Mini Get-A-Way

This past weekend my family and I took a trip to Tyler, Texas for a wedding. We wanted to make the most out of this weekend. We found a cozy Airbnb next to the lake, where the fireplace made every night better. If you are looking for a getaway that is not too far from anyone in Oklahoma, I highly recommend making this five-hour drive to Tyler, Texas.

Lake Haven – Whitehouse (vrbo.com)

Check out this newly updated 3-bedroom 2 bath house —sleeps up to 14 people on Lake Tyler. Includes Washer and Dryer and a chef’s kitchen -coffee pot (grinds), toaster, Vitamix blender, kitchen aid mixer, bakeware that bakes and knives that CUT—you name it! Large dining table for your family and friends to gather and eat together or play games. Beautiful view of the lake from the living area. Come, relax on the dock, and enjoy a gorgeous view of the lake.

Things that make every trip better-
Oklahoma Sweet Wine by Tidal School Wine
Bluetooth Speaker
Yeti Hopper Cooler
A way to watch Bob’s Burgers (Tv show)

First Night

We checked into the Airbnb and started getting ready for our Dinner reservations at Dakotas Prime Steak & Chop House- Tyler. According to OpenTable, Dakotas Steak House is ranked one of America’s #1 steakhouses. If you are wanting an upscale restaurant with a romantic vibe in the air, this is the place for you. My wife and I split the Almond Crusted Chicken Breast which was so tasty. This dish featured a wild mushroom sauce that was the perfect touch to every bite. One of my favorite parts of dinner was the way the waiter acted towards my three-year-old. (Let’s get real for a second and realize that a three-year-old at an upscale restaurant is sometimes risky.) The only thing she wanted was bread, butter, and fruit for dinner. While some of you reading this might think well that is not extremely healthy, we wanted to treat her to a nice dinner with us. We did not want to force vegetables and other items she does not like. Instead, she wanted some fruit, so we asked the waiter if they had any kind of fruit. He said, “Let me see what we can come up with”. He comes back with this huge centerpiece bowl with all kinds of different fruits and in the center was a small dish of dippable chocolate. She was so excited and to see her eyes get really big with her smile was a mental picture for me to remember. I will recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants an upscale experience with a great staff to go with it.

Click the link below to find out more details of the restaurant. After dinner, we came back to the house and started to wind down the night by the fire. I poured a glass of Oklahoma Sweet wine while turning on my wife’s favorite show “Bob’s Burgers”. Before you judge us on this show, you must at least watch a few episodes.

https://www.opentable.com/restaurant/profile/115531/?category=All&returnTo=profile

Day Two

We woke up early from my little one saying, “Daddy I need chocolate milk”. Since we decided to forget our coffee in the packing, I had to make a quick run to the closest place for coffee and chocolate milk, to which is McDonalds. I know some of you are saying why McDonalds? This house is right on the lake and about 19 minutes from the closest town that has your typical coffee shops. Once we had our coffee and finished waking up, we met up at a local favorite breakfast restaurant.

Day Two continued

The restaurant is a local favorite, and the packed parking lot is proof of it. The Diner is a homestyle restaurant in Tyler, Texas serving up delicious meals for breakfast and lunch in a warm small-town atmosphere. As the family gathered around the table and coffee was being poured the smell of French toast in the air it was a morning to remember. My three-year-old thought now would be a good time to make jelly packet forts and open them all at the same time. We of course immediately put a stop to that by pulling away the packets (unopened) and told her to behave. So, what does she do next while sitting next to her papa? While her papa is distracted into conversation, she grabs all his jelly packets and starts all over. While I must applaud her dedication and determination to build so a large jelly packet fort, she did not enjoy taking it down. In case you are wondering the wife and I split the French Toast with a side omelet, fried potatoes, and extra potatoes. Yes, I did mean to say fried potatoes twice, since we enjoy those carbs so much. I would recommend this breakfast place to anyone wanting a traditional breakfast while on the road. Click the link for more details about this amazing restaurant.

https://www.thedinertyler.com

Day Two Wedding

With our bellies full and the music playing throughout the house we started to get ready for the main event. My wife and little one started getting ready by doing their makeup/hair. I could hear laughter as they both were playing with the makeup brushes. With my entire family dressed and ready to go we headed to the venue. The location was set right on the corner of the lake and way back into the woods. When you pull up to the clubhouse you see multiple buildings all made from stone colored brick with dark wood highlights. The wedding was beautiful and magical as most weddings feel like. When the wedding got started and everyone took their seats all I could think about as a father is, someday I will be giving my daughter away. That is a thought for another time, let’s keep going. I applaud couples that make their own vows and take the time to express their feelings to one another. I typically do not pay attention to the speeches, however this one was moving to me. The preacher made the note to tell everyone that this couple should not be together statistically speaking. He mentioned how both individuals did not work together, did not live in the same town, did not have the same hobbies, and on paper they should not of ever meet due to the amount of people in Texas (statistically). This was overly sweet and moving to me and I do not typically get very emotional at these things. After the newlyweds said, “I do”, we all headed for the reception and danced the night away. I would recommend anyone in this area to consider this location to get married because it was the perfect set up for a wedding.

Day Three: Heading Home

The next day when we got up around 7:30 am to get more chocolate milk for the little one. We packed our bags and started to get on the road at 8:00 am. I will say the ride home was entertaining to say the least. The wife and I talked about all the different things we would do if we won the lottery and how even if we were rich the one thing, we still wanted to do was workout more. I think we will both be working out more in the future.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog post as much as I have writing it.