the traveling cupcake: flowers

Showing posts with label flowers. Show all posts

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Lake Austin Spa - A Mini Getaway

To say that we have had a stressful and hectic first quarter of 2012 would be an understatement. And the rest of the year looks to be just as crazy, if not more so once the little one gets here and flips our lives upside down (in a good way, of course). We had been dying to getaway, to go on vacation. We didn't want to stare at the piles of boxes and things needing to be unpacked. We didn't want to have to go to Home Depot again. We didn't want to have to deal with buying any more baby-related thing (how much does an infant really need??)

We wanted - no, no, better yet - needed a break.

Enter Lake Austin Spa.

I often find that the best recommendations come from people you know. That's how we found this little gem. One of Brian's coworkers recommended it as a place to go "if you really want to relax and not have to worry about a thing." SOLD. Sign us up!

We spent three nights at this oasis in the Hill Country of Western Texas. I did a little bit of research before getting there but not much - most of my research included perusing the spa menu and making our appointments! The resort has 40 cabins which means that their maximum occupancy is never more than around 80 guests. They were pretty full while we were there but you wouldn't have known it - we were always able to get a lounge chair by the pool, had a choice of tables for dinner and plenty of peace and quiet.

Perhaps the best thing about the Lake Austin Spa is that everything is included in the room rate - I mean everything. Well - everything except spa appointments. Close enough. They have a full schedule of work out classes, hikes and classes every day and you are free to enjoy as many as you like - or as many as you can pack into your day! Since I'm about to burst I wasn't able to enjoy many of the fitness classes that they had on offer but Brian was able to take a few each day. We went on boat tour of the lake on afternoon and I even went to a cooking demonstration lead by the head chef at the resort. In addition to all of the scheduled activities you also have access to kayaks, water bikes and paddle boards should you want to take to the open water on your own.

If you wanted to take a more relaxing approach to your stay you had plenty of options there too. The resort features two pools - one on the main resort and one at the spa. The spa menu includes anything and everything that you can imagine, from massages to facials to body scrubs and everything in between. There are hammocks set up by the lake, begging you to spend your afternoon in them reading a book. Or perhaps you would rather take a leisurely stroll through the resorts gardens - where fresh herbs, flowers and vegetables are all in full bloom. The garden is also the place where the chefs get most of their vegetables and herbs for the days menu. There is every kind of herb you can imagine in full bloom, vegetable plants, fruit trees and plenty more growing bountifully getting ready to be picked for that days lunch or dinner. It doesn't get much fresher than that.

Which brings me to the food. Their website mentions that the seasonal menu includes fat grams and calories posted next to each item in case you are watching your weight. Any of the dishes can be made to accommodate your dietary needs - whether it be vegan, gluten free, sugar free, nut free - or any other ailment that you might have! As much as they can the pick the herbs and produce from their own gardens, and everything else is sourced as locally as possible. It feels good knowing that what you are eating is fresh, organic and truly good for you.

Now, I do have to mention, since this is a health spa the portions are TINY. An appetiser of fried olives included only five olives. Five. I could - and did - eat five olives in 10 seconds flat. Luckily, our super nice waitress let us know ahead of time about the teeny tiny portions and let us order as much food as we wanted. Six appetisers, two salads, three entrees and three desserts later we were happy and full. And every bite of each one of those plates was amazing. We didn't have one single complaint about the food the entire time we were there. You can have your meals in the main dining room, outside on the patio, in the Spa cafe or even brought straight to your room, should you be too tired from the days activities to venture outside (although the staff full encourages you to wear your bathrobe to the dining room whenever you like). And remember - all of the food is included in your rate, no mater where you chose to enjoy it.

We each had a massage appointment at the spa and boy did we ever need it. I was able to get a Mama-To-Be massage and it was just what the doctor ordered. My therapist was super friendly and knew all the tricks to relieving pregnancy pains. The staff encourages you to hang out in the Blue Room (where you can relax and catch up on your reading - or take a cat nap!) and to use the steam room, sauna and pools before or after your appointment. It only takes a few moments to feel the tension in your shoulders and the furrow in your brow melt away once you are here. I should mention that Lake Austin Spa has recently (and is frequently) named the #1 Destination Spa by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine amongst many other top rated awards. With accolades like this it's a good idea to book early!

I can't wait to go back to the Lake Austin Spa after Baby C has arrived. It is an excellent place for a girlie weekend - in fact while we were there Brian was one of the only men that we saw during our whole stay. Of course that being said it is also a perfectly romantic place for couples to getaway from it all. Next time I am here I am looking forward to taking advantage of more fitness classes, a few deep tissue massages (I'll need them after lugging around a baby all the time, right?) and enjoying a glass of wine by the pool. It doesn't get much better than that.

Lake Austin Spa Resort
1705 South Quinian Park Road
Austin, Texas 78732

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Durdle Door

On Saturday we decided to get the hell outta dodge. Don't get me wrong, London is lovely in the summer and I love our neighborhood so much you usually have to bribe me with promises of a yummy dinner or fabulous cocktails to try and get me to leave from Friday evening to Monday morning. But I have a confession to make. A dirty little ssecret that I am embarrassed to say (type?) out loud.

We don't travel around England.

For as long as we have lived here (thats two years, eight months and seven days - not that I'm counting) we have traveled around England as many times as I have fingers on one hand. There was Cambridge, Oxford, Bath, Windsor Castle and if I really try to stretch it I'll count Greenwich as a "trip" - let's make that one the pinky, a half-trip of sorts. And that my friends makes five trips around England in over two and a half years.

Pathetic, I know.

So this last weekend we decided to take a day trip - gotta start slow - to someplace in the same country that we have been residing in for all this time. I asked around at work for a good place to go for a day that didn't require spending the night. The first time someone mentioned "Durdle Door" I had to have them repeat it three times before I even had the slightest understanding of the words that were coming out of their mouth. What the H-E-double-hockey-sticks is DURDLE DOOR?!

Durdle Door, it turns out, is a little slice of heaven. Bright and early Saturday morning we loaded up the rental car (with banana chocolate muffins, the last of the sea salt caramels and some picnic fried chicken) and headed south-west to the Jurassic Coast. Located on the English Channel in Dorset, Durdle Door is a natural arch made out of limestone rocks that was carved out by the sea. The land is privately owned but is open to the public, and the pathway between Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door is one of the most traveled in all of the southwest of England. Nearly three hours after setting out we finally reached Lulworth Cove - here is where we started the hike.

An easy hike, this was not. Maybe for a normal person it would be, but not for me (I appear to be allergic to exercise, it's true). The hike was seven miles long starting from Lulworth Cove, up and down four BIG hills and then looping around through the fields back to Lulworth Cove. The stretch from Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door was certainly the busiest. After checking out the pretty pebble beach (and the boys taking a quick dip in the freezing cold water) we stopped for some lunch (mmm picnic fried chicken) and enjoyed the incredible views. Mother nature was kind to us on Saturday, it was very warm with not a cloud in the sky - it seems our efforts to see the country were very much appreciated. After refueling and rehydrating we carried on our way.

I huffed and puffed my way to the top of each ~~mountain~~ hill, filled with anticipation of another breathtaking view that drove me to the top each and every time. I felt like I was in another world - I felt like I was on vacation! Surely all of this beauty couldn't be in my own backyard?? (A very BIG backyard that is)

When we finally made it to the half way point we turned around and looked how far we had come. With the sea to our right and the sun behind us we continued on - it was all downhill from here.

Ok, not really. Actually it was pretty flat, not so much downhill. The remaining part of the hike took us through fields of sheep and cows (which we still can't decide if that was actually part of the hike or if we took a wrong turn somewhere along the way). In the end, over four hours later, we were right back where we had started.

almost there!

We spotted a perfect little pub on our drive in that morning outside of Lulworth Cove and decided to hightail it back there for a well deserved pint of the cold stuff. Sunburned and exhausted we relaxed inside with a few cold beers, some boardgames and the best post-hike pre-dinner "snack" of all time - the Mexican Chip Butty.

Did ya get that?

Mexican = chili (not sure how those two are actually related in real life, but I'll cut them a little slack - they're English they don't know any better)

Chip = french fries

Butty = sandwich

Let me paint you a picture - two pieces of hot garlic bread topped with french fries covered with chili and melting cheese.

Yeah, I know you're jealous. Wipe that drool off of your face, don't make a mess.

Believe me when I say it was the best thing I could have eaten at that very moment in time. And I'm not ashamed to say that I'm kind of dreaming about it now. I guess I'll just have to go back sometime soon.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Wedding Story

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I attended my good friends wedding in Connecticut (remember this post on Winvian?) in the beginning of June. My previous post was mostly about the amazing reception site/resort, but I also wanted to do a special post on the wedding itself. You know I love a good wedding - I just had to share this with you!

The official wedding activities started the Thursday night before the wedding when the grooms parents hosted the rehearsal dinner at their summer house near the NY/CT border. Everything about this wedding was personalized and well thought out, all of which extended into the rehearsal dinner. The bride spent hours painting handmade signs for the wedding activities (including signs directing guests to Winvian placed along the suggested route from the church). She also designed their logo and all of the paper products for the invitations, ceremony and reception.

Guests at the rehearsal dinner dined on homemade hummus, fried shrimp with honey and mediterranean salads. Spiked Iced Tea and Pimms were the drinks of choice that night - the Pimms was a subtle nod to the couples current home in London. Dessert was made up of dozens of homemade cookies by the grooms family, including the sweetest baklava you ever did taste.

After the crowd was full of good food and happy from a few drinks enjoyed by the waters edge, things got sentimental. Speeches were made by many a family friend in remembrance of the brides father, a slide show played of the the bride and groom growing up and then growing together, and guests were even treated to a song performed by the bride to her groom. There was so much love in the air that night that it was palpable. There wasn't a dry eye in the house - and this was only the beginning!

The ceremony was held at a small church in downtown Ridgefield, CT. A picture perfect church and weather to match. The wedding ceremony was hand crafted by the bride and groom, so much so that the minister even commented that he had never seen so many revisions by a couple in all his time as an officiant. Lanterns lined the aisle with deep blue hydrangeas and candles. The bridesmaids wore floor length navy gowns and carried bouquets of blue and yellow, the ring bearers were in matching seersucker suits and navy boat shoes (ie, the cutest thing on the face of this planet). An old friend of the brides sang Jack Johnson before the processional and close friends read passages during the ceremony. It got slightly awkward when the minister forgot to hand over the bride - leaving her brother at the alter a little too long - but in the end we were (fairly) certain that Sean and Adrienne were officially married.

It was official - and now it was time to party! There was a bus stocked with snacks and drinks for those who needed a ride up to Winvian. Cocktail hour was held out on the lawn, with lounge chairs and tables, a 3 piece band, signature cocktails and the most amazing hors d'oeuvres (I still have to google that word EVERY time I want to use it!). The mini mac and cheese with pancetta and parmesan crisps were a crowd favorite. The reception tables were named after cities the couple had visited while dating, and place cards were made of vintage city postcards on luggage tags showing the guests which table they were at. The tags hung from tree branches, a vintage suitcase and photo guest book told the story of their travels and relationship.

The reception was held in the Gordon Brown House, which was transformed with candles and flowers. The live band played classic hits all night long and the tented patio provided a lounge space for guests to get some air and relax. Dinner did not disappoint either - asparagus salad and a beef duo (with the most tender, delicious short ribs I have EVER had) made up the first and second courses while amazing red velvet wedding cake and smores (made out at the fire pit) rounded out the dessert selection. Guests (and groom!) were treated to a song performed by the bride, arguably the best rendition of 'At last' that anyone in that room had ever heard (including the singers in the band!) The rest of the evening was spent dancing to the Heartbeat Dance Band, with lots of love and laughter filling the Gordon Brown House. (Apologies for the less than stellar photo qualities below, I couldn't get enough light!)

And as if that wasn't enough, there was an after-party planned at the Helicopter cottage. Bikes from the other cottages were lined up outside the door, signaling the party was in full swing when the bride and groom showed up...ready to party the night away as newlyweds.

Congratulations Sean and Adrienne!

Reception location - Winvian

Band - Heartbeat Dance Band

Photographer - JAG Studios (check out her blog to see some of her amazing work, hopefully her photos of this wedding will be up soon - I got a sneak peak and they are to die for!)

Flowers - Datura: A Modern Garden

Like what you see?