Has it really been two years?
Through the ups and downs, Eric and I have made it to this milestone. We are two years stronger.
To commemorate this special occasion, Eric made plans for a very special weekend- just for us. Rarely- very, very rarely- have we been able to spend an entire weekend together because our lives constantly take us in different directions. Although that seems to be the norm for two dating adults with established lives, it makes us really appreciate our time together.
I’m finally getting around to sharing some of the highlights from our anniversary weekend. Literally, we ate and drank our way through two cities. We found some amazing places that, hopefully, you might want to try also.
Because there are so many pictures, I’ll break our adventure into parts.
I’ll keep you hanging…
Our adventure began with an overnight stay at the 21c Museum Hotel in Durham. The 21c Museum Hotel is an art museum/boutique hotel. Eric knew that it would appeal to my artsy side. He earned points for his thoughtfulness. If you are a boyfriend, you know it’s all about the points you accumulate.
Seriously.
A happy girlfriend equals a happy dating life.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by a video on the floor of the entry. At that moment, I knew this hotel was going to be the best ever!
I made sure to step around the people. Eric, however, did not mind violating the art.
We checked into this most amazing hotel, only to find that the elevators were not in use. This was not good news, as Eric had booked the 13th floor suite. I actually climbed 13 floors in heels. Really, I didn’t mind. I burned more calories to later be used for wine.
Upon arrival, there was a handwritten note with chocolate, as well as chocolate on our bedroom pillows. The secret to any good hotel is chocolate and hand written notes.
I’m a simple girl. Just give me luxury.
And suddenly, the trek up the 13 floors was forgotten.
Our room was amazing! We had a balcony off the bathroom. This seemed odd. But apparently, you never know when you might be in the bathroom and feel the need to sit outside.
Had it been warmer, we would have drank wine on the balcony. We did endure the blustery wind to take a couple of sips and to take a picture, just to say we did it. Just imagine it during warm weather…
Everything about this hotel was extraordinary- from the rum bathroom soap to the rubber duck in the shower.
Ummm….the bride duck freaked me out a little. Ask the friends I texted!
After browsing the museum , we braved the frigid walk downtown. Our first stop was Mateo– a tapas bar, where we indulged in fried calamari and scallops. Our cooking at home is NOT like this. I took note that Eric and I have a very good eating rhythm. I taste, he eats the bulk… because he is a giant and I save my calories for the alcohol.
I might (or might not) have eaten the sauce with a spoon. 
I learned that pistachios and scallops are a winning combination!
Afterwards, we made an impromptu stop at Taberna, another tapas restaurant, where we ordered the salmon. Omg! It was cooked to perfection. It was crusty on the outside and flaky on the inside. I would have taken a picture, but I was distracted by the pink sparkling Rose’ I ordered…..
I’m always a fan of anything sparking and anything pink. Sparkling Rose’ is just my thing. It’s a match made in heaven.
On our walk back to the hotel, the beautiful full moon was a welcome distraction from both the cold and our nearly full bellies.
Our eating adventure ended with a bite from the hotel restaurant, The Counting House, where we enjoyed grilled broccolini and seared tuna. For those of you who know me, I had nothing to do with the tuna. Gag. My food has to be cooked to pieces. I was, however, all over the broccolini dish.
We were treated to an anniversary dessert. I’m still not sure exactly what it was, but I do remember that it was tasty. Could it be that I’d had a thousand glasses of wine by that time? Probably, most likely.
Before heading to our room, we explored the downstairs level, which was an old bank vault.
Clearly, Eric has done this before. He looks very natural opening a vault.
Wow! Look at the tiles in the bank vault room. Have I mentioned that this is the coolest hotel ever?
We also explored the upstairs restrooms. I needed to visit the restroom until I saw that they were clear. Apparently, when you are inside, the windows become opaque. Yeah. I’m didn’t trust that. I’m not that adventurous.
Hands down, our favorite artwork at the hotel was the flag. It was made with thousands of tiny G.I.Joe figurines. Awesome!
Thankfully, by the time we headed up to our room, the elevator had been fixed. It was the most amazing night ever!
We truly needed the time together.
If you ever have a chance to visit the 21c Museum Hotel, definitely do so. It will not disappoint. Downtown Durham will not disappoint. We passed so many restaurants of all types. There is definitely something for everyone.
And all of these unvisited places are future adventures waiting to happen!
Stay tuned for our next day’s adventure….
