Weekend Getaway in Saugatuck
Those Michigan Awesome shirts are right, you should live where you vacation...
We are pretty spoiled here in Michigan. There are so many beautiful places to go for a short weekend getaway. Doug and I try to do this throughout the winter when we are starting to feel caged by our winter blues. Discovering what makes winters in Michigan beautiful has made for many fun adventures.
If you know anything about Saugatuck, it's a magical place in the summer (how can you not be when you're a town perched on a lake). From busy shops to delicious must-trys for foodies, there is much to love about this charming place. I'll admit that in the winter, it hasn't always been on my list of destinations. I think that mentally I always viewed it as a 'summer place'. Thanks to Lakeshore Lodging and some of their generous home owners for dispelling that myth for me.
We enjoyed a weekend away at one of their properties and it was a perfect few days. We went with our friends Matt and Kristin and loved some slow days of board games, cooking, and taking in one of my favorite laketowns (plus teasing our husbands who spent one of their evenings battling some retro video games).
Here's my list of suggestions for a winter weekend away...
1. TAKE YOUR FOUR LEGGED FAMILY MEMBERS
Many of Lakeshore's properties are dog-friendly. This was huge for us because it can be tough to find places that allow pets. Miss Paisley was thrilled to join the mini-vaca (and get loads of attention from everyone). It was dog heaven friends...she roamed the yard and took naps in the sun by the deck door. As crazy dog parents, it warmed our hearts that the welcome packet included a bag of goodies for her. She is still playing with the mini tennis ball they gave her...it's all the in details.
2. COOK A MEAL, EAT LOCAL A MEAL
We knew that we wanted to cook one of the nights we were there so we brought the ingredients for everyone to create their own pizza. The kitchen was fully stocked with everything from cookware to spices which made our at home chef attempts much easier. All of us enjoy eating local if we can, so we appreciated the book of local restaurant menus. We went to one of my favorites The Southerner and ordered food in one of the nights (because when your house is so cozy you just want to turn the fireplace on and snuggle in).
3. GAME ON
We were excited to find that the home owners provided some games for guests. There's something charming about breaking out some board games with friends and watching the snow fly outside. The large community table in their kitchen area was perfect for this...lots of games + laughs + snacks was the perfect cure for this wintered-out group.
4. YOU'RE A GOOD HANG
It isn't abnormal that we would hang out with friends on the weekend but the house made it feel more like a vacation...even if we weren't that far from home. Even doing 'normal' things (one of the days we were there Kristin and I both worked abit) felt more fun thanks to the change in scenery.
5. CHANNEL SUMMER VIBES
Even in the winter, Saugatuck still feels summery...maybe that's part of what made our weekend feel so dreamy. To help us feel some of that summer cheer, we made gelato sundaes. Just to make sure we were totally relaxed, we ate them in PJs and robes ;)
Do yourself a favor and plan a little vaca in your own state. Hopefully my list provides some inspiration for your weekend of unwinding.
A special thanks to Lakeshore Lodging for partnering with me on this post. They are lovely...from the ease of check-in/check-out to the thoughtful welcome information in the house, they have their processes and customer service down to a science. Thanks to all of their staff especially Alex and our vacation planner Ashley. Make sure to connect with them on Facebook and Instagram!
Sincerely,
Ashley
*I worked with Lakeshore Lodging on this post but the content and opinions are my own.