~ A few weeks ago, I had the chance to travel to the stunning Chautauqua Harbor Hotel in Chautauqua, New York, with my gal pal, Patricia! Matt and I are in the midst of selling our home, and I haven’t spent a week in our home since July due to work travel! All this in the midst of planning a wedding…I truly was starting to feel a bit out of sorts. So, for the first time in my freelance styling career, I declined all offers for that week to get away with my bestie and share some of the beautiful fall pieces from our favorite brands! I COULD NOT be any HAPPIER that I made that decision. The few days we spent lakeside in Chautauqua were exactly what I needed and I’m incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity!
First, I should mention that the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel opened in 2019 right before the pandemic and truly, I was absolutely blown away with how clean and new everything was! For those following along from Columbus, Ohio, the drive was only around 4 hours! I was feeling a little sad that I didn’t discover this gem sooner before we move…it’s very difficult to find a drivable weekend adventure close to Columbus and this little town is beautiful!
Chautauqua Lake was even bigger (*and more beautiful) than I imagined! The Chautauqua Harbor Hotel has such an incredible property right on the water, with so many fire pits and a restaurant that allows you to eat outside and enjoy the sunset! One of my “highs” of the trip was catching up with Patricia over wine sitting outside after dinner at the Lakehouse Tap and Grill (their on-site restaurant). We had a space heater right next to us, so we were able to enjoy the beautiful clear and cool night as we sipped our wine and looked out over the lake! It was so perfect.
During our second day of the trip, we felt so lucky to be given the VIP treatment at the National Comedy Center and the Lucy Desi Museum (*just a couple of blocks away). Thanks to our new friend, Gary, who opened the center just for us and gave us a personalized tour! I LOVED our time at the National Comedy Center – I had no idea what to expect and I think we were both pleasantly surprised with how fun and entertaining the experience was. When you sign in, you fill out a digital survey about your favorite movies, shows, and comedians. The results are attached to a bracelet that you swipe at each exhibit so that everything is tailored to your personal comedic taste! How cool is that?! I, of course, also loved that the costumes from my favorite comedies were on display (*see the “Hangover” and “Mean Girls” costumes below! So good!).
The Lucy Desi Museum was such a highlight of the trip for me. Lucy is from Celeron, NY, where The Chautauqua Harbor Hotel is located. The museum had full recreations of their TV sets from the show, as well as many costumes that Lucy and Desi wore throughout the years. Since I spend my days on photo sets, I just couldn’t get enough of this museum! I could have stayed all afternoon!
I really hope to come back for a visit in the summer with Matt! There’s an indoor and outdoor pool and of course I would love to get out on the water for some sailing, too!
If you are looking for a weekend escape that’s driving distance, I can’t recommend this picturesque place enough!
Leave a Reply