Texas Hill Country

Sunday, February 8:  30 days in The Texas Hill Country

This is the first time we have ever tried to stay in one place for an entire 30 days, and we don't know what to expect.  Will we like our site for that long, will we like the neighbors, will we get bored?  So many unknowns.

Site 31, Peach Country RV Park, Stonewall, Texas

But lets back up.  Upon arrival, we discovered that the site we had reserved was too short for our new RV with the porch.  No problem, we were able to switch to a more desirable spot.  It wasn't long before we felt really comfortable in campground community.  A few folks from our 2 week stay last Spring remembered us.  And then, at the Valentine Campground dinner I won the door prize.  That's a quick way to get known.  :-)  

Valentine Dinner

Soon I discovered the morning coffee club, and became a regular.  I was the only New Yorker there.  It was interesting listening to viewpoints from the Midwest members.

Two of Judy's daughters joined us for a few days.  Christl stayed with us in the RV, while Pamela opted for a nearby bed and breakfast.  We had great times with them 

Pamela with us at the Fredericksburg Brewing Company.

Shopping at the Magnolia Pearl flagship store.

Christl, Judy and Pamela.

Downtown Fredericksburg shopping.

The Texas Hill Country is one of the largest wine producing areas in the United States.  And Stonewall is located almost in the center of over 60 wineries in the nearby area.

A friend we got to know last year, Angela, works at William Chris Vineyards, and she invited us to a tasting.  And wow, did we get the first class treatment.  Thank you Angela!!

Every Monday the campground put on a potluck dinner.  Judy's contributions, including of taco soup, chili, and chicken tetrazzini were always hits.  

Another activity was the constant opportunity to appreciate was the live musical events.  Many of the wineries offered live music on weekends, and we enjoyed several Fridays enjoying a bottle of wine with friends and live country music at Texas Heritage Vineyards.

Parker and Maggie loved the attention as they lounged on the porch.

Al, our next door neighbor, always made several visits each day.

We became friends with several couples, including Tony and Deb from Wyoming, Tim and Lynda from Minnesota, and fellow Brinkley owners, Kim and Sandy from North Dakota.

So, to answer the original question about is staying in one place for a month too long;  Not one bit!  We had an amazing time.  In fact we went ahead and reserved a site next winter for 2 months.

This region of Texas is awash with wineries that cater to nearby Austin and San Antonio, especially on weekends. The Hill country has become one of the largest wine growing areas in the US and on par with California and New York. Stonewall is also the epicenter of the Texas peach industry. There is a strong German heritage in the area resulting in great German restaurants and breweries. Just a couple miles away is the President Lyndon Johnson ranch which served as his summer Whitehouse and where the family cemetery is located.

We have met some wonderful people from all over, including Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Alberta, as well as some locals. There is a very laid back small town vibe at the campground with weekly potluck dinners, morning coffee chats, and Friday Happy Hours. We have really enjoyed our time here with wine tastings (thank you Angela at William Chris Vineyards for the most amazing tasting experience ever), craft breweries, great German food, and fabulous weekly music and wine at Texas Heritage Vineyards. We can’t wait to come back next year.

Now, we reluctantly say "goodbye" to our community.   Next we are off to Houston for a week to visit Pamela and attend the Houston Rodeo.