This summer, we sent content creator, Kiki Upshur, on a roadtrip to all of our Outposts in Texas: from Getaway Hill Country to Getaway Brazos Valley and finally Getaway Piney Woods. We sat down for an interview with her to hear about her experience. Here’s what she had to say:
I am Kiki Upshur, I am based out of El Paso Texas but I am currently in my travel era and always down for new adventures! You can follow along all my trips through my socials @kiaraupshur.
Who were your travel buddies for this road trip?
There was no way I could have made this road trip all of my own, having company was such a game changer and helped me build stronger bonds with so many of my best friends! I took my roomie from college to the Houston location since that is where she is originally from. Once we got to Dallas I met up with my best friend from High School. We hadn’t seen each other in MONTHS! She was visiting family out there and it was the perfect opportunity to reconnect. I took two of my other college best friends on the last Getaway to Austin since that is the city we all met in!
What was your route?
I was already visiting my buddies in Austin after coming back from a trip! Evan and I left to Brazos Valley first. After I headed up to Piney Woods to meet up with Valeria and then looped back south to Hill Country to bunk with Jalen and Rue!
What were a few of your favorite stops along the way?
We didn’t get to stop much during our road tripping, but when we did it was in Austin!
We visitied this sign bar that is full of neon signs and has the most interesting sections with different themes. There was even a maze in the middle and it was such a fun stop!
What was the inspiration behind your playlist?
I knew that if I was going to spend hours on end in the car I needed something that was going to keep me up and jamming! My main inspiration was all of the songs that my friends and I listen to on a loop and could never get tired of. Along with some oldies but goodies and even sprinkles of Disney songs to keep it interesting. The hope is that there is not one second when the car goes quiet!
What are some of your packing necessities when you getaway?
Lots of food, drinks and games! We planned all of our meals ahead of time and thought of all of the snacks we craved on our down time. While a deck of traditional card deck is amazing, we brought along different activities and supplies to paint, embroider and exercise!
Did you have a favorite part of each Outpost you visited?
My favorite part at Brazos Valley was the nature trail, I loved taking a long stroll every morning and spotting all of the animals. Piney Woods had the best views nature wise HANDS DOWN! You were in your own little world surrounded by all of the foliage. I also loved the general store at Hill Country it was so cute and convenient stocked with all camping necessities
How did it feel to disconnect and reconnect to nature at Getaway?
Working from home can sometimes make me feel so disconnected from the outside world. Being able to smell the fresh air, see all of the greenery surrounding me and take part in so many activities offline was such a refreshing feeling. Not only that, but it made it so much easier to connect more closely to my friends!