Fall Trip #1: Holland, Michigan

[I have several trips coming up this fall, so I decided I'd write about my three favorite things from each trip.]

For Labor Day weekend, Jess and I decided to go to Holland, Michigan. And here are my three favorite things:

1. Crimson Cottage Inn - This is pretty much the reason we decided to go to Holland. We found this place in a google search, and it was love at first sight. For days leading up to our trip, we would both look at the web site and daydream about this place. I can't say enough about how amazing it was. There were chocolate chip cookies just outside our room at all times. There was a great little picnic table in the backyard, where we sat well into the night, eating cookies, drinking wine and using a battery operated candle for light. (It was the perfect kind of camping.) The breakfast was fantastic, including things like baked French toast, sausage casserole, blueberry coffee cake, and white chocolate cranberry scones. The owners were warm and kind, and it felt like we were at a friend's parents' house. (You know, the friend with the parents you really like.)

2. Fenn Valley Winery/Crane's Pie Pantry Excursion - On Sunday, after a trip to the beach, we drove down to Fennville for a wine tasting. Unfortunately, the tours were full, but a nice old lady helped us navigate the many varieties of vino as we each tried five different ones. In the end, the two of us ended up with seven bottles between us (resisting the urge to make it to twelve, when we would have gotten a 15% discount). On our way to the winery, we'd seen several signs for pie at Crane's. And really, what goes better with wine than pie? Crane's was an interesting place. It's kind of like a primitive Cracker Barrel. First we went inside to the bakery, only to discover they only sell whole pies. Then we tried the outdoor walk-up window, to find that they only accepted cash (which we did not have). Finally we went inside, down a long hallway, then waited ten minutes for a table in the restaurant. Jess had blueberry pie and I had apple crisp. Well worth the confusion.

3. Not having a plan - A planner by nature (and not to mention it's what I do for a living), it was a nice change to not really have a plan. We visited galleries, sat outside to read, ate ice cream and discovered great restaurants- not to mention our time from about 5-7 pm each day when we sat on the bed and read People magazines or watched television.

All in all- a great little weekend getaway. I certainly see a return trip to the Crimson Cottage in my future!