Category Archives: People

Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa, Bastrop, TX

I was recently invited out to the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort and Spa in Bastrop, Texas (just east of Austin). I couldn’t have been more excited as everything I had seen and heard about the resort seemed to be right up my alley – nature, exclusive, beautiful, a ton of outdoor activities and the food was suppose to be fantastic. Well, turns out everything I heard was right and I can’t wait to go back!

Bastrop is an easy 3.5 hour drive from Dallas / Fort Worth. It’s a perfect distance for a family vacation for a week or even just a weekend getaway. Once you’re there, you’ll feel even more removed from the everyday world and just fall into relax/vacation mode (and you won’t want to leave).

Upon arrival, you’ll pull into the drive for the Hyatt Regency. Be careful, you still have three miles to go. That’s right, three miles! The drive will be scenic and you will soon forget where you are, windy, hilly and absolutely gorgeous. Wildflowers and bluebonnets filled the side of the roadway in front of the trees. Every so often, you will see a small pulloff for a scenic view. Take one, or two. The view will capture you, trees as far as you can see, no civilization or seeing the next small town over. Just nature. Be sure to let out a big exhale.

Continue driving. It seems that the three mile drive is just enough time to let all your frustrations, anxiety, stress, anything that is going on in your life go. You have arrived.

(Photo credit: Hyatt Regency Lost Pines)

The Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa is breathtakingly beautiful. Photographs really provide no justice at all. I took what seems like hundreds of photos and still I felt like I couldn’t quite capture it all together.

Each of the rooms provide a magnificent view of the grounds whether it be the garden landscape, the Colorado river, the pond and golf course. There is not one sight that won’t make you completely relax.

(Below) This is the main house / lobby from the back of the building. Seriously, how beautiful day / night is this building. I actually had breakfast on the back porch in a rocking chair. My day couldn’t have started much better than that.

I plan on sharing every detail of my trip but I wanted to share a few facts about the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa and give you a glimpse as to what’s to come!

Sits alongside the Colorado River, just outside of Austin on 405 acres of scenic wilderness.
Hosts 491 guest rooms, more than 60,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and 230,000 square feet of outdoor function space (including pavilions and an amphitheater).
Amenities include the Wolfgang Golf Club, Spa Django and the Renegade Trailhead (equestrian facility).
McKinney Roughs Nature Park can be found right next door where activities include kayaking, shooting, swimming, birding and 18 miles of hiking trails.

Undoubtedly, a year-round seasonal resort, with a wide variety of dining and entertainment options. There is truly something here for everyone. The only problem you will have is finding time to fit it all in. Stay tuned to see what my adventure at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa entailed!

Disclaimer: I was not compensated but did receive one night’s stay at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa in return for this post. All photos and opinions are 100% my own.

Jamey Johnson & My Confession

4 Replies

A week ago, I headed out to see one of my favorite songwriters perform. Jamey Johnson. He is amazing! If you haven’t heard him sing some of his songs, I’m most certain you’ve heard some that he’s written.

Give It Away – George Strait
Honky Tonk Badonkadonk – Trace Adkins
Ladies Love Country Boys – Trace Adkins

I knew the show was going to be amazing but I didn’t realize how amazing! Over three hours worth of amazing! Definitely getting your money’s worth! It seemed like he sang all of his songs even though I know there’s a vault load that he didn’t sing. He also sang the Dixie Chicks / Bruce Robinson hit, ‘Travelin’ Soldier’ and his father and daughter came out and sang ‘In Color’ with him. That was the highlight for me. Talk about a special moment!

(Incredibly blurry pic of Jamey Johnson and his dad leaving the stage after the show.)

Later during the evening, I found myself near the back of the stage. Where I was still in the general admission area however I could see the stage from the side and the backstage door was only about 8 feet away. That’s right, 8 feet. This is where the confession comes in. Celebrities / famous people.
1. I’m not very good at picking them out of a crowd.
2. When I do, I am convincing myself that it’s not really them.
3. I cannot EVER bring myself to ask them for a picture or even talk to them.
Does this happen to anyone else?!

Case in point, the Jamey Johnson concert. Here I am, standing around, enjoying the show. Who walks out the backstage door? Marty Turco. For those who don’t know, Marty Turco was a goalie for the Dallas Stars and is AMAZING!

I knew who he was right off. (Amazingly enough.) I also started saying “That can’t be him!” Then he walks back thru the backstage door. Gone – in a flash! I lean over to the guy next to me and say, “Who was that?”.
He responds “Marty Turco”. I say, “I thought so.” I then turn back to my friend and say “Crap. That was him!”

I proceeded to stare down the door, because that was going to make him come back, haha! Deep down, I knew there were other Stars players back there! A little while later, I different man walks out and then stands facing the stage. He’s standing there for a while, by himself. I knew he was with Turco.
About ten minutes go by, out comes Marty Turco and another hockey player. Before I can stop myself I say “MARTY TURCO!”. We make eye contact. I think he was stunned that some girl knew who he was at a Jamey Johnson concert (of all places). I mean, another guy was there and he was surprised that I knew who Marty Turco was. But that’s all I could get out “Marty Turco!”. I couldn’t say “Can I have your picture?!”, “You are awesome!”, “I saw you at the game last Thursday!”. Nothing.

So here I was, starring at Jamie Langenbrunner, Marty Turco and Brett Hull. Hockey greats and it was like I had a sock in my mouth.

Does anyone else have a problem?! It’s happened to me before. I realize they are people just like you and I however I feel like this must happen to them a lot, so why not just let them enjoy the show like everyone else…. no?

“Second star to the right and straight on ’til morning. ”

4 Replies

― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
Saturday morning, I woke up earlier than I would’ve liked to go get my oil changed. For some reason I brought my camera. Who brings a camera to get their oil changed?! Maybe it was a premonition. The plan was to go out to west Fort Worth, get my oil changed then come home and finish unpacking my new apartment and work on my horrendous, unending to-do list. If you know me, you will not be surprised that I ended up finding some back country roads and taking a lot of pictures. Surprise, surprise.

A couple years ago, I was given a book with weird, roadside stops in Texas. I keep it in my car because I don’t really plan things out (read above) and just end up going places. So while waiting for my oil change, I looked up what was nearby.

Stop #1 involved Peter Pan. I was in!
Peter Pan is one of my favorite cartoons / stories growing up. (Have you watched Finding Neverland? One of my favorites!) I find it pretty important to always be a kid at heart (hence you will see me busting out a move at inopportune moments to try to get people to relax – I don’t care if I look like an ass, it’s a good time)!

I had known about this little pit stop for a while but I’m glad I finally got to check it out!

If you ever find yourself near Weatherford, Texas, head on over to the library. It’s right off the highway and really easy to find. Outside, you will find the Peter Pan statue. The story of Peter Pan has nothing to do with Weatherford, however the actress that played Peter Pan did.

Mary Martin played Peter Pan in the Broadway production of Peter Pan until she was in her 50’s. She also earned a Tony Award for her role and was a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1989. The story goes, as a child she was obsessed with Buster Brown and she had her haircut in a short “pageboy bob” and refused to ever wear a bow. Funny how she ended up playing Peter Pan! If you want to realize how small the world really is, she is also Larry Hagman’s (from the TV show Dallas) mother.

In 1976, Ronald Thomason created this life-sized bronze statue of Martin in the signature Peter Pan pose. The status can be seen at the library along with some memorabilia inside (I wish I would’ve read that in the book before I left the library). In 1990, Mary Martin passed away and is now buried in Weatherford as well.

If you’re a fan of Peter Pan, swing on by. It just takes a minute. While I was there, two kids came running out of the library and couldn’t wait to get a picture with Peter Pan. It was pretty cute. We can all be big kids too folks! 🙂

“All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.”
― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Check back in on Wednesday to see what else I came across on my Saturday travels!