Why do moms torture themselves with feelings of guilt? Is it because we inadvertently compare ourselves to others? Or is it just in our DNA? Are moms just wired to be plagued with guilty feelings about leaving their kids behind?
I went back to work three months after Lucas was born so I was forced to deal with those guilty feelings early. And even though I still have a day here and there with guilty feelings, I’ve realized that having time away from Lucas whether it be a girls night out or a weekend away with Walt, makes me a better mom and wife.
Walt and I are extremely blessed that not only do we have family within a two hour drive of us, but we have family that lives within 10 miles – which makes kidless time all that more accessible!
Kidless time gives Walt and I a chance to let loose, play golf, decompress, be silly, eat in peace and enjoy a cocktail or two… or three… or more.
Our latest kidless adventure took us to Horseshoe Bay Resort, the the Fredericksburg Wine Road 290 and Pedernales Falls.
Horseshoe Bay Resort is a great place for a weekend getaway. The resort is on Lake LBJ so it offers a variety of activities like water sports, golf, tennis, spa, dining and good old fashioned pool chair lounging.
What’s one of the best things about a kidless weekend? Sleeping in!!! Except why is it every time you have an opportunity it NEVER happens. We may not of slept in, but at least we lounged in.
If you ever make the trip out to Horseshoe Bay Resort, be sure to make a stop at the Bluebonnet Cafe in Marble Falls. The classic cafe has earned a worldwide reputation for good food and friendly service that opened in 1929 on Main Street in Marble Falls, Texas (taken straight from their website and I happen to agree with it!) And the best part about the Bluebonnet Cafe? No one will look twice at you for ordering pie for breakfast!
With our bellies full, we made our way down the 290 Wine Trail, officially called the Fredericksburg Wine Road 290. The Fredericksburg Wine Road 290 is an association of 15 wineries located in the Texas Hill Country on a 45 mile stretch of US Highway 290 from Johnson City to Fredericksburg. Did you know that this is the second most visited wine region in the United States second only to Napa Valley according to Orbitz Travel? Although this particular stretch of highway has 15 wineries, there are actually 46 wineries scattered throughout the Hill Country, from Austin to Fredericksburg and Lampasas to New Braunfels. I find that quite impressive considering when most people think about “wine country” they think about Napa Valley, not the Texas Hill Country. And it’s practically in my backyard!
Walt and I have visited the Fredericksburg Wine Road 290 on a few occasions and have definitely found our favorites!
Hye Meadow Winery happens to be the first winery on the trail and is one you don’t want to miss. What’s great about it besides the wine? They have an amazing back patio overlooking their gorgeous property full of towering live oaks and an amazingly a cool breeze, even in the June!
Our next stop was Fat Ass Winery. With a name like that, why would you not stop! They also have a great patio, country funk tasting room and some pretty fantastic peach and watermelon wines.
Our third stop was at Becker Vineyards, probably one of the most established and well known wineries on the trail. The vineyard is home to 46 acres of vineyards known as the “front” and “back” vineyard, a library complete with a 20 year collection of the Becker’s Private wine selection and single vineyard Cabernet barrel program and the Lavender Haus replica of a barn at the LBJ Settlement maintained by the LBJ National Park Service in Johnson City, TX. The winery complete with 3 tanks rooms, a barrel and bottling haus and reserve tasting room, verandah with outdoor bar, stock tank and windmill, acres of grassy lawns perfect for a picnic and lavender fields. Even if you’re not a wine lover, Becker Vineyards is a beautiful place to visit.
Our last stop was at our favorite, Grape Creek Winery and Vineyard. Grape Creek is a little piece of Tuscany nestled in the Texas Hill Country. They have an amazing villa style patio overlooking rows of grapevines, a live acoustic guitar player and a trattoria to grab a bite to eat.
The wine trail ends in Fredericksburg, TX, a small town “rich with the culture of German pioneers” that settled there more than 160 years ago. Fredericksburg is well known for its German fare, charming guesthouses, inns and B&B’s.
But before we checked into our charming guesthouse, we made a pit stop to Lukenbach, TX. I’ve never been to Lukenbach and for as long as I’ve lived in Texas, I had no idea that Lukenbach was nothing more than a tiny spec of a town. Actually, I wouldn’t even call it a spec of a town, I’d call it a spec of a spec of a town. It’s well worth the stop as it’s full of Texas charm and the perfect place to grab a cold one, sit back, relax and get into that “Texas State of Mind.”
The next morning, on our way back to Austin, we stopped at Pedernales Falls State Park. Scratch that off of my summer bucket list! With all of the recent rains we have had lately the Pedernales River was flowing and made visiting the falls worth it! The state park offers camping, hiking, mountain biking, bird watching and horseback riding. But of course the best part is seeing the river flow over and around huge slabs of Texas limestone.
So like I said… kidless weekends give you a chance to let loose – spin like a crazy person on a wave runner, enjoy a little Texas wine, ride a longhorn poised in a spec of a spec of a town and visit some falls.
As much as I enjoy these kidless weekends there’s nothing like coming home, opening the back door and hearing “MOMMY!!!!!!!!”
I’m looking forward to sharing some of these adventures with you Lucas – now hurry up and get potty trained!
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