Since having children, John and I have made a big effort to make time for each other. Kids suck the life out of you, no matter what age they are or how well-behaved they might be. (Mine happen to be both little and crazy.) We have a mid-week babysitter come pretty much every week. We get to go out and eat a grown-up meal that doesn’t involve leftover chicken nuggets from our toddler’s plate. We get to hear music other than the opening song from Paw Patrol. We get to enjoy a night off from the bedtime rigmarole. And we actually get to connect with each other, which feels hugely important…because at this stage in life, it’s pretty easy to put our marriage on the backburner. Do we talk about the kids a lot? Sure. We adore our family and have things to talk through, coordinate, and laugh about regarding parenthood. But we also get to be on a “date”… and that feels good.
A couple of months ago, when the fall colors were still popping and the snow had not yet started to fall, we decided on a whim to head to Sundance for a little mom-and-dad getaway. We adore Sundance Resort– we’ve celebrated my birthday there more than once, my first Mother’s Day, escaped the summer heat there, got engaged there, and got married there! It’s special, and I was excited. I secured childcare with the boys for the weekend with our beloved nanny and John was in charge of booking the room and spa treatments (ahhhhh). Unfortunately for us, there were multiple events happening at the resort and they were fully booked. John saved the day by finding a cabin nearby that allowed Cholula to join us. So off we went, a twist on our old Sundance favorite. Chewy sensed that it was just us, the old gang, and secured her road trip spot on my lap for the quick drive.
Don’t you love when happy accidents occur? While we love the little cabin rooms at Sundance, we were immediately charmed by the Hideaway Above the Stream. It’s just a few curves up the road from the resort, nestled down among the trees, with a Jacuzzi and wooden deck overlooking a creek. The cabin isn’t large, but the owners created a cozy, welcoming space and there are so many personal touches everywhere. Fuzzy robes hanging by the door for chilly Jacuzzi jaunts. A basket of dog-approved blankets. A binder of helpful information. Even a chest full of extra cozy blankets. The best part was that this magical place was less expensive than the resort that weekend. Jackpot!
After exploring the sweet cabin, I lost no time in pouring a mug of wine to enjoy in front of the wood-burning stove. John got a crackling fire going before heading out to the hot tub for a soak. I joined him for a bit and it was heavenly to listen to the sounds of the creek and squirrels chirping. I was already plotting how to duplicate this cabin for ourselves somewhere.
After our soak, checking in with the nanny, and settling in, John and I headed down the hill to Sundance for dinner at the Owl Bar. What a place this is! So much character. A fire was blazing, baseball games were on, and the place was packed. We luckily snagged a table for two and dove right into some burgers. We watched a band starting to set up, but instead of staying to listen, we went back to our cozy hideaway to watch Netflix by the fire. I’m not sure I can remember a more comfortable bed, complete with fleece sheets, and I read my book for approximately 2.9 seconds before drifting off to sleep. And the only thing that woke us up was a gaggle of turkeys cruising by!
In the morning, I slept as late as my body would allow (not late- sigh, motherhood). I let John snore a bit longer while I toted a steamy cup of coffee out onto the deck, wrapped myself up in a huge blanket, and enjoyed the sounds of morning in the woods. John woke up and was surprised to find his heat-loving, Californian wife sipping coffee outside in the cold, but it was too ideal to pass up the experience! We cleaned up and headed toward the Foundry Grill for breakfast. YUM.
After breakfast and a spin around Sundance’s lovely gift shop, we spontaneously decided to take a chair lift ride to Bear Claw’s Cabin. It’s at the top of Bishop’s Bowl and is the site of our engagement in January of 2012. It was a chilly ride, but relaxing and fun to reminisce. And the scenery was STUNNING!
At the top, we tucked into the cabin to warm up, then snapped a few shots at the spot where John got down on one knee. Wow, so much has happened since that moment in our lives together! A couple of kids, a couple of gray hairs (possibly related items).
Our main goal for the day was to take a hike toward Stewart Falls. The fall colors were amazing, and Cholula was overjoyed to be sniffing left and right. We hiked as far as we could before needing to turn around to make our spa appointments. There was no way we were going to be late for that. Priorities!
The Sundance Spa is charming. It’s tiny, but perfect. They offer a foot soak before your treatments near the fireplace, which we love to take advantage of. I adore sipping a cup of hot tea in their waiting area with my feet in a warm bath, watching squirrels jump from pine tree to pine tree. And the Sundance Spa has the best facials I’ve ever experienced!
After our spa date, we relaxed, showered, and headed back to the Foundry Grill for dinner, but I must have been too blissed out to remember to take photos! Our favorite server, John, was there, so that was a treat. I love visiting favorite places where people know your name. In the morning, we savored the last quiet morning at the cabin. John played guitar and then headed out on a bike ride. I got some work done in front of the fire, read my book, and took Cholula on a little walk by the creek (all the while daydreaming of our future cabin).
And then, we headed home to our sweet boys, refreshed and rested and ready for snuggles. Thank you, Hideaway Above the Stream, for a lovely fall weekend. We added more Sundance memories to the pile, but in a new way. These mountains are covered in feet of snow now, and this week, the madness of the Sundance Film Festival has taken over Park City and Sundance Resort. It’s awesome to look at these photos from just a couple of months ago and relive the relaxation we experienced. We’ll be back!
the usual bliss 
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