As a long postponed fifth anniversary gift to ourselves, we decided to ditch the kids and head on over to the Mississippi River area between Redwing, MN and Alma, WI. We really needed some time to ourselves, and this time of year is the best time of year of all! We dropped Alena off with her Uncle Davey and Auntie Avery in Wausau, and Grandma Hawkins drove down to pick up Levi.
 |
| We headed on over to Eau Claire where I found a deal on a room with a whirlpool! I had no idea why the desk clerk was snickering a bit when he told us that we were staying in the "Red Room." After we navigated through the maze to find our room, we quickly found out why it had its name! There was not only a sign on the door indicating this was the Red Room, but there was a red light outside the door!! Inside, there were these sweet retro red lamps, and red carpeting. I have never slept on a bed that had a mirror on the wall AND CEILING!!! until then! I was kinda grossed out, but we weren't there for all that long! We at at Red Lobster, one of my all time favorite places, where I dined on snow crab legs & munched on Eric's Endless Shrimp! |
 |
| We enjoyed the big whirlpool tub... with mirrors around it, of course! |
 |
| We made a few stops on the Great River Winery Tour. We loved the hard cider at the Maiden Rock Winery (too bad they were all sold out of our favorite product0, and bought a couple of bottles at the Danzinger Winery in Alma, WI. The view was fantastic from the bodega, as shown here! |
 |
| The view from Alma's city park on top of a bluff. The town of Alma is nestled between the base of the bluff and the mighty Mississippi! We spent some time marveling at the lock and dam, and watched a train barrel down the tracks as we stood on a platform just above it! |
 |
| Alma city park |
 |
| We were not disappointed with our choice of accommodations for our second night! The River Nest Bed and Breakfast near Wabasha, MN was delightful! Shown here is the tub and fireplace in the sitting room. The bedroom was on the opposite side of the fireplace, too! We ate super at an Irish pub in Wabasha where I had amazing Irish stew! Breakfast at the Inn was generous, scrumptious, and unique. The view from the sitting room area in our suite was of the Mississippi! |
 |
| While we were out having fun, Grandma made sure that she and Levi were ready to cheer the Packers on to victory! The kids both did great and we were very relieved! It was a weekend getaway that was just what the doctor ordered! |
