Several years ago we bought a 3-night stay in a condo at a very discounted price. Finally, with the paid-for stay set to “expire” at the end of this year, we decided we better clear a weekend and actually USE it!
We had such a great time!
We dropped Sophie off at “puppy hotel” on Thursday night, grabbed hamburgers, and headed off. We got there late and checked into our hotel room. It was the nicest hotel we’ve ever stayed in. There was a kitchen, sitting area, and a bedroom. There was a large, jetted tub and a standing shower that turned into a steam room. We bought groceries, which was so much cheaper than eating out for every meal would have been.
We enjoyed a late-night movie night with the kids and then got everyone settled into bed. Josh and Braden shared the pull-out couch, Maddie used the couch cushions to make her own little bed, Asher slept on the short love seat, Brenna slept on the hidden fold-out bed by the kitchen table (which she thought was super cool), Drew slept in a pack and play, and Jacob slept in the king bed with Mom and Dad. Room for everyone!
Friday morning we played at a giant indoor playground with a monkey theme. The kids had a great time and got out tons of energy as they played. We had packed a picnic lunch that morning at the hotel so we found a nice park to eat in. It was gorgeous! The kids climbed a tree and threw leaves.
We took a very long walk up a beautiful little path. The kids were troopers even though we walked a long way. Then we walked all the way up Main Street to a candy store. We bought treats and caramel apples and a few books in the neighboring bookstore. Main Street was darling! I was in love with how quaint and clean it was. It was so picturesque nestled in the mountains.
Rick kept the little guys in our room while I took the oldest four swimming in the big, warm hotel pool. We ate TV dinners in our hotel room (Braden called them “big lunchables with dessert”). We had another movie night and game night and introduced our older kids to the game, Settlers of Catan.
On Saturday we went swimming first thing in the morning. We went as a family this time. Jacob hated the pool and eventually just tolerated it. Drew relaxed completely in the pool and fell asleep. He looked so cute, all sweet and relaxed and sound asleep.
Braden stripped out of his life jacket and learned to dive and hold his breath under water. He loved to sit on the bottom of the pool and look around and then finally pop up for air. I was both impressed with and nervous about how fearless he was. He told me that he was an “ocean boy” and an “expert” at swimming.
After the pool, we ate lunch in town. It was our one “eat out” of the weekend. We ate outside on a restaurant patio and enjoyed the sunshine and beautiful surroundings. Our server put an empty plate right in front of our little Drew, who promptly grabbed it. It dropped and broke. Other than a broken plate, the meal was nice and everyone was well-behaved.
We rode the old trolley around town. The kids had a lot of fun just riding. We played at the hotel’s playground and then we put our oldest four kids into the Kids’ Club for an hour. It’s really designed as a fun area for kids to be babysat while parents ski or visit the spa. Our kids really wanted to try it. While they were busy, Rick enjoyed the adults only relaxation pool and I hung out with our little guys who were too young for the Kids’ Club. We ate yummy lasagna for dinner and then played in the hotel’s arcade and game room. We watched movies and played more games.
Sunday we cleaned up and checked out of the hotel. We played together at the park. The playground was one of the neatest I’ve ever seen. We ate another pre-packed picnic lunch before we finally headed for home.
On the way, we stopped to see grandparents. We had a great time visiting, playing, and eating a yummy dinner.
