alabama bay

Most of the girls I talked to would head to Alabama's coastal waters in a heartbeat for a girlfriend getaway. My family and some friends just returned from Alabama's bay for Sarah's wedding - AND - we can't wait to go back.

Fairhope, Alabama and Point Clear are both on the bay, covered with flowers, and gorgeous. Fairhope has plenty of cool little shops, especially antique stores, and lots of restaurants for a small town. I could have eaten at the casual Andree's every single day for cold strawberry soup, even though they offer up lots of other tasty meals from a burger and sandwiches to salads and fruit plates. One side of Andree's is set up for dining and the other is a store with gourmet edibles, wine, and baked goods.

Fairhope is a walk-about town where everything is easily accessed. Stay in town or drive a few minutes over to Point Clear to stay at the Grand Marriott Resort or the exclusive Dorgan's Inn, both right on the bay. Dorgan's Inn is owned by the Krispy Kreme founders and is high class all the way. It's not really an Inn like you might imagine, but the property (which includes the owner's private home) has three houses available for rent. They all look right out of a Southern Living magazine.

I wish I was sitting out on the dock of Dorgan's Inn right about now, sipping something cool and watching the sun set.

gig 'em

Love my Lady Aggies - 2011 National Basketball Champs!!! Whoop!!! Gig'em!!!

Aggie blood runs deep in my family and most of us bleed maroon. My first relative to attend the "college" was my great-uncle who graduated in 1893 and then served as Texas AMC's secretary for five years.

Way to go Aggies!

busy

My niece, Megan, in my mom's gorgeous 1950s wedding dress!

Lots going on lately...my niece had her first wedding shower today and got lots of great gifts. Everyone loved her pics in the "old" wedding dresses....mine, her mom's, and grandmother's. Sarah (my step-daughter) gets married in Alabama this time next week....wow how time flies. I'm excited for the wedding and excited to get away for a few days. Fairhope, Alabama is a beautiful little town with cobblestone streets, drooping-mossy trees, and yachts in the bay. Looking forward to it.

Just finished a March of Dimes article this week about the organization and our friends Drew and Chandra, who lost their little girl after only 22 short days on this earth. They are one strong couple. Just looking at little Amberly's pictures tore my heart out. As much as I wanted to have my own kids and couldn't...thinking of having such a beautiful gift for such a short time is heart-breaking. I'm all about supporting the March of Dimes and their mission to prevent premature births. My buddies and I will be running the 5K on the 30th of this month. Look for what your community is doing locally.

Mark and I have been busy with new writing projects including a new Santa Fe guide book with University of New Mexico Press and several new apps. I'm so excited to have just signed a contract for an app on America's Best Girlfriend Getaways! Woohoo!!! My friends and I have some new trips planned and I can't wait. More on all this later.

Tomorrow I'm ordering my latest Athleta gear with my summer allotment! Love their stuff!

athleta chi

Check out my latest Athleta Chi blog on climbing 14ers!


If you're willing and able, go for it and hike a 14er. Handies Peak, just outside the tiny hamlet of Lake City, Colorado, is a great one to hike for your first summit. The trailhead itself is gorgeous and the view from the top will take your breath away.

ski purgatory, durango colorado

Success at Purgatory! Skiing right now is perfect with soft, wet snow (but not too wet) and enough sunshine to ski without a coat. I saw a couple of people swishing downhill in shorts and even a couple in tank tops (I didn't think it was that warm, but maybe they were tearing up the slopes more then me). Moderate temperatures are keeping the tracks from icing over and getting slick, so that's always good.

Skiing by myself wasn't all that bad btw. I'm the type of person that likes to be alone sometimes...nothing Garbo like, but from time to time it's relaxing and I like the feeling of independence.

You would think being spring break that all the runs would be packed, but every now and then I was on a run all alone. It's hard to describe the peacefulness of hearing nothing but the swish of my skis and of being surrounded by nothing but nature. Ok, so the thought crossed my mind for a brief moment or two...What if I crash, break a leg, and lay in the snow forever waiting on someone to find me....I mostly missed laughing with who ever I ski with and then reminiscing at the end of the day.

Overall I had a fabulous time on the mountain and I'd do it all over again.

animas and junction creek

Spent a great day flyfishig in Durango today. The Animas and Junction Creek were flowing perfectly and the sun was shining beautifully. I actually worked up a sweat at a sunny 51 degrees. It couldn't have been a better day!

This time last year the banks of the rivers would have been completely covered in snow. There's still plenty of snow on the mountain though so I'll be skiing Purgatory (DMR) tomorrow. It's the first time I'll ever ski alone (after Mark's two major knee surgeries, not from skiing btw, he's out plus all my other ski buddies are somewhere else for spring break) - it will be weird, but the solitude and beauty will make up for being by myself. I'm looking forward to another gorgeous day in Durango!

more athleta chi

There are several new Athleta Chi blog posts up. Check them out.

Read about all of Athleta's Featured Athletes.

Spring Break is almost here btw! Hooray!!!!

Honor Connor Fun Run

Pre-run Warm Up

Finished the Honor Connor 5K Fun Run this morning. Over two hundred people showed up for the first of many runs honoring Connor and the Touch A Life Foundation. Connor's parents and siblings have worked so hard to find and build a legacy for him. I think they've done it!


Connor's Song Shirts: Touch a Life Foundation

today's thoughts

Went to the outdoor show in town the other day. Visited with a young Amarilloan who's now designing custom built flyrods. Austin McWhorter is an outdoorsman and entrepreneur who designs some darn cool rods. If this is your thing check out his website www.amacrods.com. I'll be writing a full article on him for the Outdoors section of the Amarillo Globe in a few weeks. Stay tuned.

I love reading most anything from magazines to recipes to giant novels. I just finished the funny book I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron, what a comic. Love your neck now before it's too late; show it off at every opportunity. According to Ephron, the day will come before you know it that you want to hide your ever wrinkly neck. And when that day comes, you'll be kicking yourself for wearing all those scarves and turtlenecks in your youth. So here's to necks and ditching the turtlenecks and scarves;-)

Now to start the latest of Gabbledon's Outlander series. If you haven't read these and you like adventure and some romance tied into historical fiction and time travel then check these books out. I know, they sound ridiculous when describing them like that. I thought the same thing when I first heard of them, but I'll try reading anything. Needless to say I like them, even though each is nothing short of 1,000 pages and is as big as a doorstop. It's what's on the inside that counts.


While whiling away a few minutes turning through my latest women's HEALTH magazine I saw a product I mentioned on my blog the other day...the Vapur collapsible water bottle! At the back of the magazine it has a second ad telling to go to the magazine's website and get 20% off one online purchase. Sounds like a deal. Go to HEALTH.COM/DEALS (valid until March 17, '11).

Next weekend is another 5K and One Mile Fun Run to honor the short life of a former student from my school and to raise awareness and funds for Connor's Song in partnership with Touch a Life Foundation (to help rescue orphans from around the world and from child trafficking and modern-day slavery). Several of us are planning on attending, having fun, and showing our support to Connor's family and their efforts. For more about Connor and the foundation check out this link: http://www.rondeal.org/view/34

There's plenty more going on, but that's enough for now. More later.

5K

Loving my latest Athleta shirt btw!


Great morning at the Lone Star Runners' Club Valentine 5K today. The snow was beautiful, the air crisp, and the trial slick. No one in our group fell, but plenty took a tumble or two.

More info later on the March 5K.

Happy Valentine Weekend and Happy Trails!

romantic or anytime getaway hotels

Suite #2 from St. Germain

Blue Lake Ranch property

Lodging is key to a great romantic getaway. There are a ton of great hotels, but these five are some of my recent faves.

All of these hotels offer something completely different, so check out the websites and see which one suits your taste. You're not going to get La Quinta rates here, but they're worth doling out some extra dough.

Ask about Valentine specials or romantic extras you can add (like my favorite, chocolate covered strawberries and champagne).

Enchantment Resort, Sedona, Arizona (just listed by Foders as a top 10 romantic hotel)
Blue Lake Ranch, Durango, Colorado (actually in Hesprus just 15 miles from Druango)
La Posada, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Colcord, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
St. Germain, Dallas, Texas

pandora

With wind chills at -25 and winds gusting at 50 mph, hanging out at the gym is a great place for a workout. Thank goodness for a little girl-power Pandora radio to keep me going! My recent Pandora picks...Pink, Fergie, Lily Allen, Kate Nash, and the beat goes on...

thoughts

If you've ever spent time in the Panhandle of Texas then you know that the weather can change on a dime. Today it was sunny and nearly 70 beautiful degrees....by Monday night we're expecting snow and temperatures in the single digits. I'm not sure how to behave, one minute I'm planning a camping trip the other a snowy adventure.

But tonight I keep staring at the vintage painting on my wall while trying to work; I"m not getting much done. I'm daydreaming about camping in the mountains, hearing the water beside me, sipping soul warming drinks, and cooking by the fire.

This painting has an extra draw for me because it was created by my great-grandmother, probably back in the thirties. I have other relatives who paint the outdoors - not me, even though I'd love to have that talent. Instead, I focus on taking photos like my husband, my brother, and my sister-in-law do. It's important for me to capture moments that no one would otherwise ever see, or notice.

I love how Mark captured the viscous slide of the marshmallows in this summer camping photo at Hermosa Creek. BTW - I think I roast a dang good-looking marshmallow.


Tonight I daydream, tomorrow I get outside and have some fun...and maybe take some photos.

addiction

Ok - anybody else addicted to these drinks? I quit drinking cokes or sodas (except for the occasional tiny Coke float at my mom's when we watch Desperate Housewives together every Sunday night).

La Croix - Sparkling Water: they are carbonated so I get that burning fix, but they have no calories, no fat, no sodium, no carbs, no sugars, and even no protein (ha!). I drink them like crazy and can't figure out any reason they could be bad for me. Maybe too much carbonation isn't a good thing, but I feel no ill effects. I still drink lots of good ol' water so I feel pretty safe with my newfound drinking passion.

My favorite La Croix is orange, but the lime runs a close second. Other flavors I've tried and don't dislike are lemon, cranberry, and mixed berry.

So far, the only bad news is that my new drink of choice isn't found everywhere.

www.lacroixwater.com

in the news

Cool! I got to be on the local news talk show today with Andy Justus and talk about what all is going on with me these days. Everyone at channel 4 made it easy as pie - good thing because I was nervous for some reason. Thanks guys!

The info below is what they have on their website - the link of my segment should be up soon.


Local Athlete Recognized by Athleta Clothing Company
5.0000/5 rating
Print Article
Wednesday, January 19 2011
Amy Becker Williams has had a love affair with the outdoors ever since she can remember, and now that love affair landed her as one of 10-featured athletes for (Gap Company's) Athleta Clothing's 2011 Sponsored Athlete Program.

Born into a family with a legacy of women fly fishers, Amy fostered a love for the male-dominated sport from an early age. She has fly fished everywhere from the Pyrenees in Spain to the water of Anegada in the British Virgin Islands,to her home watering holes in the Big Blue Wilderness of Colorado. In addition to fly fishing, Amy loves skiing, hiking, backpacking, and regularly climbs mountain summits of 14,000-feet to catch the breathtaking views from above - a natural high that lasts for days she says.

When shes not exploring the great outdoors, Amy is a freelance writer, book author, and elementary school teacher. She and her husband recently published two outdoor adventure books, Top 30 Things to Do in Telluride and Top 30 Things to Do in Durango. She is currently working on her next book, Girlfriend Getaways of the Southwest, a travel guide that catalogs all the great places for adventurous women. Amy's love for travel, writing, and adventure are all connected, and each inspires the other. Through sharing her passion for the outdoors, Amy Becker Williams hopes to inspire women to find a place to get outside, get some exercise, and have some fun! Amy's work has also been published in the Amarillo Globe-News, New Mexico Outdoors, Rocky Mountain Game and Fish, GORP.com and Examiner.com (Getaways Examiner).

In the classroom, Amy uses her love of nature and the outdoors as a way to interest her students in schoolwork. With the help of a fellow teacher, she developed a wellness program for the staff to build an active lifestyle by walking after school, hiking in nearby Palo Duro Canyon, and participating in runs/walks. Shes also a member of Trout Unlimited, a conservation group that concentrates on sustaining wild fish populations, and supports Project Healing Waters by getting veterans out fishing on the water.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & CREDENTIALS:

* Traveled and fished in Colorado, Arizona, Spain, France, British Virgin Islands, Canada and more
* Hiked numerous 14,00 foot summits
* Writer for Rocky Mountain Game and Fish, Amarillo Globe News, and Examiner.com as the Dallas Getaways Examiner
* Member of Trout Unlimited, a conservation group that concentrates on taking care of fish and helping wild trout survive
* Member of the Panhandle Professional Writers Association and Texas Outdoors Writers Association

2011 GOALS:

* Catch the rare Rio Grande Cutthroat in The Valle Vidal in northern New Mexico
* Catch the elusive Gila trout in the Gila Wilderness in southern New Mexico
* Catch the roosterfish off the wild coasts of Mexico
* Summit more 14ers
* Try a new sport like cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. (Besides, these two activities just may lead to a quiet little stream in the backwoods…)
* Continue to support Trout Unlimited, her Wellness group at school, and write about her love of travel and the outdoors

the latest

Things have been busy. I'm writing an article for the local paper (the Faith section),starting another on romantic hotels for Lifestyles, querying magazines, working on the Girlfriend Getaways book, and planning an article for my newest title with Examiner.com as the National Getaways Examiner, plus setting up a June trip to my favorite hotel in Spain. Whew!

I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong. I just wish I could carve out another day in each week - for the weekend of course.

I'm sitting here staring at my new Christmas rod and wondering when I'm going to get to use it. At 7'6" and a 3 weight, it's ideal for the small streams I love to fish.

I got email confirmation today that my Athleta order is on its way!

new gadget

Ok - so I haven't used it yet, but I love it. The anti-bottle by Vapur. It's BPA free, freezable, and when empty can be rolled up and packed just about anywhere.



This one cost only 9.99, but I got it on sale for 5.99!
Find 'em on Facebook.com/vapurtrail or blog.vapur.us

athleta 2011

Hooray! I'm happy to announce that I've been included with nine amazing women as a 2011 sponsored athlete for Athleta clothing. I'm thrilled to be a part of a clothing company that I've loved for a long time. Take a look at all the ladies and their impressive bios. Check back often for the Athleta Chi link of Athleta's website for blog posts by the 2011 athletes.
http://www.athleta.net/chi/featured-athletes/

snow in Durango

Christmas has come and gone with lots of family and fun. We started out in Amarillo then on to Houston for more family. Now we're in Durango, just the two of us, enjoying the beauty, stoking the fire, and shoveling like crazy. We're snowed in so to speak. The first morning at the house we dug the jeep out from at least two feet of snow. The tires were completely covered and the embankment behind the jeep even taller thanks to the necessary snow plows that come along about 6 am each morning.

We managed a quick trip into town yesterday for an anniversary lunch at Jean Pierre's. And, yes, I left with a bag of my favorite little chocolate drop cookies. Justified of course because of all the shoveling. Thank goodness I got them before the snow really stated falling again dropping the visibility and sending us hightailing it back to the house (which always gets way more snow than in town).

Here's a picture of the Stater Hotel in Durango just before the heavy flakes started pounding town again.



The texture of the snow is perfect for primo powder skiing, if you can withstand the single digit temps and the 4X4 drive. We were hoping to flyfish the Animas today with my new Christmas rod (a sweet little Dorber 3wt), but with two feet of new snow and frigid temps, we'll wait. Tomorrow we'll go for some snow-hiking around a nearby lake cameras in hand.

At some point today we'll be shoveling off the loads of snow from the upper deck and will continue the daily maintenance behind the jeep and around the tires. Fun!




Cheers and Happy New Year Everyone!

taos, new mexico and the austing haus

My recent trip to Taos was great - just as expected. Everything was at a pre-holiday, low roar. The mountain didn't have much snow, but about seven runs were open and people were happily skiing.

We didn't ski this trip, but met up with Bobby Slade, one of the owners of the Austing Haus. He gave us the low down on the place and showed us some of his favorite haunts.

Austing Haus is a great budget stay for skiers. It's called a B&B, but it's more like a small hotel (20 rooms) that serves a belly-filling breakfast for a day on the slopes. The digs aren't fancy, but after a day of hitting the mountain I've never cared for much more than a comfortable bed and a warm room. And I was able to check both of those off my list.

The breakfast area is roomy and makes for a good evening place to play games, read a book, or rest those weary muscles. If the snow is falling take time to chill and watch the flakes out all of the giant windows.

Austing Haus is convenient for skiers. It's a mile from the slopes and is the first lodging on the left hand side as you get up the mountain.

Even though the place isn't fancy or plush, the staff is great, breakfasts hit the spot, and its location rocks!

Colorado Flyfishing: Where to Eat, Sleep, Fish

Mark's book is doing really well. Check it out - He and Chad had the summer of their lives traveling and writing this book. Glad I got to chip in a bit here and there.

Colorado Flyfishing: Where to Eat, Sleep, Fish

Hidden treasures: Traveling the Spanish coast | Amarillo Globe-News

Hidden treasures: Traveling the Spanish coast | Amarillo Globe-News


I know it's winter, but it's not too early to be planning a little summer sun. Costa Brava Spain is a place I dream of returning to, in fact plans are in the works now! Check it out.

jingle bell runs

Hooray for all the fun runs this time of year! They're good exercise, but also a good excuse to get out with your friends and have some fun. Amarillo's Jingle Bell Run is coming up Saturday, December 11 at 5:30. The four miler is set to be a leisure run so participants can enjoy the gorgeous lights of the Wolflin area. Illuminate yourself in some way....Christmas lights, reflective clothing, blinking hats, or bring a flashlight.

Meet at Austin Park, 5:30. See you there!

If you're in Dallas on the 22nd, sign up for their Jingle Bell Run as well. It's one of my favorites. Everyone really gets into dressing up and having a good time. The Dallas skyline is beautiful and it's fun to run over the bridge and venture into a part of downtown you may not normally experience, on foot anyway.

Get Fit, Have Fun: The new motto for my work Wellness program!

telluride and taos, snow in the mountains

Gal pals, families, or honeys....check out the Mountain Lodge at Telluride for your winter stay. It's midway up Telluride Mountain and is in Mountain Village. Rooms are comfy, especially the showers and the fireplaces (which are only in some rooms). The Gondola is close by so you can catch a ride into town for dinner or shopping. I love that ML@T allows pets; my dogs love to go on vacation with me! I'm not so crazy about the rooms by the elevators...You'll hear them clinking and clanging all night long.



For chilling in the evening, hit the resort's hot tub, or relax by the giant river-rock fireplace in the lodge with a glass of wine, or whatever warms your spirit on a cold night.

On another note...
Taos ski valley is getting snow as we speak. I'll be there in a few weeks to check it out and report on a snuggly little B&B in the valley.

rocky mountain game and fish

Want some good outdoor info? Check out Rocky Mountain Game and Fish magazine....I freelance for the fishing section, but look forward to what the other freelancers have to say about trout and the outdoors. It's about time for my 2010 New Mexico Trout Forecast article to come to a close, so I hope all the NM anglers have found it useful! Even though the year's almost over, which I can't believe, the article will still give an overview of NM's waters and where to go. Gather your girlfriends, buddies, and counterparts and head out on the water.