In 2010, Vegas wasn’t the only trip I had. I also had an exciting – for us, anyway – girls’ weekend to Stratford, Ontario!

While it’s true we didn’t do anything too crazy, it was a great time to relax and enjoy each others’ company. My mom and my aunt Lin have always been close, and my cousin Leah and I grew up like sisters. We knew we had to get away for a trip together, and wanted to make it an annual event.

We stayed at the adorable B&B above, and didn’t regret our choice for a second. The couple running it went above and beyond, and the wife in particular was warm and welcoming. Back then, I was even shyer than I am now, but I never once felt uncomfortable in their presence.

After settling in to our new weekend digs, we ventured out to explore the city. None of us had been to Stratford before, but it charmed us right from the start.

Our first real exploration came at the Shakespeare Theatre.

The grounds were stunning, and we were excited to see the inside when we came back for a show that night. Before our arrival, we hadn’t really made a solid plan, but we knew we wanted to see a show. Despite all my efforts, no one else really wanted to see Peter Pan, so instead we saw Kiss Me, Kate. I enjoyed it, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t laugh along with the characters’ antics, but it didn’t blow me away as I was hoping it would.

From there, we decided a little shopping downtown was in order. I’ve never been someone who enjoys shopping, but time with my cousin Leah was very high on my priority list. Plus, downtown Stratford is too adorable to be missed!

I didn’t take many pictures while downtown unfortunately, because it had started to rain, and I wasn’t fond of taking my camera out in the rain (I have since acquired and underwater camera and now I laugh in the face of rain).

We stopped by an antique store on the way back to our B&B, and finished up our free time with a nice dinner out before the show. Plus, I had to get some writing done on that window seat! I could’ve stayed there for days and heartily agreed when my aunt claimed I looked like I belonged there. I will definitely need a window seat in my future home.

Our second day was even more relaxed than our first, as we spent the majority of it walking along Avon River, admiring the water and swans. I have a point of contention regarding the swans, though; many of the swans found in Stratford have clipped wings so they cannot fly away, and they are forced to participate in an annual spring swan parade (I kid you not).

This next picture left us all feeling a little bit creeped out after we looked at it from my laptop.

This is one of my favorite pictures I have ever taken, largely because of the contrast in the colors of the leaves. What creeped us out is that not one of us noticed the woman sitting on the bench while we were there. We started making jokes about how maybe she was never really there at all, but if you zoom in on the picture, she appears to be wearing modern headphones. Ah well. Better luck next time!

Unfortunately, I don’t seem to have taken a picture of the bench boasting the plaque dedication “For ____, who hated this park and everyone in it”.

The rest of the night was spent with wine, laughs, and late night chats. After one last quick photo session the next morning, we were back to our respective cities, eager to start planning the next getaway.