I recently spent five days on the North Shore with three very good friends. Two are related to me, my mom and my sister-cousin, but I would choose them to be my friends even if we didn’t share the Allard bloodline. My third friend is Gloria. She generously offered to host a woman wellness weekend at her former Lake Superior Resort, Surfside.
The “new” Surfside is nothing like the cute cabins and motel she and her husband bought in 1963. She and my mom cleaned those cabins and motel units together for more than 20 years. Now it is condos complete with a pool and a spa.
I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoyed the spa. Beautiful white robes, stone massages and facials that ended with relaxing in recliners and drinking warm tea. As we stared out at the beautiful view I said to Glo, “Did you and your husband ever imagine this?”
She laughed and ate another almond…. nothing fazes Gloria. Her favorite expression is “Give me a break…”
We played cards with my Dad, made a rich chocolate dessert and BBQ ribs. My Facebook friend Peter Juhl also stopped over for an evening.
Peter is a North Shore rock balancer. He does amazing work and photography. Saturday Gloria and Dawn attempted zip lining at the Gunflint Lodge. It was only 28 degrees. I took pictures of the ice and snow on the ground. Gloria decided early on that it was not a good idea to spend the next two hours zipping through the air but my sister-cousin flew and froze her way for almost a mile on eight separate zip lines through the air! We waited at the bottom with hot chocolate and french toast!
We had an afternoon of laughs with Grandma Barb (I can no longer say Zip Line with a straight face).
In addition to great friends and relaxation, I made an effort to try some of the best food the North Shore has to offer. Ribs, squash soup and maple pecan pie were at the top of my favorites. Nothing says hello to fall better than soup and pie.
I highly recommend a weekend getaway but if that’s not possible for you please try these delicious recipes when you get a chance. Let the healing and wellness begin!
Eat like you love yourself. Move
like you love yourself. Speak like
you love yourself. Act like you
love yourself.
Pinterest
Taste of Home columnist Sandy (Anderson) Holthaus lives on a farm in South Haven, MN with her husband, Michael, and their children Zoe, Jack and Ben. Her heart remains on the North Shore where she grew up with her parents, Art and LaVonne Anderson of Schroeder. She enjoys writing about her childhood and mixes memories with delicious helpings of homestyle recipes.
Leave a Reply