Our weekend getaway

We recently got back from a weekend getaway to Duluth sans kids. We started doing this every May several years ago when Dan started working in public accounting. Until this year, I've always called it my "Get reacquainted with my husband" getaway. But since Dan got a new job last November, he's been working regular hours and not traveling (which, by the way, has been wonderful!!) so we didn't really need to get reacquainted. But who is going to give up a weekend getaway with her husband? Not me!

So Wednesday after Dan was done with work we drove to Dan's parents house and spent the night there. Thursday morning after the younger two went to school with his parents (they are both teachers and Dan's mom teaches kindergarten), we gave the older two directions for what and when they should do and off we went.

We arrived in Duluth around 1pm and headed straight for Grandma's Saloon in Canal Park. That is always where we eat first. They have the best hand-battered onion rings anywhere. After that we drove up to the cabin where we normally stay. For supper we drove back into Duluth and went to Pizza Luce for supper. We had the Margherita Pizza and then stopped at Amazing Grace Bakery for dessert (a layered raspberry almond cake) and sandwiches for the next day's lunch (they have the best sandwiches!!).

Here is Dan, quite satisfied after our dessert. :-)



Normally on the Friday that we are up there we go hiking on the Superior Hiking Trail. Well, not this year. This year the temps that Friday were only in the 40s and the wind was horrible. Friday morning the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks actually woke us up!

Here is the sunrise that morning. I've got to admit--the colors in the pic are a bit more vivid than it was in real life. But it was still beautiful and I like watching the sun come up over the lake.



After taking the above pic, we went back to bed for awhile since we knew we wouldn't be going hiking. After we woke up again, we went out for breakfast at The Vanilla Bean in Two Harbors. They have really, really good omelets. Below is Dan's omelet--spinach and Gouda cheese. Mmmmmmm. And they are quite big and filling. This year he just ordered the large size omelet and I got a caramel roll. We split both things but if we'd have just split his omelet, then they charge a split plate fee about the price of the caramel roll.




After breakfast we went back to the cabin. I pulled up a chair by the fire and Dan sat a little further away on the couch. He doesn't like the heat like I do. Then we both pulled out books to read. Ahhhhhhhh (deep sigh of satisfaction). I so love to read and rarely have time to do it at home so it was really nice to be able to just sit by the fire and read a book (or two or three). Even Dan read a whole book while we were gone!!!



Here is a pic of the whitecaps on the lake. Now I know that it is nothing like the ocean, but it was really, really windy. Definitely not good hiking conditions.




Don't worry. We spent plenty of time talking too. On Saturday we read some more and then reviewed our goals from last year (which we hadn't actually looked at since we made them the year before). We actually accomplished quite a few of them despite not having looked at them quarterly which was our goal. We carried over some goals from last year and added some new goals for this year.

On Sunday it was finally not windy and slightly warmer so that I could sit outside a little bit in the sun. It was glorious!



After we packed up we stopped for brunch at Pizza Luce. We'd not eaten their breakfast before but the menu looked delicious and we were not disappointed. Dan had a portabello omelet and I had the blackberry & banana pancakes with real whipped cream and banana pecan maple syrup. It was so good. I was a bit skeptical of trying the pancakes since the last time I ordered pancakes at a restaurant they weren't that great. In fact, Darin even said to me at the time that my pancakes were better. But here I was greatly relieved when I took the first bite and let them melt in my mouth.



After brunch we head back to the Twin Cities to meet Dan's parents in order to pick up the kids. We heard all about how great their weekend was and after Natalie threw a monstrous fit (she was quite tired since she hadn't napped for the previous few days), she fell asleep. Definitely more of an angel when she's sleeping. :-)



Now we are back home and back to the stuff of life. But we've already made our reservations for next year!