JOYMOUNTAIN: Hill Country Tour with the Girls

( This was written in June and never got posted)
I marvel at the opportunities I have been offered in life. A life long adventure with a tall, handsome soldier, four uniquely different children, eight perfect grandchildren who carry on our legacy and grace our remaining years, more friends than one person should be blessed with in a lifetime and the wings to traverse to far parts of the world. I never tire of savoring the opportunities and always feel gratitude.

My beautiful twenty one year old granddaughter offered me just such an opportunity. Her dream birthday was to travel to the Hill Country of Texas and experience the Tuscan style Vineyards that have grown in a terrain that brings to mind the Italian wine countryside and I was invited! I was thrilled to be asked and accepted feeling blessed and honored to be included in such a momentous occasion. A house was rented and the line up of important female influences in her life was created for a girls weekend.

As the big weekend approached details were fleshed out. Vehicle, food, beverage, packing specifications and itinerary were all carefully conferenced by six very organized women. Before we knew it we were all traveling to our meeting point to load up and head to the beautiful Texas hill country. The first part of the trip was spent shedding the stress of planning, work and daily responsibilities. The further south we traveled the less reception was available on cell phones and the more we resorted to a familiar form of communication.... girl talk.

Thanks to good ole GPS we found our rented house and quickly unloaded and claimed our rooms. The house was lovely...with ample room to stretch out with all the comforts of home.

My comfy bed

It was only a few blocks from the Main Street of Fredericksburg and an easy walk from our little house. We decided to exercise after our long drive and walk to a restaurant for dinner.

Ducks on the way to Main Street

Main Street

The short hike turned out to be six or so blocks and I had grave misgivings about making it. The first one we came to looked great to me but the decision was to push on. Feeling all of my sixty four years and the humidity I was bushed by the time we entered the bliss of an air conditioned steak house. Better than that was a fan that was in the corner and I staked out my position. By the time we were seated I had cooled off and was ready to sample a nice filet.

Dinner

After dinner we split up. Mama was ready for a shower and bed and two of my little women escorted me home while the others did a bit of people watching. After the six blocks back my feet and ankles felt like they would never be the same but they got me there. Only the thought of morning coffee without full cream could induce me to leave my sanctuary. My little women rescued me and we were off to find the local Walmart...thanks once again to Mr. GPS. We stocked up with a few other items and headed back to our little house. Sleep played heavily on me and it wasn't long before I drifted off into a sweet and exhausted rest.

I was greeted the next morning by my two other little women who were up to prepare breakfast for us with smiles and chatter. It was a lovely way to start the day.

Our cheerful cook

Our schedule was set to begin at noon so we dressed with much discussion about comfort and looks. Our driver showed up on schedule and we were off to visit the vineyards with an ice chest full of snacks and food. He was very friendly and helpful and we congratulated ourselves with having hired a fine roomy Escalade and someone who knew the area. The first thing he asked after introductions was if we knew the area because he did not. He was not from there. Not good. So once again good ole Mr. GPS saved the day. We selected four locations and headed to the first one.

Ready for the tour

Our driver

Becker Vineyards is a large well run Winery.

Becker Vineyard

They offer many different delicious wines along with herbs and lavender that is grown there. The fragrance of the lavender was fabulous. We were assigned a master of the tasting who guided us through the list of wines.

Wines were selected and purchased along with our free glass for the keeping and we were off to the next vineyard.

Our birthday girl

Best seat in the house.

Williams Chris was a much smaller place but came highly recommended because of the quality of their wines. We were not as impressed but I selected a mild white that I took away with me.

Messina Hof was the next location and we all decided they had the best of all varieties. The ambiance was very nice and again we found selections we really liked. I chose a nice sparkling white.

Sampling some sparkling white

Beautiful Baby Girl next to me

Shelli going into Messina Hof

Our last stop was Luckenbach. We did not think we would ever find it. The driver got a little lost. The only beverage offered there is beer and we each had a bottle. It was hot and sticky and we sat outside to hear the live entertainment so I did not complain about not being much of a beer drinker. One must do Luckenbach.

Trying to find Luckenbach

Oops not this way

Maybe up here

Luckenbach, Texas

A pose with the girls

Ready for Luckenbach

The store

Wild creatures

Here's to Luckenbach

Live music

Before we left we graced the back of a stately longhorn for a photograph who must have been sedated because he never moved. I shall always slightly cringe at the efforts, that were photo documented, of the old grizzled cowboy trying to hoist me up on the back of that very high bull.

Notice his stance....

Yes well...so much for my dignity

Nuff Said

Ah the young....she jumped up there like a pro.

Cute Annie...

We stopped on the way home for dinner at a German restaurant and I had a fantastic Wiener Schnitzel. It was so large that I had plenty to take home to Larry after I had my dinner.

German Restaurant

After a long day of fun I was ready for an early night so I would be ready early to pack for our trip home. Before bed I was able to talk a few minutes to my youngest granddaughter at home after she had her dance recital. Thank goodness for the ability to text pictures and videos and my sweet husband who went on my behalf to enjoy our little one's special night.

At the Recital

Christina called to tell me she got the flowers

Girl Talk

Deciding on our schedule

The morning was a flurry of packing, cleaning and checking it twice and we were off to Big D.

No trip on interstate 35 from the hill country to Dallas is complete without a stop in West for kolaches. The line that wrapped around the store did not discourage us and we all loaded up on sausage rolls, cream cheese and fruit, melt in your mouth, kolaches and a couple of bottles of drinks. We had several traffic snafus and my hubby had to sit for hours at Chili's waiting for me but home sweet home could not be better.