Wine and Spirits Travel

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

My friend Roberta and I woke up in our beautiful room at The Edgewater Resort & Spa in Madison, Wisconsin . I had been there on a “combo” trip – covering a college tennis tournament and checking out the city. It was our final day. The first thing on the agenda was tour of the hotel with Jessica Arendas, Marketing and Public Relations Manager of The Edgewater . I had actually been to this hotel before. It was 2010 and I was there for the Celebration of American Distilling . Since that time, The Edgewater had gone through a dramatic renovation. I didn’t recognize the place – except it’s lakefront location – and I was looking forward to checking out more of it. We met Jessica in the lobby and I remarked immediately how much I loved the spiral staircase and lighting fixtures. It only got better from there. The resort had taken on an understated elegance, enough so that you felt like you were staying someplace special, but not too much that you didn’t

My friend Cortney and I headed to Galena, Illinois , just before the holidays this past year. She had been there before, but it was my first trip. As we headed there, I was surprised to see the dramatic change in the Illinois landscape. What had started as flat farm land had turned into rolling hills, some of them high enough to be considered small ski mountains. Our home for the long weekend would be the Goldmoor Inn and we were impressed from the start. It looked like an English castle, with 18 suites inside, as well as three cottages and two cabins on the property for those looking for real privacy. Although we were on a girls’ getaway, I could also certainly see it as the perfect place for a romantic trip. The 23 acres the Goldmoor is on are right on the Mississippi River, which offers fantastic views all year round, from every spot. We were shown into our suite and first went through a common area, which was welcoming with a fireplace and couches.

It was the final day in Elkhart Lake , Wisconsin, for my friend Lisa and I. The trip had been quite relaxing and it was going to be even more so on day three. We slept late in our suite at The Osthoff Resort . Their apartment-like setups had all the conveniences of home, even a kitchen to store and reheat the leftovers from all the great food we had been eating. For the final day, we went out for breakfast. Downtown Elkhart Lake is very walkable so we left the car. Off the Rail is a very popular local spot that’s only open for breakfast and lunch.  They serve specialty coffees, as well as beer and wine, and make all sorts of bakery goods and sandwich concoctions. Lisa chose a meat-filled breakfast casserole and a banana nut muffin, while I had the vegetable quiche and a chocolate chip muffin. It was all quite good. If we had more time to go back there, I definitely would try the Freight Train Sandwich: turkey, Havarti cheese, bacon, sprouts, onion, tom

My friend Lisa and I had enjoyed our first day at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake, but day two was filled with more fun – and food. We were up early for a great yoga class at Osthoff’s AspiraSpa . It was the perfect start to the day. I was starving by the time we got to breakfast at Otto’s Restaurant, but there was plenty to eat there. I had a fruit smoothie and German Potato Pancakes, while Lisa loved the eggs benedict. We were both excited to try snowshoeing for the first time and we headed over to Quit Qui Oc Golf Course . Todd Montaba, the owner, helped us both with the equipment and showed us the map of the trails we could take. Since it was our first time out, we didn’t go that far, but it was a lot of fun and a sport I’m sure I’ll try again. On the way back to the Osthoff Resort , we passed Road America. Road Racing started in Elkhart Lake in 1950 with an open race circuit here. The Road America location is still a big attraction, as internat