Blue Ridge, Georgia with My Friends!

If it seems I've been a bit off this week, it's because I'm kind of on auto-pilot.  Last weekend I had a whirlwind trip to Blue Ridge, Georgia, with four friends from high school.  It was my first trip away from my son and it was harder than I ever imagined it would be.  But I had tons of fun even though I only got about 10 hours of sleep in three nights!  Crazy?!?  I'm too old for this!

Here are some Instas from my trip.

1. My first airplane trip sans a baby.  You better believe I took advantage of it!  A chai tea latte and People.

2. One of my favorite things about the south is Chic-fil-A.  It's amazing.  I also had a huge cup of sweet tea.  Delicious!

3. The view from our cabin--the gorgeous Blue Ridge mountains!

4. We got dressed up and went to dinner one night.  Purple jeans and leopard sandals make the perfect outfit!

5. Silliness with a large sculpture moose.  But there are no moose in Blue Ridge.  Go figure!

6. Getting ready to go zip lining.  This was my first time!  I'm not gonna lie, I was a little nervous. 

Also, I wasn't very good.  My nickname was "premature evacuation" because I always slammed on the brake way too soon and had to be hauled in.

7. On the way  to go zip lining.

8. A walk through the woods.  Beautiful!

9. Lunch...I promise that's not how I usually eat!

10.  And back to my boys...such a sweet feeling.

Austin: What To Do

I promise this is the last post about Austin!  There's just so much to share!  While we were in Austin, we went to the infamous Barton Springs Pool and it was so cool.  I have never seen a public pool like this.  I loved that they kept the natural elements while still creating a space for the public.  There is even a Barton Springs salamander that makes the pool its home and certain sections were roped off to protect  their habitat.

We also went to downtown Austin, specifically S. Congress and checked out all the shops.  We went to Allen's Boots, where I was a little tempted to get a pair of cowboy boots but ended up leaving empty handed.  Boo!  We also stopped at food truck row (that's what I call it anyway) where there was a truck for every food!  We had a little snack and then headed on.  Talinn especially liked the pink lemonade.

And then we went to the Lady Bird Wild Flower Center, which was gorgeous.  They had a decent size landscaped garden that we walked through and then they had tons of hiking trails that you could explore on your own.  It definitely was a must see!  We even saw two baby owls (not pictured)...their furry little heads were peeking above a little alcove.  So cute!

All in all it was a great trip and I would recommend it to anyone!

Austin: Where We Stayed and What We Ate

We had so much fun while we were in Austin.  We stayed at the Lost Parrot Cabins.  They were amazing--so fun, colorful and whimsical!  Each cabin had a mural on the front, ours had the dancers.

It was the perfect place to stay.  When Talinn took his naps, we hung out by the pool and when he went down for the night, we enjoyed drinks on the porch.  It was the perfect mix of family and couple time.  If we had stayed at a hotel, we would have been cooped up inside for most of the day, which wouldn't have worked at all when it was sunny and 80 degrees every day!

The property had a bar, two hot tubs, several picnic tables and breakfast areas.  It was so cool.  I can't say enough good stuff about this place.  The pool was awesome with a stone waterfall and they even had toys!  Talinn loved the basketball hoop just like his daddy.  And they had these cool rubber ducks everywhere!  Talinn clung to them like a safety blanket when he went into the pool for the first time.

In addition to our amazing place, we ate so well!  We started out at the Turf N' Surf Po' Boy food truck.  I had the best shrimp po' boy and my husband had a bacon, jalapeno wrapped shrimp po' boy.  So good!  And yes that is a trampoline top being used as an awning in the background!

And I saved the best for last--the best barbecue I have ever had in my entire life!  And that's a big statement from me because I grew up in the south.  The Salt Lick is unbelievable and I just hope I get the opportunity to eat there again.  The ribs are to die for.  They are so juicy and flavorful...just so stinkin' delicious.

{The happiest girl in the world.}

Oh such a good trip!  Stay tuned for what we did in Austin next week.