• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Surly Housewife

  • State Books For Kids
  • Literature-Based Homeschool
  • Family Fun
  • About The Surly Housewife
  • Homeschool Preschool Curriculum
    • How to Homeschool Preschool: A Step-by-Step Guide

Couples Weekend!!

by 9 Comments

How we spend our time at Big Valley Ranch in Avoca, Wisconsin!

Barn ceiling of BVR

Ahhh, couples weekend. 2014 marked the second annual couples weekend. My husband, myself, and 3 other couples (all of us have known each other since high school or shortly thereafter) stay at the most beautiful vacation rental property near Avoca, Wisconsin calledBig Valley Ranch.

It’s time for 8 stressed out adults to relax, unwind, and take a breather. No kids. No work. No responsibilities.  We spent 5 days eating like pigs, drinking like fish, and not doing a damn thing. And take naps. We can’t forget naps.

view of valley and horse paddocks near Avoca, Wisconsin

The ranch mainly serves as a horse riding venue during the warmer months. One of our friends has ridden there previously, which is where we found out about the place in the first place. Thank you Katie!!

The 8 of us have hiked around the property but we spend most of our time relaxing in the renovated barn house with a full kitchen . .

the kitchen at Big Valley Ranch
breakfast bar at Big Valley Ranch

a fireplace and spacious living area . .

fireplace at Big Valley Ranch
view of the living room at Big Valley Ranch from the second floor

and the all important bar. Miss Kitty’s Saloon to be exact. We kept it well stocked. Wouldn’t ya say?!

bar refrigerators at Big Valley Ranch
The view from behind the bar at Big Valley Ranch

BTW, how cute is my husband. He is so adorable 🙂

Bartender at Miss Kitty's Saloon, BVR Avoca, WI

All of us love this place so much and can’t wait to go back next year. With 4 bathrooms and four bedrooms it fits us perfectly. Plus it is big enough that we aren’t all crammed into one area. Oh! I almost forgot the hot tub. Ah-mazing. I was there just a week ago and I want to go back.

What kind of trouble can 8 adults get into. Let’s see. . . .

This post contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, we earn a commission at NO extra cost to you. For more information, please read my full disclosure policy.

Big Valley Ranch Avoca, Wisconsin

Day one

My husband and I arrived a few hours before everyone else. We unloaded our stuff, cooked up a dip, and waited for the others to arrive. Beers!! Our first drink of the weekend!!

Spotted Cow and a pint glass

As the others arrived, we chatted as we put away all our grub and luggage. We spent the evening at the bar, drinking and chatting. Eventually we all ended up in the hot tub with our cocktails. The contrast between the cool night air and the hot water is bitter yet relaxing. Most of us were in bed by 11 the first night. It’s exhausting getting ready for vacation.

Big Valley Ranch Barnhouse

Day two

The beginning of our leisurely vacation. Besides constantly noshing all day, people played cards, games, Wii, and browsed on laptops, tablets, or phones.

TV at the Big Valley Ranch Barnhouse

We prepared a big supper for the evening, BBQ style. Brisket, chicken, potatoes, baked beans, bread. And salad for some unknown reason.

Dinner table at the Big Valley Ranch Barnhouse
Man giving thumbs up at dinner party
full plate of food at a friendly dinner party

After supper, all of us finally were able to play Cards against Humanity. It didn’t disappoint because we had some great laughs and groans throughout the evening.

Swooping from Cards against Humanity

BVR has over 45 miles of trails and Katie knew of a haunted trail. When dark hit, we all bundled up and headed out for about a 2 mile hike through the snow and hills.

Me and my love!

Man and wife on a hike at Big Valley Ranch Avoca, WI

And me and my BFF holding up the back of the line.

Best friends hiking at Big Valley Ranch

Day three

We lounged for a good part of the day but, our big adventure of the day was sledding!

Man and wife at BVR Avoca, WI
4 women best friends at Big Valley Ranch Avoca, WI
man sledding at Big Valley Ranch Avoca, WI

A lot of the snow had melted but we were able to find a spot perfect for sledding. Well, everyone else did. I was too chicken. I have an irrational fear of breaking my leg. Or slamming into a tree, which did happen to one of the guys. Dammit Levi!

The rest of evening included ice cream drinks . . .

husband and wife drinking pink squirrels

Vodka shots . . .

Vodka shots in cowboy boot shot glasses!

And probably the most inappropriate game of Catchphrase EVER.

view of the living room from couch at BVR

Day four

Our last day of relaxation.

Man napping at BVR barnhouse

Most of us slept in. Then it was more games. More eating. More relaxing.

During our hikes, we had seen numerous deer tracks and on Sunday they finally came down out of the trees. Oh look! Another deer!!

8 friends point out the window at deer

The night ended with a bonfire and some drunken hot chocolate.

bonfire at BVR

We knew we were leaving the next day, so we did some cleaning up. I don’t think we drank enough. Do you?!

bar of empties at BVR

The night ended with a late night talk in front of the fireplace. It had to happen at least one night 😉

8 best friends at Big Valley Ranch Barnhouse

Couples weekend is such an important time of the year for me. I spend time with my friends without worrying about my kids, work, lesson plans, blog posts, etc. There is no breaking up fights, picking up toys, laundry to do, or meals to prepare. It is a weekend just for fun. A break. A reset. A much-needed, long overdue reset. A time to reconnect with friends. An opportunity for time alone with my husband. A moment to bask in the silence.

It gives me time to reflect. Reflect on all the things I am grateful for in my life. I am grateful for all my amazing friends who sacrifice time and money out of their busy lives to spend time together. I am grateful for my parents who watch our kids for the weekend so I have peace of mind that they are in a safe and loving place. And most of all I am grateful to my husband. Everything he does is for his family. He is an amazing husband and father and to get to see him relax for the weekend is a joy all in itself. For once, he gets to nap. Love ya babe.

Thanks for reading!

Sharing is caring!

0 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Filed Under: Self-Care Tagged With: Avoca Wisconsin, Big Valley Ranch Wisconsin

Previous Post: « Slow Roasted Taco Chicken
Next Post: 8 Springtime Outdoor Activities for Homeschoolers »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Robyn Rasmussen

    March 24, 2014 at 9:29 am

    That looks like a blast! My husband and I really need a getaway like that!

    Reply
    • Katie

      March 24, 2014 at 11:31 am

      I highly recommend it! It was so blissful. Worth every penny!

      Reply
  2. Laurie

    March 26, 2014 at 10:53 pm

    Amazing!! That is all…

    … okay, that is not all. I also need to add that I am oh so very jealous!!

    Reply
    • Katie

      March 27, 2014 at 6:58 am

      I can only imagine since you probably need it more than i do!!

      Reply
  3. Becca :: Making Room in Sicily

    March 27, 2014 at 12:49 am

    Ummm… wow. When you told me about it a couple of weeks ago, I was jealous, but WOW!!! The ranch and the food and the drinks and the hot tub and the friends just look amazing! I am inspired to plan something like this in the future for our friends and ourselves. Glad you had such an amazing getaway from real life!

    Reply
    • Katie

      March 27, 2014 at 7:10 am

      I highly recommend it 🙂 It was so awesome to spend time with everyone and do absolutely nothing! I never knew how relaxing that could be. Just being out in the country in the silence was amazing. All of us literally get giddy in the lead up to couples weekend. We go all out with menu planning and everything. tomorrow I will be sharing some of the recipes from the weekend. I hope you plan a getaway soon! It’s so refreshing for the mind and body!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Foodie Friday – Couples Weekend Favorites | The Surly Housewife says:
    March 28, 2014 at 12:27 am

    […] sure all of you are sick of hearing about couples weekend (click here if you have no clue what I am talking about), but the one thing we were looking forward to most was the FOOD!! You can’t have a vacation […]

    Reply
  2. Turning Summer Fun into Tradition | The Surly Housewife says:
    June 3, 2014 at 2:29 am

    […] hard to get old friends together with everyone’s busy summer plans. We have our annual couples weekend but this spring we made sure to set a date this summer to get together. Our friend Katie has horses […]

    Reply
  3. Taking Care of me Monday – Vacation | The Surly Housewife says:
    June 23, 2014 at 1:11 am

    […] have blogged before about the importance of “me time” via couples weekend. I mean, hello, where else would Taking Care of me Monday come from if I wasn’t making myself […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Welcome, I’m Katie!

Welcome, I’m Katie!

The Surly Housewife is dedicated to helping homeschool moms go from doubtful and overwhelmed to confident and capable. Click on the picture above to learn more about me!

Let’s Connect

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Resource Vault

Click here to enter the Resource Vault

AMAZON ASSOCIATES DISCLOSURE

The Surly Housewife is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Copyright © 2022 The Surly Housewife on the Foodie Pro Theme