Let’s go back to February and talk about the mini vacation Dale and I took. The one we laughingly called The Two Inns & A Casino Trip because . . . well . . . we stayed at two inns and (wait for it) a casino. Duh.

We started on Tuesday at the Colonial Inn in Concord. It’s fairly close to home for us, actually, but it’s a pretty place and I’ve always wanted to stay there. We toured the Louisa May Alcott House, which I hadn’t been to since I was a kid, and we walked around downtown Concord. We walked over the Old North Bridge and we drank beer at a little pub. We shopped at a wonderful independent book store. We had dinner at the tavern downstairs and got recruited to play trivia with the locals. It was very relaxing and fun. I’m not sure I’d go back to stay over but it was a great experience.

On Wednesday we drove to Stockbridge and toured The Norman Rockwell Museum, something I highly recommend if you happen to be in Western Massachusetts. After our tour we check in to The Red Lion Inn. It’s huge and gorgeous and loaded with antiques. There are flower arrangements everywhere you look and the main dining room is stunning. There are nooks where you can sit and have a drink. The service is exceptional and the food is great. Our room was on the 4th floor and it was enormous. The bathroom was very large, with a shower and a giant bathtub for soaking. We drove around Stockbridge but then came back to the Inn for a late afternoon drink and snack. We eventually made our way downstairs where there was live music and we had sandwiches at the bar. It was truly lovely and I already can’t wait to go there again.

And I think that’s enough photos and words for today. I’ll share our casino adventure soon!

Dale and I went off on a little getaway last weekend and I’m ready to tell you all about it. Mmmmmkay?

The wheels were put in motion when I found out that Kathy Mattea would be playing in Rockport last Friday night. We’ve gone to Shalin Liu to see her before and it’s a beautiful venue in a lovely area that we’ve never really spent much time exploring. So, I came up with a plan: go to the show on Friday night and then stay for the weekend. I’m sure it’s no surprise that this plan was agreed to readily by Dale!

Traffic was heavy and slow getting up there and we literally dropped our bags at our AirBnb and walked to the theater. We made it in time for a quick glass of wine before the show but it was a more stressful start to the weekend then I would have preferred. Honestly, though, once Kathy took the stage and started singing, all thoughts of traffic and taillights disappeared and we were caught up in the music. From the front row, I might add.

It was a really great show, highlighting many of Mattea’s old favorites as well as some songs from her new album. She came out to greet her fans afterwards and Dale and I loved that chance to chat with her for a few moments. We got out of the theater after 11pm and, predictably, everything was closed. We found a McDonald’s about 10 minutes away and let me tell you, that quarter pounder with cheese tasted mighty good . . . it had been a really long time since lunch!

On Saturday morning we headed out to explore. Our first stop was a great coffee shop right down the street. The coffee was strong and hot and the homemade pastries were fresh and delicious. I had a cinnamon/sugar donut but Dale had a Norwegian coffee bread that was warm and loaded with cardamom and cinnamon. It was like a Christmas preview!

We spent the rest of the day wandering through shops and art galleries, chatting with some really friendly shop owners, and visiting the iconic Motif #1.

I had a lot of fun getting to know my new iPhone X, too. It really takes great photos and portrait mode is fabulous. Here’s the story of this photo: I said to Dale, let’s take a selfie and just as I snapped it he turned and kissed me on the forehead. I didn’t expect it at all and I love that I captured that spontaneous moment. It’s my most favorite selfie of us ever!

We had a late lunch and then headed back to our AirBnb to hang out for the evening. The air was warm all afternoon but it was cooling down by the time we had our cocktails on the back patio. In other words, we weren’t out there long but it was lovely while we were. And we spent the rest of the evening listening to music, eating some really great cheese, and talking, talking, talking. As in, I think we talked from 6pm until 11pm. It was great to have a completely uninterrupted night to catch up and talk about things that actually matter and not just our schedule for the week.

On Sunday morning we headed back to the coffee shop and then hit the back roads to explore for a bit. We found some cemeteries (one was really gorgeous but I didn’t take photos there) and some beautiful homes, too.

The goal all along was Woodman’s for fried clams. We don’t get there often but I’ll tell you, it’s just the best. Hot and fresh and so so good!

We were in the car and headed for home around 2, listening to the Pats game on the radio and arriving home just in time to see the ending. (They won.)

It really was a great weekend away, full of quintessential New England elements, great music, and my favorite person in the world. We can all use a weekend like that now and again.