2011 Christmas Vacation, Day 1: Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, WV

I haven't posted for the last few days because I was away from home. Jay and I like to take a short holiday-centered vacation at the end of the year. Two years ago, we went to Atlantic City for a Christmas show. Last year, we went to Hershey Park. This year, we went to the Winter Festival of Lights at Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling, WV.

Pictured: view from our balcony at Oglebay

Pictured: decorated hallway on the way to lobby
The resort looked beautiful with all kinds of Christmas displays in almost every corner of the common areas. The rustic lodge is no doubt lovely in all of the other seasons, but I can't imagine it looking more festive at any other time of the year. My personal favorite area was the hallway we passed through to go from the guest rooms to the restaurants and main lobby.

Pictured: dining area before guests arrived
The room where we ate our first supper was made to look like a winter scene, with trees decorated in blue, silver and white. Our meal was served buffet style, with way too many delicious choices. I tried my best to limit myself, but I know I ate way more than I should have, especially given that supper was after 6pm.

Pictured: pot roast, dinner roll with butter, potatoes, baked pasta, green beans, carrots, potato salad

Pictured: brownie and peanut butter pie, cake with pineapple
After we finished eating, we were entertained by singer and piano player Ron Retzer. He was accompanied by his guitar player, Kelly.

The two musicians performed both Christmas music and a few of their favorite classic rock songs, much to the delight of their audience. After their show was over, Jay and I went back to our room for the evening. We decided to go to sleep early so we could spend time exploring before our tour started in the morning.