Travels with Tam is taking a week off!My beautiful daughter is getting married on October 3! I will be back as soon as I recover!
Travels with Tam is taking a week off!
Fab Photo Friday: White Water Rafting in Aspen!
Thank you to Blazing Adventures in Aspen, CO for a fabulous white water raft trip! We had a great time, as you can see! The guide, Mike, was super, and we not only had fun, but we learned quite a bit about the canyon and the Colorado River. Next time you are in Aspen, be sure to call on them! The Ritz Carlton recommended them, and they are the best. (They also take great photos and video, I’m sure you will agree! It is so wonderful to be able to buy photos of your group rafting!) We also had a terrific Jeep adventure with Blazing Adventures! 
It was so wonderful to see Randy enjoy himself on the water…while we were in Aspen we celebrated his 2 year post double lung transplant anniversary! 2 years, and here’s to many more!
Fab Photos Friday: The Natural Beauty of Aspen, CO
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: 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!