#FreshCoastRetreat: Connecting on Lake Michigan

Looking back at an amazing weekend blogging retreat with an inspiring (and funny...so funny!) group of bloggers on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Photo by Alejandro Photography

What happens when you get 15 food bloggers (and one awesome photographer) together for a long weekend in a gorgeous house on Lake Michigan? Well, first of all, there were a lot of fantastic meals and cocktails. We could hardly call ourselves food bloggers if we weren't able to pull off some great meals.

But the weekend was about far more than cooking and eating. Over months of planning, my cohosts, Liz and Phi, and I pulled together a group of bloggers who each were amazing in their own way. It was our goal to bring together a group of people who each had something different to offer, such as expertise in making videos, experience in TV segments or an impressive touch with Lightroom or Photoshop. On top of that, we wanted to branch out from our usual group of blogging friends (as much as we love spending time with them) and make new connections with bloggers we had only met online.

The result? A weekend of laughter (I was nursing sore cheekbones throughout the weekend), generous sharing of information and new friendships forged. But that was just the beginning.

The beauty of retreats, compared to big conferences, is that you really have the opportunity to connect with others, without the distraction of a couple hundred other people and a multitude of breakout sessions. You learn a lot about someone when you're tending the barbecue with them or roasting marshmallows together by the fire pit. We all let down our guard, sharing ridiculous jokes and trade secrets all in one fell swoop!

Before the official retreat kicked off, Experience Grand Rapids hosted a pre-retreat experience for those who were able to attend. I had always heard amazing things about Grand Rapids from Liz, but was floored at the selection of restaurants and the quaint neighborhoods. While it is a very family friendly city to visit, my husband and I will definitely need to plan a trip on our own to experience everything that Beer City, USA (Grand Rapids' well-earned nickname) has to offer. And several more visits to Madcap Coffee Company and Donkey Taqueria are definitely in order!

We stayed at the beautiful Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, complete with beautiful rooms and central location. Plus, it boasts a fantastic restaurant, Wolfgang Puck's The Kitchen, situated just off of the lobby and looking out to the river and rapids that the city is named for. Fifteen courses of sweet and savory dishes later, we were happily stuffed. Some of my favorites? Homemade sweet pea ravioli pasta and the scrumptious potstickers.

Phi, Liz and I picked up masses of groceries for the weekend and head up to the gorgeous lake house owned by Liz's cousin. It sits right on Lake Michigan and is an oasis like no other. If you follow any of us on Snapchat or Instagram (I'm cookincanuck on both places), you probably saw shots of the vast rooms, the high-end kitchen and the stunning view.

Our very generous sponsors - Sabra, Stonyfield, Bob's Red Mill, The Little Potato Company, Lindt, DeLallo and Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads - helped us to fill the enormous fridge and walk-in pantry to the hilt. There was no way we were going hungry!

Photo by Alejandro Photography

The retreat days were filled with a mixture of sessions, each led by one blogger or a group of us, snacking (of course - hummus, anyone?), cooking in our assigned teams, chit-chatting and lounging on the chairs outside and even a morning yoga session. Let me tell you, my downward dog is not pretty at 7 in the morning, but it was a great way to wake up!

Photo by Alejandro Photography

Let me introduce you to the amazing group of people who attended. From left to right: Gina of Skinnytaste, Heidi of Foodiecrush, Trevor and Jennifer of Show Me The Yummy, Liz of The Lemon Bowl, Lee of Fit Foodie Finds, Alejandra of Always Order Dessert, Lynn of Order in the Kitchen, Amy of Amy's Healthy Baking, Phi of Sweet Phi, Alexis of Hummusapien, Andie of Andie Mitchell, me, and Denise and Lenny of Chez Us. Not pictured: Raul of Alejandro Photography, who took most of the beautiful images you see here.

One of the greatest parts of this retreat was the time to get to know some of our brand sponsors. We invited brand sponsors from Bob's Red Mill, Stonyfield, Experience Grand Rapids and Sabra to join us for a day of sharing. It's not often that you get to sit down with four major brands and pick their brains on best practices for working with brands. Invaluable!

Photo by Alejandro Photography

And of course there was eating - everything from Sabra hummus breaks to Stonyfield yogurt and Bob's Red Mill granola parfait bars. We even had a yogurt dip competition where our bloggers got seriously creative. Those looks of concentration say it all! There were bragging rights at stake, which went to Andie Mitchell!

Photo by Alejandro Photography

We took a break for two of the meals and were treated by the Muskegon CVB to a wonderful lunch and dinner at The Lakehouse Waterfront Grille and The Hearthstone Bistro. And one of the best parts? Being drive by the Muskegon Trolley Company.

Photo by Alejandro Photography

It was tough to say good-bye to everyone at the end and to leave that gorgeous house, but I think I can safely say that we all walked away from the weekend feeling refreshed and inspired, with a whole list of people we could call our friends. Until next time, my friends.