Category Archives: Travel

After 15 months of heavy veggies, passing on dessert and portion control, our honeymoon meant it was time to eat. The Reynolds Plantation Ritz-Carlton had amazing food. Here are some highlights from the on-property restaurants.

Gaby’s by the Lake

On our first day at the resort, we decided on a casual dinner since we had been traveling all day.  Gaby’s by the Lake, as the name suggests, is located right on Lake Oconee and has plenty of indoor seating with fireplaces scattered throughout as well as outdoor seating overlooking the lake. We sat outside. Since it was after dark, they had heat lamps, and it was the perfect atmosphere to welcome us to Georgia. At Gaby’s, you can come as you are, whether you just got out of the pool or just completed a long car ride.

I ordered the Land and Sea Burger, which is topped with lobster salad and melted brie. I opted for sweet potato fries as my side. The burger was high quality beef and paired well with the savory lobster.

Kevin ordered the Gaby’s BBQ Experience, which was a huge platter of different BBQ favorites.

Georgia’s Bistro

One evening we went to dinner at this farm-to-table restaurant with a focus on organic ingredients. Many ingredients were grown in gardens on site. To start, they had different flavors of butter that came with amazing bread. From the beginning, everything just tasted so fresh already.

I ordered steelhead trout, a pink fish, that was pan roasted and served on top of crab hash and topped with arugula. Every element of this dish was wonderful. The crab hash was so good, and the fish was very fresh. The arugula was even some of the most delicious and flavorful arugula I have ever had. No surprise that it was grown on property.

Kevin ordered short ribs with mashed potatoes (almost a recreation of part of our wedding meal). He mentioned that it was a little on the salty side.

Linger Longer Steakhouse

We actually ate two meals at Linger Longer during our stay: a lunch and a dinner. Both were excellent. For lunch, I ordered the half portion of classic French onion soup and organic salad nicoise.

I can’t believe these were half portions. The soup was wonderful and had plenty of cheese. The salad was topped with warm potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, peppers, olives and was topped with ahi tuna.

Kevin went with the burger.

Our dinner at Linger Longer was equally excellent. In the evening, the restaurant turns into a traditional steakhouse where you can select your cut of beef or other proteins, such as chicken and fish, then you can select a side and sauce. We didn’t photograph our dinners, but they were exquisite. We both ordered different cuts of steak. They were cooked perfectly and the searing locked in all the flavor and juices. Also, at Linger Longer, each dinner check is presented with cotton candy.

In addition to all the amazing dining options, every evening the resort lights a giant fire and welcomes its guests to come and roast marshmallows. They provide all the ingredients for s’mores and hot apple cider. It makes for such a nice and fun evening.

Who doesn’t love s’mores?

Can you believe that I’ve now been married over a week? Time keeps flying by. I’m so sad that we have to go back to work tomorrow after a week and a half hiatus for the wedding and our honeymoon, but I am excited to share wedding stories with all my coworkers. I’ll be doing sporadic wedding recaps on different elements. I’m waiting on professional photos for most of those, so I figured I’d start with the last part of the wedding details…the honeymoon!

Kevin and I got married last Saturday and on Monday we left for our honeymoon to the Reynolds Plantation Ritz-Carlton in Greensboro, Georgia. It was so nice to have Sunday to see our families and out of town guests and decompress. We wanted somewhere that we could drive to but that was still a change of scenery from Florida. We also wanted something low key and relaxing. This was perfect. It was the most luxurious and romantic trip I’ve ever been on. There really is no service level like that found at a Ritz-Carlton.

Our trip started with a room upgrade to a corner suite overlooking Lake Oconee.

Our suite had a living room area, double doors that opened to the bedroom, two balconies and one and a half bathrooms. They also sent us up some chocolate covered strawberries and champagne to congratulate us.

The whole property was already decorated for Christmas, and it got a little chilly at night, putting us in the holiday mindset.

On one day of our honeymoon, we walked their 7-mile round trip running/walking/biking trail to a nearby marina. It was so nice to see the leaves change colors and to be somewhat active during our trip.

Being from Florida, we weren’t used to all the pretty colored leaves or the hills! Luckily, the day after our hike was dedicated to the spa. The Ritz spa was in a league of its own. It’s huge. I got an 85-minute full body massage and then took advantage of all the spa amenities. They had a eucalyptus-infused steam room, sauna, whirlpool, Vichy showers and everything you need to pamper yourself after your treatment. They have individual showers with really nice products, hair dryers, brushes, curling irons and hair products, so I could get ready for our dinner reservations. The spa was an extraordinary experience.

I’m going to dedicate a separate post to just the food, since it was such a highlight of our trip. When we first started planning our wedding, I didn’t see a need for an immediate honeymoon. I didn’t mind saving some money and going on a trip later, but if you can, it really is nice to get away after the wedding to just spend some time together alone. Our trip was quick and not as extravagant as some honeymoons, but it was just what was needed to bask in our post-wedding glow a little longer.

I can’t wait to return. Maybe for an anniversary trip?

I’m still in awe over how amazing last weekend was. I had never been to Siesta Key (right outside of Sarasota) before, and it ended up being the perfect bachelorette party destination. Below is a summary of some of the amazing places we hit up. I hope to one day return with Kevin. It’s a great destination for a romantic beach getaway or a girls’ weekend.

Daiquiri Deck

Our first stop after getting settled into our resort was Daiquiri Deck to show off our customized coozies and to kick off the weekend. They had pages of frozen drinks and a menu of sandwiches and seafood. I had a delicious banana colada and Cuban sandwich.

Pacific Rim

Of course my sister made reservations at a sushi restaurant for our first night. It got really good reviews and definitely lived up to the hype. They have a really fun drink menu, including a bunch of drinks under 300 calories. The owner was incredibly generous and ended up giving us free Patron shots, champagne and dessert. I felt so special.

The Gator Club

How perfect is the name for a Gator bride? This is a two-story night club with a live band on the first floor and a DJ on the second. Their music selection was a little limited and they cater to an older crowd, but my girlfriends and I had a blast dominating the dance floor and being the youngest people in the club. The place was also extremely clean, and all of the employees were very nice. Warning: their shots are huge. They’re pretty much full glasses!

Key Spa and Salon

On Saturday, we came armed with wine and ready for blow-outs and mani/pedis. This family-owned spa was super accommodating and fun to work with. They let us take over, drink and take an obnoxious number of photos. It was perfect for the “Real Housewives” theme.

Sarasota Vineyard

Sarasota Vineyard has the same concept as The Wine Room in Winter Park. Once again, the staff was so sweet. They set us up with a private area, gave us complimentary bruscetta and thoroughly explained the wine tasting process to us. They had some really delicious wines, and the food was also fabulous. Their baked brie was so savory and wonderful.

I can’t get over how nice everyone was over the weekend. People were genuinely happy for me. I found that even more girls were congratulatory than guys. I actually received more drinks and shots from girls who had gotten married or already celebrated their bachelorettes and wanted to pay the favors forward.

We visited many other places, and each place in the Sarasota/Siesta Key area was wonderful. Like I said, I just can’t wait to return.

What is your favorite beach town?

I am in full-on recovery mode after a lovely long weekend getaway in celebration of my “last fling.”

My sister/maid of honor, bridesmaids and girlfriends planned the perfect surprise bachelorette party in Siesta Key, Florida.

I had no idea where we were going until we got there.

It all started with us meeting in a random location (a parking garage).

My friends did a great time celebrating my bachelorette without going over the top. My number one (and only) rule was NO PENISES!

The first evening’s theme was 80s night to relive my favorite college outings.

I got to try out my DJ skills.

Day 2’s theme was Real Housewives, which started out with wine, blowouts and pedicures at the spa.

Then came wine tasting and dancing.

It was truly a perfect weekend. I’ll recap the specific spots we hit up in the Siesta Key/Sarasota area in a later post. Naturally, my bachelorette party was filled with delicious food in addition to great memories.

I cannot thank my friends and sister enough for such a wonderful time. It was truly a perfect weekend, and I’ll cherish it for the rest of my life.