24 Hour Girls’ Getaway in Chicago, Part 2

It was a very comfortable night at the Hyatt Centric the Loop in Chicago.

We were able to take our time in the morning and I was excited to find out my friend and fellow writer, Kristine Hansen, was in town. We met for breakfast at Cochon Valent Brasserie, just downstairs from the hotel.

Their blueberry pancakes were loaded with fruit and as delicious as everything always is there.

My Joan picked something up to eat and relaxed in the room. and we met up to head over to the Art Institute of Chicago.

I have been to the Art Institute many times. I try to check out all of their special exhibits as well as some of the smaller ones. The exhibition that brought me here this time was Manet and Modern Beauty. 

Edouard Manet was a late 19^th century painter known for what was a modern style at the time. He especially flourished when painting women.

The collection, the first of its kind in 50 years, was well worth a trip, but we decided to spend some time looking around. I stopped at some of my favorite classics, including Edward Hopper’s “Night Hawk” and Georgia O’Keefe’s “Cow’s Skull with Calico Roses.” We also saw a temporary exhibit dedicated to artist Jeanne Spring.

Before we left the museum, we stopped to take a look through the powerful display, “The AIDs Crisis Is Still Beginning.” It included newspaper clippings from around the world, showing the history of the crisis. George Bordowitz, I want to Be Well (after 1977 Ramones song) artist 30 years, spent half of his life with AIDS Professor at University of Chicago. Many pieces were from his own collection.

We checked out of the Hyatt Centric Loop. I wish we had been able to check out the Aire Rooftop Bar, but it had been closed before we got back the night before and hadn’t opened yet when we left. Next time!

We chose a very unusual place for lunch. Pinstripes in Chicago is a welcoming place for families or adults to have a lot of fun at, while enjoying good food. Think Chuck E Cheese for gourmets!

You can start here with the activity, food, or drinks. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time for the fun, but we did get to watch other people.

Pinstripes has bowling, even offering shoes for rent. There’s also bocce ball.

As for the food, we loved everything we had. The Stuffed Mushrooms were served warm and gooey, just out of the oven, and were stuffed with goat cheese, spinach, and zucchini.

For the main course, the wood fired oven, which is visible to guests, looked to good to pass up and we ordered pizzas.

I had the Eggplant Flatbread, which had pistachio sprinkled on top for extra flavor, and Joan went for the Margherita. We had plenty left to take home.

Joan agreed with the popular opinion that the Strawberry Shortcake, served in a jar, was fantastic.

Pinstripes Chicago has a full bar that includes many local beers, a selection of wine, and handcrafted cocktails. I sipped a Riesling while Joan thought the Limoncello Martini was great.

24 Hour Girls’ Getaway in Chicago, Part 1

No matter how many times I go to Chicago, the minute I see the skyline there is an excitement that runs through my veins. I know I’ll always have a fun time in the Windy City.

This trip was for a 24-hour getaway with my friend Joan. We had the perfect mixture of food, activity, and chill time.

We started with lunch at Cantina Laredo. It had been years since I had been there and it was even more welcoming than I remembered, with our seats in front of a gas fireplace.

The waiter brought us tortilla chips and immediately suggested some of their famous margaritas with the current month’s guacamole. It was as delicious as it sounded, with cotija cheese and tomato, for a combination of sweet and a bit spicy.

I sipped one of their fruitful Pineapple Infused Ritas, a mixture of pineapple infused Avion Reposado Tequila and Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur. Joan had the current margarita special, which was Jalapeno.

Although we were starting to get full from devouring every bit of the guacamole, Joan loved the tamales, which were a bit spicy for me, but the Flautitas were amazing. They went especially well with the Passion Fruit Mojito.

Finally, a basket of warm Churros came out, with chocolate and mango sauces, as the perfect finish to our meal. We washed them down with Cantina Laredo’s house-blend coffee, a must try.

I had arranged for us to spend the night at the HyattCentric Loop in Chicago.  We checked in to our large modern room. I enjoyed the large soaking tub and their soft robes before a nap.

Refreshed for the evening, Joan and I headed to City Winery. I had never been there before and was excited to check out this all-inclusive location (winery, restaurant, and concert hall) that’s perfect for dates night or a girls’ getaway.

I had actually heard about City Winery from the representative of AJ Croce. The son of Jim Croce was performing there that night.

The building itself is large and well-appointed, with unique and modern artwork everywhere. The wine is made right here (the only winery in the city of Chicago) for sale and tasting at this location as well as the riverfront venue.

Equally fantastic is the food at City Winery, led by Chef Mark Mendez. Mendez, who previously worked at Carnivale and Vera, put his twists on some standard favorites that we really enjoyed.

I couldn’t say enough about the burrata and the shells and cheese. Joan, who is more of a steak eater than I, raved about the ribeye which was served with gorgonzola butter.

I was impressed with their selection of wine, which included reds, whites, and my favorite, the Riverwalk Rose.

The AJ Croce show, which was opened by the talented Adam Ezra, had the audience singing and laughing. We sipped wine and vowed to check out this newly discovered venue again soon, but that was it for the first half of our getaway, with ore to come in the morning.

For more on the concert and City Winery, read my story on Beat.  

Welcome Return to Mackinac Island

I was enjoying my time in the UP of Michigan and it got even better when my friend, Lynn, joined me. We have known each other for 30 years and have done many trips together in the last 10.

We woke up at the Alger Falls Motel in Munising and got ready to hit the road. Our final stop was one of my favorite places in the world, Mackinac Island.

Along the way, we veered off to a few places that had scenic overlooks. I couldn’t get enough of the beauty of the lake and the landscapes, which includes waterfalls everywhere.

We stopped for lunch in Grand Marais, once again overlooking the water. It’s a quaint town, home of the Pickle Barrell Museum, I’d like to visit again someday.

From there we drove to Ferry from St. Ignace to take the ferry to Mackinac Island. This was my second trip to the Island I had so greatly loved a few years ago.

It’s hard to describe Mackinac Island to someone who hasn’t been, though you can get a good idea by watching the Christopher Reeve movie Somewhere in Time. It’s a place that has remained back in time, with no motorized vehicles allowed.

Mackinac Island is in the middle of Lake Huron and surrounded by natural beauty. You can only get there by boat. There are ferries from Mackinaw City in addition to the one we took from St. Ignace. The ride is only about 15 minutes.

I had made arrangements for us to stay at The Grand Hotel and its name says it all. It’s on the list of Historic Hotels of America and certainly deserves to be there.

There was a horse and buggy waiting at the pier when we arrived. We climbed inside and they put our luggage on another horse drawn cart to take us to the hotel.

We were immediately mesmerized by the longest porch in the world, sparkling white and adorned with flags. You can also see the Straits of Mackinac and the Mackinac Bridge from the hotel.

Inside, we were greeted and taken to our room, which was beautifully decorated. Each of the 397 rooms has its own personality. There was a box of Mackinac Island Fudge waiting for us, a reminder of the dozen different fudge shops on the island. We also had a beautiful view from our balcony.

After a rest, we dressed for dinner, which is a must at the Grand. Most of those in the dining room adhered to a semi-formal attire for the white glove service.

The waiters were very attentive and we had a spectacular five-course dinner. It started with a grilled pineapple and ham appetizer, continued with salads, had cream of mushroom and gazpacho soups, included Beef Medalions and Spinach Asiago Ravioli, and ended with a delicious Marshmallow Nutella Bread Pudding for Lynn and cheesecake for me.

The menu changes every night, with choices in every section. It reminded me a bit of staying at the Catskills when I was younger. This was a lot more formal and I didn’t mind at all. It’s nice to dress up and be waited on once in a while!

After dinner, we went outside to see the sunset. It was too cloudy, but it was a warm night and we sat on the porch and listened to the music played in the parlor inside.

It was the perfect way to end our first day back on Mackinac Island.

Luxuriating in Bay Harbor

It didn’t take me long to feel relaxed and comfortable at the Inn at Bay Harbor, a hotel in the Marriott Bonvoy Autograph Collection. 

My suite was perfect, and I had slept well. I was ready to take the relaxation to another level.

My day was wide open with the exception of the start of it -- at The Spa.

I arrived a few minutes before my appointment for the Ginger Glow treatment. 

I changed into my luxurious robe and sat down with a cup of tea in the quiet waiting area.

The Ginger Glow is one of the signature offerings at the Inn at Bay Harbor, and I can certainly understand why its so popular. I could easily rename it “Heaven on Earth.”

It began with a scrub made of ginger, with a hint of eucalyptus, to get rid of the dead cells on my skin. 

After that was rinsed off, I had a full body massaged with a ginger oil and hot stones.

The next part was probably my favorite as arthritis always has me seeking warmth: my whole body was wrapped in a warm robe-like cocoon while I received a scalp massage.

When the spa experience was done, I was ready to take a nap, but I was too hungry to do so. It was late for breakfast at the resort and 

I asked one of the drivers to take me to the Marina.

It's a free perk if you are looking to go around Bay Harbor and don’t want to walk or bike along the beach path. 

I saw a sign in front of the Original Pancake House for their famous Apple Pancake. 

I decided to go inside and, with a side of eggs for some protein. 

I managed to get through less than half of the scrumptious treat. (Of course, I brought the rest back to my room.)

I asked the driver to give me a little tour on the way back to my hotel suite.


In addition to the main lodge, there are also 35 cottages on the property. 

They are two and three-bedrooms each, and popular for family reunions, girlfriend getaways, and golf weekends.

Guests have the option of playing at the Bay Harbor Golf Club, an award winner with 27 holes along the shoreline, or the 18-hole championship course at Crooked Tree.

Golf is available in three seasons.

 In the winter, guests can do cross-country skiing and snow shoeing, or arrange to head to the sister properties, Boyne Highlands or Boyne Mountain, for downhill skiing.

In the afternoon, I took a drive to Charlevoix (about 20 minutes away). I stopped at one of their beautiful beaches before heading to the quaint downtown to visit one of my favorite Michigan stores, Cherry Republic. 

I picked up two bags of cherry goodies (especially the Cherry Fudge Sauce my daughter loves).

Brittany and Jamie came back to the hotel to join me for our final night in Michigan. 

We decided to stay on property and relax with s’mores by the fire pit in front of the beach. (I also decided to stick with some leftover cheese for dinner as I had enough snacking.) 

It’s just one of the free activities the Inn at Bay Harbor offers its guests.

Before leaving the next day, I had a delicious breakfast of Blueberry Pancakes and conversation with Erin Ernst, Director of Communications for the Boyne properties.

Then it was time to head south, back to Illinois. It was good to be going home, but I was also happy that I’d be going back to beautiful Michigan in just a few short weeks.

Home of the Legendary Green Bay Packers

My introduction to Titletown was a good one (especially the spa treatment at Lodge Kohler) and I was ready to enjoy day two with my friend, Rich.

We started with breakfast at the hotel’s Leaps and Bounds cafe. It’s far from a hotel coffee shop and has a very unique menu.

Everything sounded great, but I had to go for the eggs with popovers. It reminded me of a restaurant I worked at while in high school, called 1890 Dining Car. They were known for their popovers and I haven’t had very many since.

They were as eggy, light, and scrumptious as I remembered. Rich shared them and also had a frittata with sausage and mushrooms.

After breakfast, we took advantage of the free, local car service Lodge Kohler offers to go to the other side of Lambeau Field, where our tour of the stadium was to begin.

The Green Bay Packers offer many levels of the Lambeau Field Tours. If you have the time (2-3 hours), take the Legendary Tour we did. It includes some extras, and entrance into the Hall of Fame.

Our tour was led by two men who knew everything there was to know about the Packers and the stadium. Our group of about two dozen was in good hands.

It started with some basic information about the team, which I confess I did not know (I don’t follow much NFL):

 “The tiny town of Green Bay, Wisconsin, 104,000 citizens strong, has their own professional football game… The little town that could. Thirteen National Titles…”

We then walked to just about every major spot in the stadium. We saw the suites and many photos from the start of the team.

We also went into the Champions Club and took a look at memorabilia, including Super Bowl rings the Green Bay Packers have earned.

It was also fun to be able to see the stadium from many angles from the top, including from the press room.

Since the season was just over, we were able to go into the Visiting Team Locker Room and walk through the tunnel and on to the field.

After the tour, we headed into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

This museum has even more memorabilia and a detailed history about the team, and its most famous members, including Coach Vince Lombardi and Brett Favre.

We then went back to Lodge Kohler to crash for a while before dinner at the hotel’s Taverne in the Sky Restaurant.

During season, it’s a great place to watch the game (and even see the flyovers since the hotel is so close).

When there aren’t games, you’ll still find a great atmosphere, and the bar area frequently has live music on the weekends.

We sat in the main dining room for a dinner by candlelight, overlook Lambeau Field (how often can you say that?).

The waitress recommended some of the specialties, and we started with the Artichoke Fritters, which were delicious.

We both next enjoyed a cup of the chicken wild rice soup before our entrees came.

I had ordered the house specialty, rotisserie chicken, which probably wasn’t the best choice for me, as I prefer something with a sauce.

It was tender, but a little dry for me. I really loved the potatoes and vegetables accompanying it.

Rich was thrilled with his Poached Sturgeon, another house specialty.

We were pretty full, but, of course, couldn’t pass up dessert once we saw the menu.

We didn’t indulge in the milkshakes, which could include an addition of the Kohler Dark Chocolate Brandy.

We shared the Triple Chocolate Cake, topped with three of my favorite words, “Dark Chocolate Ganache.”

Equally satisfying was the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake, covered in a Door County cherry compote.

It was the perfect day, learning about Green Bay and there was one more to come in Titletown.


Continue the story with Day Three in Green Bay.