Recently, I spent a fun weekend with a group of women to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday. Twelve of us got on the 9:12 AM Amtrak in Royal Oak. Needless to say, we were quite a sight as we each carried an excessive amount of baggage onto the train. :-) It started snowing during our four hour commute which made getting off the train in New Buffalo more challenging. Thankfully the train stopped in the parking lot of our hotel so it was only a short walk before we were standing in the lobby, out of the heavy, wet snow that was falling. This is my first visit to The Harbor Grand Hotel and I'm in awe. The hotel is surrounded by a marina. Even though it is snow covered, the water view is so captivating to me. Inside, it's modern, yet warm, inviting, and cozy with a large fireplace and deep, comfortable furniture located off of the lobby. Once checked in, we dropped off our things and then walked around to see each other's rooms. We were giddy with excitement to see the differences in each room and that a majority of us were located in one wing of the hotel for easy access to each other. Most of us were hungry and needed a snack before our early evening dinner reservation so we walked around the corner from the hotel to The Stray Dog Bar & Grill. OMG! Another great place! It screams summer and I imagine there's quite a long wait to get a table during the warmer months. Today, it's so quaint. The evergreen garlands are peeking through the blanket of snow and it looks like a postcard. The food and service was great too! Larry received a t-shirt from this place when his brother visited it many years ago and Larry's one request of me for this entire weekend is to buy him a new t-shirt. We all walked across the street from the restaurant to another adorable building where they sell their merchandise. Mission accomplished. :-) We walked back to the hotel to get dressed for dinner and soon, all but two nieces (who were delayed by the snow), were sitting in the Terrace Room, located in the lower level of the hotel. Traci sat in the middle, surrounded by her sisters, sister-in-laws, mom, daughter, cousins, and friends. It was a beautiful celebration; all arranged by her daughter, Emily. We ended this eventful day by gathering in the hotel's salt water pool and hot tub before going to sleep. It was such a fun day! The next morning, included with our reservation, a picnic basket filled with food was delivered to our room. It was fantastic! There are breakfast trays in each room, making it convenient to enjoy a leisurely breakfast in bed. Many of us scheduled an appointment at Foundation Spa, located in the hotel. It was so luxurious to spend the entire morning in our fluffy white robes, that the hotel provided for us, walking back and forth from the spa and each other's rooms. I was so relaxed after a massage with Mary Ann, who used warm bamboo rods to work my muscles. A M A Z I N G! We enjoyed The Stray Dog Bar & Grill so much, we decided to go back for lunch. Again, the food and service was wonderful! Later in the evening, we took a shuttle to the casino for gaming and dinner and the next morning, we were on the 9:04 AM Amtrak back to Royal Oak. It was a wonderful weekend and very relaxing to take a train rather than drive, especially this time of year! Isn't this a cool picture?! :-) You can see my sister-in-law's reflection in the window. We're passing by the historical train station in Kalamazoo This was very funny to me at the time; seeing everyone trying to carry or pull their baggage. View from our room. Breakfast!
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AuthorHi, I'm Jody Pear and this is my latest blog! Starting on November 1, 2024, the main purpose of this blog is to share my thoughts, feelings, and experiences about boating, travel, and more. Categories
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