The Night The Lights Went Out...

So a couple of weeks ago the Husband decided that he wanted to get away for a night.  He didn't want to go far, he just wanted a night away.

So he planned a last minute get away for a Saturday night and decided that we would go to Merrillville, IN. Since we are still disgusted with Holiday Inn (see a previous post) we decided to use our points to stay at the Residence Inn, which had great reviews and was recently renovated at the beginning of this year. Of course his selection of the area and hotel had nothing to do with the fact that Portillo's is across the street.

So we took off on Saturday morning for our nice relaxing and romantic weekend.

We stopped in Lafayette on the way up.  First stop was Rural King, which we do not have near us anymore, since we have moved and this is the place that they sell the jeans at, that the Husband wears to work.  Lucky for us, it was buy two pairs, get one free.  We had to dig for his sizes to find the 2nd and then the 3rd pair but alas we were successful.  Our second stop was at Four Guns, a gun shop.  I had purchased a Deal Chicken for my husband to use there, on accessories, ect.  Honestly, I was kind of disappointed in the store, they did not have a lot of inventory.  So it is not somewhere you want to make a special trip to but he was able to use his coupon.  Third and final stop was at Game Stop, are you getting the picture yet that the Husband is spoiled?  Notice none of these stops were for me?  You would think that HE was an only child and not the other way around, where I am the only child.  I digress, so he had a couple of old games to trade in and you got more money towards a game for the weekend, plus he had received a coupon for his birthday.  I kept telling him that this was not an authorized purchase (smiling as I type this).  He said it was his birthday.  Dude your birthday was like three weeks ago! Anyways, he purchased a game and we were on our way.  Final destination, Merrillville, IN.

So we had arrived and upon check-in there were flowers waiting for me.  Isn't the Husband so sweet, maybe I should take back the spoiled comment.  Nah!  We went up to the room to relax for awhile.  Which by the way the room was super nice!  Upgrades/renovations they made were wonderful.

So around 4:30 p.m. we were getting ready to head over to Portillio's to grab some food to bring back to the room, then we thought that we might go for a swim and if it cooled off maybe miniature golfing.  THAT IS WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT.  A big storm and I mean big rolled through and we lost power, in fact much of Merrillville and Northern Indiana were without power.

Of course this happens to us.  We plan a night away and the power goes out!  It is always an adventure with us.  However, I was optimistic, maybe the power would be back on shortly, no reason to worry.  So we went downstairs to hang out, talk to some other guests and the hotel staff.  We finally decided to see if we could go and eat dinner somewhere, as we suspected that Portillo's had lost power as well.  We spoke with the manager and asked if we decided to leave would our points be refunded.  He said no problem, just let us know.

So off we went. We drove over to Portillio's and of course they were the only place without power right there.  Go figure!  One of the employees was outside though and told us that the Portillio's in Crestwood, IL had power and it was only about 45 min. away.  We thought why not?  Let's drive on over to Illinois.  $1.50 later we were over the border and had located Portillios, we enjoyed our dinner and then decided to head to Hammond, IN to Cabella's, again for the Husband, since he, nor I had been there before.  It was a neat store but I think Bass Pro is better.

Back at the hotel, the power was still off, it was around 10:00 p.m.  The manager called us over and told us that we could stay the night and he would refund our points.  I thought that was super nice of him since the storm was not his fault.  We will stay there again for sure!!!

The next morning the power had come back on.  We checked out and headed to Michigan City, to the outlets there.  I sure do love it there.  I like Edinburgh as well, in Columbus, IN.  I kind of like the Coach store better in Edinburgh but overall I like Michigan City better.  We will not discuss how much was spent there and do not fret ladies, of course I treated myself to a new Coach purse!  Now who is the spoiled one? Let's just say we were both happy with our purchases for the day.  The weather was also nice, so it was a great day to walk around.

It was time to leave.  Goodbye outlets, until next time.  We were headed back home and of course we had to stop in Merrillville on our way back home to eat at Portillo's again!  On our way back there, in Hobart, IN I made the mistake of pointing out a candy factory.  The Husband made a quick u-turn.  Was that legal?  And pulled in to the lot.  I had no idea that place was even there.  In case you are interested the name of it is Albanese and they have a HUGE candy store.  I made the mistake of walking away from the Husband when I was looking for some candy for my parents and he had a handful of chocolate candy, ect.  when I found him.  As we were checking out, I heard a mother telling her son only two items.  Next time I am going to tell this to the Husband.  <Sigh>

So it may not have been the romantic night we originally planned on but it was still romantic and it was an adventure, that is for sure!  It is one of those stories we will be telling in our old age, about the night the lights went out...So we are planning a new adventure somewhere else, to use our hotel points at.  Keep watching for that adventure and hopefully the lights will not go out!

Three States, One Weekend!

So this weekend we visited three states.  I know, I know that is not always an accomplishment, especially if you live on the east coast or if you are taking a road trip.  However, it can be an accomplishment in the mid-west. Right?  Maybe?  Okay, we do live in one of the states but we did actually do activities in all three states.

What states did we visit this weekend?  Well we visited Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. It was a very busy weekend!

It is always nice to take a mini vacation and get away for a little bit.  This weekend the Husband had something to do for work on Saturday afternoon in Covington, KY. Please note this is not something that his company was paying for us to stay overnight, ect. and  we had already been planning on visiting the Cincinnati area sometime in the near future since, 1.  We had been wanting to take a trip to Cincinnati (I have not been since I was little and went to Kings Island.) 2. We had purchased two admissions to the Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY off of DealChicken (I know, I know, me and my deals right?  Seriously this was a good deal!) And since we had not seen my parents in a little bit we decided to invite them along for one of the nights that we would be staying there.

Since the Husband's work thing was being held at the Holiday Inn (Cincinnati-Riverfront) hotel in Covington, KY, we decided to go ahead and book our rooms there.  Which worked for me because if you have read any of my past posts then you will know that I am a Priority Club Member (I love to earn points) or we have a friends and family discount that we can use for the Holiday Inn family brand.  Of course, you can not use both. :-)  This time since there was a points promotion going on and the friends and family discount would only save me about $30.00 w/taxes included in this figure for two nights, so $15.00 a night, I decided to spend the extra money so I could get the points.  This was a much better deal for us.  The Holiday Inn that we stayed at was on the older side and in an older section of town, maybe a little rougher at night but it was not to bad.  The rooms were updated and clean, the staff was friendly and we had a view of the river.  So I was a happy camper.

We arrived later on Friday night, checked in and then headed across the street to try out Skyline Chili.  Yuck!  That is what I have to say about that.  Sorry to all of you Cincinnati folks who love this place but I thought it was disgusting.  I will stick to Steak N' Shake's chili in the future.

The next morning we slept in a little bit and took our time getting ready, you can do this when you do not have children. Well I do have the Husband and he can be very difficult to get up in the mornings, on the weekend.  However, we were up and ready and decided to grab an early lunch before his work thing, which was at one.  We walked across the street to try out Riverfront Pizza, oh urbanspoon, you let me down.  This place had good reviews and was cheap so we figured we would give it a try.  I think I will use the phrase I used above, Yuck!  Their meatball sub was pretty good but their pizza was terrible.  It tasted like a cheap tombstone to me.  At this point in time we were batting a zero on the restaurant front. After lunch it was back to our room while the Husband prepared for his work thing and I waited for my parents to arrive.

The Husband went off to his work thing and my parents arrived.  Now, if you have ever vacationed with my Father, you would know that you need a vacation after the vacation.  He will wear you out!  First stop was the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption.  It is free to tour but donations are accepted.  I was very impressed.  The pictures we took do not do the stained glassed windows or the church justice.  I think that this Catholic Church was even more beautiful then many of the Churches that I saw in France.  It was breathtaking.

Next, were were off to Loveland, OH to visit the Chateau Laroche (Castle).  Now, I admit I was not very impressed with this destination.  I just did not think that it was that neat but it was only $3.00 dollars to get in so at least there was not a lot of money spent.  You tour yourself and there is not really that much to see.  The story surrounding it is neat but that is about the only thing I thought was impressive about it. So moving on.

The next destination was to Graeter's Ice Cream shop.  Now, I had been to a Graeter's Ice Cream shop around where I live and I had not been impressed but my parents had been to one in Cincinnati before and wanted to go and get a snack. Well, I am glad we went, I got a frozen coffee drink that was to die for, so maybe it is just the Graeter's around me that is not that great.

Now the time to meet back up with the Husband had come.  Did I mention the fact that his work thing had finished while we were gone, so he went over to Cincinnati to visit a computer store and a couple of gun shops?  How did he get out of sightseeing with my parents?

We had reservations that night to eat at the Bonefish Grill.  Now, I realize this is a chain but I have to admit I love their fish.  If you can't have fresh fish on the east coast, then I am happy with the Bonefish.  This worked out perfectly because my parents had a gift card and we did too!  So all we basically owed at the end of our meal was the tip.  What a way to save money and have a nice and enjoyable meal!

The night was over and it was time to retire to our rooms for the night.  I knew my Dad would be up early in the morning and ready to go and do things.  So early we rose and packed our stuff.  It was time for breakfast, we can't miss the most important meal of the day can we?  The Husband got to pick where we went.  Mom and I were really hoping he would choose well or Dad would take his choosing privileges away in the future. So his choice, drum roll please...First Watch.  Phew, he picked a good one, Dad will let him choose places in the future. Urbanspoon, you did not let us down this time!  After breakfast was done we killed a little time before heading to the Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY.  This is where my DealChicken coupon comes in to play. DealChicken was doing a promotion that if some one signed up from your link they would get $5.00 of their purchase and once they made their purchase $10.00 would be deposited in to your account.  Since the Husband did not have an account I made him sign up so we would get $5.00 off the tickets and $10.00 in my account.  So total purchase price $20.00, not to bad!  Since the tickets are usually $25.00 a person, I think we got a good deal.

So we arrived at the Creation Museum.  The staff there is super friendly, I was very impressed.  The exhibits were interesting but I am not sure I would want to spend $50.00 for the both of us to go.  The tour of the museum took about 2 1/2 - 3 hrs.  I think The Husband and Dad enjoyed it more than my mom and I did. :) Unfortunately we did not get a chance to go to the petting zoo, I know I am such a kid at heart or to tour the beautiful gardens.  I was really sad about this but everyone was getting hungry and we did not want to eat there, so maybe another time.  The gardens really did look amazing!

So our next stop was how we ended up in Indiana, the closest town with some restaurants was Lawrenceburg, Indiana.  So we headed over the state line to grab something to eat.  We ended up eating at this place called Lawrenceburger.  It was a really small hamburger place and it was pretty good, if I was in the area I would eat there again.  Ironically I did not order a hamburger but I did take a bite of the Husband's burger and it was good.  I would not order the chili cheese fries again though because they were kind of watery.

Well our weekend adventure had come to an end.  It was time for my parents and the Husband and I to go our separate ways.  Them back to their home and us back to ours. It is always sad when a vacation has to come to an end, of course that is if you are enjoying your vacation and we were enjoying ours.

So until next time, when I post again!

Smoky Mountains

So, we ventured out of Indiana and Kentucky over the Fourth of July weekend and headed down to Tennessee.  Final destination was Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.  I decided that my husband and I needed to get away for a long weekend and have a mini vacation together. It is not that we do not ever get away, it is just that we have never been away together for more than a night, since we have been married, except for when we go to visit family on the weekends.  My husband and I did not even get to go on a honeymoon because he had been transferred and I was wrapping up my old job, so that I could start my new job and was in the process of moving my things down to his apartment.  So yes, after we got married we went right back to work. :-)  I thought it was high time that we took a vacation that was just not an overnight trip or visiting family!

So when thinking about where to go, I was trying to think of somewhere that was not to far of a drive but something that was different as well.  I came up with going to Gatlinburg.  I remembered that I had gone with my parents when I was about 8-10 and that my best friend had gone with us.  We had such a good time, I thought that maybe my husband and I could make some memories together there and since he had never been before and I knew that he wanted to go, this is where I decided that we would go.

I planned all of this in one week, it was a spur of the moment decision.  We have a family and friends discount that we can use at Holiday Inn hotels so I decided to see if we could use this and found out that we could.  There was availability at the Holiday Inn in Pigeon Forge, TN.

So I took Friday off of work to do some laundry and pack, plus I am trying to burn through some of my vacation days, since they expire at the end of September.  When my husband got home from work we loaded up the car, ran a couple of quick errands and headed out to go to TN.  We did not arrive at the hotel until about midnight and my husband was a little sore from the drive, however the pool was supposed to be closing.  The lady at the front desk was super nice and told us that she would not lock the pool doors up yet, so that we could go and use the pool and hot tub.  We quickly unpacked the car, dropped everything off and put our bathing suits on.  The pool water felt so great and after a swim we felt very relaxed.  When we got back to our room, around 1:00 a.m., what did we discover?  Well, we discovered that our room door was not locking on the outside, so you could push it in, this was not good!  We called down to the front desk to let them know, we were fine for the night, since we could use the dead bolt from the inside to lock the door, but we wanted to make sure that they could fix it the next morning so we could go out and enjoy the sights.

The next morning rolled around and we called the front desk to see about having someone come up and fix the door.  They said that they would send someone up right away, so we waited and waited, then we waited some more, no one showed up and it had been over an hour.  We were not very pleased about this since when you go to Gatlinburg, it is typically not to sit by the pool or in your hotel room all day.  My husband went downstairs to talk the the front desk again.  They tried to give him an excuse but he informed them how long we had been waiting and that we had not come to sit around all day, if he wanted to do that then he could have stayed home.  Way to go dear!  They arrived shortly after that and it took them another hour to fix the door.  Finally we could go out and explore.

We got in the car and the destination was Gatlinburg, so that we could grab some lunch and walk around all the shops and explore.  We decided to grab lunch at Dick's Last Resort, this was a bad idea.  If you go to Gatlinburg, do not go there!  They were trying to be like an Ed Debevic's but Ed Debevic's they were not and the food was terrible.  I would definitely NOT recommend this place.  After lunch, we headed towards the aquarium.  While walking down there we explored some of the shops on the way there.  Now, if you ever go to Gatlinburg, you MUST check out Ripley's Aquarium.  It is amazing and is absolutely worth the money!  They truly have one of the best aquariums that I have ever been to.  I was super impressed.  My husband and I both really enjoyed it and we were able to get a lot of great photos.  After the aquarium we switched sides of the road and looked in the other shops on the way back.  We were able to find some gifts for my parents, beef jerky for my hubby and a bottle of peach wine for myself.  We were both wiped out from the day, we did a LOT of walking.  So we found a restaurant called J.T. Hannah's and decided to have dinner there, it was not bad, the buffalo shrimp salad was actually pretty good. All, in all it was a wonderful day, despite the late start that we got due to the issues with our hotel room door.

On Sunday, we decided to sleep in and then drove up and down the strip in Pigeon Forge, stopping at some of the shops.  We also took a quick trip to the outlet mall to get my husband a new wallet from the Coach store, yes my husband LOVES Coach wallets.  I am so very proud of him!  We had a late lunch at Salsaritas Fresh Cantina, it is kind of like a Qudoba but much better!  Their chicken tacos were amazing, their salsa was just okay.  After that we took a drive through the Smoky Mountains, it is so peaceful and relaxing up there and much cooler temperature wise!  If you do go there you must take a drive through the Smoky Mountains! We had a late dinner at Tony Romas, definitely not somewhere I would go back to, not worth the money.  Then it was back to the hotel for a swim in the pool and a soak in the hot tub.

Then there was Monday, Happy 4th of July! I was sad that we were going to be leaving. We loaded up the car and checked out .  On the way back in to Gatlinburg we stopped to eat at Reagan's Broken Egg and Pancake House.  I think that this is the best place that we ate at our entire stay there.  Their pancakes and bacon were very delicious.  I would go back there and would recommend eating breakfast if you go there, do not eat breakfast at the Holiday Inn.  It was not very good.  After we ate we drove in to Gatlinburg to stop back in at a store that we had seen a piece of art work that we wanted to purchase and some other items.  We made our purchases and headed in to the Smoky Mountains for a scenic drive on our way home.  This kind of turned out to be somewhat of a disaster, we were stuck behind vehicles for about two hours or more. Well we finally found out why there was such a backup, a black bear had been spotted in a tree sleeping and everyone was slowing down to get pictures.  Unfortunately my pictures of it did not come out well, you could not see the bear in the photo because of the shade.  So although it was annoying to sit and not move it was really neat to see the bear!

This concluded our trip to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN.  If you have never been before it is a definite must do, add it to your list.  We would like to go back sometime and stay in a cabin, play some miniature golf and go horse back riding. We had a wonderful time exploring and spending time together.  I was not to impressed with the way that Holiday Inn handled the door issue that we experience, so in the future I would probably stay somewhere else.  The food was not that great, except for Salsaritas (fast food chain) and the pancake place but in tourist traps you come to expect this.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer and doing some exploring of their own!