Are you the type who finds the holidays stressful? Or are you the type who suffers from post-holiday depression? Either way, an adventure always cures what ails.
Eric and I took advantage of the free time after Christmas to visit Childress Vineyards. Because Childress is a long drive for us, we booked the Brookstown Inn in Winston Salem for a night. We had a fantastic adventure!
We began with the Luxe Tasting. There were different levels of tastings- even mimosa tastings! We usually choose the luxe tasting because it includes the large Riedel souvenir glass. Childress is a beautiful place to spend a relaxing few hours. During the weekends, they have live music and concerts.
After the tasting, we toured the winery for the first time. The tour included a glass of sparkling wine. Yum!
There were several different rooms in which the various wine barrels were housed. Depending on the type of wine, some were aged in stainless steel, others in wooden barrels. They even had wine that was being aged in Jack Daniels barrels to infuse a hint of whiskey flavor.
I was amazed by the wine library. This is where they stored every type of wine they’ve ever made. Sometimes they invite dignitaries to come to sample some of the older wines in the library. I can imagine that those are memorable events!
After the tour, we ordered a bite from the bistro. We always love cheese plates! We sat outside to eat, but it was super windy. Our umbrella was threatening to fly off of our table. The weather was unseasonably warm and by the time we finished our lunch, the clouds were rolling in.
Since it was so warm, I wore this cute velour hoodie dress I received for Christmas. It may be the comfiest thing I own and it’s on sale now. I liked it so much, I’ve ordered this one. I love my Susan Shaw coin ring, too. The price is very reasonable.
Next, we headed to our destination, the Brookstown Inn. I’d stayed there once before with my sister and loved it- especially at Christmas time. It always feels festive! Both times I’ve booked, I’ve booked through Priceline to get a good deal. I think Eric liked it as much as I did. Although it’s a Wyndham property, it feels more like a boutique hotel.
When I stayed with my sister, we had the basic room with double queen beds, which we loved. The exposed brick and pipes are so awesome! This time, Eric upgraded us to a bigger room to surprise me. He’s always so good about doing little things like that!
This room had a little reading nook. If I’d had time to read, it would have been the perfect cozy spot!
The hotel offers a welcome reception every evening. When I book hotels, I always look for that amenity. I appreciate extras!
Coffee, hot chocolate, and different teas are always available in the lounge, as are juices, milk, and yogurt.
We were thrilled to see that the holiday decorations were still on display. It seemed like the perfect ending to the holiday. It also reminded me that I still have the outside decorations to remove when I get home!
Any hotel that has a house cat gets extra points. Meet Sally the Cat. She has her own Instagram and has more followers than the actual hotel! She received lots of love from everyone.
After we finished our wine and cheese, we changed for dinner. I can’t tell you how good it feels to actually dress up and go out without a mask. Covid has really made us appreciate the small things we’ve missed for over a year. I wore my favorite sparkly Roberta Chiarella hoops– they are on sale now. They are as light as a feather! My husband gave me the prettiest little Givenchy bracelet that was perfect with the earrings.
My mom gave me this cute Loft skirt for Christmas and I was so excited to wear it. Mine is sold out, but this one is almost identical. I’m loving the faux leather trend. I’ve had this sweater in my closet for over a year and had never worn it. I’m trying to do better about letting things just sit in my closet. The tights were some I dug out of a drawer before we left, but these are in my Amazon cart. I haven’t worn tights in years. They were definitely Eric approved. My boots are Nine West. To me, that’s the most comfortable brand of heels. I could literally wear them all day without my feet hurting.
We decided to dine at Ryan’s. My in-laws recommended it and it was perfect! Sometimes, we are in the mood to appetizer hop. But since we had made the effort to dress, we wanted a nice meal. We started with bacon-wrapped scallops. We each had a salad and then had the truffle fries for dessert. Yes, fries for dessert! A treat is a treat no matter fried or sweet. I really enjoyed the skinny fries as they were cooked to perfection. However, I’m always on the fence about truffle oil. To me, truffle oil tastes like dirt.
We arrived back at the hotel in time for freshly baked cookies. I skipped the cookie in favor of the Lamarca we packed. Life is a balance!
We forgot to pack champagne glasses- we like to do that for convenience. But the last time we packed glasses, one of my Tiffany glasses was left behind. I really need to purchase another set of our usual champagne glasses, so that I will have extras to pack.
Our only option last night was to drink our champagne from the water glasses in our room. You do what you have to do….
Bubbles in hand, we explored all the ins and outs of the hotel. It is far bigger than I thought! Did I mention that it was an old cotton gin? Our favorite section was the fourth floor- once a dormitory for the female workers. As the tale was told, (read more about its haunted past here) two women got into a fight, and one pushed the other down the elevator shaft where she fell to her death. The area was definitely a little spooky. We continuously ran into icy cold spots as we explored.
I stopped by a few mirrors to chant “Bloody Mary”. I think I freaked Eric out a little. We were glad to see that nothing appeared in the mirror behind us.
At the end of the evening, we retired to our room, well satisfied with our adventure and feeling more connected than we’d been since the beginning of the holidays.
We vowed to do overnight get-a-ways more often in the upcoming year. We forget that we have to work at our marriage. I don’t think it’s ever easy for men and women to get along perfectly all the time. Sometimes I think that Eric and I are so different that I wonder how we ever got as far as marriage.
It’s the times like this that save us. Cheers to a new year coming up and to more adventures that will strengthen our marriage!
(Don’t forget to check the pink highlighted words for shopping links and extra reading. Sometimes they don’t show well until you hover over them.)
