Our itinerary
Saturday morning we got up, packed out bags, and headed towards our mystery destination. Alec decided to surprise me with a mini staycation just for the two of us to relax, unwind, and get some vitamin d.
As we pulled up to the hotel, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. Back in summer of 2019 Alec and I did a mini staycation at the Gaylord Texan and absolutely fell in love. We had talked about how much fun we had last time and were trying to find a time to go back but just couldn’t seem to find the time. Luckily Alec is super thoughtful and intentional and decided to plan a surprise trip for us to stay at the Gaylord on Saturday night. (Subtle plug to never settle and subtle plug to always make time for special date nights with your S/O).
Once we pulled up and self parked, we checked in and fortunately our room was ready. So we were able to drop our bags off and lather up with sunscreen, before heading to the trolley station which takes you to Paradise Springs.
It’s a super short ride from the resort to the front of the property where the mini water park is located. Upon arrival you just let them check your bag, grab a wrist band, and you’re all set! We quickly scoured for some lounge chairs in the shade then hopped in the lazy river as fast as we could. It was a little chilly but once you got in and use to it, the water felt very refreshing. Around noon we decided to hop out and order some lunch. There are two options for getting food, you can either wait for your designated server or go to the bar and grill located in the middle of the water park. Once our server came over, we ordered the chips and dips along with the barbacoa tacos. Everything was so tasty from the flavor-filled tacos with pickled red onions (our new obsession) to the chili powered crunchy chips. After we finished eating we put on another layer of sunscreen and headed for the water slide & zip line. Both lines were super short which was nice because that pavement was hot, hot hot! While waiting together, Alec and I got to thinking how long it had been since we both went on a water slide and loved reminiscing together on our favorite childhood memories of water parks and such! Towards the end of our time at Paradise Springs we couldn't help but get some dye-free snow cones to round out our first summer date of the season.
After we spent about 5 hours at the water park, we decided to hop back on the trolley and head to our room to freshen up for dinner. Luckily Alec had already made dinner reservations for us so we didn’t have to worry about getting there early to put our name down or anything. Around 6pm we walked over to Zeppole to enjoy some nice Italian food! The ambiance of the restaurant was a mix of modern and airy which made for the perfect atmosphere for our romantic night. They start you off with some bread and olive oil/vinegar (a fan fave in our family) before we ordered our main courses. Alec got the margarita pizza and I had the Cacio E Pepe. Both were incredible, some of the best pizza and pasta we have had in a long time!!
Once we wrapped up at dinner, we decided to walk around the property to help our food digest and take in the rest of the resort. Afterwards we went back to our room to rest and change before going to see Brady Seals at the Glass Cactus. This was another situation where you could take a party bus trolley over to the pier where the nightclub sits. So around 10pm that’s exactly what we did. We had such a fun night dancing, singing along, and explore the venue before calling it a day and heading back to our hotel room.
All in all it was a super romantic, relaxing weekend with my better half just being our goofy, fun loving selves. It was exactly what we needed and I'm just beyond thankful for such a loving and intentional husband who reminds me everyday just how lucky I truly am.
Where to stay
For our little staycation, we stayed at the Gaylord Texan. If you live in Texas and haven’t stayed here before it should be at the top of your list! The Gaylord is a super unique southern style resort with lots of Texas decor and architecture which makes it feel special and homey all at the same time.
We stayed in an Atrium room with a king bed. The atrium rooms face inwards to the center of the building which provide a beautiful view of the architectural design and details that make up the Gaylord. Our room was located near the riverwalk so we got to overlook the small indoor river to the left and the large entrance to the right.
All of these restaurants are located on the Gaylord Texas property. If you plan to eat at any of them (which we highly recommend) just be sure to make a reservation ahead of time as they do book quickly!
Glass Cactus
Mission Plaza Market Place
Old Hickory Steakhouse
Paradise Springs Pool Bar & Grill
Riverwalk Cantina
Silver Bar
Texas Station Sports Bar & Grill
Zeppole
This really depends on the time of year but typically the Gaylord has a ton of activities and events going on. Before booking your stay, we highly recommend checking out their calendar to see what’s going on so you can plan accordingly. Below are some of the top things we love to do here depending on when we go!
Glass Cactus (Nightclub)
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the Stegalls
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