My Anniversary Trip - Gravenhurst, ON

I'll be honest with you. This post is mostly about the hotel we stayed in and my cute little pup. Why? Because a huge ice storm hit while we were there and it got pretty bad. So we had the excuse to stay in and enjoy the hotel. Netflix, fireplace, pool, hot tub...I'm not sure I would have left that even if outside had not turned into a giant skating rink!

Look at my little photobomber in that first picture! He has a way of sneaking in pictures! We stayed at the Residence Inn by Marriott in Gravenhurst, ON, right on Lake Muskoka. The staff surprised us with some sparkling wine, Hershey kisses, and a little note. Little touches like that always impress me. They also welcomed Indy with open arms, as they are pet-friendly (even cats!).

We had a two bedroom suite, because my MIL came along to watch Indy whenever we went down to the pool area. The hotel allows you to leave your pets for a short time, but Indy still has a bit of separation anxiety and it is far worse in new places. Each bedroom had its own bathroom, which is always a plus. The common areas had a full kitchen, dining table, and living room with a fireplace and patio.

We arrived on Wednesday and the hotel was offering free macaroni and brownies in the breakfast area downstairs. Two of my favorite things being offered for free? Well, I was all over that. The food they offered was great. Above is my breakfast on our last day. They have waffles, eggs, sausage patties, potato cakes, muffins, bagels, yogurt, and probably more that I am forgetting. My husband went down and got me a plate each morning and I think he brought the whole buffet to me over the course of the two mornings! Thank goodness I had the pool to swim it off!

They accommodated us with a room on the first floor to help with walking Indy for potty breaks. The patio had two Muskoka chairs that we didn't get to enjoy,  but they were so pretty in the snow. The lake was still solid ice in most areas and it was really neat to see the steamships at dock. I wanted to explore more of downtown Gravenhurst, but the storm had other ideas. Next time!

I got an anniversary band for my gift and it looks beautiful with my wedding set. It's still hard to believe that it has been ten years! While in the hotel room, Indy claimed one of the couch cushions as his own. He's so picture perfect. And on the way home, we stopped in at Canyon Creek Steakhouse and grabbed takeout to enjoy a date night in on Friday, our actual anniversary. All in all, it was a lovely week followed by Easter dinner with the family. When Tuesday came around, it was hard to get back to the usual routine.

It was a fun trip and it was absolutely fantastic to finally get away. It had been since last March and after breaking my knee, months have been dragging on. I needed this vacation more than I ever have needed one before and I think that is what made it so difficult to bounce back after the holiday. I do feel rejuvenated, though. I still focused on my knee while in the pool and hot tub, but the rest of the time was just relaxing and doing nothing. And it rocked.