Another one of my favorite things about this time of year is the little trip Eric and I plan in mid-December. See, December is a big month for us. It brings Christmas AND our wedding anniversary (And our dating anniversary, which is something you acquire when you date for approximately a decade). So, instead of getting each other Christmas and anniversary gifts, very early into our relationship we decided it was much more fun to go somewhere together and see something rather than to gift a sweater or a gadget. In the beginning, we landed in places like Chicago, Toronto, and Frankenmuth. And those were fun. But about eight years ago, we landed in northern Michigan and we’ve been going back ever since. Some years we ski, some years we hike, and some years we visit the wineries on the Leelanau Peninsula. But every year, it’s just plain relaxing and we love it. And I love our tradition. It’s two or three days in the middle of a busy season to hide out and just enjoy.
Last weekend, Eric and I headed up to the peninsula for our annual trip. It was a quick one but we managed to fit in visits to three of our favorite wineries: Longview, Chateau Fontaine, and Forty-Five North. We sipped wine, cooked dinner, and perused the papers for a home in Leelanau we were sure we could afford with the winning $88 million lottery ticket sitting in the car. We also managed to get stuck on the side of the road in the winter storm that just hit but we’ll save that story for another day.
I hope your season is full of things that make your heart happy and experiences that are as good as gifts.
P.S. We did not win the lottery.
