Texas Hill on the Move

I was so excited to finally check out Texas Hill Country. I decided I wanted to do it a little different and have some of the most unique stays I could find! This is how my route was planned…. by the home, not the wine…. believe it or not! As usual, My whole trip was planned off of TIK TOK!

We flew into Austin and rented a car. Our First stop…. Marble Falls/Cottonwood Shores. I knew nothing about the area… but I wanted to stay in a YURT! Yes a Yurt. We arrived at 3 pm ready to check in. I was nervous bc I read on a few tik toks that the Yurt is hot during the day. I arrived to The Retreat on the Hill and sure enough, they just turned the AC on. We were melting. We rode over to Fiesta winery for some wine tasting, and did some shopping at Downtown Marble Falls. There are tons of shops, boutiques, wine tasting and restaurants to keep you busy. We also visited Save the World Brewery which is known for their IPA’s. We ate at River City Grill which had a good burger and some awesome views. If you visit Marble Falls, The Bayview Restaurant is supposed to be the best. I was super excited about the views and ambiance, but they were closed on Tuesdays.

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Ok back to the Yurt.. We arrived back home around 7 pm and the AC was kicking! We actually froze at night, so that AC was perfect. The sun started to go down. We watched a gorgeous lightning show in the sky, sipped wine, listened to some tunes and enjoyed the sounds of nothing.

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Word of advice…. If you like to keep busy, if you don’t enjoy silence… This is not your trip. Make sure you like your husband/partner/friend and they love you back. There is no tv, there is nothing to do, The only thing you have to look at is nature and your travel buddy. We truly enjoyed it. The big Texas sky is indescribable when you are laying down in this thing. I truly believe the Yurt is a one day stop. The town is a one day stop. Anything longer, would be too much. We woke up in the morning, had breakfast delivered and rolled out before the sun started beaming again. We headed out too Fredricksburg.

I could not wait for Fredricksburg. We arrived pretty early so we hit up a few wineries before we could check in. Our First stop was the Lost Draw Cellars. This was not a vineyard but a tasting room downtown. Everyone there was so nice and the wines of course were delicious.

We then visited, Fat Ass Ranch and Winery. This one is very popular. I was unimpressed. The wines were too sweet and tasted like wine coolers. Maybe in the fall it is cool to hang out outside but for now I will sit this one out in the future. It was one of the cheaper tastings though, it was only 10.00 a person.

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We then headed over to Signor Vineyards. The wine was amazing, the vineyard was beautiful and the wine barn is the perfect photo spot!

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We then hopped over to Grape Creek Vineyards where we joined our first wine club. We loved this one! Every single wine we tasted we wanted a bottle. Grape Creek was beautiful, and so was the one next door… Barons Creek! I definitely recommend checking them both out!

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That was enough wine tasting for the day. 5 vineyards is exhausting! So we went to the Treehouse! Honeytree Farms Acorn treehouse is amazing! It is as magical as it looked. If you are still trucking with me and saying poor kacey… Yep.. Still no tv! Honeytree Farms is secluded but still close to everything. We got dressed for dinner to head to the Cabernet Grill. The same UBER (John) picked us up and dropped us off all over Fredricksburg. He knew all what to do where to eat, and he is also a private driver in the area. I strongly recommend a driver for all your tastings. Cabernet Grill was delicious!! We had a Chicken Fried Steak Ribeye and it was so damn good. We had burnt end short ribs, cheese grits, Mexican corn. We talked about it all night long. We got dropped off down the street at Martini’s for an espresso martini before heading home to chill.

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We got to spend two days here. When you book it is required a two night stay. There is a lot to do in Fredricksburg, So this is a good spot to stay a bit. We started off at a cave tasting at Slate Theory. This one was awesome. We were in a cave alone and were able to wonder around checking it out and taking pictures. The wines were fabulous. You are down in the cave for about an hour and a half so plan accordingly. Next we went to, William & Chris Vineyards, which was also breathtakingly beautiful, followed by Calais Winery. These three were supposed to have the best wines but Grape Creek is still winning the running for me. Or maybe after 4 vineyards and tours you are too drunk to even notice. We came home around 3-4 pm just in time to watch the Texas Storms roll through. This house was the perfect place too be! Dinner was at Otto’s German Bistro, and although we typically do not go for the German Food it was amazing!

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Boerne, Tx.

We woke up the morning, packed up and got on the road again. Heading this time to Boerne. This one I was least excited about. Not sure why besides the place. I kinda blindly booked this airbnb not knowing much about it. I did know this one was very secluded so we spent the day checking out Boerne and roaming the roads. We ate at Mary’s Tacos and WOW. Definitely the best tacos we have ever had! We hit the downtown area again for some shopping and breweries. We wondered up to a specialty seasoning place and decided to get some specialty goods to make a delicious steak and head in for the night.

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Our house was about 35 minutes from civilization, once you got there you were staying. AND OH MY GOODNESS THIS ENDED UP BEING THE BEST ONE! So quiet, so peaceful, so cozy, the best views, and the good vibes in there were perfect! We jammed our music, drank our wine, cook meals and sat in awe of this place for hours. The inside wasn’t anything fancy, but it did not matter. The views were everything. If you are ever in the area, OWL CREEK RANCH IS AMAZING! This one even had a TV

San Antonio, TX

Last one best one? Well for some of you probably so. I was in the mood for amenities for sure. We checked into La Cantera Spa Resort. This place was stupid expensive. As a matter of fact, I wanted to stay here so bad I used AM EX rewards points so I would not see the price. It was beautiful. Very relaxing. The spa was on point, we both had a spa day with an hour massage, a mud bath, and got to hang out for a bit in a private grotto and then watched the sun set in the infinity pool. The bar and music was great. The restaurant Signature was Devine (make sure you have a reservation). For the amount of money it costs per stay a night, the rooms could be nicer. Although I loved it, I’ll probably not be back here bc to me it is a little overrated. It is a true resort. There is everything you need. So for simplicity we enjoyed our stay! PSA- Sunday morning Yoga and sound baths at the spa. I missed it bc I overslept but I was told it is a must do!

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All in all this was an INCREDIBLE TRIP. If you are planning to visit, make reservations for everything! Most of those restaurants are booked fast. Especially on a weekend. Texas was hot. So maybe a fall trip may be in my future. There are tons of hiking and scenery stuff I may come back for one day in the fall. The wineries are beautiful, but once you have been to Napa, these vineyards don’t quite sweep you away, But the homes we stayed at were unforgettable and my goodness the food was incredible!

- Nikki

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