Birthday Celebrations Part 2

I found out on Wednesday that Justin and I would be traveling somewhere for the weekend. If you live any where close to FSM, you know that the weather was CRAZY, and it was cold and rainy. Justin wouldn't tell me where we were going, so I did my normal thing. I acted like an adult and accepted the surprise. I asked around to see if anyone knew anything. I just wanted to know what to pack. I really didn't want to know exactly where we were going. I was secretly hoping it was Eureka Springs because I recently mentioned it to Justin. Granddaddy-o arrived in time to pick Wilson, and Justin and I were able to get away about 5:15. He finally told me where we were going once we got on the road (and were stuck in the construction traffic). I WAS RIGHT!! Justin had it all planned, and I was bound and determined not to let Mother Nature mess with awesome birthday plans.

The hotel we stayed at was smack dab in the middle of it all. Perfect place for Justin and I to set up headquarters. It had quaint rooms with little added bonuses. When we arrived we had to unload quickly and take the car to the parking lot (like 2 miles away--probably not really). After hiking up the big mountain of stairs, we cleaned up and headed out for our first night. We found a place that looked pretty cool and so we decided to check it out. We thought they had a menu outside, and so we assumed it was a bar/grill. Not so much. The only options were tacos (for $1) or loaded nachos. I really just wanted to sit and chill, listen to some music, and so I went for the loaded nachos. Interesting choice, Hill. I might have eaten 1/5 of the plate when I decided it was better for me just to stick to liquids. We listened to the band, whom I enjoyed, but I don't think Justin did. The we decided it was late and we wanted to explore the next day so we went to bed. Seriously, it couldn't have been much past midnight if it was even that late.

One of the fancy chairs in our room.

The fireplace in our room (thought we might actually need it)

 

The next morning  about noon, I decided it was time to get out bed and go exploring the quaint little town. Mind you Justin had already been up for about 3-31/2 hours. He enjoyed the complementary breakfast buffet and watched TV while I enjoyed not having anyone need me to do something. Considering it was my birthday, he didn't push me too hard to get ready. Maybe it was the cold drizzle that was hanging around? After I got ready, we decided to walk around a little. We saw some shops that I knew I needed to go into, but I really needed to get lunch. A great and wise friend enlightened me on a wonderful lunch restaurant named Local Flavor Café. It turned out to be the perfect place to eat. Our window seat was peaceful, and my avocado and cheese sandwich was divine. I also enjoyed a birthday Bloody Mary, which was so spicy I couldn't finish it. Justin gave me a hard time about it (because seriously, it was $8, and I never order a grown up drink).

 

My birthday Bloody Mary and his Harvey Wallbanger





 



 



After lunch, we hit up some of the shops. I found many gifts that I needed to buy other people plus a few things for myself. Part of the magic of the weekend was that I could go into any store I wanted without worrying about breakables (except for myself who is a walking hazard), or little fingers having to touch everything in the store. It was FABULOUS! Justin bought me a cute metal piece to go above our bed. At first glance in the window, I thought it was canvas, but upon inspecting it further in the gallery, I realized it was metal (which made me love it even more).

I had my eye on this for a little bit!

 



 



 

 



 





Once I had gotten all of the shopping bug out of me (which really didn't take very long), Justin and I found a local place to sit and watch the Derby. Growing up I always felt special that the Derby ran around the time of my birthday. This year it was actually on the same day. Growing up around race horses, it has always been a dream of mine to attend the Derby. I would have the best hat!! Anyhow, while we were picking horses and waiting on the main event, Justin looked up a few of the nice restaurants on his phone so we I could pick where we were going to eat supper. We decided on a nice steak place we passed a few times earlier. We made reservations and decided to relax in the hotel room for a bit--to recharge (I was worn smack out from all of the walking and cold/rain). Our dinner was delicious, and the dessert was even better. I was still so worn out from the day of walking that we decided to call it an early night. Poor Justin was stuck watching a movie on TV while I enjoyed another night of absolute peace. We woke early (not too early) the next morning to eat and head out of town. I have to say, it was a birthday to go down in the books. I can't say enough Thank You's to Justin for planning it!