There is nothing better than taking a weekend getaway with good friends. Ditch the kids with grandma and grandpa and prepare for a tantrum free weekend. The weather was beautiful! We even got to go swimming in the lake (which by the way is VERY unusual for this time of year in up-north Michigan).
Friday evening we stayed in and barbecued on the grill. Unlike most barbecues I have seen this one apparently had a high setting you could set to “surface of the sun” so it cooked fast and with giant plumes of smoke…good smoke though, not “burning your food to charcoal dust” smoke. I made a very simple (but in my humble opinion) extremely delicious tomato salad. Saturday we got up early, made breakfast and headed out on a 15 mile bike ride. It’s been a while since I did a 15 mile anything. Did I mention the hills?!? By the end of the bike ride my quads were reminding me why bikes have gears. Looks like I need to get back to the gym. Afterwards, we stopped at this little place in town and got drinks. Nothing like a cold stout after a hard workout.
When we got back to the cottage Mike insisted that we all go into the lake. I really didn’t want too and wasn’t very subtle about it as I knew the water would be freezing cold. After being splashed by my husband for a good five minutes I finally caved and went under. So glad that I did!
Later on in the evening we headed out to Traverse City and had an amazing meal at Trattoria Stella. Unfortunately it was too dark in there to take any good pictures of my meal so you’ll just have to take my word that it looked and tasted amazing.
I’ve traveled to many beautiful places but Glen Arbor will always have a special place in my heart.
i think i’m gonna bake 
OH, MARTHA! 