“Travel is still the most intense mode of learning.” – Kevin Kelly

As you guys know, I love traveling and every year for the past 7 years, I use my birthday as an opportunity to gather my friends for an adventure of a lifetime. My initial plan for my birthday was to travel to Mexico but plans fell through so I decided I’d do Hamilton Pool Preserve located in Dipping Springs, which is about 40 mins away from downtown Austin.

The trip was scheduled for just the weekend but we made the most of it. We started planning the trip about 3 weeks in advance. I drafted an itinerary for the 3-day weekend and it was packed with loads of activities and adventures. This girls trip consisted of myself, Tiffany, Jasmine, Sandii and Sommie.

The first night we were in Austin, we were hosted by my friend Sommie. When we arrived at her apartment, she had the table set and made us a romantic dinner which consisted of pasta made two ways with fish and chicken. She had a bottle of wine and we had such a lovely time. Though I’d planned to go skinny dipping that night, we were quite tired and settled for a night day. Besides, we had a LONG day ahead of us.

On Saturday, we woke up around 7am and got ready to head out to Dripping Springs where Hamilton Pool was located. In order to visit the pool, you have to make an online reservation. The reservation covers one car with no more than 8 people in the vehicle. It costs $12 to make the online reservation. On the day of, each person will pay an additional $8 in cash for an entry ticket. I must note that it’s important to make this reservation in advance as the spots fill up quickly. There are two available time slots stuck are 9am-12:30pm and 2pm-5:30pm each day. We were scheduled for the 9am slot. The drive down to Hamilton pool was quite scenic. I’m a huge outdoor person so I was in my element. I also forced my friends to listen to Twenty One Pilot’s album Vessel. I’m particular, they were tortured with a replay of the song, Guns For Hands.

Upon arrival at the preserve, we were all in good spirits. The weather was great and the park attendants were nice to us upon entry. They don’t have a concession stand there so it’s important you bring water and snacks as preferred. They have portable potty and a hand sanitizer station. We started the hike which was quite fun and it was just ¼ mile (0.4 km) to arrive at Hamilton pool. We took photos, listened to music and danced, gisted and had soo much fun.

 

 

When we arrived at the pool itself, we were overwhelmed with the beauty of the cave. It was soo gorgeous and the water was beautiful.

We spent hours hanging out, taking photos, getting in the water and just living our best lives! It was such a great day. I was in awe of the details of the cave. The pool was beautiful. It was everything and more.

 

After leaving the park, we headed to Austin in search of food. We went to Blue Dahlia and though they had delicious Belgian Waffle, they didn’t have great savory options. We walked across the street to Tony’s Jamaican Food truck and ordered some patties and coco bread. I got the beef patty with a side of curry sauce. It was a hit. We brought the food to Blue Dahlia and ate it with our waffle.

After eating, we went back to Sommie’s place to freshen up and get ready for the afternoon. We walked all over downtown and wanted to go bike riding but the bikes were tripping lol. We just ended up walking and doing random things. After that, we went to Zilker park to go kayaking but they had closed. We just decided to swim in Barton Springs instead.

As the sun was setting, we headed to our hotel to check in. We stayed at Arrive which is located on 6th Street. I absolutely loved this hotel! After we checked in, they gave us unlimited free drinks which consisted of wine, tequila, cocktail and more. The room was beautiful and so Austin in character.

We got ready for dinner and headed to Trulucks. This restaurant was divine. The service was on point and the food was amazing! I ordered the South African Lobster with a side of asparagus, crab fried rice and meatballs. The menu was quite pricey but definitely worth it!

 

After dinner, we went back to the hotel to take a nap and get ready for the night. We went to 6th street and danced the night away. It was truly a fun night!

On Sunday, we slept in and checked out around 11am. We had brunch at Swift’s Attic. This place was difficult to find but we finally found it. It was such a great vibe and the food was good!

After brunch we headed back to Houston. It was such a great weekend trip and I was very happy.

Monday, March 9th was my actual birthday and I had dinner with a couple of friends at Jin’s BBQ. I wasn’t too fond of the restaurant but, we made the most of it. My birthday cake was made by Bubbles Confectionery.

I hope you enjoyed reading my 26th birthday adventures! I had such a  great time with my friends and I’m truly grateful for the memories we shared! Considering the current state of the world, I’m truly happy I took the opportunity I had to travel and have fun with my friends. I had no idea that the week after this, there would be a world wide pandemic that will cause the world to pause.  Though we’re currently in a tough season, I believe we’ll get through it. Thanks for reading beauties! Until next time, you can keep up with me on Instagram @itsdeborahqueen.

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