Believe it or not, Austin has so much to do!  A must do is to visit breweries, distilleries and wineries! They are all around the same area, so you can just have a day trip and hop through them all!  All of the locations I mention below are dog friendly, just make sure to bring your best friend on a leash. 
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1.) Jester King Brewery- This one is my favorite! While I do not drink beer, their location is just spectacular. They are huge (so much land) and you can literally be there all day!  There are various picnic tables in the sun or the shade and people even host events there such as birthdays or bachelorettes! Jester King offers food, so don't worry about being hungry! They also serve wine for those like me, that aren't into beer. Their Rose is just delicious. 
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2.) Treaty Oak Distillery-  Treaty Oak is sweet! Firstly, their spirits are quite tasty.  But you can have a tour and then have a tasting, yum! They have a bar area that is covered but without walls, so therefore you won't find A/C in this area.  But, it is set up so nicely with very cool comfy sofas and even TVs! Perfect for Sunday Football. They also have a restaurant that serves great food. For those that want a family fun day, there is a play ground for the kiddos as well.
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3.) Solaro Estate Winery- This winery is very pretty and laid back.  If you are wanting something more intimate and/or romantic or even just a quite place for a nice conversation, I would recommend this place. Their environment is just phenomenal, calm and relaxing. Their wine selection is fantastic.  Make sure to book your tour ahead of time!
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4.) Deep Eddy Vodka Distillery-  Deep Eddy is must! Because let's be honest, their Vodkas are SO GOOD!  Going to the distillery and doing a tasting and drinking the cocktails is a lovely experience.  While this distillery isn't very big, it is still a great time. There are bean bag toss games to make it an even greater day.  They also have a food truck by the parking lot in case you get hungry.  
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​Those are my top selections.  However, there are plenty more that you can visit.  Remember to not drink and drive :-) Have a blast!

Since Labor Day is around the corner and Las Vegas is a very popular destination during this time, I figured I would share where you can get the best deals for some booze.  I mean who doesn’t like bottomless mimosas?  Here are my top 5 brunches:

1.) Terrance Pointe Café at Wynn- I will say I love this place.  The view is amazing, the food is great and you can get bottomless sparkling wine, Bellini AND mimosas for $22.00 bucks.  What a deal!  The only thing I will say is that some of the servers have a bit of an attitude and sometimes you feel rush.  That would be my only complaint.  But maybe it was just our waiter? I will say: we were outside, it was hot and I will give them the benefit of the doubt. But only this one time!

Everyone always talks about the extreme gain weight on a cruise.  I’ve heard people say the rule of thumb is usually 1 pound per day.  I have been trying to take care of myself this past month and I was a little nervous to gain weight as I had already lost 8 lbs.  Overall, I ended up gaining 1.5 lbs and only because the last 3 days I gave up and I wanted to eat some Jamaican food, some pasta and some dessert.  Hey 1.5 pounds it’s a lot better than 7 pounds!  Below are my recommendations:

1.)   Gym- The gym is absolutely beautiful!  The gym usually has clear windows that allow you to look at the ocean while you work out.  It is truly relaxing and breathtaking.  Get your day started by a work-out and follow it with the sauna and/or the steam room.  The cruise also offers classes such as yoga, aerobics and boot camp. 

2.)    Stairs- No one likes to take the stairs.  However, it is a great way to burn those extra calories!  Especially if you are only going 3 decks down.  Just remember that burning 3 calories is better than burning 0 calories.  They will add up!

3.)    Activities- The cruise ship offers various activities that are fairly active.  For example, you can do rock climbing, surfing, mini golf, volleyball, basketball and even nonstop dancing at the nightclub.  Participate in as many activities as possible.   

4.)    Food- Food is of course the hardest part of the trip.  You have to stay focused and committed. Everywhere you look there is food.  Even when you go to the dining room they offer you multiple meals.  We told the server we did not want dessert and he brought us 3 desserts!  They want you to eat as much as possible and it is so tempting.  For example, I would eat egg whites, yogurt and fruit for breakfast.  My lunch would be a salad without dressing, without cheese and with tilapia.  My snack was usually alcohol because who doesn’t want to drink on vacation?  My dinner was usually chicken, salmon, shrimp or lobster with a side of veggies and a carb.  My dessert was sherbet or sugar free ice cream.

5.)    Alcohol-  Alcohol is super high in calories especially if it is frozen or has juices.  Therefore, the best thing to do is drink the alcohol straight with lime/lemon, drink champagne or white wine.

Everyone wants to go on a vacation and eat and drink as they please.  However, if you do not watch yourself on a cruise ship you will find yourself gaining 1 to 2 lbs per day.   You can still enjoy some of the food as long as you stay active.