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Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Weekend Fun

A 3h hour drive southeast and we have arrived to visit Paula Jo. Dave's #2 sister is his only sibling living in Texas so we enjoy many visits together. For me, this is extra special since I have no natural sisters. My 1 brother, to Dave's 4 siblings, is a world of difference. 
What a blessing they are in my life.
Paula continues to amaze me with her hospitality. Her knowledge, kindness and sharing attitude is a treasure. This trip she shared a sweet spot, 
Messina Hof Winery.

Sunday brunch was incredibly delicious. Dave had table side french toast-cinnamon raisin bread topped with a mascarpone cream and Angel, Late Harvest Riesling. 
Served with a flambé of banana. 
Paula and I chose the eggs benedict.





Everything was beautiful. 
The food and service was incredible


While we waited for our tour of the winery, Paula took us on a drive. We visited her old neighborhood and saw this. A young white tail doe in a beautiful field of Mexican Hats. 
Both native of Texas.


The winery tour was the best I've been on. Very informative and entertaining. Not to mention, all 4 wines we sampled were very tasty. As a novice wine drinker, I prefer sweet red. As veteran wine drinkers (would that be a wino? LOL), Dave and Paula enjoy dry. But we all found common ground on the dessert wine, called Port. 
We bought a bottle and that 
evening had the wine over 
Blue Bell vanilla ice cream. 
What A Treat!!






The rest of the weekend we enjoyed playing cards and helping Paula with her "to do list". 
 One item was fixing and getting 
her beloved bird feeder back in use. 


The weekend ended with my dentist appointment Monday morning. My least favorite thing to do. However, all went well and I will save all of that for a later post. Much Later. Maybe July.  :)

Friday, August 21, 2015

Family Vacation 2015

What a wonderful time spent with my precious family. Kids and grand-kids.
4 days at a guest ranch in Bandera Texas.
Lots of family fun.
Laughter Hugs Kisses Dancing Singing
Long walks, Long talks
 
Everything that makes my heart smile.
Love is a wonderful blessing.
 
 
 
 
 



















 

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Is this Heaven? No it's IOWA!!

I flew into Cedar Rapids Iowa and then took a little road trip. I'm a back roads kinda girl and Iowa has some pretty awesome ones. Many small towns and miles and miles of corn fields. The first thing I noticed about this beautiful state is how green everything is. Such lush fields and no irrigation. Very different from Texas crops. Even homes in town do not have sprinkler systems. Amazing.
 
 
 
I made my way to the quaint and beautiful town of Winterset. The birthplace of John Wayne. This the house he was born in. Did you know he weighed 13lbs at birth? His birth name is Marion Robert Morrison. Funny huh?



 

Just behind the house is a very nice museum that holds over $ 2 million in memorabilia. It also has a small 1940's looking movie theater that plays his movies constantly. Very nice. My favorite John Wayne movies are "Son's of Katie Elder", "North to Alaska" and "McLintock". Everybody has a favorite. What is yours? If you don't have one, go rent some, you'll love them.

Also in Winterset, "Bridges of Madison County" was filmed. There are actually 6 covered bridges in that county that were built in the 1800s.
I visited 4 of the 6. This is the first which is in their city park and is the site of many weddings.

On the town square is a great little café, called "Northside".
I stopped in for lunch and had the BEST chicken corn chowder I have every eaten.
Northside Café was also in the movie and here I am sitting where Clint Eastwood sat!
Their courthouse was renovated recently and is looking very nice.


The next bridge was my favorite and also in the movie. As in the movie, many people have left notes on the bridge. I did the same :)




Next stop - Clearfield Iowa
 
I found a windmill there!!
And a bloggy friend, Cinnamon, from
 Knights & Maidens Gathering.

Her children are very talented and such a delight.
I had a wonderful visit. We walked, talked and laughed and all to soon I had to get back on the road.



I went back through Winterset to see 2 more bridges. 

 
 

I also found a couple of nice churches along the way.


To sum it up....I LOVE IOWA.