A trip back in time

I love all the fun vacations that I've taken with my Mom. We've been to some really cool places together. Far away places like Sydney, Tokyo, Cancun, San Juan Islands and Friday Harbor. Those trips were some really great memories for us.

After becoming a Mom to two girls, Emily (almost 8) and Sara (almost 6), our only long distance trip has been to Southern California. We had so much fun going to Disneyland and visiting family and friends from Malibu, Temecula and San Diego. Thanks to my husband, my Mom and I were able to go on a weekend getaway in June. Our trip to Harvard and Lake Geneva was just us like old times. 

It was a last minute surprise trip so I jumped on the internet and started to research places close by. I started off with hotels in the Lake Geneva area. They were a bit pricey ($150-$250) so I thought I would try searching for a Bed & Breakfast since I remembered seeing many of them in the area. To my surprise, I saw a picture of a castle! I had no idea that the castle we drove past on Route 23, was a B&B called RavenStone Castle. After looking over their website and seeing their themed rooms, I called them.

The owner answered and was very informative and polite. I chose the Elizabeth room for $100/night. It was only a 25 minute drive and Lake Delavan was only 25 minutes away.

My Mom was shocked when I told her that it was just us getting away for the weekend. She was in disbelief when we pulled up to the castle. She made me stop so she could get out and take a picture. This was just the beginning to an amazing weekend getaway with my Mom. 

We were welcomed by the owner and her daughter-in-law. We got our things situated in our beautiful purple (Queen Elizabeth's favorite color) room and headed back downstairs. Next, we received a very detailed tour of the whole castle. Even if you are not a guest, you can stop by the castle for a tour. Check their website for more details.

I'm so glad that we chose The Heritage House in Harvard for dinner. It was just a few miles down the road from the castle. It is a German owned restaurant...no...supper club! Remember those? It was amazing! The picture I posted below says it all. Look at our relish trays!!! 

We set our breakfast time at 9 a.m. and we were welcomed with fresh fruit, delicious coffee, orange juice, danishes, yogurts and then sausage and eggs. It was a wonderful experience. After breakfast, we set off on our next adventure. Lake Delavan and Lake Geneva.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our adventures...