Category Archives: Vacation

Most Historic Small Town in Texas

Bastrop is situated right outside of Austin however one shouldn’t let the appeal of a small Texas town deceive you as being “just a small town”. Bastrop holds a huge part of Texas history, history that the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa displays proudly.

Walking the halls of the Hyatt, what you will find on the walls documents the history of Bastrop in the state of Texas. It even led me to do a little research and find out a little bit more…
Back around 1804, a fort / colony was established alongsidethe Colorado River and was named after Felipe EnriqueNeri Baron de Bastrop. (He was actually a wanted man from the Netherlandsnamed Philip Hendrik Nering Bogel who was embezzler.) In Texas,he became a land commissioner for Moses and Stephen F. Austin. Around 1827,Stephen F. Austin moved about 100 hundred families into an area and named thetown after Baron de Bastrop, who had passed a short time earlier. Consideringthe town was located next to (or what was at the time) the Mexican boundaries,the name was later changed to Mina however on December 18, 1837, the town became officially known, forgood, as Bastrop.
In 1839, Bastrop applied to be the capital of Texas.It was later decided that the name “Austin”would be used as the state capital name, no matter where it happened to be established. Theory says, Austin was established right outside of Bastrop because it was not established. In doing so, they prompted growth in the area,bringing business, jobs and creating a community in an undeveloped area.Although Bastrop was defeated that they could not claim the title of being the capital of Texas,they knew that this would bring great benefits to their area.
Bastrop also has some famous citizens that held their place throughout history:
  • Three Bastropians signed the Texas Declaration of Independence
  • Several gave their lives at the Alamo
  • 60 Men fought in the battle of San Jacinto
A huge importance of this area was the Lost Pine Forest which sat around the center of town. This was some of the only lumber available in the area which was supplied to Austin and San Antonio and later even sent off to Mexico.Later on, a pecan-shelling plant, cedar chest factory, cedar oil factory and coal production would bring even more business to the area.
1862 brought destruction to Bastrop.A fire destroyed most of the downtown area, including the county courthouse and many commercial buildings. The majority of buildings in the “old downtown” area are dated post Civil War due to the fire. 1869 brought even more disaster with the highest flood in the towns history, forcing everyone to evacuate.Unfortunately, it didn’t stop there with the most destructive fire in Texas history in 2011. Over 36,000 acres and 1,700 homes were lost in the fire,however the historic downtown remained untouched.
Bastrop joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 which added 131 buildings tothe site list. This helped to earn Bastrop the title of “ Most Historic Small Town in Texas”. In 2010, it was named one of America’s Most Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Now, this is a really quick hit on the information that I found on Bastrop. Walking the halls of the resort, you will see pictures and information on the history of this historic town (as shown above). About 10-15 minutes down the road, you can also drive into historic Bastrop and view some of the historic buildings in the area (below).

(Above) This house stopped me dead in my tracks. It was gorgeous, on a quiet street with large trees out front. I’m pretty sure I would be sitting on this front porch with a cool drink and a good book year round. Some of the historical homes in this area were beautiful!

Views of some of the downtown shops.

How small is the world. I happened to venture into one of the downtown shops. Here sat a butter churn made in Bellows Falls, Vermont.
A little piece of Vermont found in Texas by this Vermonter = one proud Vermonter.

Bastrop is super cute. If you happen to be at the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort (or going thru the area), I highly recommend taking a little detour and enjoying some of this historic town.

Related Posts:
Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa
Exploring Nature at the Hyatt Lost Pines
Comfort & Beauty – Room Overview
Firewheel Cafe at the Hyatt Lost Pines
Activities at the Hyatt Lost Pines

Texas Tuesday link up with Amanda from Princess of the Panhandle and Crystal from Masons Mama. This is a chance for any blogger to participate in a post on the greatness of Texas! There’s so much to explore!

Historical Information: Visit Bastrop TX, Bastrop Texas Network, Wikipedia

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.

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!

Related Posts:
Most Historic Small Town In Texas
Exploring Nature at the Hyatt Lost Pines
Comfort & Beauty – Room Overview
Firewheel Cafe at the Hyatt Lost Pines
Activities at the Hyatt Lost Pines

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.