Labor Day Weekend Recap

G and I looked at our calendar for the holiday weekend and realized we had nothing planned. I had Friday off making it a super long weekend so G decided to take the day off as well. I love a staycation and all, but couldn't resist checking to see if there were any good deals. I found a great deal at Shanty Creek Resort and we were so excited! This has been the summer of travel and I loved every second of it.

We dropped Manny off at boarding Friday morning and headed to Clam Lake Beer Co for lunch in Cadillac. My parents had told us about this place and it was on the way to the resort so were excited to check it out.

We arrived just before the lunchtime rush so we had the whole back room to ourselves with this nice view of the lake.

The atmosphere was fun and the beer was delicious. G had an Clam Lake IPA and I had Short's Strawberry Short Cake.

The food was so good. I had the BLT with avocado on naan and G had a burger. YUM!

We were about 45 minutes from the resort so I called to see if our room was ready. It was, woohoo! Nothing makes me happier than beating the system, ha! We checked into our room and put on our suits and hung out at the outdoor pool all afternoon. It was perfection.

We went back to the room and had champs on the balcony and enjoyed this view. We talked and relaxed until it was time for our dinner reservations.

We ate at Lakeview Restaurant at the resort. We had a great table at the window which was perfect for sunset viewing. We ordered a cocktail and shared the fried risotto. Both were amazing!

Perfect sunset! Such a gorgeous night.

Saturday morning we slept in and then headed back to the Lakeview Restaurant for brunch. G had the Irish Coffee and I had the Bloody Mary. We both agreed my Bloody Mary was the best. So flavorful with a little kick that I didn't mind one bit.

I had the spinach and feta frittata and G had a breakfast burrito. Both were amazing. Better yet, it was all free! Breakfast was part of their special this weekend and it was worth it!

After an awesome brunch we drove into downtown Bellaire and walked around the neighborhood.

Then we headed to Short's Brewery for beer samplers. We sat outside and it was so relaxing. The weather could not have been better. A ton of bikers came in after us and one of the guys sat with us. They had been biking for over two days (75 miles the first day, 50 miles the second, 35 that day) and it was interesting to hear about the journey. How he got into biking. The other races and triathlons he had done. Very cool!

We headed back to the resort and spent the afternoon laying at the pool. I swam laps, read and enjoyed the view. Perfection.

We walked around the resort's little village. Ordered a drink at The River Bistro and sat outside on the little river.

Then we walked over to Lakeview again for dinner reservations. Our window table was still occupied so we had a drink at the bar while we waited. It was worth the wait because that view just never gets old.

We got our table just as the sun was setting. I just do not tire of that view. So beautiful! I had the sangria and scallops and both were excellent.

Live music started as we got our dinner and it was fun. The singer reminded me of Jimmy Buffet. Loved it! As we walked back to our room there was a movie playing outside with a bonfire. So fun!

Sunday morning we enjoyed another breakfast buffet. A downfall of vacationing on a holiday weekend was we slept in and had to wait 30 minutes for a table... and it wasn't on the window. Bummer! We opted for the Breakfast Buffet and it was delicious. The made to order olmette station stole the show!

I was able to get late checkout so we walked around the property after breakfast and then hung out on the deck for a while. It was such a relaxing, quiet morning.

On our way home we stopped at Torch Lake Cellars for a wine tasting. It wasn't too crowded and the views were amazing. The wine was pretty good too. I especially loved the Peach Mango Hard Cider.

As we continued on our way home we stumbled upon Dockside on Torch Lake and couldn't resist getting a cocktail and enjoying the view. The lake was lively so it was fun to watch. I had the Sangria and it was bomb.

We got home around 6:30 and picked up Manny. We did laundry, walked Manny and unpacked. Monday was nice to have to ourselves to recharge before the week began. G did all the yard work and I took Manny for a super long walk and then gave him a bath. Then I finished The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand and loved it. I couldn't put it down! I got sucked into Quantico on Netflix after that and binged that for a few hours. It was a lovely, relaxing and productive day before the work week.

Another fabulous summer weekend in the books!

How was your long weekend?