A Mother Daughter Getaway in Austin Texas

Girls Getaways isn’t just for traveling bachelorette parties anymore. Nor does the phrase only cater to milestone birthdays with gal pals in far away cities. There’s another kind of girls getaway, probably the most important girl in anyone’s life. It was something very new and incredibly special to me – a weekend trip with my mom.

Who would have thought? We’ve finally reached the age where traveling together makes sense and surely isn’t out of necessity. I’m 30, and I promised not to tell her age (hint, it’s right smack-dab in the middle of 50 and 60), and we probably have more in common now than we ever have. As life gets busier and busier, we realize how important it is to take the time to spend with your loved ones.

Ever since moving to Houston almost six years ago, my mother just can’t bring herself to visit me in the city, which she sneeringly refers to as the concrete jungle. In honor of Mother’s Day where we take time to tell these women how much we love them and how incredibly thankful we are for them, I thought of taking her to Austin. She loves music; she loves trying new places and a gal after my own heart she LOVES to be pampered.

It was settled: a long weekend at Lakeway Resort and Spa in Austin. Resting on the shores of scenic Lake Travis, the property has 168 spacious and elegant guest rooms all with breathtaking views of the lake. Right off the bat (or off the plane I should say), it was obvious the music capital of the world (Austin) had met my mother’s approval. After her long day of flying from the East Coast, the 40-minute drive to Lakeway was filled with bright green plush trees. Having been to Austin a hundred times myself, even I was impressed with the drive.

The hotel itself was immaculate. After being greeted by a member of the friendly valet staff (self parking in a covered garage is also available), an easy-as-pie check in with another courteous staff member, we headed to our fourth floor room with a private balcony overlooking the Marina. As a special welcome treat, we ordered red velvet cupcakes from room service and a glass of champagne to kick off our mother-daughter weekend. My mother and I have many things in common; red velvet cupcakes just happens to be one of the many.

For dinner, we took advantage of Josey’s Grill and Bar, the on-site restaurant, which also had outdoor seating and overlooked the sunset views of Lake Travis. Had my dad been in town, it would have been the perfect family Christmas card (note, I’m still bitter I haven’t been included in the family card for years, but for some reason our dog is…).

Josey’s reminded us of the lodge in our old family vacation spot in Seven Springs, PA so of course that just led to tons of reminiscing. As for food, the Gulf Coast Jumbo Crab Cakes (Jalapeño tartar sauce, vinegar/mustard seed slaw, crispy baguette $13) are an absolute must and the Grilled Filet Mignon (8oz, Grilled gulf shrimp, fingerling potatoes, Asparagus, pinot noir glaze $30) was cooked a juicy warm pink just like I like it. It may not be Houston, but it’s still Texas and you can’t ever go wrong with a nice cut of steak. The culinary team makes every effort to use local and sustainable products in all of their meals and it’s a difference you can surely taste!

The weather during our weekend visit was hot and sunny (did I mention it’s still Texas mom?), which meant we got to soak up the sun and relish one of the three outdoor pools. Our favorite of course was the one with the swim-up bar complete with frozen daiquiris and music playing overhead, although the kid’s water slide did catch our attention a time or two. The other plus about the pool: each lounge chair had a flag on the back so you could literally flag down a staff member to order another drink or bite without having to search for them frantically. Finding attentive wait staff at a busy pool should never go unnoticed.

During our visit, we did of course enjoy a few sensational treatments at San Saba Spa, the in-house spa that included 9 relaxing treatment rooms and a much-needed dry sauna. Collectively, we’ve probably visited over 100 spas in our day so you could almost call us professionals, so take our word when we say everything was pretty much perfect. From the check-in, to the women’s locker room and amenities, to the private outdoor spa terrace that (again) overlooked Lake Travis, to the quality of the treatments: there wasn’t a single place we’d rather have been.

If you’re thinking of taking your mother out for a treat this Mother’s Day (or any woman who deserves to be shown just how much you appreciate her, on any given day), check out their current May specials:

Mom and Me: Two Traditional Pedicures while enjoying lunch for two from the spa menu – $165

Mother-To-Be: 50-minute Mother-To-Be massage and a traditional pedicure – $184

San Saba Spa is great about running monthly deals (including a number of eco-friendly specials thanks to Earth Day last month), so be sure to call them and see what’s going on: 512.261.7350

Although there was absolutely no reason to leave Lakeway, we did head into Austin one night (about a 25 minute drive) so I could show my mom what all the buzz was about. We walked around Sixth Street, got called sisters multiple times which made us both blush, took pictures and then headed back to our gorgeous accommodations back at the hotel.

At the end of the trip my mother and I came to the same conclusion: if life were a game of monopoly, we’d both be fighting for some prime real estate right at Lakeway Resort and Spa. If you do make it to Lakeway for Mother’s Day, be sure to check out their savory brunch menu.

LAKEWAY RESORT and SPA | 101 Lakeway Drive, Austin, TX 78734 | 512.261.6600 | lakewayresortandspa.com

Jayme Lamm is a freelance writer and marketing consultant based in Houston focusing on travel writing and is in a full-court press writing her hugely opinionated sport’s column, The Blonde Side.