Garner State Park - A Family Tradition

We are preparing for our annual multi-family camping trip — a trek down to Garner State Park near Uvalde on the Frio River. This year marks our 11th journey. The trip includes anywhere from 5 - 10 families, depending on the year, and it has become a honored family tradition, deeply ingrained in all who go.

On our group hike, we hike up to the top of the “summit” and stop for the breathtaking view, which with this group, is usually not reached in silence, but celebrated with enthusiasm. With the beauty of nature around us, we all find a new rock to place on the growing rock pile and prick a cactus to get the red dye to mark their rock with initials. Families clamor up on rock piles to pose for that potential Christmas card shot.

As we prepare for another year of fun, hiking, talent shows and family and friends catching up, we eagerly respond to each other with lots of emails of what we will eat, drink and bring for our traditional blind taste test and our traditional cook-off.

To hear the children comment on how they too will bring their children to enjoy and create their own "family tradition" makes this trip the best memory maker of any of our traditions!

Wineries Make the grade in Texas

Who would ever have thought that Texas Hill Country Wineries would ever make the top 5 ranking much less number 2 in the ranking for growth in wine tourism!

Orbitz just released their Top 10 Wine Travel destinations:

1. Napa Valley, Calif.
2. Texas Hill Country
3. Arkansas Wine Country
4. Puget Sound, WA
5. Columbia Cascades &
North Central Washington
6. Grand RIver Valley, Ohio
7. Nashville, Tenn./Bloomington, Ind.
8. Applegate/Rogue Valley, Oregon
9. Lake Erie Region, Ohio
10. Kalamazoo, Mich