Epiphany To Travel

Deciding Where To Celebrate Our First Anniversary

Kayla and I were married on New Years Eve 2016.  My wife and I celebrated our honeymoon at the Montage at Deer Valley Utah. It was simply unbelievable.  So after spending months of reminiscing about our honeymoon my wife Kayla and I decided that it was only right that we spend our first anniversary at another one of The Montage properties. It would be a tough decision to pick the right one.  Eventually Kayla and I decided to celebrate our first anniversary at the Palmetto Bluff property in Bluffton, South Carolina (read more) . We are huge fans of The Low Country and make numerous trips to Savannah every year, but that’s for our next blog.

From Christmas Holiday to First Anniversary

With us having a New Year’s Eve anniversary, we first spent the week in Kentucky with our family for Christmas.  We then jumped on a plane to Charleston to stay for a night and explore Charleston. The next day we had a quick 2 hour drive to Bluffton, South Carolina.  A nice greeting at the guard gate and we had arrived at the Montage at Palmetto Bluff! This property was definitely different than Deer Valley. We took a 5 minute drive down the road until we reached the drive way to the Montage.  We  pulled up to what looked like an old plantation home. The architecture at Palmetto Bluff was perfect for this area. Check in was very efficient and we were driven in a golf cart to our private cottage.

Our Private Cottage

As we entered we were taken back by how the details were so perfect.  It was clear, once again,  The Montage was out to impress. We looked over and on the desk, there was a bottle of bourbon, sparkling lemonade and cider along with a charcuterie board.   The Marketing Director left us a hand written note congratulating us on our anniversary and thanking us for our stay. It may be they really like us.  Or it may be… I was just so impatient that I liked and commented on almost every one of their Instagram posts for 6 months leading up to our arrival in anticipation. Either way, next to the note was a framed collage of some of our wedding photos with congratulations written on the back of the frame. It was only 5 Minutes into our trip and I was already blown away.

The Amazing Property

We decided to eat at the local restaurant Buffalo’s for dinner and breakfast. Both meals were exceptional. As we were only there for a couple of nights, on the second day we decided to stroll through the property. We were able to walk through the local neighborhood that surrounds the property.  However, if you don’t want to walk, you can always rent a bike or use the bike that is provided at the cottages. The area was even grander than I had imagined. It is all set on approximately 20,000 acres of nature preserve overlooking the Deep South marshes. We had time to look at the ruins of the of the Wilson Plantation house which is also located here.  It was a nice little adventure to spend with my wife on our first anniversary.

Spa Time!

Finally, we made it to the spa.  Because of our wonderful honeymoon,  there was no way we were missing any opportunity to experience a Montage spa.  After sitting in the separate relaxation rooms for a little bit we were each brought back to our couples massage. An hour of everything that we needed in life. They have plenty of other spa services on their menu. For example,  a hot tub , cold pool and steam room.  As soon as our massage was completed we needed to start getting ready for our night. As we were about to exit the spa they wished us a happy anniversary. These wishes also included a little gift of massage oils too!

There’s more to come

As we entered our cottage we were greeted by a plate of chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of champagne. Once again, we were just in awe of the customer service and how the staff went above and beyond to make our anniversary so special.

Anniversary Dinner

For our anniversary dinner, Kayla and I decided that we wanted it to be “fancy”, kind of like our wedding. So she decided to dress in a gown and I in a tuxedo. Because we travel to Savannah so much and the property is only about 30 minutes away, we were able to eat at our favorite restaurant, The Olde Pink House. If you have never been, I suggest you go, it will not disappoint. But again, another blog another time.

My wife and I aren’t too big of partiers, so we decided to call it a night.  We headed back to The Montage Palmetto Bluff after dinner. Arriving at night we were able to see the property all lit up for the holiday festivities. They also had a New Year’s Eve party going on which if it weren’t our first anniversary, we would have loved to be part of.

Just a Little Dance

But instead we went back to the room and my wife surprised me with having a replica of our wedding cake topper made along with a bottle of champagne and a sparkling bottle of lemonade for me. The staff had our TV turned to the jazz station with the surround sound on throughout the cottage and we were able to turn our fire place on upon arrival.

Everything was perfect about this night.  The only thing left to do was to have a dance with my wife for our anniversary. Throughout this whole trip I experienced nothing but total class. However,  I have never felt as classy as wearing my tuxedo and dancing with my wife with the fire going and smooth jazz playing in the background.

We both celebrated the New Year by falling asleep before the ball had dropped.  Regardless, nothing could take away from this amazing trip. We packed our bags and a golf cart came to pick us up to bring us back to our car for our exit. I couldn’t help but think of all the things I want to do here upon our return. We will be back and suggest anyone who can experience The Montage Palmetto Bluff, do so as soon as you can. It will not disappoint!

Note from Sherrie:  Westley and Kayla love to travel just like Kevin and myself.  I look forward to more guest posts from beautiful daughter-in-law and handsome son!