Winery, Wine, Luckenbach, Music, Beer, Wineries, More Wine, More Music

Grape Creek Winery

Roger here....  Ahhh.  Life near Fredericksburg!  So many pleasurable things to do.  Please keep in mind that these events did not all occur on the same afternoon :-).  

Our campground is located on the road to Luckenbach, so a visit there could not be simpler.  However, on the way we decided to stop by the Rancho Ponte Winery and Tasting Room that we can see from our campsite.  The picture above was taken from the winery parking lot.  That is our motor home, just to the left of the small building in the center of the picture and behind the brown horse grazing in the pasture.  

A shot of the tasting room below shows the view from our windshield.  We also have a view of the vineyard, a horse, three miniature donkeys, and a guinea hen.  Lots of wildlife to keep our dogs on full alert.  Oh, and there are also squirrels....  Lots and lots of squirrels.

After tasting a few of the wines, we, of course, made a few purchases. The four colored wine glasses are actually made from empty wine bottles.  (Our friends Jay and Nancy will be happy to know that we finally own some "down" wine glasses. -- D.)

On to Luckenbach!   This is our fourth visit to this eclectic place since our first Texas visit a few years ago.  The fun, music, and people-watching here draws us back every year.  You know you are almost there when you drive into the parking lot.

The highlight is always sitting outside, enjoying a beer, and tapping your feet to the beat of the local talent on the makeshift stage.  




We typically only stay a short while; however, the weather was perfect, the people were interesting, and the band, Midnight River Choir, was exceptionally good.  We stayed until the band finished its set.  Here is a short snippet:

Midnight River Choir at Luckenbach, TX Sept 22, 2012

(Roger and I had a debate; I said they were rock and he said they were country.  What do you think?  -- D.)

Get a load of the restrooms.  Always an adventure.

Lots of local color --- and that does not even include the tattoos.

I noticed a lady trying on a special hat at the hat shop, so we wandered over to take a look.  Dianne bought a Shiner Blonde bottle cap hat band for her cowboy hat, but that was not what I saw the lady modeling.  Look below to see how handsome Bandido is in his very first cowboy hat.

On another day, we drove a few miles down the road to the Becker Winery.  We had been here a few years ago, and enjoyed it, so it was time to go back.  We each enjoyed a sampling of six wines.  We bought three bottles of a white that we both enjoyed to share with our friends who prefer white wine, as well as a couple of reds.

The second, and last, stop that day was the Grape Creek Winery --- a dangerous place for us, because it is our favorite.  We shared a sampling of six wines since we have already tasted them before, and we bought a case.  Since we are on our way back to Mission, we will not have to transport it very far --- great rationalization on our part.

While the staff boxed our wine, we each enjoyed a glass outside on the patio.  It was a perfect day and so, so pleasant.

The musical performer on the patio was Jeff Wood.  We liked his music so much that we bought one of his CDs., entitled "Finally..."  Dianne thinks it will be excellent background music for when friends visit us at our place at Retama.



Here is a quick video of a snippet of his performance.  I can't explain why it's blurry, but the sound is good.  To make up for my bad video, I'm including a link to his web site, too.  A very talented young man!

Jeff Wood at Grape Creek Winery 

I found a You Tube short video which includes songs that he sang at Grape Creek.  This video is better than my blurry, amateur one:

Quick Song Sampling - Jeff Wood 

Jeff Wood's Web Site


Did I mention that it was pleasant?  We lingered on the patio for quite a while.  I had a second glass of wine.  We did make it back to the motor home before dusk.  Check out the giant pink clouds.

The pet picture of the day shows Bandido in his new hat, tolerating a round of picture-taking.  Oh, soooo bored.

Family Fun in the Texas Hill Country

Hi all -- Dianne here.  We had a great time in the Texas Hill Country and San Antonio with our daughters and granddaughter last weekend.  As you can see, we took the girls to Luckenbach for a photo shoot with my favorite longhorn steer.

Both flights arrived at the San Antonio airport right on time, and after stopping by the Guadalupe River RV Resort in Kerrville to give the dogs a quick walk, we drove on to the Grape Creek Winery (our favorite), outside of Fredericksburg.  

Amanda and Robyn enjoyed a wine tasting inside, while Roger and I enjoyed a glass of wine outside with Kaia (she had Coke), listening to the live music.  Kaia amused herself by taking silly photos with her mom's iPhone.  She took this one of me:

When Robyn and Amanda finished their wine tasting, they joined us for a glass of wine outside. 

 Lots of silliness ensued when I tried and tried to get a photo of Robyn.  At the last minute each time I tried, she'd make this face:

Of course, I was laughing hysterically by then:

When we left the winery, we stopped in

 Fredericksburg for dinner and a little shopping. 

Easter Sunday our choices were slim, as most places were closed.  Luckily, Luckenbach had music scheduled for Easter afternoon, so off we went.

Robyn, of course, mugged for the camera when it was her turn to pose on the steer.  

We enjoyed some Shiner beer and live music.  I managed to get a short video of the longhorn steer being ridden to work at the photo area:

Monday meant a return flight to Los Angeles for Robyn, which also meant a return trip to San Antonio. We walked up and down the Riverwalk and stopped for margaritas (Coke for Kaia) and appetizers at the "Republic of Texas" cafe.

This photo of my three pretty girls requires a bit of explanation. You'll notice a yellow arm in the left side of the photo. This photo of Roger was so bad that all four of us females laughed hysterically to the point that he insisted I crop him out of the picture. It's a shame, because I know all of you would have enjoyed a laugh, too! 

Another laugh that we all enjoyed is just out of range of this photo, down at Mandy's behind. A pair of mallard ducks were lurking around, looking for a handout. When none were forthcoming, the female mallard (instinctively knowing the person in our family most likely to give a handout) kept pecking at Mandy's bottom! Lots of laughs and a good time on the Riverwalk.

Robyn modeled a silly hat she saw at one of the tourist shops. By now I'm sure my cousins who read this blog have decided she is her mother's girl, after remembering my photo exploits in younger days.

One highlight of the day was the "Bird Man" who approached Amanda with his birds. It was dad's money well spent to get this photo:

Here's another pretty girl, our grandaughter, Kaia, posing with her new purse and headband that her PopPop bought for her in Fredericksburg at the "Sassy Lassie" boutique.

The pet photo of the day shows Bandido cuddling with Kaia on her bed in our motor home. I wasn't sure how their meeting would go, because Jasper's death hit Kaia really hard. She had grown up with Jasper, after all, spending every day with him at our house from age 2 to age 10. I couldn't interest her in Bandido over the phone, but it didn't take long for the puppy energy to steal her heart when they finally met.

Amanda and Kaia drove to Mission with us and will spend the next few days here, flying home to Florida from McAllen on Saturday morning. Kaia has expressed an interest in writing another "guest blog," so check back soon!

Tasteful Texas v. Tacky Texas -- Love them both!!

Hi all -- Dianne here, with another short blog entry.  Our busy week in the Texas Hill Country with Chuck & Cindy continued with a trip back to our favorite winery and a return visit to Luckenbach.  More on Luckenbach later.  

Our first stop was to the Grape Creek Vineyard for a wine tasting.  Roger and I visited here the day after Christmas in 2009 and saved the label from our wine bottle, we liked it so much.

We enjoyed the wines here again just as much, and ended up buying six bottles; five to take home, and one to enjoy on the patio with Chuck & Cindy. 

We were at the winery on a Sunday, and there was live music out on the patio.  Good wine + good friends -- it doesn't get much better than that.  -- Well, unless maybe it's good beer + good friends in Luckenbach!

From the winery we found the country road leading to the famous (from Willie Nelson's song) Luckenbach.  We felt Chuck & Cindy should experience some "real" Texas.  We were told to go there on a Saturday or Sunday when the bikers were there, for a better music experience.  

We weren't disappointed -- lots of bikers, kids climbing trees, people with dogs, regular people drinking beer, eating hot dogs, and listening to some really good live country music from the bandstand.

  
I asked the owner of the longhorn steer in the top photo if he is there every weekend (thinking we'd bring our girls here the end of April for a photo shoot), and he said, "We live here!"  (Luckenbach has a population of 3 -- wonder if the steer counts as 1 of the 3???)  This is the same longhorn steer I posed on for a photo in 2009 (see our 2009 Luckenbach posting).  His owner rides him like a horse in parades, too! (I've seen pictures -- recognize him, Linda??)


The resident roosters strutting around add to the ambience of the "town."  

The doggie photo of the day is a shot of Sophie and Bandido napping together. 

 This is a rare shot indeed -- normally these two are in  a constant wrestling match.  They will really miss each other when Sophie heads back to Indiana Saturday!

Luckenbach, Texas + "Texasisms" We've Learned

Hi all, Dianne here --

Keep reading to learn about our visit to Luckenbach, Texas, and remember that some photos are better if you click on them for a larger view.

(Roger here... The sun is so bright here that when you do go into the shade, the shaded areas are very dark. It is a neat effect, but Dianne's suggestion to click on the pictures to make them larger brings out more of the details.)

But first, I want to share some "Texasisms" that Roger and I have learned during our brief time in Texas. Keep in mind, neither one of us had spent any time at all in the state of Texas before, other than one night in Amarillo ten years ago and a day trip to San Antonio for an Alamo Bowl football game. We are seeing this very-friendly state through "new" eyes.

Roger here... Every place we have visited in the motor home seems to have its own distinct culture. None of the places exhibit that culture more than the locales we have visited in Texas, where everything is bigger than life, and the very friendly and outgoing people demonstrate extreme pride in their state. Livin' the Good Life in Texas is an ongoing theme that makes this place special.

The first inkling I had of a "Texasism" occurred while we were still in Oklahoma, driving toward Texas. I kept seeing Hummer after Hummer with Texas license plates; we decided it must be the state car of Texas! (Jeeps take a close second place.)

As soon as we crossed the state line we learned another "Texasism": There are more Texas flags

waving in this state than U.S. flags! While in Indiana it is rare to see a state flag other than in a school or state building, here they are everywhere. And when you DO see a U.S. flag, chances are it will be paired with a Texas flag. I don't really blame them for this; after all, it is a really nice-looking flag! The pride Texans have in their state is obvious at every turn.

A third

"Texasism" concerns the lawn ornaments here. Many ranch entrances seem to have them. No little gnomes or angels to be found. Instead, there are huge, at-least-life-size statues of bison, horses, and all things western. We didn't have our camera at the ready to catch them in the entrances of the ranches and houses we passed, but we did get a good shot of a life-size horse at a place that sells them. It's true that everything is bigger in Texas.

There are two "Texasisms" that we learned about the highway system here: First, if there is a road paralleling the interstate highway, the cowboys here think nothing of gunning their pickup trucks across the grass to enter the interstate without the bother of an entrance ramp! (We saw this happen at least eight times in a two-day stretch. It is really not as dangerous as it seems, due to the fact that you can always see a trail of dust heading toward the highway in your peripheral vision. One time, there was not even a frontage road, the pick-up came straight out of a field!) The first time I saw this happen it kind of freaked me out; later, as we drove farther into the state, there were actually paved "mini-ramps" onto the interstate highway from the local roads. Not only that, but there are paved "mini-ramps" EXITING the interstate directly onto the local, parallel roads. There are even signs on the local roads warning motorists to yield to any exiting interstate traffic. That's a good thing, as there is no merge lane; you exit right into the traffic lanes!

Another quirky Texas highway custom is the fact that on some state roads the shoulder

is used just as if it were a traffic lane. If traffic builds up behind you on a two-lane road, you simply move onto the shoulder (not even slowing down) and let those behind you go past. This was convenient for us while driving the motor home. Those passing by always give a friendly Texas thank-you wave, too. This even happened in the Matrix after we'd been tailgated for a time. (I was only going 70 mph on the 70 mph road.) We moved over to let the tailgater pass, and they also gave us a friendly Texas thank-you wave. (All five fingers; imagine that!) I managed to get a shot of this custom in use while we were out driving on Texas highway 16.

Note the white car on the right. They are NOT in a traffic lane; they are driving on the wide shoulder of highway 16. Even the road shoulders are bigger in Texas!

We've been looking for a car wash for our dirty Matrix. We finally stopped trying to find them at the gas stations; car washes seem to be a stand-alone business here.

We also enjoy the no-litter signs in this state. They are indicative of the attitude and Texas pride shown everywhere.

Now for our afternoon in Luckenbach. My Amazon Workamper friends, Jose & Jill, told us to be sure to check out Luckenbach if there was anything going on. Our Texas A&M friends from the winery the other day suggested the same thing. Rob, another Amazon friend, who gave us several suggestions of things to do in Texas said that a visit to Luckenbach was a MUST, so off we went.

Luckenbach, Texas (population 3) consists of an abandoned

post office, a dance hall, an outdoor stage with seating, a concession stand with bottles of beer in tubs of ice, and a food stand and small

souvenir shop.

The town was purchased in the 1970s and turned into a music mecca for the likes of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kenny Chesney. It was made famous by a song whose lyrics go like this:

"Let's go to Luckenbach, Texas

with Waylon and Willie and the boys...

Out in Luckenbach, Texas

ain't nobody feelin' no pain...."

It's out in the middle of nowhere, and not even that easy to find. People DO find it, though, and the day we were there, there was a live band rockin' the place. They were great! I'm not much of a country music fan, so I was happy to see that the band this day was more rock-oriented. They did a rousing rendition of "Bobby McGee" that Janis would have been proud of!

Roger and I purchased ice-cold bottles of

Shiner (Texas beer) and chili dogs and enjoyed the show.

When we first walked into town, we noticed a cowboy with a longhorn steer who was hawking photos to the visitors. I walked swiftly right on by, but after some atmosphere and beer, Roger talked me into having my photo taken on the steer. (I was shocked that I actually convinced Dianne to do this. I find that subtle persistence does pay off from time to time.) First we went back to the car to fetch our cowboy hats that we'd purchased in South Dakota. The longhorn steer was huge. The cowboy seemed to enjoy himself as he helped boost Dianne all the way up into the saddle. He told her that he would have to charge extra if he had to shove on her butt to get her up there.

When we paid the cowboy for his help, he asked where we were from. When we told him Indianapolis, he joked, "That's just a little north of 'Amarilla,' ain't it?" I answered, "Yep, a fer piece north of "Amarilla!"

What I wish we'd gotten a photo of was the cowboy riding the steer, trotting like a horse, back to its trailer for break time.

While stowing books at Amazon last month, I came across an old James Michener book, "Texas." Right then and there I ordered a copy, and I'm about a third of the way through it. It's really helping me learn about Texas history and have a new understanding of this place. And, just like everything else in Texas, the book is huge - 1,096 small-print pages!

That's a benefit of our new lifestyle; we can really immerse ourselves in a place, spending more than just a week on vacation. By the time we leave Texas March 1, we should feel like Texans, too!