Going: Milwaukee

Notice how I don't have a "Planning" post for this trip to Milwaukee? Well, that's because there wasn't a lot of planning that went into this trip! It was a short trip, so there wasn't a lot of planning needed - when all was said and done, I was only gone from my house for less than 30 hours - it was a quick, fun trip!

A friend of mine has a cousin who plays in the NBA, so we had talked about going to see a game of his. It just so happened that we were both free on the Saturday after Christmas and he had a home game in Milwaukee, so we decided to set the day aside and see if a trip would work once we both figured out what our Christmas plans looked like.

We talked the Saturday before Christmas and confirmed that we should go. We got a hotel room online and planned to leave the next Saturday around 11. My roommate and her brother also came with. We drove straight to the hotel and checked in, and then met up with some others from their family who were in town for the game. We had dinner and then got tickets for the game. We ended up on the lower level in row H, so we had pretty good seats. It was so fun to be with them to see their cousin play in the NBA! After the game we met up with their cousin and talked to him for just a little bit before he needed to get back to his place with the family that he was hosting. The four of us went to grab a drink and then headed back to the hotel for the night. We slept in, had breakfast, and headed back home.

I really enjoy road trips and I don't mind riding in the car at all, so even though it was a really quick trip, I didn't mind the time in the car. We talked a lot on the way over and on the way back we listened to NFL games on the radio. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn right in downtown Milwaukee, which had a really good rate and a great breakfast. The only bummer of the trip was that I was hoping to see another friend of mine who works for the Bucks, but she was on Christmas vacation. Maybe next time!

Going: Christmas

I'm sure my Christmas plans were similar to many people - multiple stops over many days, full of food, family, and fun! We spent two nights at my parents' apartment in the cities, three nights at my childhood home, and one night at my sister's house in Wisconsin. It was full of activity AND full of relaxing. A very wonderful Christmas, indeed!

I used to think trips like this were difficult to pack for, but now I appreciate that I can re-wear some outfits, or mix-and-match just a few things so that I don't end up over-packing. It's also nice to be packing for a road trip instead of a plane trip so that I could bring along "extras" - like my laundry and my quilting - that I got done during down time.

The last few years we have done a stay-cation in the cities in December. My parents both have December birthdays, so a weekend downtown has been a great way to celebrate. In past years we've stayed at a hotel, but now that my parents have an apartment in the cities, we decided to stay there. We went to the Holidazzle parade, the Melting Pot, had brunch in bed and a lazy Saturday morning, went to a movie, saw Fiddler on the Roof at the Chanhassen, and went to my church on Sunday. After that we headed north for a Christmas Tea at the house of our good friends, and we celebrated Christmas with Mom's side of the family on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day was a nice relaxing day at my sister's with games, movies, and good food.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas, as well!

Throwback Thursday: Latvia, February 2010

Cold, snowy days in Minnesota always remind me of a cold, snowy day I spent in Riga, Latvia. 

It was dreamy. 

Going: Chicago

I'm killing time in the airport on my way back from Chicago. I'm pretty tired, but I had a great trip!

This trip was primarily focused on work (I went to 16 conference sessions!), but I also had some evenings free for fun. Thankfully, my friend Helen had work meetings in Chicago as well, so we were able to spend time together on Saturday and Sunday. 

After my conference on Saturday, Helen and I met up and went to RPM Italian for an early dinner. There were no reservations available online, but we went early enough that we were able to grab a nice table in the bar area before the Saturday evening rush. I would HIGHLY recommend RPM - everything I've ever eaten there has been delicious, the service is great, and it is reasonably priced. 

After RPM we grabbed a bus out to the United Center for the Bulls game. It's too bad Derrick Rose is injured, but we sill had fun at the game. Then we went back to Michigan Ave and got Garret's Popcorn for a late night treat at the hotel. 

Sunday I went to my conference and then met up with Helen and we walked down to Millennium Park to see The Bean and the ice skating with live Christmas music. Chicago at Christmas time is DREAMY and COLD! I'm not really a "lightweight" when it comes to the cold, and neither is Helen (she grew up in Russia), but we were pretty frozen after our time in the park, so we decided to grab Chicago-style pizza at the closest place, which was Giordano's. 

We stuffed ourselves silly, but we still made room for wine and dessert at Disotto Enotecca, which is has become my favorite place to end my Chicago evenings. It is a cozy, downstairs wine bar with yummy desserts, great wine, and a great atmosphere. 

I didn't do much on Monday evening since I was exhausted from my time at the conference and the previous evenings' activities. I felt bad "wasting" a night in Chicago, but I also enjoy a lazy night watching TV in a hotel room - since I don't travel much for work anymore, I haven't done that in a long time! 

All in all, it was a terrific trip to Chicago. Still one of my favorite cities, despite the bitter cold!

Throwback Thursday: Hawaii, January 2009

It's not even the end of December and I'm already wishing it was warm and sunny! I needed a throwback to a favorite vacation in Maui! This picture is from the infinity pool at the Marriott resort in Wailea....DREAMY!

Throwback Thursday: Chicago, 2006

Chicago with some of my best good friends in 2006. The three of us haven't all lived in the same place since we graduated from college in 2004, but I love that we've always made it a point to find a place to meet up. I love them, and I love our travel memories! Posting this in anticipation of heading to Chicago in a few days!

Throwback Thursday: Duluth, Fall 2007

Caught a beautiful sunrise on a work trip to Duluth in 2007

Dreaming: Winter Retreats

The first significant snowfall in Mpls has me dreaming of the dreamiest winter retreats. I think my top choice from this list would be Tallinn, Estonia. I heard amazing things about it from my friends who lived in Lithuania. It seems like the quaintest winter place there is. A close second would be Whitefish, especially after my amazing summer visit to Montana this year. Ah! So many dreamy places to visit!