As a Christmas present, my husband and I decided to treat ourselves to a weekend get-away.  Rather than spend money on material things, we thought it would be a better idea to put that money toward some quality time together.

It can be difficult to co-ordinate a weekend trip away from our child with disabilities.  There are many factors to consider and contingencies to plan for.  What if she gets sick and we are not able to go as planned?  Or if she gets ill while we are away and we have to return home?  What if our caregivers are suddenly unavailable? 

Here are a few things I do to ease my concerns:

• Check cancellation policies of hotel, air fare, car rental and any other reservations. 
• If not within driving distance, have a solid plan on how we’ll return home if needed.
• Provide clear instructions and medical information to our caregiver should our child become ill

I’m happy to report that all went as planned and we were able to go on our trip right after the New Year!

We decided to visit Grand Rapids, Michigan for a couple nights.  Grand Rapids is on the west side of Michigan and about three hours from where we live.  On their tourism website, Grand Rapids is described by Expedia as “one of America’s Super Cool Cities”. We definitely found some “super cool” things to do among the many restaurants, museums, breweries and outdoor activities to choose from.

We stayed at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel right in the hub of downtown Grand Rapids.  It had remarkable views of the Grand River from our room on the 25^th floor of the newer tower.  The tower is connected to the historic hotel which, according to their website, has been in existence for nearly a century.  We relaxed for a while in the cozy lounging areas and admired the beautiful décor.  The hotel also has lots of amenities to enjoy such as a pool, spa, fitness room, several restaurants and retail boutiques.

After checking in, we decided to venture out for dinner.  A brisk walk brought us to Uccello’s, an Italian restaurant with a casual sports bar vibe. It was located right across the street from Rosa Parks Circle plaza.  We chose a seat by the window so we could enjoy the action of the outdoor skating rink.

We were stuffed from our delicious dinner and strolled around the park before heading back to the hotel.  A three-man jazz band was playing in Rendezvous, the modern bar near the hotel lobby.  The soothing music along with a couple of nightcaps was the perfect combo before turning in for the night.

The next morning we grabbed a quick breakfast at The Kitchen Counter, one of two Wolfgang Puck restaurants in the hotel.  They had some enticing breakfast specials but we opted for a lighter bite of bagel, eggs, fruit and coffee.

Our morning was spent on an educational excursion to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.  A pedestrian bridge over the river is one way to get there.  An unexpected bonus was free admission during the holiday season!   The museum was filled with artifacts, videos and information of President Ford’s life from childhood to beyond his presidency.  There were many interesting exhibits but I’ll just share our top picks:

• Betty Ford’s Fashion exhibit – Betty Ford was a model, performer and fashion designer.  The gorgeous gowns and dresses that she wore during her time as First Lady were on display.
• Mobile Office display – When Gerald Ford was a congressman, he traveled in a mobile office to visit his constituents.  This was considered very innovative at the time.
• The Oval Office exhibit – A replica of what the oval office looked like at the time of his presidency.
• Nixon Watergate exhibit – Videos and information of Ford’s transition to the presidency following the Watergate events.

The rest of the day was spent enjoying each other’s company as we visited the many brew pubs in the area.  Home to 40+ craft breweries and brew pubs, Grand Rapids is often referred to as “Beer City”.  A fun way to tour is to first stop by the Grand Rapids Art Museum to pick up a copy of the Beer City Brewsader Passport book.  If you get a stamp in the book from at least eight breweries, you get a free T-Shirt!  They also have an app you can download but I thought the booklet would be more fun.

 A key thing about the beer passport is that you must “enjoy a beer” (i.e. make a purchase) in order to earn a stamp in the book.  We decided that we would forgo a big lunch and instead, eat small plates at each spot we visited.   Obviously, if you’re drinking alcohol, don’t drive!  We opted to do a walking tour but other options are the free DASH Shuttle service or Uber.  If you’re not a beer drinker, the brew pubs we visited had a wide variety of beverage options and delicious food to choose from.

At New Holland Brewery, we tried the Tots appetizer, the Cabin Fever Brown Ale  and the Lake Life White Peach Honey Hard Seltzer.  Delicious and refreshing!

Next stop was Harmony Hall.   I tried the “The Dude Abides” a dessert-like concoction of root beer, Kahlua and Baileys over ice while my husband had the Darth Daddy Schwarz bier. 

Jolly Pumpkin was a short walk away.  We shared a tasty Farro and Brussels salad, a dark beer (might have been the Bam Noire Farmhouse Ale) and a mojito.

We topped off our afternoon at the Atwater Brewery.  We snacked on Brewer’s Breadsticks, Vanilla Java Porter, and Atwater Cherry Hard Seltzer.

Later, we headed out to The B.O.B. for dinner, a multi-level brewery/warehouse with multiple restaurants and entertainment areas.  We played ping-pong and sipped on Peanut Butter Porter in the basement game area.  We made our way upstairs to the bar in Gilly’s Smokehouse.  The neat thing is you could order food from any of the restaurants.  So while there, we dined on appetizing small plates of Lamb Lollipops, Broccolini and Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes from Judson’s Steakhouse.

Before heading home the next morning we ate at the Electric Cheetah, a popular spot for brunch in a hip neighborhood east of the city.  We shared two savory breakfast dishes, deep fried lobster patties topped with a sunny-up egg on a bed of spinach and Donkey Kong Toast.

We had a great weekend hanging out in Grand Rapids!  The time spent together is just what we needed to feel refreshed and re-energized.

What are your favorite weekend get-aways?  Do you have any suggestions to share for when you’re away from your disabled child?