Final Day - Lake Austin Spa Resort - Texas

This was a great trip.  The only thing that would have made it better is a longer stay.  I believe that next time I will try to find a deal for seven days.  The staff at the desk, dining room, and spa were all fantastic.  They took very good care of me.  And I met some wonderful people at the friendship table - I highly recommend sharing the table at dinner to meet others.

• 7:00  Breakfast:  my favorite blueberry and ricotta pancakes with a slice of ham
• 9:00  FUNctional circuit.  This was the heaviest workout of my stay.  There are 8 stations in the weight room:  1.  with a band under your feet walk sideways, 2. throw a ball up in the air and catch in a squat, 3.  woodcutter with the rope on cable, 4. bench step up (I had to modify to the treadmill because of knees), 5. bar pull ups and bar push ups, 6. assisted squats and shoulder press, 7. bird dog, 8. plank.  We did 2 sets of 35 seconds at each station and then repeated the whole thing.  Really kept the heart rate up!  And for a change I was able to do all of the exercises.
• 11:00 Lunch:  Salad bar; Barbecued chicken sandwich which had a large spread of guacamole, tomatoes, onions, lettuce and a finely grilled chicken breast; Orange burst sorbet for dessert.
• 12:00 Departure - Boo Hoo

Day Four - Lake Austin Spa Resort

I'm afraid it will be another lazy day.  It is forecast to be over 100 degrees.

• 7:00  Breakfast - spinach and feta omelet, ham, gluten free toast
• 8:00  Stability Ball
• 8:30  Gentle Stretch
• 9:00  Strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe (breakfast dessert!)
• 11:00  Water aerobics
• 12:30 Lunch - probably the best cobb salad I have ever eaten.  Instead of the usual turkey it was beef tenderloin cut in bite-size pieces.  Ample avocado, crisp bacon, and blue cheese topped a nice mix of greens and scallions.  A perfectly cooked hard boiled egg on the right and several yellow and red cherry tomatoes on the left made for a picture perfect presentation.  Chocolate caramel turtle frozen yogurt for dessert.
• 2:00 Cooking demo - tabbouleh but instead of couscous or quinoa, the chef used finely chopped celeriac and red cabbage.  A tasty gluten free version after also adding chopped apples, radishes, grapes and hazelnuts.
• 3:00 Hard core abs.  I really miss my trainer.  He has found lots of core exercises for me that don't stress my lower back or make my neck cramp (crunches); or hurt my shoulders (side planks).  Unfortunately that was pretty much the whole class today!
• 4:45 Current temperature 102!
• 6:30  Dinner:  starter special similar to quiche but a little creamier with bacon, onion and cheese; chicken special with an absolutely divine sauce with capers, chicken grilled to perfection, fingerling potatoes, green beans (one of my favorites); dessert of orange, rhubarb, strawberry clafoutis.
• 8:00 "Sweet Dreams" facial.

General - Lake Austin Spa Resort

Flowers, flowers, everywhere flowers.  To the right is a lovely planting next to the spa pool.  Lake Austin has a day spa in addition to the resort.  So the spa pool is open to those "day trippers".  The pool in my other post is reserved for the overnight resort guests.

To the left is a picture the public bathroom.  Fresh red carnations adorn the marble countertop.  And notice the towels in the corner.  There are no paper towels in any area.  Only real towels.

Every table in the dining room has fresh flowers. Every guest room has a bouquet of fresh flowers. 

The guest rooms are extremely comfortable.  The only thing that could have improved the layout is a one king bed or one double.  There would then have been room for a couch and chairs.  The main bedroom is approximately 14x13 - larger than my room at home.  This measurement does not include the walk-in closet, dressing room, entry way or bathroom.

From the bed looking back on the entry way on your left.  On the right you can see into the dressing room with a double sink large vanity stretching the length of the 7x7 room.  The bathroom containing toilet and large bathtub is also 7x7.  Very spacious and comfortable.

It is brilliant to have the sinks in a separate room from the bath and toilet.  When I return with girl friends it will be very easy to share the room.

Day Three - Lake Austin Spa Resort

I gave up on my idea to hit the "Serious Strength" class at 8am.  1) I was hungry and needed a big breakfast, 2) My pecs are really stiff from the 30 pushups done yesterday in the Bosu class and back is sore from the Kettle Bell class. So today will be lazy.

• 7:30  Breakfast of blueberry and ricotta pancakes, ham, fruit and yogurt
• 10:00  Five Tibetan Rites- Yoga Tibetan style
• 10:30  Weight machines on my own
• 11:00  Key lime sorbet
• 12:30  Lunch at the Aster Cafe which is attached to the spa.  Guacamole with baked chips, followed by white pizza flatbread that had spinach, broccolini, ricotta and mozarella cheeses.  Ordinary old chocolate frozen yogurt.  I'm STUFFED!
• 3:00  Water aerobics with Sandy again - can't say enough good things about her classes.
• 4:00  Hang out at the spa
• 5:00  80 minute massage called Muscle Tension Melt. First the body is rubbed with a heated packet of herbs wrapped in muslin.  Then arnica oil is used for the massage.  My therapist was great.  A tiny thing, but surprising strength that could really dig in to my stiff muscles.  The herb packets are mine to take home and use for the next two weeks (instructions included).
• 6:45  Dinner - Fava bean puree on garlic toast, spring salad loaded with nice vegetables, nightly special sirloin steak with summer squash, chocolate walnut cake and lemon bar for dessert.

Day Two - Lake Austin Spa Resort

Pool with Lake Austin in background

• 7:30  Breakfast
• 9:00  BOSU Cardio Blast - being the only attendee I had a private personal training session from Annie
• 10:00  Kettle Bell boot camp - being in my 60's I had to quit half way through.  Too hard on the back
• 11:30  Lunch - Salad with all the fixings and a yummy blue cheese dressing followed by a flatbread pizza that was enough for 2 people.  I managed, though, to eat most of it.  Finished off with a coconut frozen yogurt.
• 2:00  Cooking Demo on the "Flavors of Argentina" where we eat the results.  Flank steak with chimichurri sauce and sweet potatoes with honey and fresh thyme.
• 2:50  Frozen yogurt - combination peanut butter and red velvet cake (at a health spa???)
• 3:00  Water Aerobics with Sandy
• 4:30  Appetizer - edamame salad.  Not very inspiring.  Ate the edamame but left the whole wheat pasta
• 6:00  Dinner - I know it's hard to believe I can still eat after all the food today.  Maybe tomorrow I'll be better.  Fava bean puree on garlic toast; tomato and watermelon salad; grilled chicken with chimichurri sauce, manchego flan (really yummy), and garden vegetable Napolean; blueberry cobbler.  "Garden vegetable" here means literally from their garden.  The Napolean had heirloom tomatoes, summer squash, egg plant and red bell pepper.
• 7:30  Mindful Eating - educational program - I skipped this since I am very far away from mindful eating.

Day One - Lake Austin Spa Resort

pool area with flowers everywhere

  WOW!  My first impression is Wow!  The staff is incredibly friendly, large amounts of food and drinks are included, the grounds are absolutely gorgeous.  Situated right on the edge of the lake, beautiful flowers everywhere, a large garden where they grow vegetables and herbs for use in the kitchen.  Sunday is a day of transition - most of the people either checking in or checking out.  So I got a one-hour private water aerobics class with Sandy.  She is extremely knowledgeable and it's obvious she loves her job.  I'm looking forward to my daily water aerobic class with her.
   I've looked at the menu for dinner and it is going to be very hard to choose.  A member of the staff offered to give me more information after noticing that I was new and looking around.  Included in the rather pricey daily rate (see Getaway Deals on Destination Spas page):  all day beverages like lemonade, coffee, various teas;  frozen yogurt - 4 different flavors; breakfast; lunch; five course dinner (or however many courses you want!).  You can even get room service at no extra charge.  Not included is beer and wine.  The wine list is very impressive and not overly expensive.  A few wines are available for $8.00/glass.  Veuve Cliquot (one of my favorites) is available for $85/bottle which is less than twice the retail price.  Every day at 3:00 they serve appetizers.  Today it was artichoke dip on garlic toast - yummy.

• 1:00 Arrived 
• 2:00 Water aerobics which ran over an hour because Sandy was willing to spend extra time with me.  
• 3:15 appetizers in the living room overlooking the lake.  
• 4:00 Foam roller remedy. 
• 4:30 Gentle stretch
• 6:00 Dinner
• 7:30 Watercolor class (also included in daily rate)

Preparations for Miraval, Tucson, AZ

   Just got a great deal through Vacationist saving $200/night at Miraval.  Of course, just like Austin Texas, the special deal is available only when the average temperature is 100.  At least in Tucson there won't be much humidity.
   Check back at the end of August to see how it goes.  I hear wonderful things about the place, but it has been above my budget.  (It seems that my idea of affordable is creeping higher every month)
 

Day One continued - Lake Austin Spa Resort

View from dining room

Dinner:

• Spring vegetable & chick pea soup - a bit bland
• Quinoa tabbouleh salad - beets, almonds, great dressing
• Filet mignon with oven roasted mushrooms, green & white asparagus on a shallot capers jus
• Chocolate chip bread pudding

Breakfast:

• Hash browns
• Ham
• Poached Egg
• Gluten free toast

Snacks:
In less than 24 hours I have tried three flavors of frozen yogurt:  mango, strawberry and sweet coconut.  I may have to move to the fresh fruit soon or my gym clothes won't fit.