Two for One

While the following might seem very unromantic to some, it works perfectly for Shawn and I.

Each year around March, there is a huge Dental Convention, the Hinman, held in Atlanta. 

Shawn and I usually go together for our Anniversary... we call it our 2 for 1 deal!

This arrangement works for many reasons:

1.  It is a 4 hour drive to Atlanta... I love road trips with Shawn.

2.  The hotel we always stay in, the Westin, is incredible and the rooms have the entire wall opposite the bed glassed and I never get tired of the views!

3.  Shawn wakes up early to attend his meetings... I sleep in till noon.

4.  Shawn gets taken out to lunch and smoozed by all his reps... I order room service.

5.  Shawn spends all day in continuing education classes, he loves that stuff... I spend all day watching HGTV and enjoying high speed internet.

6.  Shawn arrives back at the hotel in the evenings and finds me well rested and ready to be taken out to dinner.

It is perfection.

We have a few traditions we are sure to do each time we visit Atlanta.

Shawn and I always take a leisurely drive through one of the most beautiful neighborhoods I have ever found... BuckHead.

Huge houses (which actually aren't my primary interest, but they are gorgeous nonetheless), and landscaping and mature trees that take my breath away.  Nothing is too manicured, very natural and allowed to ramble outside borders... my favorite style.  Cherry trees, dogwoods, azaleas... and all in bloom... then add ivy, grasses. stonework, bridges, and streams!  It makes me swoon.

Warning:  Photo overload... 

Two of our other traditions involve food...

Uncle Julio's Mexican Restaurant... the valet parking makes me giggle, so fancy smancy, but honestly convenient when smack dab in downtown Atlanta.  The freshly made flour tortillas made right in front of you is the clincher for Shawn and I.  YUM!

And always, ALWAYS, on our way out of town... we stop at the VARSITY!

The second you walk inside you hear,  "WhaDaYaHave?"  You stroll up to one of the yelling cashiers and make your order.  I'm just not a huge burger consuming gal, but the onion rings are what keep me coming back... and the hand-cut fries are a weakness too.

THIS is why I tried to work out each day at the hotel... those rings!

We made it home safely.

Most importantly, our kids were fantastic when we arrived back.

But I can't include any positive adjectives relating to our home... we arrived home in time to witness a terrible emergency, whimper.  I'll blog next about that... don't want to taint this post of our  INCREDIBLE vacation we had, nope.