Out & About: A Weekend in Fitchburg

This past weekend, my husband played in an over-40 baseball tournament in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.  We decided to make the tournament a family weekend getaway. 

We left on Friday, and it was a beautiful, warm day.  Driving to Fitchburg is always a scenic trip along the Route 2 corridor.  The foliage has just started to turn into beautiful shades of autumn!

We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott in Fitchburg.  When we arrived, we  were greeted and checked in by the friendly hotel staff.   Of course, we took advantage of our AAA member discount.

Click on the photos to enlarge them.

  
The hotel is beautiful!  I understand it was recently redecorated from top to bottom, and the décor is ultra modern, including the lobby.  There are flat screen televisions everywhere and a computer area for guests to use.  There is even an area where you can print up your airline boarding pass.  

Our room was lovely, with two, comfy, plush king beds.  There were built-in cabinets along one entire wall which housed a desk area and flat-screen television.  The hotel offered complimentary wireless Internet, so we made sure we brought our laptop computers.

There were two restaurants in the hotel.  We enjoyed a couple of meals in the bistro, where it was fun to watch the hustle and bustle of the busy hotel lobby.  The food was delicious, albeit a bit on the pricey side.  However, the menu offered healthy alternatives to the traditional fare, which always scores big points with me.  My personal favorite was the healthy start breakfast sandwich.  The barbecue chicken pizza was also delicious and very filling.   

Although we didn't take advantage of it this time, the hotel offers package deals on their indoor water resort, Coco Key.  It looks like such a fun place!  Our daughter wants to come back for her birthday.  This works out perfectly, as her birthday is in the winter.  The water resort's tropical feeling will be a welcome change to those cold, snowy New England days we experience here. There is also a large video arcade with all sorts of games.

  
On Saturday, my husband had two back-to-back baseball games, so my daughter and I took a ride over to The Mall at Whitney Field in nearby Leominister.  Believe it or not, I actually started my Christmas shopping! 

I was able to score some great deals at JC Penney and managed to cross off a few people on my gift list as done.  Bath and Body works also had specials on candles and signature bath products.  I took care of two people on my gift list there.  Of course, a mall excursion wouldn't be complete without a trip to Yankee Candle.  I was out of Home Sweet Home tea lights for my tea light burner, so I picked up a box.  Then, it was off to  Joann Fabrics, where all of their fall foliage garlands were 50% off.  I grabbed a couple to frame our front door back home. 

After several trips out to the car to put our loot in the trunk, we went to our favorite luncheon spot, Panera Bread.  They have wonderful salads, and my daughter loves the broccoli cheddar soup.  After lunch, we headed over to Old Navy, where they had tee-shirts and tank tops on sale for $5.00 and $3.99 respectively.  Both are perfect to wear to the gym, so we grabbed a handful.  

Speaking of the gym, we decided to head back to the hotel after shopping, to get in a workout in the fitness room.   I love how each machine had its own television attached to it.  After our workout, we changed up and headed over to the indoor pool area for a swim.

My husband's baseball team had a game early on Sunday morning.  We woke up early to pack, loaded up the car, and then had breakfast in the bistro.  I love that they serve Starbuck's coffee.  After breakfast, we headed over to watch his game.

We had a blast this weekend and look forward to going again next year. 

Thanks for stopping by!