FoodFash

FoodFash is a food and travel blog based in Austin, TX.

  • About Me
  • Recipe Index
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Breakfast
    • Sweets
    • Gluten-Free
    • Dairy Free
    • Vegan
  • Easy Meals
  • Travel
  • Day Trips from ATX
  • Kitchen Tunes

Weekend Trips – Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort

March 2, 2016 by Kristin 1 Comment

Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Share on Yummly
Yummly
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Email this to someone
email

Tapatio Springs - Hiking Trail

Bright white linens, king-sized beds, tiny shampoo bottles, friendly greetings around every corner – I love everything about hotels.  But rarely do I spend much time in them and never have I resisted the urge to go go go to instead enjoy everything a hotel has to offer.  Spending a weekend at Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort was a first for me in many ways.

Leaving Austin around 1pm, we arrived at the resort around 3pm on Saturday.  The gentlemen at the front desk walked us through a map of the property and, knowing we were eager to sneak in some exercise before dinner, directed us towards a hiking trail around an abandoned hill-top golf course.  After checking into our spacious {and very cozy} suite, we immediately hit the trail.  We welcomed the fresh air, scenery {ponds, wildlife, greenery, and cliffs galore}, and steep, steep hills.  Our thighs were a burnin’! And we loved every minute of it.

Tapatio Springs - Fried Green Tomatoes

It was also the best way to work up an appetite for a happy hour that quickly turned into a full-force dinner. We started with deviled eggs, fried green tomatoes, and a couple of margaritas.  The deviled eggs du jour were avocado lime – a combination that felt appropriate for a Texas patio with a margarita in hand.  I’d never thought of using lime in lieu of vinegar in deviled eggs, but I enjoyed it so much that I plan on making a copycat version in the FoodFash kitchen.  And the fried green tomatoes came with a crisp cornbread exterior and corn salsa that, again, felt appropriate for the surrounding southwestern scene.

Tapatio Springs - Baby Back Ribs

And because our eyes were much, much larger than our stomachs, we ordered ribs with coleslaw, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and an unpictured steak with brussels sprouts.  In addition to delicious food, I appreciated the details: cast iron skillets, wood blocks as plates, sauces in jars.  Even though we were sitting at a simple patio table, everything about our meal felt special.

Tapatio Springs - Saturday Night Band

Part of the specialness was due in part to the band that was playing in the background.  Jorge and Nicole Band really set the mood with their Latin inspired sounds.  I can’t recall if I’ve ever heard an acoustic bass guitar live, but I really enjoyed the depth it added to their set.  I have no doubt that we continued to eat well past the point of full in order to soak up all the patio had to offer.

Tapatio Springs - Sunset

One of the most magical moments of our stay was the walk back to the room during sunset.  Because the property is generously decorated with landscape features, what could have been an ordinary walk turned into a leisurely stroll with sights to be seen.

Tapatio Springs - Salt Cave Massage

The next morning, I woke up early and headed to Pure Sol Spa for a massage in their salt cave.  Floor to ceiling, the room was covered in pink salt.  I read my fair share of salt cave articles and, after months of “cedar fever” and mold allergies, I was so excited to breathe in the salt-rich air.  For those having trouble wrapping their head around this concept, think about how saline rinses are recommended by doctors for relieving cold and allergy symptoms.  I spent the entire 50 minutes focusing on deep breathing and left feeling more relaxed than usual.

Tapatio Springs - Brunch

After the massage, I headed straight to the restaurant for a big ol’ breakfast.  It was a cool, cloudy morning, so the patio wasn’t in the cards.  But the inside of the restaurant was surrounded by floor to ceiling windows which allowed me to take in the views without the chill.  And once again, there were more details to be noticed: copper S&P shakers, thick-rimmed bubble glassware, adorable succulents.  As far as the meal, I ordered my favorite egg and coffee combo with all the vacation sides.  I was really impressed with how perfectly everything was prepared.  More often than not, I wind up eating breakfast at home because it’s so rare to find fully cooked egg whites, extra crispy bacon, and good toast.

Tapatio Springs - Horseback Riding_

After breakfast, I swooped up my sleepy guest and we headed a mile down the road to Stricker Trail Rides for some horseback riding.  What started out as a foggy morning turned into a beautiful, sunshiny day.  And I spent the next hour and a half atop my new horse buddy, Spirit, who liked to keep her distance from the rest of the group {perhaps she knew I needed some good photos}.  Taking advantage of the horse’s height and familiarity of the trail, I loved being able to see {I’m short!} and focus on sights I’d ordinarily miss while watching my step.

—

After a busy holiday season, starting a new job in January, and knowing what’s in store with an upcoming SXSW, I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend.  It’s so easy to get caught up in everything Austin has in the works, this trip was a well-timed reminder to make time to connect with nature and enjoy the multitude of adventures Texas has to offer.  In just over 24 hours, we were able to accomplish enough to constitute a fun-filled weekend, but also catch up on some much needed rest.  And I discovered a newfound love of destination hotels.

The folks at Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort did an excellent job planning our itinerary and I can’t thank them enough for taking the time to understand our needs.  If you’re looking for additional ways to spend a weekend at Tapatio, they’ve highlighted a variety of itineraries here.

Disclosure: Although Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort kindly hosted us, the opinions in this post are completely my own and based on my experience.

Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Share on Yummly
Yummly
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Email this to someone
email

Filed Under: Travel

« Best Salads In Austin
Cucumber BLT »
Privacy Policy

Comments

  1. Foodfash Mom says

    March 2, 2016 at 5:48 pm

    What a beautiful place! I might have to make a side trip next time I’m in Austin.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hello and Welcome!

I'm Kristin - a Florida girl turned Austinite, adventuring my way through life. Whether I'm in the kitchen, around town, or 1000 miles away, I'm sure to put myself in the midst of merriment.... and then write about it! Read More…

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Popular Posts

Bacon, Egg & Cheese Crescent Rolls

Pressure Cooker Chicken Leg Recipe

Bison, Sausage & Quinoa Hash

Kale With Shrimp & Quinoa

Two Ingredient Dinner: Sausage & Broccoli

Polenta Pizza

Spaghetti Squash & Turkey Meatballs

Dig Through The Archives

Follow Along on Insta!

🔆Have you traveled this summer?🔆 Between COV 🔆Have you traveled this summer?🔆 Between COVID, buying/renovating a house, and Ez hating the car, we've stayed put. But with the newness of our neighborhood wearing off and going on 6 months of the same old stuff, we all needed a change of scenery. And quickly after arrival, I already had a list of #dosanddonts in mind for future #staycations 🙈🤓 Below are a few less-than-pro tips from our weekend. I'd love for you to share any ideas or experiences in the comments below! And if you have any recs for hotels within an hour-ish from Austin, let me know! ❤️❤️

🔆🔆🔆DO🔆🔆🔆
🔸Choose a property with hotel room doors that open to the outdoors. It was such a relief staying at a place where we could minimize touching public surfaces. 
🔸Stay in a place that is closed to the public and requires reservations for amenities. I loved being able to make reservations for the pool area and being able to keep our distance from other guests. It was stressful that the time slots we wanted were full on the first day, but it ended up working out both days. 
🔸Stay in a place that has green space. Nobody wants to stay couped up in a hotel room, so having access to nature or a grassy area is hugely helpful. 
🔸 Stay in a place that has on-site/flexible food options or is in a good delivery zone. I liked that the staff here was more than willing to bring our food out to an empty pavilion by the lawn near our room.
🔸Give extra smiles and tip generously if you're able. Many hospitality employees have been out of work and/or have reduced tips/income based on establishments operating at lower capacities. Extra tips and being friendly go a long way!

🔆🔆🔆DON'T🔆🔆🔆
🔸Visit a densely populated area. Shame on me for thinking #thedomain would be a safe place to visit, but it wasn't. Within the limits of our hotel was fine, but as soon as we walked near other businesses we could see packed patios, crowded sidewalks, and more unmasked people than I've seen since early March. Our next #minivacay will be more secluded. 
🔸Ok other than doing the opposite of the DO list, I only have one DON'T 👆🏻👆🏻

And I shouldn't have to say this, but our hotel stay/meals were #notsponsored ✌🏻
Edit: I stand with Turkish womxn and femmes. Chal Edit: I stand with Turkish womxn and femmes.

Challenge accepted 🤍🖤
#womensupportingwomen 
Nominated by @atxfitfoodie & @ambermcho - two of the most supportive women I know 🤍🖤

A long time friend of mine (@katiewyattreynolds , another strong and supportive woman) shared a post about how this challenge is "basically useless and self serving". I'm not calling her out, it just got me thinking. I also sent her a text nomination. Hugs, KT 🤗

Basically useless is super objective. What's useless to one might be inspirational to another, no? Do women inherently find self promotion challenging? I think so (I do 🙋🏻‍♀️). I saw this challenge as a gentle nudge to let a woman know that you're thinking about her, you see her, and you acknowledge her challenges (both seen and unseen). 2020 is ROUGH. Seeing these messages felt like a hug in a time when hugs aren't allowed. 

Is this challenge self serving? I'm not sure, but so what if it is? This self needs to be served from time to time - putting everything else first all the time can't be good for ya, right? 😉

While I'm here... #wearadamnmask #washyourhands #stayhomesavelives #registertovote #votebymail (if you can) #blacklivesstillmatter #dothework #beanally #supportsmallbusinesses #votewithyourdollar #takecareofyourself #mentalhealthmatters #callyourrepresentatives #callyourmom #callyourfriends #hugyourfamily
We've spent our weekend enjoying quality time with We've spent our weekend enjoying quality time with the littles, crossing through projects on our never ending renovation list, and spending dollars on delicious meals from local Black owned restaurants 💸🍽️ This was our first time eating at both @birdbirdbiscuit (1st pic) and @kreyolkorner (2nd & 3rd pic) and we will definitely be back! ❤️❤️ Give them both a follow to stay up to date on hours, offerings, and order/pick-up protocol 📆
⠀
Do you know any #blackowned restaurants in Austin that could use some love in the form of coverage and photos? LMK in the comments below and I'll make it a priority to pay them a visit and send over some content 📸💞
Have a friend who lives in Atlanta⁉️ Tag 'em‼️My friend @kesi_p recently launched @peachstatedrinks, a #blackowned #womanowned ATL beverage company that makes fresh brown sugar lemon-aid, and it is sooooooo good! 🍋🍋 Like the kind of good where you tell your kids that it's all gone so there's more for you 🙈 We ordered the original and strawberry lemon-aids (they'll ship!), but there's a mango lemon-aid too 🙌🏻 Check them out and make this summer extra delicious 🍹☀️ #atlantageorgia #lemonaid
Happy Father's Day, @kodylpruitt 🎉🎉 I've nev Happy Father's Day, @kodylpruitt 🎉🎉 I've never known a more loving, present, and patient dad.You make something about every day feel special (which is mind blowing given how all of our days have the ability to look the same lately). And by turning our home into the ultimate giggle factory, you've made my biggest dream come true. Haven, Ezra, and I are the luckiest. We love you so incredibly much!! 💞💞
🎨: @theantoinettethomas ⠀ As a mother, I am f 🎨: @theantoinettethomas ⠀
As a mother, I am fearful of so many things. But I will never understand the fear held deeply within a mother of a Black child. ⠀
My husband and I are listening. And we will continue to hear your stories beyond next week, next month, next year. Because in trying to understand your experiences, we will be able to raise our children better than with our experiences alone. They, too, will be allies because we will do the work. We will not be silent today, next week, next month, next year. ⠀
#blacklivesmatter #dothework
Do you and your partner take your coffee the same Do you and your partner take your coffee the same way? ☕🥛🍓 #ad Kody & I are about as opposite as it gets when it comes to how much @a2milkusa Sweet Cream we use in our coffee ☯️ But one thing we do have in common is that we love that @a2milkusa cows are fed a plant based diet and are not treated with growth hormone rBST 🙌🏻 These cows naturally produce only pure a2 protein (not a1!), which is easier on digestion ♥️ @a2milkusa makes regular milk in addition to coffee creamer, both of which can be found at your local @sprouts 🌿 #a2milk #lovemilkagain
Happy Mother's Day 💐👑 It's been a trying tim Happy Mother's Day 💐👑 It's been a trying time for most of us and, as we spend more time getting used to the way things are, I hope you're stumbling upon ways to make ordinary activities feel special. Dining outdoors has been huge (HUGE!) for us, especially the kids ☀️ ⠀
I'm beyond grateful that the outdoor dining set gifted to us by @thenovogratz arrived just in time for birthday & mother's day festivities 🎉 The table is as hip as it is well made, making us feel like we are dining on the patio of our favorite restaurant 🌿
⠀
There are SO many items I love on @thenovogratz website 🙌🏻 Check out my stories for a handful of my furniture crushes 🥰
Who else is cooking 3x/day along with preparing a Who else is cooking 3x/day along with preparing a million snacks 🙋🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ #ad With so much cooking going on, it's so important for all of us to make sure our homes are equipped to handle the unexpected. 🔥 Fire experts recommend fire extinguishers be placed on every level and in common spaces, like the kitchen and garage (especially the kitchen‼️). Plus, this @firstalert fire extinguisher is lightweight and easy to use! Hope everyone is #shelterinplace -ing safely! t #readyathome #firstalert
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress