On our annual return to Flagstaff, we made a detour to Texas for eight days of fun & frolic with family and friends. First off, we went straight into the belly of the beast and landed in a north Dallas suburb called The Colony where my sister, Renae, and her husband recently relocated. Their son lives in the area and was getting married over the weekend but first we stopped in to see my sister’s new upper floor loft apartment and catch up with my niece’s family and her four littles who were fresh off their first family flight from Sacramento. We then moved on to Waxahachie, an hour south of Dallas, close to where the wedding was being held. The town is known as the “gingerbread city” for its many well preserved turn of the 20th century homes with lovely diverse architecture. We stayed at The English Merchant’s Inn, named for the businessman who built it to appease his wife after he chose to move from textile manufacturing in Manchester, England to become a cotton farmer in Texas. The home was beautifully preserved and artfully styled by the current inn keeper’s wife.
My nephew’s wedding, which included four photographers and an aerial drone, was lovely and good times were had by all; especially me trying to keep up with the little’s on the dance floor. The next day, we headed 3 hours south to a town called San Marcos where my other sister, Sandy, and her partner recently purchased a home in a new and growing 55+ community called Kissing Tree. The numerous amenities, reached via golf cart, were unbelievable and what sold them was the many pickle ball courts. We tried out the gym together and waded in one of the many pools in the development. It made me want to find a similar development in a mountainous area for Paul to keep up his hiking while I enjoy carefree leisurely living. Our big excursion was traveling through Texas hill country to visit some wineries. After lots of research we chose six to visit but with the first stop a sparkling wine property next to another winery with a restaurant, that’s as far as we got. After lunch we traveled on to the German community of Fredericksburg for a quick look-see and took a leisurely drive back to San Marcos in the rain. Oh, I almost forgot to mention our very first stop of the day which was a domestic water buffalo cheese & gelato shop…need I say more.
Traveling 3 hours north, our final stop was Fort Worth to visit some new friends of Paul’s he met on his Grand Canyon river/hiking trip this spring. This couple, along with their other houseguests, were retired military and airline industry folks who had travel ventures galore to regale us with in their lovely midcentury modern home filled with his hand crafted wood furniture/fixtures and a plethora of items from their international travels; one entire wall included tribal masks from different cultures and countries. They were kind enough to take us on a driving tour of this historic city which we thoroughly enjoyed. One thing I had heard before and that resonated during this trip is that everything in Texas is big; the countryside, highways, homes, yards, buildings, stores, restaurants, etc. We even saw some beautiful colored glass candles that were big enough to use as trash cans once finished burning. Of course $220 for a candle, much less a small trash can, is a bit much, don’t you think?
After two days on the road we are finally tucked back into our mountain home in Flagstaff watching the golden aspen leaves flutter through the air on their final descent as the trees prepare for winter. Outside, I put up a fall wreath and a scare crow and with a colorful home that stays decorated for the holidays, I am more than ready to stay put through the New Year.