How far would you have to drive to get to this view? Not far, friends. From my house in Pflugerville, I can be here in thirty minutes (without traffic, of course!).
Having just come back from a vacation in Colorado, I thought for a moment that I was transported back there when I awoke to this beautiful view while staying at the Barton Creek Resort and Spa.I brewed a cup of coffee in our room and headed out for some peace on the balcony before the rest of the family woke up. It was a great start to the day!
Tucked away in the hills of Austin is a gem of a resort, a place where this mama found a few moments of peace from this hectic summer. The folks at Barton Creek Resort and Spa invited me and my family out to experience Batty in Austin, a special that runs through August. For a rate starting at $219 per night for a family of four ($35 extra for a roll-away bed), Batty in Austin includes transportation to and from the Congress Avenue Bridge to watch the largest urban bat colony take flight. It also includes breakfast for the family, one camera per adult and bat glasses for the kiddos.
Unfortunately, our trip to the bridge to see the bats did not happen thanks to a torrential rain storm that passed through Austin. Regardless, I was relaxed because I had a very nice spa treatment at the Three Springs Spa. Yes, I checked out earlier in the day, leaving my kids with my husband and my friend Jennifer who was visiting from Pennsylvania. They had a good time exploring the grounds, getting coffee in the gift shop and playing on the iPod stations while I spent a blissful hour and half getting a massage and exfoliating scrub from Sara.
I could have spent many more hours in the spa. Really, I need a whole day to revive myself. Or maybe a week. I digress.
Realizing that the rain was going to put a damper on our outdoor activities, we headed back to our room to relax. With robes, a large television (with cable! I just canceled mine so it was nice to lounge in bed while watching House Hunters) and cold air conditioning, we all settled into our nicely appointed room for some good old fashioned family time.
Are you wondering if I needed another massage the next morning to recover from that good old fashioned family time? It wasn’t so bad. The older kids headed out with their dad to the indoor pool and indoor running track to get some energy out while I had some quiet time to lull the baby off to sleep.
Our original plan was to spend some time at the outdoor pool. With the rain, that also didn’t happen, but I could stare down longingly while standing outside on the balcony. There is also a family game room with a ping-pong table and a wide selection of board games should you need to entertain the kiddos due to bad weather.
But it was all good. We need the rain, after all. We all slept contentedly until the wee hours of the morning when we were up and eager for some nourishment.
Breakfast was not disappointing. I have to mention here that we stayed at the resort back in December when I was seven months pregnant. You know how you aren’t supposed to eat smoked fish while pregnant? Well, they have salmon and lox at the breakfast buffet. I could not partake and was very sad, craving smoked salmon for the duration of my pregnancy. I made sure to make up for it this time around. They also have an omelet station, fresh fruit, pastries, eggs and all the fixins’ that will fill your empty belly.
The Barton Creek Resort and Spa is a good option for a budget friendly short term family getaway. It is so close to town, making it an easy road trip for those of you with kiddos who do not enjoy being in the car longer than two minutes (ahem babies out there who scream while riding in cars). And if you or your husband enjoys a round of golf, then this resort is practically heaven on earth.
*The Barton Creek Resort and Spa provided LiveMom with a free Batty in Austin package and a spa treatment from the Three Springs Spa. No other compensation was received for this review. All opinions are my own.
