Last week was the highlight of our summer.
We took two vacations with two different couples and crammed them into eight days.
One was a major, air fare needed, non-stop exploring trip to New York City. What's not to love?
We left on a Saturday and returned home on Wednesday. In between we picked the city clean of every sight-seeing opportunity and curiosity we could muster between the four of us. We rode ferries, trains, subways, taxis and several double-decker buses.
And you know what? New Yorkers get a bum rap.
More than once we were spotted trying to decide if our map was right-side up and someone would ask if they could help us find something. New York-Nice, who knew?!
We had been there as a family several years ago but you can definately make several trips to New York and still see something you didn't get a chance to the time before. My friend, Michelle, and I are already talking about things we want to see the next time. (Although Kirk did say something about me keeping my butt home for awhile).
Still, we covered plenty of area while we were there.
We saw the Statue of Liberty.
:
And we stayed right in the heart of all the excitement - Times Square.
We also took da' train to Hoboken and visited Carlos' Bake Shop from the TLC show The Cake Boss. No Buddy on site of course but the goodies we bought were tasty.
And getting up early paid off because we beat the big line that was there by the time we came out.
It was a dream of a trip and we had a blast...
,,, Only to pack up again and hop in the car two days later to head over to Duluth for a smaller, more local vacation. The timing for something slower pace was perfect. The whole weekend was
because we stayed here:
The Firelight Inn Bed and Breakfast.
The friends we went with had stayed at the Firelight several times and have always shared stories fondly of their weekends there. Now we know why. The owners, Jim and Joy, are so personable we felt like we'd known them for years even though it was our first visit.
The Inn is so tastefully and exquisitely decorated that every room is simply perfect. We stayed in the Superior Suite that included our own living room and a bedroom with a fireplace and jacuzzi tub.
The Blues Festival was also going on in Duluth last weekend. We originally talked about taking in the festival and all that it entails but as it got closer and closer we unanimously opted for a weekend that was a little slower paced. We lounged the mornings away in our charming little rooms and moved at a turtle's pace, enjoying the breakfasts that were magically delivered outside our door in the mornings in wicker baskets covered with linens promising delicious surprises.
Day one's breakfast looked like this:
And Day two was just as wonderful:
The Firelight Inn is lovely.
If you are looking for a quiet, relaxing (or romantic!) little getaway this spot is perfect. If you want to lounge casually for a couple of days this is the spot. And if you desire a little more - everything that Duluth has to offer is waiting right outside the door.
As with most bed and breakfasts, there is water and coffee and other niceties for your enjoyment throughout the day and Jim and Joy keep the butler's pantry stocked with plenty of goodies including fresh baked cookies. Joy is such a wonderful cook we even brought home one of the Inn's cookbooks but I won't even pretend that I can pull off what she does. Lucky for me, Kirk's expectations are realistic about that, too, after 26 years.
The front porch to beat all front porches. This is the porch I've seen in my dreams.
It immediately made it on to my list of the top five places to be on earth.
Firelight Inn overlooks Oregon Creek and just the right amount of sunshine makes its way into this wonderful sitting area. It is perfect for napping, reading and visiting. The friend I was with is also a writer and we both agreed that this would be the perfect place to inspire someone to finish a brilliant piece of work.
I drank coffee there.
I drank wine there.
Kirk and I played a trivia game there and visited with our friends for most of Saturday morning there.
If the temptation of the Lake Walk to Canal Park hadn't have called us we might have spent the rest of the weekend sitting right there on the porch.
Maybe next time.
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