For the last couple of years birthdays haven’t always gone as planned. Although I probably could have snuck away for a beach vacation in February to celebrate my BIG 40, it just wasn’t in the books.
Knowing that a beach vacation was probably out of the picture, I took advantage of Black Friday Deals and planned my own resort getaway.
It turns out that my sister had to go try on wedding dresses over the school break, so I added a third fun experience to my list of ways to spoil myself.
Here is a short recap of the three places I enjoyed for my 40th birthday.
Fellow travel blogger, Ashlyn George, had made a stop at this sauna/ spa on a trip to Calgary and it had been on our radar ever since. For a super budget friendly way to pamper ourselves, we spent 2 hours hopping from sauna to sauna, visiting, relaxing, and enjoying Kambucha samples. It was the perfect way to spend my actual real birthday day with my mom and my sister.
Since meeting staff at a tourism conference and hearing about some of the exciting additions they have in the works, Dakota Dunes has been on my list of places to visit. I have been saying that I need to make time to head north, but my summers fill up so fast with tourism work down south, so a winter getaway was perfect. Honestly, once I stepped foot in my hotel room with the huge picture window overlooking the golf course, I didn’t even want to leave my room. Luckily, I did, as I won $600 at the Casino that it attached to the resort! Happy Birthday to me. I rarely gamble, so this was a treat. Those winnings allowed me to splurge on the most delicious meals at Moose Woods Home Fire Grill. I spent my time working with a view, eating, snowshoeing, relaxing, and enjoying the hot tub and pool.
For my last 2 days, I ventured farther north. Elk Ridge Resort is set just outside of Prince Albert National Park and I really need to head back when I have more time. This resort was so well run. Snowshoes, skates, and cross country skis were all free to use. I scheduled a massage as soon as I got there so that I wouldn’t miss out. A long wintery hike, a few laps around the skate pond complete with a 40 year old wipe out, a hot tub dip, more great food, and the most relaxing hot stone massage made for the perfect end to a week of pampering myself.
My mouth is watering as I think back to all of the delicious food I enjoyed on this trip. There is nothing quite like eating out at a fancy restaurant by yourself.
A week that included friends over for a fire, a girls’ getaway, visits with my aunties, and a solo adventure was just what I needed to ring in this new decade. I can’t wait to see what new experiences I will bring to life this year.
No part of this post was sponsored. I just wanted to share!
Cruisin Christine 