Goodbyes are hard.

But, I would certainly call this summer a successful one. It didn’t hurt that we kicked the season off with the trip of a lifetime, but even the little activities: moments with family and friends, dinners at home, weekend getaways, ice cream, movies and date nights made the last few months special.

Something that helped keep our fun on track, was my handy summer bucket list. I always have grand plans for these warm months – so full or promise in late May… and then, I promptly forget what those plans were and proceed to eat ice cream and watch movies on my couch. So, this year we made it happen!

Here’s the list:

1. Kayak on the Blanchard
2. Enjoy fine dining at the Lima Ave. Rootbeer stand
3. See a drive-in Movie
4. Go to a winery
5. Visit Lakeside
6. See a concert

Now, none of these things were earth-shattering, but each made the day seem more special. So, between trips to see grandparents, parties with friends, birthdays, work, and holidays, we:

(<—Rootbeer Stand)

• Took an amazing trip down the river – serene, calm, and inexpensive!
• Ate the best Spanish dog, sweet potato fries and root beer floats you could imagine. Seriously.
• Saw the Dark Night Rises while eating snacks snug and cozy in the front seat of the car. Felt so 1960’s… loved it!
• Took a trip to Mon Ami winery and enjoyed the amazing sea food buffet.
• Took a restful, peaceful, book-filled trip to one of our favorite places on the planet
• The. Zac. Brown. Band.

Bliss!

Especially the sweet potato fries and floats at the Rootbeer stand… I die.

(Elizabeth and I at the Winery)

The last two items were things I had been longing to do, but didn’t see how they could fit into our packed summer! Until, the Husband surprised me on the Birthday with both :) He’s a keeper, I tell ya. These adventures were a little more special than the others on the list, so here’s a little recap:

Lakeside is a very special place. Located along Lake Erie, it was part of the original Chautauqua movement in the U.S. in the late 1800’s. Now, this little town is still dedicated to nurturing the mind, body and spirits of all of those that visit with concerts, lectures, sermons, athletics, swimming, boating and more.

The quiet streets are lined with colorful cottages with fun names, little shops, ice cream parlors, unique restaurants, and bicycles waiting for their owners. On the waterfront, the largest homes and historic Lakeside Hotel look out over the blue water, and the white boathouse and dock form a grand entrance to a brisk walk or the perfect picture of the sunset. You can also play putt putt, shuffleboard, tennis, basketball, jog or take a long walk with periodic stops on numerous benches that overlook the crystal water… Totally serene, a trip there is truly a spiritual experience.

In short, it’s perfection.

Even though it was the end of the season, and many of their activities and summer attractions were closed, the peace and quiet (and pizza and giant cinnamon rolls) was just what the doctor ordered.

We ate, we walked, we slept in, we watched movies on the laptop, we read books, we talked about dreams, and we recharged our batteries…

If you ever make the trip, Sloopy’s pizza and the donuts from The Patio are a must :)

Our final farewell to summer was something I waited on…almost patiently…for a long time. I may have dropped some hints that I NEEDED to attend the Zac Brown Band concert… but in my defense, I dropped it when the Husband stopped responding to my text messages and emails. And, I was totally surprised when he handed them to me for my birthday!

We tailgated with giant cookies (hey – a new bakery opened up in town…I had to try them out ;)  and thousands of other people in cowboy boots and flannel.

We were the only ones with cookies.

The concert was great, and we danced and sang along (nothin’ like “A little bit of chicken fried” to get your toes tappin’!)…

…and kissed our sun kissed-summer nights goodbye.

For real. Those bleachers got pretty darn cold.

:)

I hope your season was just as filled with wonderful things as ours was. Onward and upward – Can’t wait for what’s next!

Oh… and we also watched all of the Rocky Movies in the past three months.

All six of them.

We’re pretty proud.