Sure, a ten-day trip to Hawaii or long weekend in Cabo sound fantastic, especially as I watch giant icicles form on my roofline – but when you only have a few days and don’t want to break the bank it’s nice to feel like you’re escaping to a whole other world.
This past weekend, my husband and I did just that. With one night of free babysitting (thanks to my extremely generous in-laws) and a 20-mile round-trip car ride, we managed to have a romantic getaway without leaving our own city.
After packing up our 19-month-old for his first sleepover and gathering our own luggage, we set off for downtown Indianapolis. Yes, it’s only a few short miles from our front door but the hustle and bustle of a busy downtown and the brightly-lit skyline did wonders to help us turn off the parenting switch and enjoy time for just the two of us.
My husband gets all the credit for booking an incredible room at the Conrad Indianapolis. It’s Indy’s first true luxury hotel and let me tell you, it deserves all all the praise it gets (the Conrad made the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List and the Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice Top 25 Hotels in the US list for 2010). As an unexpected surprise, we were upgraded to a gorgeous corner suite and I probably would have been happy staring out the window all night at the view if we didn’t have more of the city to explore. Even though the enormous king bed was calling my name – along with a very thoughtfully placed bottle of champagne – we had tickets for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Dvořák’s cello concerto and I wasn’t about to miss a chance to sit in the beautiful Hilbert Circle Theatre with my husband and listen to two fabulously uninterrupted hours of music.
Photo Courtesy Hilbert Circle Theatre
Following an amazing performance, we bundled up and took a leisurely stroll back to our hotel, stopping to grab a quick snack and soak up a little bit of the city’s energy. The staff at the Conrad had once again outdone themselves by turning down our room and making sure everything was as easy and comfortable as possible. The soaking tub and dual-head shower made it even easier to relax and as my head hit the pillow I couldn’t help but smile at the delicious thought of sleeping past 7:00 am for the first time since our son was born.
The pure luxury of laying bed the next morning while watching TV on the large flat screen and drinking of cup of coffee made in the room’s Keurig machine pretty much ensured that I didn’t ever want to leave, but my husband finally lured me out with promises of brunch at Broad Ripple’s Taste Café and Marketplace. One of our favorite places for brunch, their specials board is really the highlight as each item features flavor combinations that leave decision-making near impossible. You can’t go wrong with one of their fluffy omelets or egg sandwiches (or their Chorizo Breakfast Burrito – my husband’s favorite) but good luck trying to get past all the pastries on display at the counter. The hum of pleasant grown-up conversation and the chance to eat my food while still hot made the meal that much more delicious and by the time we were finished I almost missed my little munchkin…almost.
Photo courtesy Taste Cafe & Marketplace
True, our getaway less than 24 hours and didn’t involve a beach or tropical sunsets but getting away for just one night was just the escape I needed. There is something special about actually staying downtown, taking in the city as a guest, instead of just passing through on the way to a game or to grab a cocktail. So if you can’t jet off to Paris this weekend or book a cruise in the Caribbean, you might consider the tiny splurge of a one night getaway right here in your own backyard.
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