Tomorrow morning, after recently returning from the Caribbean island of St. Maarten, I will drive north from Philadelphia to the snowiest city in America: Syracuse, New York.

I mentioned two weeks ago that they weren’t getting any snow this year, though, and it looks like it’s going to be a mild weekend, minus some possible flurries on Sunday.

I won’t arrive in the city until Saturday morning – I’ll spend Friday night at the Mirbeau Inn and Spa, located about 45 minutes south of Syracuse.

It’s a small, intimate place – 34 rooms – and all feature a cozy fireplace and over-sized bathrooms equipped with walk-in showers, soaking tubs, and double sinks. I will be getting a massage and checking out the spa, having dinner nearby and perhaps even checking out a winery on Saturday morning.

After, I’ll cruise into Syracuse and attend the University’s game versus Louisville. Fans of college basketball can appreciate that this will be an emotional last game of the season on senior night for the #2 team in the nation.

It’s been a while since I attended a high-intensity collegiate sporting event, and I look forward to seeing the town when the campus is rocking and the restaurants are all open – last time I visited I had some bad luck.

That’s all right – I’m going to make up for lost time in downtown Syracuse on Saturday night, and hopefully revisit Dinosaur BBQ on Sunday before I leave.

Mirbeau Inn photos: