30 Years and Counting!

We are celebrating our 30th Anniversary this year.  It's cliche, I know, but it's hard to believe it, it seems like just yesterday we were being awkward and goo-goo eyed at Yale.  Still awkward, but the goo-goo eyes are now behind 2.5 reading glasses!

We talked about doing a 'big trip'...maybe Italy, or Provence...but we have both been traveling a bit this fall and the thought of another plane ride just didn't excited us.  So...we decided to head north to Traverse City for the weekend.  We have talked about visiting for awhile, but it's so busy in the summer and we like Saugatuck so going up in the fall was perfect.

We stayed a cute B&B called Aberdeen Stone Cottage.  Melinda and David were great hosts and the location was perfect for wandering into town and getting to the Leelanau Peninsula...and the wineries!!!!

The weather was unseasonably wonderful, being that it was the first weekend in November, we were delighted to be in shirtsleeves and sunglasses.  Gorgeous sunshine was exactly what was called for to really do justice to the views of Grand Traverse Bay.

On Saturday we wandered up the Leelanau Peninsula in search of those views and wine.  There are in the neighborhood of 50 wineries in the area and almost as many micro breweries and cider mills.  John had had a bottle of Pinot Gris from a place called 45 North and that was our first stop of the day.  We discovered that there was something called Toast the Season going on all weekend.  All of the wineries on the peninsula were offering special pairings and tastings so everywhere we went there were loads of people and limos lining up to deliver piles more!  It was quite festive.

On our way out of Northport we passed an old barn that is being renovated into a house, I knew the minute I saw it that it was Laura and Jim Dybevik's place.  When Laura and I were at Landscape Forms she had shown me pictures of the project and I recognized it immediately.  We pulled in and learned that it was their very first day as full time residents of Northport.  It was such a surprise and the project is happening...eight years in the making...but it's happening.

We ended up stopping for more cider than wine!  Yummy pumpkin crepes at Tandem Cider,

And incredible views at Sutton Bay Cider...

We did mange a few more stops before having dinner at Sophia's.  It is a lovely Italian restaurant in an old State Mental Hospital that is being converted to a mixed use development, Grand Traverse Commons.  It's a sprawling network of buildings and tunnels that include residences, offices, shops, restaurants,... there is a winery in the old laundry facility and a distillery on the property.  It's amazing, but just a wee bit creepy!

On Sunday we had a wander through some of the shops on the main street of Traverse City before heading south to Kalamazoo.  It was really a perfect fall get away and the perfect way to spend our anniversary.