Rather than be accused of plagiarism- that title and this story- come directly from an article in this morning’s Wall Street Journal (ed. note- this article was originally posted in 2016, pre-COVID19, and has been updated).

The WSJ article struck us as such a fun companion piece to our blog on #SummerBirthdays, in which we alluded to the idea that as we age the experiences get grander. WSJ’s article seems to back that claim, stating, “A full 75% of adults 45 and over have taken, or plan to take, one of these “celebration vacations,” according to AARP research released this year.”

I laughed that the author referred to milestone birthdays, as that hit a nerve.  When I first met my husband (who has a January birthday)– he and his group of friends celebrated their birthdays every year– in a BIG way.  (Such a foreign concept to me– a Summer Birthday boy– who experienced birthdays sporadically). Going away, renting houses, organizing activities.  Since a little thing called work and life got in the way of that onslaught of constant celebrating, we came to terms with the concept of milestone birthdays– that is– only celebrating the big ones: 30, 40, 50…with corresponding grandness. I would never begrudge someone a cake on their day.  😉

Celebrating those milestone birthdays becomes that much more special.  Keith Blanchard further supports the idea in his WSJ article:

If getting older is supposed to make us increasingly depressed, we never got the memo. (Or we couldn’t read the tiny type). Turns out we grow about 5% happier with each decade we’ve lived, according to a University of Chicago study, and a lot of people my age are starting to indulge that happiness by traveling ambitiously, with friends and family, for big milestone birthdays or anniversaries.

Boy, did my friends get the memo:

Consider my bestie, Doug, who whisked us off to Puerto Vallarta, where we stayed at the incomparable Casa La Villita.

Traveling together when you’re older really cements your friendships.

For our other dear friend, Trace, her partner Joanna, organized a Spanish fiesta that was unlike anything any of us had ever experienced.

And while we were there– in addition to beaches, sightseeing, and enjoying sabroso meals, each one of us organized a fun activity.  Mine was a golf scramble.  Even if you don’t play golf, scrambles (best ball) are a great way to team up and experience nature (aka each other 😉

But– these trips don’t have to be as elaborate as a multiple hour plane ride away.  The Douglas-Saugatuck area of Michigan offers so much, and it’s close to we who are fortunate enough to live in the Midwest.  Renting a house (or two) sets the foundation for taking advantage of all that the area has to offer. 

I myself celebrated my milestone birthday at Lake Trail Lodge – in grand style:

And just a year later, we celebrated Brian’s special milestone in Greece:

(Ok, ok, a little license with this one 😉

Suffice it to say, we don’t plan on doing any long distance travel during this pandemic. Correspondingly, we are hearing from our guests that they are choosing to stay with us in Michigan– a relatively short drive vs flying somewhere. And we are seeing reservations into November this year- the first time ever!

A Saugatuck destination may not be Europe, but it does offer something for everyone. Just consider our blog post on “three perfect days.”  If you would like advice on how to organize events like a Golf Scramble or an area scavenger hunt, just reach out to us!

Here’s to celebrating life’s milestones– no matter your age– with experiences and sharing them with loved ones!