We just returned from Austin, Texas, after our second nomination at the iHeart Podcast Awards in the travel category. Nope, we didn’t win, but what an honor! 

 

Flights

Jess drove from Houston (no miles needed), I flew United, and Alex flew on Southwest. We met up on Sunday night and left on Tuesday morning, so it was a quick in-and-out trip made possible by points and miles.

 

Hotel

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Austin, where Alex and I stayed a couple of years ago. This time, Jess was also there, so our whole squad was in attendance. The hotel has undergone a major renovation, and it looks a lot more modern and updated than it did when we were last there.

 

 

 

 

We booked this with two free-night certificates, and since we had Globalist status, we received their amazing buffet for free, which also included a made-to-order item. Honestly, I just had the buffet, and it was delicious!

 

 

The Event

The last time we were nominated, Jess was in Scotland, so Alex and I went. We were so nervous and didn’t know what to expect that we didn’t have much fun. This time, we knew what was happening, and it made a world of difference. We actually ate and had a lot of fun.

      

 

The venue had changed since the last time we attended, and it was held at the Moody Theater which was much nicer, as everyone had seats. The only con was they didn’t have food afterwards like they did two years ago and we were starved!

 

 

When we arrived, we checked in and were sent upstairs to the red carpet area. There was a big line and people were being split into two diffent lines from there. I noticed that one person in our category “Women Who Travel” and some others were sent to the right line which was faster than the line we were in and immediately surmised that that was the winners’ line. Sadly, I was right. Not that we went in thinking we were going to beat out these more polished podcasts or a legend like Rick Steves (😂) but a girl can hope, right?

The Red Carpet

The “red carpet” was actually a green carpet as the show was sponsored by Avocados from Mexico. It is so funny to watch all the photographers (there were 20+) and everyone posing. You keep walking down the line and they take your pictures. No posing from us, just smiles.

From there, they took us to the auditorium and we were able to order drinks (Diet Coke for me, of course) and we also got fresh made-to-order guac and chips. We waited about 30 minute for the show to begin and out came Will Ferrell to start things off. Other celebrities included Jennie Garth, a guy from The Bachelor, and people from high-profile podcasts.

 

 

The big winners were Jay Shetty and Amy Poehler,  who both just sent in video acceptance speeches. I must say that Alex and I didn’t have much fun last time. This year, with Jess being there too and knowing what to expect, we had a really fun trip. Short, but fun!

 

Bottom Line

Thanks to points and miles we were able to experience something most people don’t get to. Thanks so much for listening to our podcast and supporting us! This grandma has experience trips and experiences I couldn’t have imagined—at any age!