A Very Happy Birthday Weekend!

Well Friday was my 24th Birthday! Yikes- I am getting old! :) Doug and I both had to work, so the day didn't feel any different than the others, but thats ok. We went out to eat that night, and hung out at home and watched a movie. Saturday I had to take our baby kitty to the vet, again, but while I was out Doug made me a birthday cake- which was sooo yummy! And then he whisked me off to the unknown- I had no idea where we were going. I had a suspiscion it was Busch Gardens. We have annual passes there, and we were headed toward Tampa so I was pretty sure thats what he had planned. BUT we later passed that exit and then I got really confused. We later ended up in Clearwater at the Belleview Biltmore Resort Hotel and Spa. I first thought- SWEET! We are getting massages!! Then we pulled through the security gate, and Doug told the man "yes, we have a reservation for tonight" and I thought, "WOW! We are staying here! But wait, I have no clothes!" Sure enough, my honey had been sneaky that morning and packed my clothes and toiletries and everything I could have needed! The hotel was built in 1897, and it is said to be the largest occupied wood frame structure in the world. It has also hosted many famous people including U.S. Presidents George H. W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, and Gerald Ford, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the Duke of Windsor, and celebrities such as Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford. The hotel is thought by some to be the site of ghost sightings and other paranormal events. So I was pretty nervous and excited.

We had a fun and relaxing time exploring the place- there are many doors left unlocked that creak open and lead to dark hallways- spooky! It had lots of charm though and we would, if we had millions, love to have bought it and resored it to its original splendor!! It was great to get out of orlando for a day and such a sweet suprise from my man!