EMPTY NESTERS EXPLORE MORE OF TEXAS

Dallas Cocktail Destinations for Empty Nesters!

July 20, 2017 By Tam Warner 2 Comments

written by Alan James

Dallas cocktails, empty nest, limousine, dallas limousine, Texas — Dallas Limousines!

There are great Dallas Cocktail destinations! Becoming an empty nester opens up a whole new outlook on life. You have to admit that taking care of a family for years takes up a lot of your identity, regardless of the size of the clan. It can be pretty scary to embark on this new journey, but it’s also super empowering, especially when you get to try old activities you used to enjoy with a lot more freedom this time around.

For example, enjoying a night out with your group of friends is a lot different when you’ve become a bit older. Where weekends and evenings used to be filled with school activities or other commitments, you now have some extra free time. A night out in the Dallas area offers a ton of opportunity for relaxation, especially with the diversity of the night life scene and other local attractions.

Dallas cocktails, empty nest, limousine, dallas limousine — Gorgeous Barrel Room at Times Ten Cellars in Dallas

It’s easy to find a great cocktail in the city or one of the surrounding areas! It’s a great idea to secure professional transportation for this type of adventure, especially since alcohol will most likely be involved. Plus, you wont be limited to one or two destinations when you reserve a party bus or limousine.

Consider going on a tour of quiet, intimate destinations like local wineries and breweries. You’ll be able to go on an informative adventure through the process while enjoying some of the product firsthand. It’s always an enlightening experience! Times Ten Cellars is an excellent spot to check out if you’re simply looking for a lounge atmosphere with a gorgeous patio and tasting room.

Another great option to consider is a paint and wine destination such as Painting with a Twist. You bring your beverage of choice and paint step by step along with an instructor and your friends. At the end, you get to take your creation home. It’s an option that creates lasting memories.

The atmosphere of jazz and blues clubs makes for the perfect night out. It’s dark, moody, yet relaxing! Not to mention, there are often great drink specials at spots like this, and the crowd is very laid back. You can’t go wrong with a trip over to the Balcony Club.

It’s easier to enjoy a night out when you aren’t trying to find a designated driver, directions to your destinations, or parking spots. It adds an air of luxury that would have otherwise been missing if you decided to drive yourself or call for an Uber. If you’re looking for Limos in Dallas, there are some superior choices to consider.

This is a sponsored post.

Why you will love Lake Travis in the Texas Hill Country!

May 25, 2017 By Tam Warner 6 Comments

My husband and I have visited the Texas Hill Country a few times, and loved it. We plan to spend much more time in the area!

Ah, the longer we stayed on Lake Travis in the Texas Hill Country, the more I liked it! Lakeway is a wealthy, small town with all the amenities, easy to get around in, and deer are sighted on every single drive in the neighborhood! Only an hour outside of Austin, Lakeway is a gem. At this point the lake is full, the sun is shining, and it is time to get down there!

texas hill country, lake travis, lakeway — The famous Oasis. You cannot go to Lake Travis without a meal there! This photo was taken during the drought! I can’t wait to see what it looks like full, like it is right now!

Where to stay? I recommend Lakeway Resort and Spa. My daughter had her bachelorette at the resort, and the young women absolutely loved it. They did not want to come home. I have yet to stay there, but it is certainly on my list. Lake Travis offers all kinds of lodging, but the Resort and Spa looks creme de la creme to me! Relaxing would be so nice, and kayaking and hiking would be perfect.

You know, the Texas Hill Country really does offer it all. Rustic, luxury, camping, ranching, whatever you are looking for, you will find it there. We have stayed on the lake, in Austin, and on a ranch. Loved every single stay and cannot wait to go back! I love all of the wildlife…and the not so wild life!

lake travis, lakeway, texas hill country — Lakes make doggies tired

A tired dog is a happy dog! This is Miss Lucy.

http://www.lakewayresortandspa.com/about.aspx — Luke On patrol. Hey, it’s a dog’s life!

While we were in Lakeway we enjoyed a lovely dinner at Hudson’s on the Bend. We absolutely loved the restaurant, it is rustically charming with an elegant flair in its decor. They grow their own herbs, indeed, herbs were growing on the roof! The excellent sauces are for sale in the restaurant store, and so are cooking classes held by the chefs. The food is tasty as well as tastefully presented. I had a Crab cake with corn, cheese and avocado….delicious! If you are visiting Lake Travis, you should give it a try, I highly recommend it. There is also an Italian Beef place here called Chitown, as in Chicago, SHY TOWN, great for lunch, especially if you are from Chicago like my husband is! I’ve never met someone from Chicago who did not love Italian Beef….Randy cannot go by an Italian Beef place without stopping for one. I, on the other hand, don’t eat meat, so they certainly do not tempt me.

We took our dogs to the lake, and you can imagine how much two Golden Retrievers enjoyed that! They were hilarious, and they could have stayed in the lake for hours. The more I think about our time in Lakeway, the more I want to go back! I’m headed there soon!

Hamilton Pool in Texas is a great place to visit for Empty Nesters!

May 4, 2017 By Tam Warner 6 Comments

Hamilton Pool, Texas Hill Country, Lake Travis, Empty Nesters — **Hamilton Pool**

Texas Hill Country is for Empty Nesters!

Taking a hike around Hamilton Pool in the Hill Country is fun, and easy! Hamilton Pool is an historic swimming hole, about an hour outside of Austin. Hamilton Creek empties into the Pedernales River, spilling over limestone outcroppings to create a 50 foot waterfall. In Mexico, this would be known as a cenote. I thought it would be worth a look, and I was absolutely correct.

The pool is about a mile from the entrance to the trail. It is the Hill Country, so it is up and down, up and down. The path is rocky and uneven with plenty of gnarly roots. I had no trouble on it, actually, I love nature and I love paths like this. I am quite surefooted on uneven surfaces, it is only on smooth flat ground that I fall…or smooth steps. Hamilton Pool is one of those places where generations of people have enjoyed the “swimming hole”. The water is cool and green, and looks inviting, but unfortunately, there are times when one cannot swim because of high bacteria levels. Today was one of those days. There are signs that will tell you yay or nay!

After the hike, I could see why you would want a swim. Whew. So I checked out the caverns and the pool, and enjoyed some time just watching and listening to the waterfall. It is nice and cool under the roof of the outcropping. It was nice to actually sit behind the falls as well.

I headed back after 20 minutes at the pool (since there was no swimming I didn’t stay for a long time) and somehow, I missed the turn off to the main path back to the parking lot. Instead, I hiked an additional mile along the Pedernales River. I have no idea how I could have missed the main path….but I was in unfamiliar territory, and I thought, great, I can see myself lost, wandering along the river to the pool and back again for hours. I can hear Randy and the kids already, another “kooky” mom story! Fortunately, I managed to find the path again and headed up. And I mean UP. The Hill Country is very hilly indeed! So I did over 3 miles of up and down terrain. I can hear some snickering that 3 miles is not much distance. But hey, I am over 50 and I have a few health issues like having an erector set in my spine, 8 pedicle screws and rods holding it all together, so I am pretty happy with my hike this morning. I need action! Anyway, if you are near Austin, Tx or in the Hill Country, take a hike to Hamilton Pool. It is a beautiful place to relax.

Empty Nesters Enjoy Austin: Stay at the Hyatt Regency Austin!

August 25, 2015 By Tam Warner 16 Comments

austin, Texas, Hyatt, empty nester — **A Room with a View at the Hyatt Regency Austin**

Empty Nesters, there is a lot to do in Texas! How about Austin? What do we really want to know about the Hyatt Regency Austin? The important stuff, right? Like the incredible location and views! Our recent stay was fabulous, and we enjoyed the view so much we didn’t even close the drapes at night…Austin looks mighty pretty as it twinkles in the dark!

austin, texas, empty nesters, hyatt — **Sparkly view at night**

One of the best perks was the online check-in. Check-in, and they email you when your room is ready. Don’t want to wait at the front desk? You don’t have to. Just pick up your keys at the kiosk. Love it!

The hotel feels big and airy as it has an atrium in the lobby of the hotel which goes all the way up. Very pretty!

The service is top notch. Any time I had a question or a request, boom! There it is. The staff is super friendly and helpful. A delight after staying in hotels where you are just a number.

Activities for Lady Bird Lake are right on the Hyatt’s doorstep. If you want to rent a paddleboard or kayak, there’s no better place to be.

The Hyatt hosts weddings and other events all the time…it is a fantastic venue for any occasion. Who wouldn’t want this backdrop for a special event!?

They serve a wonderful brunch at the Southwest Bistro, and their Pure Luck salad is delicious! The Bistro has views of the water and the cityscape. Soooo relaxing!

**Bat Fest. 1 1/2 million long tail Mexican bats live under the bridge! Yes….a great view of it! Next time I’m going out on a paddleboard to see them.**

What makes a hotel stay great? An inviting lobby area, friendly reception, and comfortable room are givens. These you expect, and the Hyatt Austin delivers these elements perfectly. In addition, they provide a great location, for in Austin, staying on Lady Bird Lake is the ultimate experience. Add an incredible view, friendly staff, good food, and Texas hospitality, and you have the Hyatt Austin. On your next trip to Austin, be sure to stay at the Hyatt, I guarantee you will be glad you did! And tell them Travels with Tam sent you!

*The opinions expressed in this post are my own.

LBJ Presidential Library at UT Austin is a Must See for Texas Empty Nesters!

June 9, 2014 By Tam Warner 11 Comments

boomers, Texas, LBJ, empty nesters — **Ending the National Origins Formula, kind of ironic now.**

Ever been to a Presidential Library? Well, for a history buff like me you’d think the answer would be yes….but no, not until I visited the LBJ Presidential Library at the University of Texas Austin campus! The Library is celebrating the Sixties (which, you know, makes sense for LBJ), and wow! Talk about Boomer heaven! I was mesmerized!

As I have blogged previously, I am a 70s boomer, but seeing all of the sixties paraphernalia was a trip back in time. Magazine covers and album covers and TV show openings! Maybe I remember more than I thought I did….or maybe I’ve just seen some of these things on TV so much I think I remember them. However, I did see some things that absolutely came from my memory banks.

Such as:

–a commercial with a rabbit who tries to eat Trix! Ah, Silly Rabbit, Trix are for Kids!

–Bewitched’s opening!

–Lawrence Welk and his orchestra, with bubbles, doing the Pennsylvania Polka.

–Nixon on Laugh In, saying “Sock it to ME?”

–Barbie and Ken original dolls! I remember them because my older friend Holly had them, and I thought they were so cool!

boomers, LBJ, adventures, Texas Empty Nesters — **Float like a butterfly…**

–Muhammad Ali…floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee!

–Did you know Hugh Hefner started in the 60s with those stupid pajamas???

There were more serious moments in the library. The assassination of JFK, MLK, and RFK. The 1968 Democratic Convention debacle in Chicago. The Chicago 7 trial. Civil rights. I listened to the phone call between J Edgar Hoover and LBJ, when Hoover called to advise the President they had found the car of the missing civil rights workers, burned. It gave me chills.

We tend to think of LBJ as synonymous with the war in Vietnam, but throughout the Library are the reminders of Johnson’s Great Society, and the state of our union when he became President. It seems unbelievable now, but 25% of adult Americans did NOT have a high school diploma; 20% of Americans lived in poverty; and 33% of the elderly population lived in poverty. LBJ came into office with plans for his Great Society. The two main aims were the elimination of poverty (War on Poverty) and racial equality. Johnson passed four Civil Rights bills, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbade job discrimination and segregation of public accommodations. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 assured minority registration and voting. It suspended use of literacy or other voter-qualification tests that had sometimes served to keep African-Americans off voting lists and provided for federal court lawsuits to stop discriminatory poll taxes. The Immigration and Nationality Services Act of 1965 abolished the national-origin quotas in immigration law. The Civil Rights Act of 1968 banned housing discrimination and extended constitutional protections to Native Americans on reservations. Johnson passed Medicare, Medicaid and Welfare. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 gave poor children funds for materials for education, and Head Start. Clean Air, labeling cigarettes as dangerous….Johnson’s legislative victories were beyond anything we could see today from our do-nothing Congress. For more information on the Great Society, continue reading on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_society.

It is said that Johnson could twist the arm of any lawmaker. He wasn’t subtle. They called it “the Johnson treatment”. Did you know LBJ was 6’4″? He towered over people, and was extremely intimidating. He was a wheelin’ and dealin’ Texan, and didn’t take no for an answer.

What brought Johnson’s presidency to an ignoble end was the escalation and disaster of the war in Vietnam. The escalation of the war intensified the war protests, and Johnson announced that he would not seek, nor accept, the nomination of the Democratic Party for President in the election of 1968. Bobby Kennedy was running against him, and if he had not been killed in June 1968, Kennedy would have been the nominee, and most likely, President. Nixon, of course, won the 1968 election.

Seeing the library, hearing conversations that LBJ had with Jackie Kennedy, MLK, and J Edgar Hoover was a remarkable experience. I would love to go back, and spend the entire day, looking carefully at everything, and listening to every conversation available to visitors. Floors 5-9 are archives, filled with the documents of the times. Fascinating. I highly recommend a visit. The 60s were iconic times, turbulent times, tragic times, violent times, and a time of love and peace. I wish I could remember more of it, but seeing it in the library was astonishing. I’m very happy I made the trip.

EMPTY NESTERS EXPLORE TEXAS

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