Last year around this same time we took a weekend getaway to Avila Beach and stayed at Sycamore Minerals Springs Hotel.

My husband had been saying since October this past year that we needed to find some time to getaway, just the two of us. It’s definitely tough what with the holidays, the girls activities and school/work schedules, and as I kept seeing the weekends go by I realized I needed to get intentional about it and give him a weekend to work with.

By Monday of this past week I still wasn’t sure if we’d be going anywhere this weekend but still I made sure to let my boss know there was a possibility I would be out Friday. Thankfully it all fell into place and by Tuesday my husband had found and booked two nights for us at the Grand Idyllwild Lodge. We chose this location because it would only be a two hour drive, versus going back to Avila Beach we would be looking at 5+ hours due to the traffic to get past LA.

You guys, this place is a gem. It’s a fairly new place, established 2013, and has 10 rooms with breakfast included with the reservation. The rooms are named and ours is Tranquility which I thought is so fitting to what we both needed on this getaway.

I wish I had my phone on me this morning to take a photo of our breakfast, so yummy! Eggs, the softest buttered toast ever, Italian sausage and an awesome mix of ripe delicious fruit.

There’s this beautiful view from the lodge, a library to sit and read or talk, and a swing outside to sit and relax on. The property is gorgeous.

We’ve had such a wonderful time slowing down, enjoying time alone together, talking, and exploring a couple of hikes. Truly food for our soul and marriage.

I know it can be hard, time slips away so quickly and the next thing you know it’s been month after month of not finding that space to get away.

We spent the last year like we always do, truly dedicated to our girls, to taking trips together with them, going camping, getting together with friends and family and building our relationships. It’s so important to build our own relationship too. I mean, it’s what began our family in the first place. It’s the foundation (with God first of course) of our family. And so it’s important we give it the proper time and fuel.

These two days together we have had time to connect more deeply, to share ideas, to reminisce about our girls, our dog, our years together. It’s been so refreshing and heartwarming.

I hope that we can continue to do this every year. To take time away together. I feel very proud of the time we give our girls, that we spend together as a family. And it makes me happy to be able to enjoy time with my husband one on one too.

In closing, here’s some photos of an 8 mile hike we did today.

We started at Ernie Maxwell Scenic Route and then continued to hike a while longer into Devils Slide Trail.