 We recently decided to take a very short drive for an almost “staycation” in Salado, Texas. We live a mere 15 minutes north of this historic village and decided it was a perfect place to get away for a day. If you live in the central Texas area, Salado really is a great place to visit. Salado dates to the 1800’s so there is plenty of history, quaint shops, unique boutiques, interesting eateries and a great little brewery. Here are some of my recommendations for a short but sweet trip to a marvelous little town in Central Texas.
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 Recently my sweet husband bought me a shotgun for my birthday, it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. So, when Father’s Day rolled around, I couldn’t resist getting him something unexpected too- a trip!!
I purchased two tickets in the Presidential car on the Texas State Railroad. He was about as thrilled with this gift as I was with the shotgun, but as it turned out we both had a blast. If you live in Central Texas or even Dallas, I recommend driving to the area the night before and see some of the beautiful East Texas Piney woods scenery. We opted to stay in an Airbnb near Athens which was truly perfect.  If you live in Texas – even if you don’t – I highly recommend taking a trip to Galveston in the Winter. I love this historical seaside town with all that it has to offer. I especially love it when it’s chilly and the seawall stretches on and on virtually tourist free. Galveston has so much to offer even in the winter. Right before Christmas you can be enthralled with all that A Dickens of a Christmas has to offer on the historic Strand. At Moody Gardens families can be thrilled with winter ice sculptures and so much more. We opted to visit the day after Christmas to just enjoy some great seafood and to explore a few places we had not yet visited. We made our home-base Harbor House Hotel and we were not disappointed……………………… Harbor House Hotel The Harbor House Hotel was a perfect choice for us. We wanted a place with views of the sea channel and within walking distance of restaurants and bars- it was perfect! What I loved the most was the fabulous service from Dee when we checked in. She was warm and welcoming and provided lots of information. She clearly loves her job and she does it well. What I loved even more was the amazing view from our room. The room itself was huge, clean and well appointed. I really loved the industrial-nautical décor. The hotel is literally minutes from the Strand with an abundance of options for bars and restaurants. We were only at the hotel 2 nights but we really enjoyed our stay.
Late Friday night, Aug. 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey churned through the Gulf of Mexico. It intensified from a tropical storm into a dangerous Category 4 hurricane before its whirling eye crashed into Port Aransas. With winds gusting up to 160 mph, the storm spewed tornadoes that ripped apart homes and buildings . Port A was slammed, and Harvey left destruction and devastation on every street corner. A year later and thankfully there are real signs of a renaissance. We recently visited during a cold and bleak Veterans Day weekend. Port A has grit and true character and we felt a sense of homecoming as much of what we recalled remained or had been rebuilt. Restaurants and businesses were open and it was clear that Port A is well on the road to recovery and hopefully set for a fabulous summer season. Here are some reasons why Port A should be on your list of places to visit any season.  Go for The Beach................There are 6.5 miles of beautiful beaches to explore . Here at Port A you can also drive on the beach but a $12 permit is required for parking. I love the beaches here especially in the off season as I have often been blessed to have miles of stretches of beach all to myself to walk and discover. The jetty is also a fun place to walk and watch the fishermen at work.
 www.fortworthstockyards.org/history Fort Worth Union Stockyards opened for business on January 19, 1890 the history of the successes of this area is quite fascinating. If you live in Texas, visit Texas or ever plan to visit this historic area should be on your list. The 90-acre Historic Stockyards area is a major tourist attraction but don’t let that dissuade you, simply embrace the Western heritage and history of the area and enjoy all that it has to offer...........bucking bulls and all !!! The Daily Cattle DriveSituated in Central Texas San Saba is said to be the Pecan Capital of the World. It is a beautiful little town nestled in beautiful Texas countryside.  The town of San Saba has so much to offer. There are award winning wineries, historic buildings, speciality stores and lots more. My daughter and I headed out for a mother -daughter retreat. San Saba and the surrounding area prooved to be perfect.  Many of you may never of heard of this little West Texas town but take it from me this town should be on your bucket list.  Why Alpine...................The Brewery...............www.bigbendbrewing.com/brewery The Big Bend Brewing Company was established in Alpine in 2012 and it is well worth a visit; in fact, it was our first stop as we settled into town. It is situated just on the outskirts of town and has a tap room. We were greeted by friendly bar staff and introduced to some pretty good beers. I loved the light, pilsner, Tejas and Gene tried a pretty strong darker beer. We both agreed the beer was solid and the choices extensive. The atmosphere is casual, and we pulled up a seat on a wooden bench and met some of the locals. |
