• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Avenida Houston
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    All About Events

    A destination wedding spot close to home: Getting lost in the magic of HyattLost Pines

    Deborah Elias
    May 13, 2012 | 6:00 pm
    • Hyatt Regency Lost Pines resort in Bastrop is a popular spot for destinationweddings.
    • There are ideal spots for receptions that can be rustic or more romanticdepending on your choice of décor.
    • Wolfdancer Golf Course is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Programcourse as of January 2012.
    • The resort offers bucolic views.
    • Horseback riding is an option, too.

    Many people think a destination wedding requires getting a passport and taking a plane to a remote island in the Caribbean. But sometimes plans don't allow for that. I had a client who wanted the look and feel of a destination wedding but centrally located in Texas. So when I received and invitation to attend a FAM (familiarization) trip at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa located in Bastrop, I had to check it out.

    Stacy Seaborn, the resort's catering manager, welcomed a group of over 20 event planners from Houston, Austin, Dallas and San Antonio for a day and half of leisure time and information gathering.

    Upon arriving at the resort, we were greeted by key hotel staff and served glasses of champagne, an indication of the pampering yet to come. The afternoon activities included samplings of spa services and golf lessons.

    The well-manicured Wolfdancer Golf Course, located on the property, is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program course as of January 2012. The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses awards certification to recognize golf courses that protect the environment, conserve natural resources, and provide wildlife habitats. The course's famous 12th hole has breathtaking views of the entire property.

     Spa Django, named after Texas music legend Django Reinhart, features natural herb treatments (lavender, peppermint and rosemary) with ingredients that are grown on property.

    The welcome dinner was held at LBJ Pavilion, an ideal spot for receptions, considering the space can be made to feel rustic or more romantic depending on your choice of décor. Dinner was preceded by a fun "Make Your Own BBQ Sauce" contest (which I am happy to say my group of four won). The food consisted of steaks, barbecued salmon, chicken and a host of fixings, including a baked potato bar. The catering team went all out sporting their rich-colored linens and rustic centerpieces from Brenda Abbott Floral Designs.

    After an invigorating walk down by the river, the next morning I rented a ElliptiGO — a cross between a bicycle and an elliptical machine — and went for a ride around the property. While it takes some time to get the hang of, it’s fun. The resort is test piloting them for future rentals — currently they are provided at no charge.

    From an event planning perspective, the resort is a perfect locale for a destination wedding. There are several amazing locations for a wedding ceremony, including the amphitheater (interestingly carved steep into the side of a hill adjacent to the Guadalupe river), as well as a small waterfall area near a pond adjacent to the private house, which serves as the resort's master or presidential suite.

    Gorgeous trees decorated with chandeliers or handing lanterns? Yes, please!

    The Pecan Terrace is a great space for a bridesmaids’ luncheon as it creates an intimate environment overlooking the great lawn of the resort. Either the Butterfly or Hummingbird Gardens would really wow guests for a cocktail reception or intimate seated lunch, as both are set among a mass of wildflowers that attract their namesake creatures.

    For corporate business, Lost Pines Resort has over 60,000 square feet of indoor space and 230,000 square feet of outdoor space. Lost Pines Ballroom is the largest indoor space and would be perfect for exhibits and trade shows. Participants in conferences will want to bring their families and partake in the many — and I mean many — resort activities. Of particular note are horseback riding at Renegade Trailhead, the Crooked River Water Park and rafting or kayaking at McKinney Roughs Nature Park. All activities can be booked through the Resort Reservations desk.

    The resort hosts nine dining options, including Firewheel Cafe, Stories Fine Dining Establishment and Sheller's Barrelhouse Bar. Probably one of the coolest aspects is the rustic fire pits in several well-placed locations where guests gather around to eat s’mores. Rest assured the food will be a crowd-pleaser, with ample farm-to-table selections. Executive Chef Sutti Sripolpa has dedicated his team to buying local and sustainable goods for all the resort restaurants and catering.

    I'm currently sitting in a wooden rocking chair located off their back lobby porch. And I have to admit, it’s hard to fight dozing off, considering the relaxing breeze and Texas music tunes softly playing. This is the life!

     CultureMap contributor Deborah Elias is the founder and president of Elias Events.

    unspecifiedseries568664033
    series/summer-fun-2012
    news/travel

    Higgledy-Piggledy

    Summer mystery: Why is the water hose always in a twisted pile?

    Katie Oxford
    Jun 3, 2012 | 8:30 am
    Summer mystery: Why is the water hose always in a twisted pile?
    Photo by Katie Oxford

     

     

    One of summer's most mysterious questions: Why is the water hose always in a twisted pile, no matter what you do?

     
     
     
     
     
     

    News_Katie_a water hose rogue_May 2012_3 _yellow water hose waggery.jpg
      
    Photo by Katie Oxford
    I have a thing about finding the water hose clumped in a pile. It’s usually so twisted that even when you turn the faucet on at full capacity, no water comes out. Only a whistling sound, like a siren, smothered by distance.
    unspecified
    series/summer-fun-2012
    news/travel
    Loading...