paying it forward at the four seasons hotel

Did you know you can get a nicely discounted rate at the Four Seasons in Austin by participating in a community service project? Paul’s trip covered the first two nights in a generic corporate rate hotel; we could have opted for a third night there at a very attractive price but I wanted to commemorate the boys’ visit to Austin with something special. We’d never stayed at a Four Seasons hotel before, but a quick look around their website netted a very cool “voluntourism” rate.

If you’re interested, you can check out the details here:

http://www.fourseasons.com/austin/package_detail_4494.html

The best part about a Four Seasons hotel is the impeccable service. We were SO spoiled in our 24 hours there! From complimentary use of just about everything to sunglass polishing and Evian misting poolside, we took full advantage of the nice surroundings and mostly hung out at the hotel. We completed our community service project first, of course; it entailed collecting trash outslde the hotel (along picturesque Lake Austin). Our visit timed perfectly with Earth Day and we were glad to participate in something to help the environment.

What was most surprising was the sheer number of cigarette butts we picked up. With the constant parade of joggers, you wouldn’t think anyone would stop for a smoke but hundreds of people apparently did (and DID NOT pick up after themselves, b*stards!). Secretly, I was thrilled by how disgusted Dane and Tate were about the cigarettes. I hope this prevents them from ever smoking!

After lunch at Ironworks, we relaxed poolside for several hours. We met the nicest family when their preteen girls asked our boys to play. The adults chatted while the kids played “out of water” and our boys tried to impress the girls with the height of their cannonball splashes. We discovered they were going to the same restaurant that night (Z’Tejas). It was fun to run into them later when we were dining with our friends, Pierre, Carmel, Ryan and Madison.

After a terrific dinner (I had gluten-free mushroom enchiladas that were amazing), we headed back to the hotel to wait for the Congress Avenue bridge bats to make their nightly appearance. Each evening around sunset (between March and August), 750,000+ Mexican free-tailed bats emerge like a black cloud from beneath the bridge. It’s an amazing spectacle but only if they come out before it gets too dark. That evening, we only saw a small portion against the lighter parts of the sky – bummer for the boys who heard us talk it up during the trip.

There was a nice consolation prize back at the hotel, though – complimentary s’mores fixings and a blazing chimenea.

It was a terrific visit and we came back loaded with bulk items from Central Market; you know me, I’ll take a food or beverage souvenir over any other kind!