Eleven years married! Woah that sounds like a long time! On one hand it feels like just yesterday I was a 21 year old bride walking down the aisle to my forever but on the other, it feels like a lifetime ago!

Celebrating outside the house during COVID-19 can be tricky. But we desperately needed a night away so it was worth looking into for us. I knew I wanted to go somewhere that wouldn’t be crowded and where we could be outside a lot. We’ve always wanted to go to Fairhope and I’ve heard amazing things about The Grand Hotel Golf Resort and Spa. Once we got childcare situated, I started planning the perfect one night getaway for us! I love planning trips, I think I would love to be a travel planner in another life. 😂

We ate soooo much good food during our trip! I always do my research before we travel because I don’t want to waste a single meal on “okay food” while vacationing. I usually check out yelp and ask friends who have been for recommendations too!

So the first stop we made once we arrived was lunch at Sunset Point . I chose this spot for the view! We love good food but the atmosphere is just as important to us. This spot knocked both “out of the water” 😆 The mojito with the view of the bay was just what I needed to put me instantly in vacation mode!

After our delicious lunch, we had a couple hours until check in so we explored downtown Fairhope. I shopped the cute boutiques and Skot “patiently” ate ice cream and waited around. There are so many unique stores downtown. There is definitely something for everyone!

Once we checked into the Grand, we immediately started exploring the grounds. We rented bikes that they have on site and rode along a paved trail that runs from the property to a trail that continues along the bay. You get to see up close the beautiful coastal cottages and homes facing the bay! This was one of my favorite parts of the trip, house gazing!

After we got nice a sweat riding bikes and playing a little croquet, we took a dip in the adults only pool! It was a nice feature to the resort however it was right next to the massive “family” pool. I was hoping that it would be a little more secluded, but it still was a nice treat nonetheless!

Then it was time to get ready for our dinner reservations at Wash House. This restaurant came highly recommended by several people who said it was the perfect spot for a romantic dinner. Let me just say that it did NOT disappoint! We started out with the fried green tomato/shrimp appetizer and it was delicious. Then for our main courses, I ordered the catch of the day and Skot got the shrimp and grits. What I loved about our entrees is that the chef didn’t shy away from flavor! We finished our meal with decaf coffee and the Godiva Chocolate Pecan pie! We both said it was one of the best meals we’ve ever had! Wash House is a must if you’re celebrating a special night in the area!

After dinner we had a wild night… by wild I mean watched Chrisley Knows Best until we were both asleep by 10:00 pm … #old

Saturday morning, Skot went on an early bike ride while I slept in a bit. Then, we both biked from The Grand back to downtown Fairhope for breakfast. It was only about a 7 mile round trip. There is a (bumpy) paved sidewalk the whole way but there were some hills I had to concur on my ol’ cruiser bike. But the views and experience was a totally worth it!

We had breakfast and coffee at the coolest place, Provisions. It was part boutique, part cafe, and part bar. There were lots of neat lounge areas and plenty of room to spread out. If we had more time I would definitely want to check out their evening scene.

After I was fueled back up with caffeine and banana-pecan waffles, I was ready to cruise back to The Grand and and relax for the rest of the day. The Grand has lots of activities included in your stay like kayaks and paddle boards. But they do limit you to a small area on the rentals so I was glad Skot brought his paddle board for us to use. We went pretty far away from the beach area to explore more of the homes along the bay!

We hung out on the beach and by the pool all day Saturday. We ordered drinks and shrimp quesadillas from the friendly waiters that staffed the pool deck AND beach! It was a glorious and relaxing day!

On the way out of town, we grabbed a couple of gourmet tacos from Dragonfly restaurant. It was the perfect, quick stop to end our trip!

We were only gone for about 36 hours but man it was worth it! Investing in our marriage and having time away is something that is so important to us. Fairhope was the perfect town for us to do this for our anniversary!

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions about our trip please drop them below.