Our trip to Aspen last week was absolutely fabulous. I really don’t have the words to describe the breathtaking scenery, so just enjoy Fab Photo Friday in Aspen, CO!
Fab Photos Friday: The Natural Beauty of Aspen, CO
Fab Photos Friday: I am ready for Autumn!
I am off to Aspen on Saturday, hopefully to see gold Aspen trees! I will photograph the trip and share it with you all! In the meantime, as it is 100+ degrees in sunny Texas, I will post photos of beautiful Fall…
and dream about 70 degree weather!
Stay tuned for reviews on Aspen, Colorado!
Empty Nesters Enjoy Austin: Stay 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!
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!
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.
Funny Things Happened on the Way to Austin
Austin, Texas is one of those places known as “cool”. Austin has always been a cool place to be, whether you are a college student or a Texas politician *(it is the capitol of Texas). It is also a vibrantly active city. The river runs right through downtown (*but it is known as Town Lake, or Lady Bird Lake) and nature exists right in the heart of the city. People are jogging, paddle boarding, kayaking, walking…and there are dogs with their owners. Like I said, a very cool town.
My husband and I drove down to Austin yesterday to visit with our son while our daughter and her friends are having her “bachelorette” weekend at Lake Travis, only an hour away. Coincidentally, our daughter’s car full of young women left Dallas about the same time we did. Lucky for them!
I received a call about 20 miles north of Temple, Texas from my niece who was in the car. “Tam, the air conditioning just suddenly went out. It’s not cold air.” Uh oh. That may not sound like a tragedy to people living in more temperate climes, but in Texas it is a calamity! They were driving an older Escalade, so I called the Cadillac dealership in Temple and arranged to meet the girls there.
They needed a new compressor. Did they have the part? No. Could they get the part? Yes. They really went out of their way at Garlyn Shelton Cadillac to help us! We spent 2 and a half hours with the young women (it is hard not to call them girls even though they are in their late twenties…a sure sign of advancing age) and we just laughed and said it’s another Minton adventure. Life is full of the unexpected, and since the unexpected seems to be the norm in my world, we just flow with it.
We ended up late to meet my son for dinner, and we were even later to our hotel, the Hyatt Regency Austin (the view is AMAZING!). We met our son at a delicious sandwich place called the Noble Sandwich Co. which has been featured on Food Network. Delicious? Oh yes, and we were very hungry!
So off to the Hyatt where our room awaited, and the view sparkled from our window. I know I am going to enjoy this stay!
Fab Photos Friday: the Colorful and Necessary Parrot Fish!
The Mesoamerican Reef in Mexico is curiously short of Parrot Fish…necessary for eating algae so corals aren’t smothered! Algae is a true enemy of coral reefs, and the Parrot Fish is essential to keep it in check. Besides, they are quite colorful and engaging fish!
- Parrot fish come in every size and color you can think of! Blues, oranges, reds, blacks, whites, greens….it goes on and on.
- They have a lot of tiny teeth, necessary for cleaning the reef. Parrots live on the reefs, or the sea bed grasses.
Check out the beaklike mouth with lots of teeth! 
Small Redtail Parrot has a lot of little teeth! - There are over 90 species of Parrot Fish!
Stoplight Parrotfish, terminal phase. 
Key Largo Stoplight Parrotfish Initial Phase - Parrot Fish are born female but can change sex several times during their life spans…the genders of the fish are kept in balance by this amazing ability.
A Redband Parrot 
Socorro Islands…Bumphead Parrotfish - Their beaklike mouth has sharp teeth which pulverize rocky coral areas while they feed on algae. By pulverizing the little rocks they break off, they create sand for the reef.
A big smile! 
Cozumel Blue Parrot 
Mozambique Tricolor Parrot - Parrot Fish hide at night and cover themselves with mucus to hide from their predators.
A Parrotfish hiding at night 
Hiding 
Camo…can you spot the Parrotfish? - Some types of parrot fish form large shoals, or “schools”.
Schooling….ready to mate in the shallows. 
Beautiful Princess 
Princess Parrotfish 
Cozumel Bluelip Parrot - They mate and spawn in shallow water, and baby Parrot fish are often found in the shallows of the reef system.
- People should not take Parrot Fish from the water, they are needed for the health of the reef. Most “eating” fish are found in deep water.
It is quite fun to watch the larger Parrot Fish smashing the coral…you can hear it underwater!
Why Children Freak Me Out
Now, I don’t mean they freak me out in general. They freak me out for very specific reasons.
Those reasons have to do with my husband, who had a Double Lung Transplant almost two years ago. (Lung Transplant, An Unexpected Journey!) The journey has been long, and we thought after year one things would get much better…that was, sadly, not necessarily true. Randy, who is on anti-rejection drugs which lower his immune system, has caught several viruses this year, and has been hospitalized four times. Each time is frightening. Lung Transplants have the shortest survival rate of all transplants. Why? Because the lungs are constantly exposed to the air.
What does that have to do with children? Children carry germs. A lot of germs. A single sneeze can land bacteria and germs on doorknobs and countertops long enough to infect others. Covering of the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing can help tremendously, and so can washing your hands. Children, as we know, don’t cover their noses and mouths (especially when they are little) and don’t wash their hands unless they are told. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, children have an average of twelve colds per year. Twelve on average! Yikes!
I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and I wore a mask, knowing that the OB-GYN office would be filled with babies and tots. Everyone asked me what was wrong, and I simply told them the truth. I cannot risk taking illnesses home to Randy. Of course, risk is inherent in every situation, but with Randy, precautions are the name of the game.
Germs are at their very worst in the kitchen. Did you know that washing a dish towel is not enough? Or washing a sponge? It has to go into the microwave for two minutes in order to be germ free.
We just have to be very, very careful. At this point in our lives, our children are getting married. Grandchildren will bring more risk…hopefully we have a few years until that time. When the babies come, we will just have to be ultra careful about washing items with antibacterial soap, microwaving sponges and towels, and using face masks. It worries me though. Of course we will want to be around our grandchildren as much as possible. We’ll have to take precautions.
Careful is our new byword.
**photo from Creative Commons.