• Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Wonder Quests
  • Travel Hacking: How I Travel For Free & Cheap
    • Travel Rewards Credit Cards
    • Point Rewards Credit Cards
    • Hotel Rewards Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • 0% APR Credit Cards
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Snapchat
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

The Wonder Luster

For Those Of Us Whose Dreams Won't Die Between 17 and 65.

Life is wondrous! Feed your lust for life with the tools & inspiration to help make it a great one.

It Feels Like Home At The Lone Star Court in Austin, TX

Travel | September 23, 2016

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Disclosure Policy.

Do you have a favorite hotel? One that you'd seriously go to again and again? The Lone Star Court in Austin, TX made me feel that way.

Do you have a favorite hotel? One that you’d seriously go to again and again, even if you lived a block away?  Everything about our stay at the Lone Star Court just around Austin, Texas- made me feel that way.  This is a charming boutique hotel that ties in old school nostalgia with southern comfort and modern sophistication.

The Lone Star Court of Austin, TX

The hotel itself is colorful and inviting- there are countless places to sit and stay awhile in orange rocking chairs, or grab a drink and sit in a beautiful mint chair by the pool, or lounge in the bright yellow canvas chairs by the fire pit.  There are plenty of places to curl up with a good book and lounge awhile- and you’ll never be too hot or too cold anywhere you go- with a fun pool and fire pits nearby in the common area.

The Lone Star Court- My favorite hotel of all time

Everywhere you look, there’s color. I’m not sure who designed this hotel, but the aesthetic was exactly what I’d want at home if I lived in Austin.  It’s inviting, comfortable and a bit nostalgic while still being modernly functional.

There was just something about the place that made me want to stay awhile and put down roots.  On my list of dream home musts- I’ve now added a fire pit and a few good rocking chairs.

The best boutique hotel in Austin Texas- the Lone Star CourtThe Lone Star Court Boutique Hotel of Austin TX

While the hotel itself is a bit of a trek- about a 20 minute drive from downtown Austin, it was worth the journey.  The Lone Star Court is right next to a really nice shopping center with some great restaurants and a quick jaunt over to the Puzzle Room Austin– which is a really fun way to spend a few hours.  You’ll find that this hotel is a great retreat to relax, unwind and get your spark back.

If I have any writing retreats to do- I could imagine been happily holled up here to get some work done.  Everything you could possibly need is available in the room..snacks, an adorable throwback mint fridge full of beverages.  Even the complimentary coffee in the room was awesome- it was a local blend featuring, you guessed it- bats on the packaging. (If you didn’t know that Austin is home to an awesome bat colony, I hope you’ll go check it out!)

Lone Star Court ReviewBedrooms of the Lone Star Court

Of course, they even featured leather branded coasters and adorable throwback (in that pretty blue color) mason jars.

Bathrooms at the Lone Star Court Austin Texas

We had a blast at the Lone Star Court.  Honestly, I want them to come and decorate when I get my first home!  Honestly, after two weeks of travel, it was nice to have two days to rest and catch up- with no touristy things to do, no place to rush and nothing on the agenda.  In terms of life and business, I wanted to get my spark back- I had been feeling a bit run down and lost, trying to figure out a plan I was happy with after being laid off in late spring.

Traveling always seems to help me get back on track, but first, it has to tire me out.  I was pretty tired when we arrived at Lone Star, and left really excited to head to New Orleans and wrap up nearly 3 weeks of constant travel.  Honestly, it was an impactful two days, and since my dad is kind of obsessed with Austin at the moment (so am I), I bought him a Lone Star Court shirt to mail out…that man is so hard to shop for!

Living It Up at the Lone Star Court in Austin

With a little bit of rest, and a bottle of wine, I felt ready to tackle the last bit of travel- but also gain some clarity about where to go next with my life and business.  It was a great way to wrap up my time in Austin, and I was already missing it before we got to the airport to head to our next destination.

Lone Star Court

Lone Star Court is now one of my favorite hotels- if you’re in Austin, you have to come stay for a few nights and sit by the fire pits for me!  Starting at $163 a night, you’ll love it as much as I did for being on budget but really a great place to sit and stay while.

 

Thank you to Lone Star Court for having us as media guests and allowing us to do this review!  We loved your hotel, thanks for having us!

 

Life is wondrous! Feed your lust for life with the tools & inspiration to help make it a great one.

« My Stay at the ARIA Hotel & Casino Las Vegas
Why I Switched Niches After 5 Years of Blogging »

Welcome!

Because you were born for more than putting your dreams on hold between 17 & 65. Reclaim your sense of adventure, become financially free & live your dream life before you retire. Learn more >>

We're on this adventure together to reclaim your life despite a 9-5! Get inspirational guidance on your own amazing journey with my weekly email.

Being stuck in a loud and unfamiliar airport due to cancellation or delay blows. Here are some tips how you can utilize airport layovers to get through it!

How To Best Utilize Airport Layovers

Being stuck in a loud and unfamiliar airport due to cancellation or delay blows. Here are some tips how you can utilize airport layovers to get through it!

See how I did with my first Wonder Quest: Whole30. (Spoiler alert: it was super difficult and I also got a scary diagnosis.)

Whole30: My Surprising Results From Not Eating Junk For 30 Days

See how I did with my first Wonder Quest: Whole30. (Spoiler alert: it was super difficult and I also got a scary diagnosis.)

Women traveling solo: don't let the naysaysers and your own self-limiting beliefs stop you. This trip will teach you so much, including these 4 things.

Women Traveling Solo: Why I Recommend It

Women traveling solo: don’t let the naysaysers and your own self-limiting beliefs stop you. This trip will teach you so much, including these 4 things.

Follow the adventure on Instagram

Some people just make the world a more vibrant pla Some people just make the world a more vibrant place, simply by being in it.  I can say that about these people- who make life more colorful, brighter and true just by being themselves. 

Grateful we could slow down to capture a little snippet in time for our family before we grow again. ❤️
IYKYK, bath time edition. 🛁. #bathtime #travelb IYKYK, bath time edition. 🛁. #bathtime #travelblogger #travel #familytravel #travellust
3 years since this photo was taken and my former k 3 years since this photo was taken and my former kidney became this guy's kidney. ❤️

I can say, I've grown to appreciate this moment a lot more as time has gone on.  It hasn't been an easy road for my recipient, he and his family have had a few health scares and ups and down, but I'm so grateful we are in each other's lives.

Chances are, you may know of someone in need of a kidney. 1 in 3 adults in the U.S., over 80 million people, are at risk for kidney disease.  While not every diagnosis leads to kidney failure, there are millions of people in this scary limbo hoping for good news.

I didn't know my recipient before this process started, but when I found I could live healthfully with one, I knew I had to try.  Donation is low-risk, my costs were generously covered by my recipient (both through insurance and the kindness of others) and I was back at work in 4 weeks.  Needless to say, it was easier than birthing a baby.

Candidates for kidney donation are thoroughly vetted to ensure the surgery, and life with one kidney are a good fit.  Trust me, your team will not ask you to donate if you have any risk factor of being in need of a transplant yourself down the road.  Testing took months and was incredibly thorough.  Your remaining kidney can do the job of two, and my kidney levels are normal and healthy 3 years later.

Even if you don't personally know someone who needs a kidney, please consider living kidney donation.  You can anonymously donate, be paired through a registry or find someone on social media who is in need, like I did.  There are literally thousands of people using Instagram and Facebook to try and someone who is even willing to get the basic tests.  You could be their person.  Have questions? I’m here for you! 

Being a living kidney donor absolutely enriched my life beyond imagination and has blessed my little family with a beautiful extended family to celebrate with.  Grateful for this day.
Life’s moments are made better with our pets. ❤️

Joey had been with us for nearly 4 years, made possible by the kind folks of South Texas Boston Terrier Rescue. I picked him up, intending on fostering him for a few weeks and ended up falling in love with his sweet spirit, exuberance for anything food related and his lovable derpiness.

Previously, he was kept in a small cage with two other terriers, all day every day and used as a stud. When he was no longer profitable, he, like plenty of others, was surrendered to rescue.  He was blind in one eye, needed teeth extracted and had skin lesions from life in a cage. 

Life hadn’t been easy for him, but I’m glad a rescue was there to give him a second chance, and they trusted me to give in his second chapter.  He was a well travelled dog and he was the Best Pup on our wedding day in Marfa.  Last night we said goodbye. Hubs and I will miss him dearly, but savor the moments and adventures with our little tank. 

Adopt, don’t shop.  Support your local rescues and give your fur kids an extra squeeze for Joey tonight.
“Is this enough for you?” My husband has asked “Is this enough for you?” My husband has asked me this before. To which, I answer- life is full, wonderful, and I am grateful. 

I believe he asks because before kids, I had a very different lifestyle. I traveled to Europe by myself, started businesses, donated a kidney, ran half marathons, got my master’s degree.  I lived a full life, then too. I was fiercely independent because I had to be.

I’m still that person, but fortunately I have more people to share it with. I also have to be more vulnerable than ever.

I had years to find myself and don’t plan on losing that woman I forged. Being a mom has also helped me heal some of the hard parts of the experience I had with my own mom. (I didn’t see that last part coming.)

Being a mom can make you lose yourself.  For me, it’s helped me discover myself once more. Grateful for this day and so many days - I’m just happy to be here. 

Happy Mother’s Day everyone. I hope you discover yourself, heal what you need and feel the love today and everyday.

Copyright © 2023 · The Wonder Luster · designed by Archer Creative

Copyright © 2023 · The Wonder Luster Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact