Rachel, Day by Day
Cute little waterfall.
In July, my husband, son, and I went on a trip to Grand Rapids, Mich., just the three of us. This was our first getaway as a little family, so it’ll always have a spot in my heart. We were able to drive, and it really wasn’t that far, which is a perk! I thought I’d share the highlights of our fun vacation.
Quote of the trip from my son: “Mommy, you have salad and lemonade. Daddy, you have a margarita.”
Day 1: On the way there, we stopped in Holland, Mich., at the Dutch Village. My three-year-old son loved the windmill and playing on the playground. The flowers and grounds were beautiful. It was a nice stop to stretch our legs. Then we finished the rest of the drive and checked in at a new Embassy Suites. That evening we had dinner close by at a sports bar and grill and walked along the river. The waterfall and sunset were beautiful. Then we relaxed at the hotel.
Day 2: The hotel included a free breakfast, and it was amazing! There were waffles, eggs, omelets, bacon, sausage, bagels, muffins, etc. We then drove to the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, which was large and beautiful! The gardens and flowers were pretty. My favorite was the Japanese garden, and my son had a fun time playing in the toddler area with little boats and a tree house. We ate lunch at the hotel and then went to the Grand Rapids Public Museum. My son got to play a lot and went on a carousel from the 1920s. We then went to the happy hour at our hotel for snacks and drinks, then Rose’s Restaurant on Reeds Lake. The view was great. I had recently gotten a FitBit, so I had a lot of steps this day!
Waterfall at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
Day 3: This morning we walked to the Gerald R. Ford Museum. My son wasn’t a huge fan since there wasn’t much to play with (he liked the president’s chair in the Cabinet Room), but I thought it was really interesting. There’s a lot I didn’t know about Gerald Ford. I felt like I learned a lot in such a short amount of time. When my son was in the president’s chair, I asked him, “So, Mr. President, what should we do to improve our country’s economy?” He said, “Pancakes!” Then we had lunch at The Old Goat. It was a neat restaurant with charming décor and a hipster style. We then went swimming at the hotel and relaxed at the happy hour. We walked around downtown in the evening and went to a Mexican restaurant.
Day 4: This was our last full day in Grand Rapids. We walked to the Children’s Museum and my son had an amazing time. There were so many things to do (bubbles, cars, grocery store, instruments, etc.). We had pizza for dinner that night, walked around, and had a very relaxing evening. The sunset with the river and scenery was breathtaking.
My little family.
I enjoyed this vacation because we went at a slower pace. We had our list of things to do, but they didn’t make us tired or fill up the whole day. The three of us still talk about some inside jokes we had while there, and they still make me smile. It was a small vacation, but I’ll never forget it.
Randomosity 