This past weekend was such a great time!  I'm lucky enough to be a member of the Kinette Club of Listowel.  We do a lot of work in the community, including organizing many Paddyfest activities, raising funds for Cystic Fibrosis, helping arrange local Blood Donor Clinics, among MANY other things!

Once a year, our Club goes on a "Mystery Trip Weekend" that is organized by two members of the group.  They tell you how much the whole weekend will cost (this includes your food and accommodations, and all planned activities), and the date of the trip.  That's all you get to know, until the weekend unfolds and you experience it!

This past weekend was our Mystery Weekend.  I was so torn about whether to go, because it also happened to be the weekend of the North Perth Home Show, which my hubby was exhibiting in.  Ultimately, after a lot of thought, I decided to go on the Mystery Trip, and I'm so glad I did!  Sometimes, you need a weekend away with the girls, where all you have to do is be there and have a great time.  

The trip started on Saturday morning when I was picked up at my house by a van filled with my Kinette friends.  We toured a historic jail and had an awesome lunch in Goderich, then visited a famous bakery for some yummy cream puffs (really, really good!!) went shopping in beautiful Bayfield, made our own gorgeous necklaces at a cute little boutique, then ended up a the fabulous Oakwood Inn in Grand Bend.  At the Oakwood Inn we enjoyed excellent service, and the best food I've had in a really long time!  After that, it was off to the hot tub and pool for more relaxing, and a whole lot of laughs.  Honestly, my face was so sore from too much smiling and laughing!  As my one friend pointed out, those muscles need to be exercised on a regular basis too! 

Anyways, yesterday started with a wonderful breakfast at the Oakwood.  Then back to Bayfield for some shopping, before stopping for a perfect picnic lunch in a beautiful park overlooking Lake Huron.  The water was so blue!!!  From there, we were on to our next activity.  What was it, you ask?  Horseback riding!!  We stopped at Home on the Range in Londesborough, which is about an hour from where I live.  They had gorgeous horses all saddled up and ready to go, just waiting for us!  I have NEVER ridden a horse before.  I picked a chestnut coloured horse named Thunder.  He was beautiful!!  And I think he liked me...he was so sweet and gentle, and I just had the BEST time.  I was a little nervous at first, but these horses are completely trained and just follow each other all along the nature trails that run all over the property at Home on the Range.  Horseback riding through the woods was absolutely breathtaking, beautiful, and I felt so in touch with nature!  I'm definitely going back there, and soon!

Anyways...the point of this blog post is not to brag about what a great time I had, although I do have a smile on my face as I recount these memories.  The point is that when I got back home to my family yesterday afternoon, I felt so RECHARGED!  Everyday life is so hectic, running here, going there, appointments here and there, planning this and planning that, neverending laundry and meals to be made - always go, go, go!!  We all need to take a little time off here and there and RECHARGE OUR BATTERIES! 

So, if you get the opportunity to step out of your everyday, crazy, hectic life for a day or two, go for it!

For more information about the horseback riding, please visit  www.frontiertown.ca
For more information about the town of Bayfield, visit www.villageofbayfield.com
For more about the Oakwood Inn, visit  www.oakwoodinnresort.com

My escape from reality is now over, until next year!  Here are a few pics from Home on the Range for you to enjoy. 

Enjoy your day!!  :)