Let’s jump back to May 2019. This was my first trip away from the little nugget (almost 8 months old at the time). Our friends were getting married and they chose a gorgeous property in Dripping Springs, TX. I wasn’t aware that I had ever heard of this place until I did a Google search and saw Hamilton Pool – this is on pretty much every travel list as a spot to see in the United States!

Now, to be clear, I had left little nugget many times before for things like work and days out with friends. But never overnight (let alone 3!) in another state. I had a little anxiety but just kept breathing – obviously she’d be perfectly fine with my mom. So I hopped on a plane and headed for Texas! My husband and two of our large male friends were with us to restrain me if I panicked… 🙂

I told the Southwest flight attendant that it was my first time away and he brought me a mini bottle of champagne! I really do love Southwest! I popped it open as we were flying over the Florida border and crossing into another state and had a nice relaxing flight. We landed, grabbed the rental car, and headed to Starbucks so that we could get sandwiches and I could pump. Turns out, I forgot to pack my pumping bra #momlife. Don’t worry, I end up losing it altogether on my next trip *face palm*.

Now to the fun stuff! Before heading to the house where we were staying, we stopped at Hamilton Pool. Reservations are required, so be sure to plan ahead. It was a really overcast day and they had TONS of rain that week, so the pictures aren’t great. But it was incredible! On a sunny day, the water will be a gorgeous blue/green and the water will drip lightly from the cliffs. Due to all of the rain, we had large waterfalls! We were able to walk all the way around under the hanging cliff – this isn’t always the case and the trail can be closed for safety reasons on any given day. It’s a very easy 1/4 mile walk to get to the pool from the parking lot.

After Hamilton Pool, we ventured off to meet up with our friends at the house. It was a gorgeous farm house with tons of space! About 20 of us stayed there. Throughout the weekend, we were able to explore and visited several vineyards, distilleries, and breweries. If you like to eat and drink, it’s a perfect weekend getaway! A few favorites were Twisted X Brewing Company, Deep Eddy Vodka, and Duchman Family Winery. And if you like crepes, Crepe Crazy! SO GOOD! The entire staff is deaf, so be sure to pay attention to instructions on how to order.

On Sunday (Mother’s Day), we were on our way back to the airport after a wonderful three days! I had been freezing my milk all weekend and hoped that I could get it back without thawing. I loaded it into a PackIt freezable lunch box and loaded it up with ice. When going through TSA, I explained to the agent that I was trying to get it home and she was so understanding! She searched incredibly quickly and zipped the cooler back up right away. Then at a restaurant, a nice server gave me a gallon ziploc bag of ice! And my bags of milk made it! It felt so great to not have to dump that precious supply.

I definitely recommend Dripping Springs for a long weekend and will eventually find myself back there.