'Golden Bachelorette' recap: Joan faces 'hardest' rose ceremony yet

Important decisions weighed heavily on Joan Vassos this week on the "Golden Bachelorette."

Ahead of her dates, Vassos sought advice from former "Bachelorette" star Trista Sutter, who encouraged her to open up more to the remaining men this week, as Vassos approaches hometowns next week.

Vassos, who has struggled over the past few weeks finding love again after the death of her husband John, told Sutter that while she is open to finding love again with someone else, she may just always have a place in her heart for John.

Sutter told Vassos that it was OK to have those feelings but also encouraged her to give herself "completely to the process so she can find that next guy."

"This week is gonna be hard, because the hometowns are like the big thing that's on my mind," Vassos said.

See how this week went for Vassos and the remaining men below.

Who got one-on-one dates?

The first one-on-one date this week went to Keith, who got the first impression rose during the first episode. He and Vassos went on a romantic helicopter ride over Los Angeles before landing at a winery for some wine tasting. Keith opened up about being a father and more, which Vassos connected with.

Vassos' one-on-one date with Mark got off to a rough start as the two struggled to find things to talk about. But a fun scavenger hunt activity on the yacht they were sailing on helped break the ice.

While they became closer and connected over the loss of their spouses, Vassos said she still felt there was something missing between the both of them. The next day before the rose ceremony, she stopped by the mansion and had an honest conversation with Mark about her feelings.

"I didn't feel like I imagined an us," she said.

Before saying goodbye, Mark shared how being on this journey with Vassos was meaningful for him.

What happened on the group date?

For the group date, Chock, Guy, Jordan, Pascal and Jonathan went bowling with Vassos, who wanted a lighthearted date to offset the pressure she had been feeling.

During the date, Chock stole some time with Vassos, which the men found impolite.

"It was in your face," Jordan said.

But the rest of the men took note and also pulled Vassos aside for one-on-one time to tell her how they felt about her. Most of them also told her what it would mean to them for her to meet their families during hometown dates.

However, at the end of their bowling date, despite having a connection with all the men, it was clear that Vassos' connection with Chock was the strongest out of all them.

"I absolutely see a future with you, and I think that's been obvious for a while, you know that," Vassos told Chock.

Who went home?

Before handing out the roses, Vassos told the men how heartbroken she was about sending Mark home, but shared that she is looking for someone to spend her golden years with.

"That's why each rose ceremony becomes harder and harder," she said. "This is the hardest one yet."

In the end, Vassos said goodbye to Jonathan and Keith.

Here's who's going on hometown dates next week:

Pascal, 69, a salon owner from Chicago, Illinois
Chock, 60, an insurance executive from Wichita, Kansas
Guy, 66, an ER doctor from Reno, Nevada
Jordan, 61, a sales manager from Chicago, Illinois