Is Christmas shopping a stressful experience for you? It sure can be. In fact, most people wouldn’t consider the words “christmas shopping” and “relaxation” to belong in the same sentence. However, we have some guests who have figured out how to make it more enjoyable. Each year they leave their kids with a sitter for a couple of nights and come to the Inn. They settle in on the first evening with our picnic basket or a pizza from Main Street Pizza, watch a movie and relax. In the morning, after their gourmet breakfast, they head out to the mall to do some shopping. Northstar Mall is only 10 minutes north of us, and Rivercenter Mall is just two miles south. There are boutiques and specialty shops along the way. In the late afternoon, they bring back their purchases and get cleaned up and dressed up for a very special dinner out, something couples don’t get to do too often when they have little ones at home. Then back to the Inn for a little quiet time together, another rarity in the busy lives of parents (and Innkeepers!). This is when they wrap the gifts they purchased. And after the next morning’s breakfast, they pack up their things and their Christmas prizes and head home, refreshed and prepared for the craziness that often accompanies the holiday season.

Gregg and I were so inspired by the idea, that we decided to do the same ourselves. We closed down for two days and took off for our own little getaway before the busy rush of the holiday season. It was well worth it!