The last time I went away with my girlfriends, I found myself sipping martinis on Gansevoot's roof top terrace in Miami and closing the LIV nightclub at the Fountainebleau. I managed to dance until seven in the morning and it took me seven days to recuperate from the dancing festivities. It was an amazing weekend getaway. Epic, actually.

So when the Lake Erie's Shores And Islands team approached me to offer a girlfriend's weekend away (sampling all the fun that could be had in Sandusky, Ohio)  - well, I was a little apprehensive. A weekend getaway with girlfriends to Lake Erie? There's no way they could keep me (self proclaimed dance queen) busy for an entire weekend. I called my girlfriend Jessica (mother of three and hard working non-profit director of Project Night Night) and invited her to test out what the Shores and Islands had to offer some girlfriends in need of fun.

Cliff Note version: it was an awesome getaway, one worth spreading the word about and booking another trip.

A few of our favorites:

Dessert!

Imagine a woman who spent ten years as a Paris-based fashion model who switched gears to become the Contributing Editor for Martha Stewart Living for another ten years while traveling the entire world only to settle down in Sandusky, Ohio purchasing her family's home and building a bakery. Wow, that's a mouthful. That's Wendy Kromer! (Hey, Wendy. If you are reading, please check out my daughter's blog. You are her inspiration.) I can not say enough about Wendy - the desserts we had were unlike anything I've ever tasted in my life. Wendy was a lot more interested in hearing our stories before sharing her own. Grab a cup of coffee and prepare to stay for awhile. Amazing desserts & company!

Shopping!

Shopping at Sawmill Creek Shops. We spent over an hour browsing this gift shop. Clothes, home decor, specialty food items, cooking accessories, Vera Bradley, Pandora beads and jewelry filled the barn. Jessica purchased some new oversized stemware for her kitchen and I walked away with a bag of goodies. The clothing department was definitely designed for an older woman but the specialty items & home decor were delightfully interesting. We could have easily spent another hour or so just walking around because their collection of merchandise was truly unique.

Chocolate!

Tre Sorelle Cioccolato means "three sister chocolates" in Italian and is so fitting for a three sister team to follow their dreams of becoming chocolate connoisseurs and opening up shop. Unfortunately their website doesn't highlight one of the best kept secrets in the area - a complete classroom equipped for private parties, girlfriend weekends, mother & daughter fieldtrips and so much more. I was in disbelief when I snapped a photo of their class schedule and secretly wanted to start my own Cicoccolato shop. With a five person minimum you can reserve a personalized chocolate making class. We learned so much about chocolate and had a blast.

Wine!

I've been to my fair share of Ohio wineries but Firelands stands out from the rest, for a number of reasons. Maybe it's because their locally grown (Italian) grapes are producing nationally acclaimed wines. On our tour I noticed an enormous section of bottles locked up behind chain doors because apparently Firelands uses an Italian grape that needs to be taxed by both Italy and the US. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a wine snob but I do know what I like and why I like it. The Moscato was delicious and totally under-priced. The wine tasting included several vino tastings, crackers, cheese (absorbs alcohol - never knew that), meats and olives. The staff was absolutely passionate about their craft which was easily seen by the local crowd gathering in the corners tasting wine and having a great time. The place was packed.

Spa!

I have no photographic evidence of ever being at the Kalahari Spa. Which, I guess, says a lot about it because I was so entirely relaxed that the last thing I thought about was snapping a photo. The spa entrance is separate from the resort and totally capable of private parties. Think mimosas and treatments and food. You can book a private party to get pampered. I've gotten many of facials before, from LA to New York, and I have to be honest that the Kalahari facial in Sandusky, Ohio was really pretty awesome.

On our way home, Jessica and I tried to figure out a way that we could convince all of our girlfriends to join us on our next girlfriend's getaway to the Shores and Islands because we honestly had such a wonderful weekend. We experienced much more then we anticipated and had a blast. I guess I need to work on my dance skills (embarrassing! video!) before the next weekend away. It's safe to say that I will never become a back-up dancer but at least I know there's a career in having fun in 'Dusky. That's Sandusky, for all you foreigners.

Disclosure: All of my thoughts are all my own. Please do not copy my dance moves. Thanks to #IslandsAndShores for taking care of hotel/food/attractions.