My Plan Z Diet Summer Vacation
By: Zola
Chief Dieter
Plan Z Diet
It’s located in the woods, on 20 acres with a pond. An idyllic setting. Gardens all around. Walking paths and places to just sit and take in the view. There are bird feeders filled to the brim. About a hundred goldfinches arrive daily to take in the bounty. You can just sit and listen to lots of other birds or even spot a bunny hopping along, or even a toad.
This is where I went on my Plan Z Diet summer vacation.
And this is what I did.
I read novels. We watched movies when it rained. We went out to a comfortable lunch every day. Then we went to the grocery store and bought food and made dinner in. We just chilled.
If you haven’t heard of VRBO yet I suggest you check it out. VRBO stands for Vacation Rental By Owner. Whatever your budget they have options for you.
This isn’t like AirBnB. With VRBO you get the whole house. The owners are vetted in advance. The system is very secure. I have used them to rent locations around the US and even Mexico.
This particular owner is amazing. He and his partner have 3 houses in Michigan. We have now stayed in two of them. Both are spectacular cottages.
We like the places these guys own for some very selfish, “Zola-style” reasons. The biggest one is probably the kitchen. The kitchen has everything. And I mean everything a gourmet cook could want. How may cottages would you think you can rent that come with a food processor? And a big stand mixer. And sharp knives for chopping. And dishes for dinner for 12 or more. And even a rasp. These kitchens have it all. That’s part of why I cook while I am on vacation and love staying in their places.
The other big reason we love them so much is the décor. These guys know how to decorate and take great pride in how coordinated their places are. The ones we have stayed in are both decorated in ‘modern cottage’. They are sort of a riff on This Old House but they have all of the updated amenities and everything is new. It just looks old.
The gardens are worth a day of gazing. From every angle you would swear you are looking at a postcard. I went on an adventure with this place where I went to each side of the house and took in the gardening work that had been done. They plant things that are easily maintained but still get a grand impact. Their displays of hydrangeas at this particular location were gorgeous, and huge. I mean 10 feet tall in some cases. I even picked a few blossoms and put them on the dining room table. I probably should have asked for permission first. I don’t recommend picking flowers from bushes that are not yours, but there were hundreds of blooms. Having 3 on the table would not be missed.
We go to little towns and wander when we go on our lunch outings. The towns that dot the west coast of Michigan are all cute. One is more quaint than the next and the shopping is high quality. None of this just fudge and beach towels, (although they have those too). You can do high quality shopping in every town from the Indiana state line on up. We concentrate on staying within 3 hours of Chicago for a special reason. We can take our cats on vacation with us.
The cats have become very accustomed to the travel. They no longer freak out when they get to a new location. They just prance around and sniff to make sure all is secure, and settle down for a nap. The adore a good screen porch where they can sniff the country air. It’s so relaxing to be reading a novel with a cat purring in your lap. I get more R & R when they are with me. It sort of puts me in a Zen zone. It’s nice to get out of the big city once in a while.
So, no big trip to some exotic foreign land for me this summer. Just a Plan Z Diet trip to the woods. Here’s a pic of the house and a recipe to enjoy.
Cheers,
To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/
It’s located in the woods, on 20 acres with a pond. An idyllic setting. Gardens all around. Walking paths and places to just sit and take in the view. There are bird feeders filled to the brim. About a hundred goldfinches arrive daily to take in the bounty. You can just sit and listen to lots of other birds or even spot a bunny hopping along, or even a toad.
This is where I went on my Plan Z Diet summer vacation.
And this is what I did.
I read novels. We watched movies when it rained. We went out to a comfortable lunch every day. Then we went to the grocery store and bought food and made dinner in. We just chilled.
If you haven’t heard of VRBO yet I suggest you check it out. VRBO stands for Vacation Rental By Owner. Whatever your budget they have options for you.
This isn’t like AirBnB. With VRBO you get the whole house. The owners are vetted in advance. The system is very secure. I have used them to rent locations around the US and even Mexico.
This particular owner is amazing. He and his partner have 3 houses in Michigan. We have now stayed in two of them. Both are spectacular cottages.
We like the places these guys own for some very selfish, “Zola-style” reasons. The biggest one is probably the kitchen. The kitchen has everything. And I mean everything a gourmet cook could want. How may cottages would you think you can rent that come with a food processor? And a big stand mixer. And sharp knives for chopping. And dishes for dinner for 12 or more. And even a rasp. These kitchens have it all. That’s part of why I cook while I am on vacation and love staying in their places.
The other big reason we love them so much is the décor. These guys know how to decorate and take great pride in how coordinated their places are. The ones we have stayed in are both decorated in ‘modern cottage’. They are sort of a riff on This Old House but they have all of the updated amenities and everything is new. It just looks old.
The gardens are worth a day of gazing. From every angle you would swear you are looking at a postcard. I went on an adventure with this place where I went to each side of the house and took in the gardening work that had been done. They plant things that are easily maintained but still get a grand impact. Their displays of hydrangeas at this particular location were gorgeous, and huge. I mean 10 feet tall in some cases. I even picked a few blossoms and put them on the dining room table. I probably should have asked for permission first. I don’t recommend picking flowers from bushes that are not yours, but there were hundreds of blooms. Having 3 on the table would not be missed.
We go to little towns and wander when we go on our lunch outings. The towns that dot the west coast of Michigan are all cute. One is more quaint than the next and the shopping is high quality. None of this just fudge and beach towels, (although they have those too). You can do high quality shopping in every town from the Indiana state line on up. We concentrate on staying within 3 hours of Chicago for a special reason. We can take our cats on vacation with us.
The cats have become very accustomed to the travel. They no longer freak out when they get to a new location. They just prance around and sniff to make sure all is secure, and settle down for a nap. The adore a good screen porch where they can sniff the country air. It’s so relaxing to be reading a novel with a cat purring in your lap. I get more R & R when they are with me. It sort of puts me in a Zen zone. It’s nice to get out of the big city once in a while.
So, no big trip to some exotic foreign land for me this summer. Just a Plan Z Diet trip to the woods. Here’s a pic of the house and a recipe to enjoy.
Cheers,
To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/
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