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.

It Was a Wonderful Trip to Cordillera, CO!

October 25, 2016 By Tam Warner 10 Comments

Cordillera, Colorado, travels — The House!

Randy and I decided to head back to Colorado this fall, and since we spent a week in Aspen last year, we decided to try a new place. Cordillera Ranch is near Vail and Beavercreek, but it is a world of its own! We went with “dons”…the guys who came to visit Randy several times while we went through Randy’s double lung transplant. (Don’t know about it? A Saga! Go to page 9 to read it as it happened.) So, three couples hung out in Cordillera, and we had a fabulous time!

Cordillera, Colorado, travels, Chicos — Me ….in my fabulous Chicos fashion! A perfect outfit for the mountains.

We spent quite a bit of time at the house in Cordillera…it took a bit of time to get used to the altitude…10,000 feet. The air was thin, and all six of us did some heavy breathing! We explored Vail and Beavercreek, both beautiful places, and even enjoyed some time on horseback. Being October, I can tell you there were very few tourists. Many stores and restuarants shut down for the month of October. The scenery was on fire, though, and I think October is a great time to hang out in the mountains.

Whether we were chilling at the house, dining out, horseback riding, or going to the Spa of the Rockies in Glenwood Springs (where Doc Holliday died), we were surrounded by incredible scenery, sunsets, and wildlife. I can highly recommend the mountains in October, when you will basically have it all to yourself.

More to come! The beauty of the mountains and the animals is such that I have to share it with you!

How to Savor Laguna while you are in Orange County!

April 15, 2016 By Tam Warner 8 Comments

A guest post from Suzanne Stavert of Adventures of Empty Nesters! A dream come true, a foodie walking tour in Laguna Beach!

The view from the deck of the Wyland Gallery, downtown Laguna Beach, CA.

Our fun group of foodie travel bloggers standing in front of an amazing Wyland tile painting.

While attending the Women in Travel Summit, we were invited by Savor Laguna to experience one of their super-fun, guided walking food tours in downtown Laguna Beach. The Women in Travel Summit is the first and only travel blogging event by and for women, organized by Wanderful.

The iconic Hotel Laguna was the first hotel in Laguna and the first substantial business building.

We began the tour at the historic Hotel Laguna and finished about 3 hours later smiling ear to ear with happy memories of the delectable local food we had just tasted! It began with pizza on the beach and ended with divine gelato… with a sassy margarita and authentic Mexican food in the middle. We managed to enjoy a fabulous sampling of some of the tastiest foodie finds of Laguna Beach. Thank goodness we were walking, it did help us digest a bit before the next stop!

Here is Jeanne, sharing all of her great stories. She is so friendly and knowledgable and makes the tour extra enjoyable!

It was so enjoyable and easy to let Jeanne take us through the idyllic downtown streets, pointing out important landmarks, exquisite views, unique shops and some innovative bites of food! So yummy!

No trip is complete without a local Laguna Beach t-shirt or sweatshirt!

Our first stop was the Pizza Lounge where we sat just a block from the beach enjoying a slice of fresh pizza made especially for us! For all of their customers they are happy to deliver right to the sand! Just imagine chillin’ on your beach chair waiting for your delicious Pizza Lounge pie to arrive! Love it!

There was a lot of ground to cover so we quickly moved on the to next stop on our tour, the beautiful Wyland Gallery where we were captivated by Wyland’s extraordinary vision and talent. Since 1978, Wyland Galleries has been the art community’s preeminent showcase for the finest in marine life paintings, sculpture and photography. We also had a chance to walk by the famous Main Beach of Laguna with picturesque views and the charming lifeguard tower. A perfect stop for a group photo!

Have you ever heard of Clam Chowder Fries with Bacon?? Oh my goodness! “SLAPFISH brings you real American seafood, redefined with simple flavors and a healthy slap of FRESH. No white tablecloths or fancy silverware, just a boatload of deliciousness in a fast-casual setting.”

SLAPFISH offers a new perspective on “boat to plate” dining by serving the freshest fish and shellfish sourced from well-managed, responsible suppliers of sustainable seafood. This type of careful attention to the ocean and sea life is quite admirable and I am happy to support restaurants like this!

Clam Chowder Fries with Bacon from Slapfish – So innovative and delicious!

The “Lumberyard” contains some of the oldest buildings in Laguna Beach. Check out the artistic brick patterns.

If you are not familiar with the artist and sculptor, Richard MacDonald, a visit to the Dawson Cole Gallery and sculpture garden will take your breath away. His genius and masterful techniques are unparalleled. How lucky were we to be able to spend time enjoying the sculptures as well as the paintings and sculptures inside the gallery as well. This is a wonderful addition to the food tour. Savor Laguna captures the essence of Laguna Beach and offers rich history and access to art that tourists may not be aware.

This piece is a smaller version of one he created for the Olympics in Atlanta. The detail is unbelievable.

Authentic, warm pita bread and three kinds of hummus from GG Cafe And Bistro – So Good!

Time for a libation… at Tortilla Republic!

Authentic Mexican food and a fine margarita!

Tortilla Republic sets the bar very high by serving bold, fresh flavors of updated and modern Mexican cantina fare. The House Made Margaritas are made with freshly squeezed juices – Cheers!

Sweets for the sweet! It was nearly impossible to choose from these flavors of Italian Gelato from Gelato Paradiso. These were only HALF of the options in the case!

I opted for my two favorites: Double Chocolate and Stracciatella (Chocolate chip with vanilla)

Although I was quite full from tasting the menus of these fantastic local restaurants, there is always room for gelato!

Savor Laguna offers great tours that will please the locals from Orange County and tourists from around the world. Check out their schedule and register early, summer is coming and Laguna Beach is the happening spot.

Thank you to Jeanne Lange and Savor Laguna for your generosity. I had a blast learning more about a city I have visited for years and tasting some great food! It is such a fun and delicious way to spend an afternoon.

The next time you are in Orange County I recommend you take in Laguna Beach! Your tummy will thank you!

Amazing Women Wednesday: Suzanne Simone Stavert

September 16, 2015 By Tam Warner 7 Comments

11863297_10207138406169380_256025801290619190_n — Suzanne is very appreciative of food and wine journeys!

I am a great admirer of Suzanne Stavert! She is the author of Adventures of Empty Nesters, a thoroughly enjoyable blog! I often have her on Travels with Tam as a guest blogger, especially her yummy foodie posts! She loves food and wine and travel accordingly!

Adventures of Empty Nesters was created from the idea that empty nesters needed a place to share adventures, as well as inspire others to go out and find adventure. Suzanne believes the second half of life can be the best ever! I agree with her when she says it is time to focus on our dreams instead of carpooling and soccer practice. She has grown her blog tremendously in just a couple of years, and loves the fact that empty nesters are a community of people who are talented, creative, adventurous, enthusiastic, loyal and are ready for the next adventure. She has created an exciting community online! I admire her for creating adventure for herself and others instead of mourning for her chicks. They all fly eventually, and we need to fly as well.

Hand crafted cocktails are another love of Suzanne's! — Hand crafted cocktails are another love of Suzanne’s!

Suzanne travels the world with her husband, Craig, and blogs about their adventures. One of the most interesting things, especially in the 21st century, is that they were high school sweethearts! They have been married for thirty-one years, and have two amazing adult children, Alexandra 27 and Nicholas 22, (funny, I have an Alexandra, 28!). Travel has always been a part of their lives, but when the nest was finally empty and Nicholas was in college at UCLA, they turned it up a notch!

Flown from the nest, Suzanne and Craig remain very close to their "children". — Flown from the nest, Suzanne and Craig remain very close to their “children”.

I asked Suzanne what was happening in their active lives right now, and she replied, “Our biggest personal adventure to date is we downsized and moved away from our home of 27 years. We wanted to live closer to our families and so we took this huge step in January of this year. We purchased a 1937 Spanish Colonial, fixer-upper home in Pasadena, California. Wow – a huge change, as well as an exciting, scary adventure. We start the project today after months of planning, hiring an architect, contractor and city permits. While our home was renovated, it was imperative that we live somewhere else, we decided to take on one more adventure. We drove 1200 miles to Seattle, Washington where we have rented a very small apartment on the 18th floor of an urban high-rise building in downtown Seattle! Our daughter lives in Seattle and it was always a dream of ours to live an urban lifestyle. This is just temporary and so far we are really enjoying this location. Our young dog, Rocco is having a little bit of trouble adjusting to this cement jungle, but we are finding many parks to take him to play. We can fly home every couple of weeks to check on the project and see our extended family. With very competent contractors, face time and cell phones, it simplifies the process of this long distance. Our little dream house in Pasadena should be finished in March of 2016 and we can’t wait to invite our family and friends to our first open house.” How exciting to move to a different city and live a totally different lifestyle! That truly is an adventure!

Be sure and follow Suzanne’s adventures, I always do!

Amazing Women in Midlife!

August 18, 2015 By Tam Warner 12 Comments

Today’s blog is about midlife women who have, or are in the process of, reinventing their lives. Talk about inspiring?! Midlife women are definitely movers and shakers! They start new careers, new businesses, write novels, become artists or therapists or lawyers…it is amazing.

I decided to celebrate Amazing Women Wednesday by sharing blogs by midlife women that ignite our imaginations and warm our hearts. These are written by some pretty amazing midlife women! And there are plenty more where they came from! Stay tuned on Wednesdays!

Adventures of Empty Nesters

Midlife at the Oasis

Gypsynesters

An Empowered Spirit

Empty House, Full Mind

Next Act for Women

Cranium Crunches

Turn It On Fitness Girl Talk Blog

Wonderful Wednesday! Three Ways to EAT: Food Markets in NYC

August 11, 2015 By Tam Warner 7 Comments

A Guest Post by Suzanne Simone Stavert of ADVENTURES OF EMPTY NESTERS!

One World Trade Center,The Freedom Tower, NYC

There is never a shortage of amazing food markets in New York City. Picking a favorite is like choosing which of your friends you like best..impossible! Just like with the number of friends, the more markets the better!

When we travel, one of our favorite activities (besides eating) is to visit local and specialty markets in the cities we visit. However, when it comes to markets, we all win the lottery in New York City. You name it, you can find it. In the Big Apple there are specialty stores for every type of cuisine in the world.

There are also extraordinary “foodie” markets, places that make you giddy with excitement if you love to cook or love to eat. On our recent trip to Manhattan, we strolled through the revitalized Wall Street under the shadow of the brand new, magnificent Freedom Tower, to see Le District, a delicious new French-inspired market and food emporium curated by chefs and food experts. The slogan “New York with a French Attitude” sums it up pretty perfectly. However, I did not receive any attitude, only friendly, helpful merchants and so much variety, it will make your head spin. Le District is divided in to four districts: Market, Garden, Restaurant and Cafe.

Le District

Vibrant and bustling, Le District offers gastronomic delights from buttery, french baked goods and rainbow colored candy to freshly caught fish at the Poissonnerie. The stacks of fragrant cheese are piled high at the Fromagerie and you will find walls full of tangy, french mustards. C’est magnifique!

Chelsea Market

Just a quick cab ride away from Le District, is the gritty, urban and ever so busy Chelsea Market, You will find everything from flowers and wine to chocolate brownies and kitchen supplies. The vibe is hip, down to earth and the thirty-five different vendors provide a fantastic variety. Located in the Meat Packing District, next door to the elevated park, The High Line, the Chelsea Market has been in existence for 15 years. Amazingly enough, every time I visit, I find something new and delicious to eat and more intriguing stores to visit.

Old brick patina and repurposed metal are part of the uniqueness of the hallways and building design. This revitalized food retreat, which is a block long and a block wide, offers a entirely unique view of the foodie world and I love it too.

An assortment of brownies — An assortment of brownie flavors at The Brownie Witch

UrbanarchitectureChelseaMkt — This is the wall next to the elevator door – love the design.

After a tasty, farm to table Cobb Salad and stroll through Chelsea Market, we needed to work off the calories. We walked several long blocks over to visit my Italian roots where the intoxicating smells of refrigerated salumi and enormous wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano welcome you. Located in the Flatiron Neighborhood, Eataly is upscale, gorgeous, grand and an absolute must visit in New York City.

Eataly

Fun Fact:

Food markets are such popular tourist destinations that Eataly tops the vacation itinerary for almost everyone who loves food.

Flat Iron Bldg — The Flatiron Building, across the street from Eataly.

Savor antipasti, eat pizza, drink wine, buy olive oil, (if you can manage to choose one of the hundreds available). Just try to decide which fresh pasta, gorgeous produce and imported cheese you want to take home. There are seven incredible restaurants at Eataly: Pranzo, La Pizza & La Pasta, Le Verdure, Il Pesce,La Birreria, Manzo and La Piazza. Then, if you still aren’t quite full enough, stop for a cafe latte and a cup of gelato on the way out.

Each of these specialty food halls warms my heart in a different way and it is nearly impossible for me to choose my favorite. However, after giving it some thought, I do usually put aside an hour or two during each trip to New York just to visit Eataly and soak it all in. I guess perhaps Eataly is my favorite because ultimately I gravitate to the delicious, comfort food of growing up in a large Italian family. My grandma would be happy to hear me say this.

adventures of empty nesters

Fun Fact:

Food markets are such popular tourist destinations that Eataly tops the vacation itinerary for almost everyone who loves food.

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