A mini spa weekend (babymoon!) getaway

We recently got invited to stay at The Lodge at Turning Stone Resort for a night of pre-baby luxury, relaxation, and supreme hospitality. I mean, twist my arm!

Our winter stay began with afternoon tea by the fire in the Lodge’s ‘Great Room’ while it snowed outside. But not just tea—our choice of fresh tea with honey (Jon picked a Chinese herbal blend and I picked a White Christmas one because I can’t ever resist) in sweet China along with the prettiest display of little tea sandwiches and desserts. It was so fun pretending to be dainty but actually eating every single thing in front of us. Disclaimer: the picture below of me staring adoringly at the tiers of treats is really me listening intently to our server explain everything we were drinking and eating (she set a high bar for hospitality for the rest of our stay, but honestly, everyone lived up to it).

Shocker—the eating continued, as did the over-the-top service and attention to detail from everyone we interacted with. There seemed to be a million options at the resort, which I didn’t really know about before, thinking of Turning Stone as mostly just a casino. But the place is sprawling with over twenty restaurants and bars, plus other forms of entertainment outside of just gambling (if I hadn’t been pregnant, their signature boozy milkshakes full of candy and piled high with sweets would have been a must for either dessert or, more likely, pregame).

It was fun to indulge the nightlife atmosphere a little since it’s not how we typically roll when we’re at home but always love to do it when we’re on vacation. We had pre-dinner cocktails with some live jazz piano at the Penthouse bar and then made our way over to TS Steakhouse, both on the very top floor of the resort. Jon’s and my favorite cut of meat, hands down, is a ribeye, so we decided to ball out and keep things classic with a wedge salad, the best shrimp cocktail I’ve ever had, an incredible dry-aged Cowboy ribeye for two with gorgonzola butter… and sides of mac and cheese and creamed corn to keep things #light/#healthy/#fit.

After the food coma that ensued, gambling wasn't calling our names as much as our cozy hotel bed. What is it about sleeping in a hotel?! Am I the only one who finds it to be the best to sleep in a bed that isn’t my own? Plus, sleeping in our bed at home has had me a little restless in the third trimester—we recently switched sides to see if it would make a difference—so new sheets and a quiet, pitch black room were very much welcome.

I woke up so excited for our spa morning. We took a dip in the pool first (my first time sporting a bikini on this pregnant bod!), and then headed to Ska:ná: (the Oneida word for peace, which I loved) where we’d heard it was worth it to arrive early to enjoy all of the amenities.

Suffice it to say that every single morning since has felt a little lackluster now that I know the unparalleled bliss that is bathing in a restorative mineral pool, soaking my legs in a hot tub, and nearly falling asleep to a heavenly prenatal massage, all in a serene setting of natural stone and earthy tones and materials. I felt a little like Kevin McCallister at the Plaza Hotel—an impostor living my best life in a too-big-on-me robe and slippers. The entire experience was divine. I sort of hated having to change back into real clothes and real shoes for Bananas Foster French Toast at Wildflowers, but I guess sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do, you know? :)

Thanks so much to Turning Stone for having us for a mini babymoon! We were blown away by the hospitality and loved so much of what we got to experience. Staycations are underrated!