Lake Austin Spa Resort – Day 2

Good morning! Here’s the recap of my second day at the Lake Austin Spa Resort! See day 1 here.

First stop was breakfast, naturally! One of the tables in the dining room is called the Friendship Table where you can sit to make friends. I had breakfast with Karen, who would soon become a friend!

There is a breakfast buffet featuring oatmeal with toppings, tons of fresh fruit and juices, yogurt, cereal, a coffee bar and freshly baked mini muffins. I decided on a fruit bowl with yogurt – topped with some ground flax! Plus a mini Banana Walnut muffin.

Guests can also order from the menu which has everything from Texas favorites to omelets and pancakes. Pumpkin pancake immediately caught my attention, and I asked if I could just have one to try instead of a whole plate. The staff is very accommodating and said of course! It was so good – perfectly moist and pumpkin-y.

After breakfast I headed up to the Treehouse where a morning Rise and Shine Stretch was planned at 9am. I couldn’t wait to get in some yoga! The class was lovely – a simple vinyasa flow.

Afterwards I had some time to explore the property and went over to the gardens. The resort has a Director of Flora and Fauna who keeps the grounds looking lush and maintains a huge vegetable and herb garden.

Herbs are used both in the cuisine as well as in spa treatments. When possible the chefs exclusively use things like lettuce in the recipes and on the salad bar. I think this same kind was on the lunch salad bar later that day!

I walked through the garden library, which reminded me so much of my grandmother’s greenhouse and library –

I spent the rest of my free hour reading in a hammock – it was warm enough in the sunshine!

At 11 I went to a yoga-pilates challenge class and boy was it challenging!! The flow was super fast and quite different from what I’m used to. We were all sweating by the end.

Lunch came next! As promised, the lettuce! The salad bar had some great toppings like artichokes and olives. I loved the Meyer Lemon dressing too!

I loved the tea bar too, and liked to mix the Chamomile Citron tea with a splash of lemon and fresh herbs.

The lunch menu was a great mix of healthy versions of burgers to Southwestern favorites like quesadillas. The whole second half of the menu was a build-your-own bowl option that I was all about! Choose your protein, grains, cooked veggies and sauces and they will create a bowl for you.

I went with the fish of the day – turbot – with all of the veggies, freekeh and the coconut curry sauce, which was divine!!! This lunch was so veggie packed that I was full for hours.

I’m trying to get the recipe for this sauce!!

But I did save from for a taste of the strawberry sorbet ; )

At 1pm I went to a workshop on positivity, which was very refreshing. We did mind maps and set goals for our lives.

After that I went over to the spa to relax before my 3:30 treatment! It’s totally normal to wear your spa robe (with nothing underneath if you choose!) all over the resort. To meals, walking to your room and of course in the spa itself. I was a little shy at first but when I saw everyone else doing it I figured it sure was convenient not to have to keep changing clothes!

When I arrived at the pool, the sun had just come out, and it was juuuust warm enough for a bathing suit. Only in the sun and not in the pool though!

The spa felt like an estate and had two pools, one of them a Junior Olympic indoor pool! Sadly I never went for a swim in there.

I was able to choose one of the 100+ treatments for my stay and went with the Tour of Texas:

Take a trip deep into the heart of Texas-style rejuvenation. Your tour begins with an exfoliating scrub featuring prickly pear, a plant native to Texas and rich in skin-replenishing benefits. Next stop: an agave nectar wrap to moisturize, remineralize, nourish and soften your skin. While you’re swathed in soft linens, we’ll massage your face and scalp. Then you’ll strike oil—soothing warm essential oils are blended together with massage cream and anointed during a Texas-size, 50-minute, full-body massage. Welcome to a state of relaxation.

The treatment was great and unlike anything I’ve ever done before! My skin felt like velvet after the scrub and all of the oils! And my massage was super relaxing.

Sadly I don’t have any photos of inside of the spa out of respect for the other guests, but the locker rooms, lobby and waiting areas were all beautiful.

I went to the steam room afterwards and took a nice shower at the spa before going back to my room to change for dinner. Many people DO have dinner in their robes though – the dress code is super relaxed! I loved wearing yoga pants the whole time and barely wearing makeup or jewelry. I sure saved me a lot of time I normally would have spent doing my hair and makeup!

On my way to dinner I stumbled upon my breakfast friend Karen and her two friends Benna Lee and Elizabeth. They were having wine on their porch and invited me to sit down with them! We chatted for an hour before continuing our conversation over dinner. They were so welcoming to me and made my stay extra special!

Dinner was another 5-course show beginning with this yummy little lobster cake with tomato, cucumber, papaya, pickled ginger aioli!

Grilled Avocado with quinoa, pico, poblano salsa, almond lemon cream. The lemon cream was phenomenal!

 

Heirloom Tomato and Raspberry Salad with garden thyme croutons, toasted almonds, fresh basil, tomato water

Scallops with fresh peas, sweet corn, celery, house smoked pork belly, pea tendrils, corn-miso sauce

Apple Pie in a glass!!

And with that I will say goodnight until tomorrow!

Lake Austin Spa Resort invited me to blog about the property in exchange for my stay. I paid for my travel myself.