Let me set the scene for you: The sun is beating down, but the hill country breeze by the pool is making it bearable. I’m laying out in a bathing suit with an adult beverage in hand while chatting to my friend next to me. We both have brand new novels sitting under our lounge chairs that have yet be opened because we can’t stop chatting and giggling. Our 4 (combined) children are 200 miles away, under the care of our wonderful husbands. 200 miles away!
If you have not gotten to experience the pure bliss that is a girls’ trip away from the kids, let me suggest something. PLAN ONE NOW! It was the first time I had left both boys (2 yrs and 5 mos) overnight and actually gone and done something completely relaxing/fun/for-myself! I absolutely love my kids and my role as a mother, but I haven’t had more than 5 consecutive hours of a child not needing me for something in the last 5 months. Although I did have to bust out the breast pump every 3 hours, the rest of the trip was completely kid-free and mom-free. We felt like just….wait for it…..wait for it….WOMEN. No diapers in our purses, no schedules to stick to, no bed time routines for 2 nights.
We started off the trip with Starbucks in hand, music loud and non-Wiggles-ish, and enough pent up chit-chat to last the entire 3.5 hour drive. Yes, we talked the whole time, and not about kids. Once we got into the hill country of Austin, the drive was beautiful and we made our way up the windy roads to our destination. And we weren’t staying at just any ole’ hotel. Oh no, we were staying at the granddaddy of all hill country escapes, Barton Creek Resort & Spa. Ahhhh….it was just perfect.
Our agenda included lounging by the pool, spa pampering, a night out on the town, a 4-star breakfast buffet at the resort, followed by local dining and shopping all day. The resort has an awesome family package deal right now where they happily shuttle you to and from the Congress Bridge in downtown Austin. This is a great opportunity for families looking for a fun getaway (especially because there is so much to do in Austin for kids), but we took advantage of the courtesy ride to downtown to get dressed up, grab drinks, and feel young again! And by young, I mean being hit on by silly 23 years old with hilariously lame pick-up lines…which we eagerly followed up by dropping the “mom blogger” bomb and gushing about our stud husbands and darling children. Oh the looks on their faces were priceless.
Would you believe that we stayed out until 1am? And even once we got back to our room we continued on jabbering well past 2. Our room was just too lovely not to enjoy! The beds were beyond comfortable and the TV was huge and NOT on the Disney channel. It was such a relaxing night, but you better believe we were up at 8 to enjoy our fabulous kid-free breakfast….and it was worth every minute of sleep that we missed out on because of it. Nothin’ like drinking hot coffee and an amazingly delicious breakfast while watching the sunrise over the hill country.
I can’t tell you how nice it was to have a little mommy getaway. It was the perfect balance of relaxing and having a super fun time with a friend. Barton Creek Resort and Spa definitely made it the amazing weekend we were hoping for. The resort is new, clean, luxurious, the pool has a gorgeous view, and everyone was genuinely happy to accomodate us and make our stay great. It’s no surprise that it is one of the most popular wedding venues in Texas. The place is amazing.
We came home refreshed, re-energized, and happy to get back to our callings as mothers (okay maybe one more night of uninterrupted sleep would have been welcome). I think it is absolutely vital to take time to remember there is more to you than just mom. To remember what it’s like to stay up late with the gals, to shop for hours without pushing a stroller, and get lost in a good (non-trashy) book by the pool. I would highly encourage you to get away with a friend and spend some time completely relaxing and enjoying being just one of the gals. I would also highly recommend you get to Barton Creek Resort & Spa as fast as you can, wether it’s for a girls’ trip, romantic getaway with the hubby, or a family fun weekend. The resort is just an amazing place and you can’t go wrong staying there no matter who you’re with.
*Barton Creek Resort & Spa graciously invited me to enjoy a complimentary over-night stay package, but they did not ask me to write this and the opinions expressed are all my own.
