Monday, October 9, 2017

Grand Rapids and Art Prize

This year for my birthday, I told Scott not to buy me anything.  I wanted a little weekend getaway instead.  We debated on whether it would include the boys or if we'd leave them at home with grandparents, but in the end, I figured they would enjoy getting to stay at a hotel and swim.  We decided on Grand Rapids and after some maneuvering of soccer games, we decided on the last weekend for Art Prize.

We left Saturday morning after making pancakes and sausage at home.  The ride was smooth and uneventful and we arrived at 11:00am, just in time for Founders to open for lunch.  I'm glad we went then because as we were leaving there was quite the wait for a table.  The beer was awesome and my pulled pork sandwich was tasty too!  The boys liked seeing some of the art that was displayed there.








After lunch we walked from Founders to the Grand Rapids Public Museum, stopping to see art along the way.  The weather was outstanding!  Warm and sunny, despite the forecast for rain.  It was quite a walk, but once we were there, the boys loved the museum!  And the carousel ride was so cute looking over the water and at the bridges.















After the museum, we started our walk back to our car and stopped at The BOB for a snack and some beers.  I had this awesome blueberry wheat beer on tap.  It was probably my favorite beer the whole trip, although the food wasn't all that great.  After getting back to our car, we drove to The Mitten for more snacks and more beer.  I had a hard cider that was pretty good.  The boys loved the pizza there!








The boys were excited that it was finally time to head to the hotel and check-in!  They had been anxiously awaiting the pool all day.  We stayed at the Drury Inn and Suites in Grand Rapids and the hotel was awesome!  Free dinner (although we didn't parktake), free popcorn, free adult beverages until 7pm, and a free buffet breakfast.  The kids enjoyed swimming and went in the pool that they were able to swim under the glass and get outside.  It seemed crazy to think we were swimming outside in October!  Popcorn and a movie on the iPad later and the kids were out by 9:30pm.  Scott and I were watching the game quietly in the room until we both fell asleep shortly ater.  It was a long day!




The following morning the boys were up early.  We were among the first at the breakfast buffet and then the boys waited until it was time to swim.  We were checked-out and ready to start our day before 11am.  Our first stop was driving through Ada to see some fall colors and to see this really pretty covered bridge.










Our final stop in our tour of Grand Rapids was to go to Robinette's Cider Mill and Winery.  It opened at noon and even though we were there 5 minutes before opening, we ended up having to wait 25 minutes for cider and donuts.  Well worth it though!  They were delicious!  The boys played with the petting zoo animals, posed for pictures, and we took a hayride through the apple trees.









It was time to head home after a fun little getaway!  Of course, reality was waiting for us in the form of laundry, groceries, and homework late Sunday afternoon.  But, it was nice to recharge as a family over the weekend and to get to see new places and taste some tasty beers!

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