Rita

Our time at Green Turtle Bay (GTB) Resort and Marina in Grand Rivers, KY was amazing. We relaxed, got pampered at the spa, swam every day, took long walks, explored and still had time for boat duties – you know, clean, laundry, and a few small projects. This whole loop thing might just be getting fun.

When I look back on our time on The Loop so far, especially the first set of rivers, it really wasn’t that long. It felt really long though. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences. Billions of people all over the earth are experiencing longer and far more difficult trials than what we have ever gone through, so I kind of feel like a wuss for feeling so exhausted. Still, I’m going to take full advantage of this opportunity to be in one spot for four nights

We both chose some spa treatments to pamper ourselves. Scott got a pedicure, and I indulged in a facial and a manicure. Shawanna was our cosmetologist. She is amazing! We both highly recommend her! During my facial I felt such a sense of peace; it reminded me of when my niece gave me a massage. I could just feel the energy transfer. When I mentioned it later, she was so thankful. She said she prepares herself ahead of time to let any stress or worry she has leave her so she can focus on just bringing peace to her clients. I love that! Then during my manicure we just chatted and chatted about everything. We got into the nitty gritty of life, love, religion, family – good stuff!

We were able to use the courtesy car to do some provisioning, and then the next day we used it again to return one of my purchases. We used that opportunity for each of us to get a new pair of shoes. With all the walking we do, it’s important to have good shoes. I am not one to spend a lot of money on one pair of shoes. My theory is if I spend less, then I can get more pairs of shoes This time I chose function plus fashion because the last pair of tennis shoes I bought were actually harming my feet. They were expensive to me, but probably not to everyone. Ironically, when we went to pay, Scott said “Wow! You picked some expensive shoes!” I said, ‘What? My shoes cost way less than half our total bill!” He then checked the receipt and quickly had to eat his words because his shoes were quite a bit more expensive than mine. We walked into town the next day, and my feet felt so amazing; it hardly felt like I walked at all.

Wherever we stop, we like to walk and do a little exploring. Then Scott usually tells me it’s ok if I just wanna go on a ‘Rita walk.’ He knows how important my quiet time is to me and how much I love a long walk. Sometimes it’s about speed and getting that heart rate up – go four miles in an hour regardless of the terrain. Other times is about just meandering wherever I feel called. Sometimes I find the most interesting sites that way, and this was true here. On one walk, I found a beach with the biggest fire ring I’ve ever seen. I could have laid down in it Instead of your typical firewood, it had tree branches. A beach bonfire sounds amazing!

On another walk, I found a deserted graveyard at the top of a hill. I almost missed it, but then I saw what I thought was a rock that looked like an overturned headstone. Indeed it was an actual headstone, and there was another one a few feet away. By this time, I’m totally off the trail and thigh deep in weeds with little prickly things sticking all over me. As I’m twisting and turning to get them off me, I notice a whole mini cemetery across the way. This one is more orderly with no overturned headstones. The most recent one was 1945, and it looks like nothing has been tended to for a very long time. I learned later that this is called Adams Cemetery #2, but I really couldn’t find much more information on that anywhere. This may be a clue I chase down another day.

Now if walking and exploring isn’t your thing, don’t worry, GTB has so much to offer, and you don’t have to come by boat. They have condo rentals, and there is also a campground (differently ownership I believe) very nearby. There are two restaurants there. We tried the Thirsty Turtle which I kept calling the Thirsty Whale because that’s what’s in Minocqua, WI Very cool place with lots of outdoor seating as well as indoor. They also have a huge fire pit area, and I imagine in their busy season this place is popping all the time. Here’s a link to the GTB website so you can check it out and plan your vacation stay https://www.greenturtlebay.com/ I’d go just for the swimming pool, but that’s just me. Bonus -we had the pool to ourselves every time we went swimming I’d like to swim every day if I could.

If you’re anywhere near Grand Rivers, KY, you should absolutely go to Patti’s! I thought it was a restaurant, and it is, but it is also so much more. It’s a settlement of little shops of all kinds, places to gather, putt putt golf, giant chess and jenga – so much to look at. We met a woman at the Village Market who said she is 40 years old, works at Patti’s and loves it. She said it is the best job she has ever had, and they treat their employees well which I believe because people were so happy and pleasant everywhere we went. I have so many pictures that I’m not sure how to decide which ones to put on this post. I really need to do video and figure out how to edit that into a pleasant and informative experience. Always more to learn, right?

I think I’ll wrap this up and let the pics tell the rest of the story. I hope you enjoy the read and the pics. Make it a great day! Be a blessing and be blessed!