Earlier this week, Jackie and I traveled up to Union Pier, Michigan for my firm's annual retreat. My firm does the trip every late January to do all of our business planning for the entire year, discussing everything from budget and administrative policy to staff issues. Similar to last year, we stayed at the Sandpiper Inn, a bed and breakfast that is right on Lake Michigan. While I am sure that the view in the summer is better, its still impressive during the winter. Its very calming to me; I always like going to that place because its fairly close (only a 90 minute drive), but when you are there you feel like you a million miles away from everything. It truly makes the place perfect for a business retreat in my mind, as you have nothing to distract you from focusing on business planning issues, but it also is a soothing and relaxing place that helps rejuvenate despite all the work.
As I wrote last year as well, we tend to go eat at places more in the fine dining category, which I enjoy because I would very rarely frequent these types of place on my own. Like last year, we went to Timothy's restaurant on the first night of the retreat. Its an excellent restaurant, with some awesome crab cakes appetizers. I had a peppercorn crusted filet mignon, and it was of course delicious. The second night we went to Fitzgerald's, which is up the road in Sawyer, Michigan. The night we went they had live jazz, which added a nice ambiance to the place, and since I like jazz music, I enjoyed it very much. I had a chicken and pasta dish, which while it was very good, overall the food wasn't quite as good as at Timothy's. On our way out on Friday, we stopped at the Stray Dog Bar & Grill in New Buffalo. It was kind of a neat place, good size menu, lots of choices, and was a nice casual atmosphere for lunch.
We are set up to go back to the Sandpiper Inn for the third straight time next year, and I imagine we will once again visit Timothy's for dinner on the first night, with a new place on the second night. While it is always a lot of work to get ready for it, as well as the long meetings there and the follow up paperwork, I always look forward to it. The restaurants we visit are excellent, and we enjoy great food and drink. But more than that, we share the time. Its a good time to continue to get to know the partners I work with and their families, to see them in a different light, and that's what makes it so worthwhile and valuable.
Some pics of the Sandpiper Inn...
As I wrote last year as well, we tend to go eat at places more in the fine dining category, which I enjoy because I would very rarely frequent these types of place on my own. Like last year, we went to Timothy's restaurant on the first night of the retreat. Its an excellent restaurant, with some awesome crab cakes appetizers. I had a peppercorn crusted filet mignon, and it was of course delicious. The second night we went to Fitzgerald's, which is up the road in Sawyer, Michigan. The night we went they had live jazz, which added a nice ambiance to the place, and since I like jazz music, I enjoyed it very much. I had a chicken and pasta dish, which while it was very good, overall the food wasn't quite as good as at Timothy's. On our way out on Friday, we stopped at the Stray Dog Bar & Grill in New Buffalo. It was kind of a neat place, good size menu, lots of choices, and was a nice casual atmosphere for lunch.
We are set up to go back to the Sandpiper Inn for the third straight time next year, and I imagine we will once again visit Timothy's for dinner on the first night, with a new place on the second night. While it is always a lot of work to get ready for it, as well as the long meetings there and the follow up paperwork, I always look forward to it. The restaurants we visit are excellent, and we enjoy great food and drink. But more than that, we share the time. Its a good time to continue to get to know the partners I work with and their families, to see them in a different light, and that's what makes it so worthwhile and valuable.
Some pics of the Sandpiper Inn...
The view from our room...
The Jacuzzi Tub
Fireplace
Room
The beach right behind the Inn,,,
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