If you're looking to treat yourself to some luxury R&R, you won't have to travel far to find a lush, award-winning spa. Lake Austin Spa Resort is the No. 21 best hotel and resort in the world according to Condé Nast Traveler. In the U.S., the spa was ranked No. 8 and was one of only two Texas resorts to make the coveted list.
The lifestyle and travel magazine hosts its Readers Choice Awards poll every year to determine the best luxury destinations and services around the globe. Having been selected for the past five years, Lake Austin Spa Resort now has an esteemed place on the Condé Nast Traveler's "Platinum Circle," which chronicle's the magazine's favorite destination resorts.
"This destination spa resort, the site of a former rodeo training camp, is a little piece of heaven in Texas Hill Country," writes the magazine.
Nestled in a quiet bend of the Colorado River in West Austin, the spa offers traditional treatments such as massages, facials and nail therapy as well as a variety of innovative sessions involving energy point cleansing, acupuncture and meditation. If more than a full day of spa treatment is needed, the resort has 40 rooms that are ready to turn your little escape into a full-blown getaway.
Lake Austin Spa Resort was the only Texas establishment to make the top 25, but Houston's Hotel Sorella CityCentre did claim a spot on the list at No. 74.
There are 40 rooms if you need to turn your day escape into a full-blown getaway.
Photo courtesy of Lake Austin Spa Resort
There are 40 rooms if you need to turn your day escape into a full-blown getaway.
Making of a Million: Daytripping with The Nature Conservancy in Texas is free to watch online.
Thanks to a new three-part PBS docuseries, you don't need to go to all of Texas' protected lands and waters to appreciate their breadth. Making of a Million: Daytripping with The Nature Conservancy in Texas follows host of The Daytripper, Chet Garner, from West Texas to the coast, discussing conservation efforts by the conservancy (TNC) along the way.
"Making of a Million" refers to the one million acres in Texas that fall under TNC's protection. The one million figure is a milestone TNC is celebrating with the series, but it's not the full extent of its work; actually, according to the 2025 annual report, its total impact is 1.6 million acres. TNC also works in Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific region, and more specific smaller regions within those.
The Daytripping project has been rolled out slowly in 2026, from YouTube previews, to an official release on PBS in April, to an Austin event in May that formally introduced the works. The Contemporary Austin hosted an outdoor screening on behalf of TNC's Board of Trustees, specifically focusing on the episode that explores West Texas.
The 26-minute video shows off striking aerial images of mountains, close ups of plants and wildlife, and even a quick feature of an archeological find. Water, of course, is a big topic in the desert and it's a large topic across the series. Fresh water even has its own dedicated episode.
Although conservation experts are consulted throughout the series, viewers can do more than passively watch other people solve environmental problems. One story, toward the end of the West Texas episode, highlights how a rancher directed researchers to a habitat for an endangered species of fish on his property, simply because he overheard a scientist at a café claim they were extinct.
On a larger and perhaps less direct scale, producing video series like this can kick off similar effects. The more civilians know about conservation efforts in their neck of the woods, the more they might know their place in helping out.
Garner spoke on a panel after the Austin screening with TNC director of land protection Jeff Francell, spatial analyst Jacqueline Ferrato, and director of land protection/stewardship Dan Snodgrass. They discussed the series and the broader conservation topics it connects to.
“This new series really captures the spirit of our efforts and collaborations to protect Texas lands and water,” said Snodgrass in a recap for press. “Chet’s storytelling skills spotlight our partners and projects in a unique, engaging way—we’re excited for more Texans to see why conservation matters and learn how they can get involved.”
“Daytripping with The Nature Conservancy in Texas allowed us to visit some of the most amazing places in Texas and to meet people who are making a real difference for conservation,” said Garner. “Folks will love traveling with us across wildly diverse landscapes and learning the solutions shaping the future of our state’s biggest environmental challenges.”
Viewers can watch the series for free on the Nature Conservancy's website or on YouTube.
