God's Country...

It's no secret I'm a proud Texas girl. I love to travel and I've been to other gorgeous states. I have no trouble giving credit where credit is due. Tennessee is fabulous, New York has a piece of my heart (not in beauty but in fun), Colorado snow is gorgeous but I can only stand about 5 days of it and I need to thaw out, I drove from Tulsa to Arkansas this weekend and it was a pretty drive...but Texas has the key to my heart. When our plane landed in Austin and I saw those bluebonnets lining the runway I knew I was home...

And I was "home" but I wasn't at my home yet...I had an event at the Hyatt Lost Pines outside of Bastrop, TX for the last few days. It's a gorgeous property about 20 miles outside of Austin, and I was really glad to get to share a bit of it with Dave. My event started at 7am Monday morning, so I knew I would be staying out there Sunday night since it's a good hour from my house. I had made the executive decision before our trip to Arkansas that I would go straight from the airport to Lost Pines. It made for lots of packing and borderline overweight bags, but thank goodness for rollers. Who first decided to put rollers on luggage by the way? You're a genius and I'd like to shake your hand.

I digress...so we made it out to the Hyatt around 3pm and changed clothes and set out to enjoy a bit of the outdoors. That's the beauty of this property. Set out in the middle of nowhere, there are 18 miles of hiking trails surrounding the property, a beautiful golf course, the Colorado River runs right through it, there is horseback riding, canoeing, skeet shooting, a lazy river...you name it, they have it. And when you've had a good BBQ dinner you can sit out by one of their fire pits and make yourself a s'more....

I'm thinking about moving in! :) If anyone wants a get-away, come to Texas! And give me a call...I'll meet you for a s'more!

This picture and the one below were taken from the window in our room. We were both surprised the windows opened! I love open air and although I spent hardly any time in my room (why would you out there??) it was still nice!

Dave waxed me in a game of H-O-R-S-E (I let him win. It's good to stroke his ego every once in a while. Keeps the marriage healthy)

Then we channelled Napoleon Dynamite and the 5th grade and played a couple of rounds of tetherball

Believe it or not we did see a few people in the water. I realize it's Texas, but even in April the water's still a little cool...

We went on a "hike"/walk and enjoyed the Colorado, the golf course, great views and a few VERY steep hills....I guess you have to suffer the hills to get to the top. And it's always worth it!

After our walk we sat outside in some of the rocking chairs and Dave read the paper. I took a few pictures and just relaxed.

How cute is this little store they have in the hotel lobby? It's a candy store/soda shop.

After dinner it was time for a s'more! They give you a "s'more kit" at the front desk and you can sit around the giant fire pits all night if you'd like. It is so much fun!

Dave, roasting our mallows...

I've never met a s'more I didn't like!

"There wouldn't be no Alamo, no Cowboys in the Super Bowl, no "Lonesome Dove", no "Yellow Rose" If it wasn't for Texas. I wouldn't be a Willie fan, nobody would swim the Rio Grand, I wouldn't be an American, If it wasn't for Texas. Fort Worth would never cross my mind, there'd be no Austin city limit sign, no Lone Star of any kind, If it wasn't for Texas." ~George Strait, If It Wasn't For Texas