my friend Lisa to explore the city and attend my first LaughFest. The annual event is in honor of Gilda Radner, a former comedian best known for her role on Saturday Night Live. Radner, who was married to fellow actor Gene Wilder, died in 1989 of ovarian cancer. The Michigan native is the namesake of Gilda’s Club, which helps those affected by cancer. LaughFest raises money each year for this worthy cause. Lisa and I checked into the largest hotel in the city, the Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton . The hotel is quite opulent and the service was great from the start. Our room had a great view of the river. We quickly got settled in and headed downtown to the Grand Rapids Art Museum. As we walked the few blocks to the museum we could see that the entire city was ready for LaughFest . Signs and logo products were everywhere, especially the art museum where the

I had arrived at Boyne Highlands Resort in Michigan the previous evening with my brother, Mark, and my nephew and niece, Jacob and Moriah. Everyone was excited about a weekend full of activities. Well, almost everyone. I had broken my arm just two weeks before and wouldn’t be doing anything adventurous.  I have to admit I was a bit bummed before I arrived, but once I settled into Boyne Highlands Resort , the views and other things I could do had eliminated my gloomy outlook. We were up early for breakfast in the Dining Room of the Main Lodge. I was impressed by the huge buffet. There was an omelet station, as well as hot and cold dishes, fruits, muffins, pancakes, and more. We were all full when we left to head outside, where the temperature was hovering around zero degrees. It was, after all, Michigan in the winter, I reminded my Californian family. I followed everyone along to the Snow Sports Academy Desk in the Day Lodge, where they were checked in and f