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9 Must-see Texas Hill Country Holiday Light Trails

December 4, 2018 by Joleen Jernigan 4 Comments

Bastrop is aglow with the warmth and twinkly lights of the season (Credit: Colin Guerra)

Shine on, you beautiful diamond! From now through the end of the season, festive holiday light trails adorn Texas Hill Country, and we’ve discovered the best and brightest dazzlers around.

We adore Trail of Lights at Zilker Park, but this article goes above and beyond for my kind of people who are truly extra in their love of shiny objects. I’m eternally beguiled by the night and mesmerized by shiny objects, so I’m way into the holiday light trail scene.

These aren’t your subtle, modest light displays, but rather full-on Clark Griswold affairs. If you crave holiday glitz and are up for a quick road trip, then these nine Hill Country destinations will satisfy your quest to shine on.
[Read more…]

Take an Unforgettable Texas Road Trip to Visit San Saba

April 18, 2018 by Samantha Saenz Leave a Comment

I was told by a local that if you open your heart to San Saba, the little town will wrap its ever-loving arms around you in a tight embrace. For the 48 hours I spent there, that’s precisely what I experienced. I knew no stranger, and no stranger knew me. As I headed back to Austin, I knew I’d just had one of the best Texas weekends of my life.

The rustic town of San Saba is located at the corner of 190 and 16 along the San Saba River, one-and-a-half hours northwest of Austin. There are only two traffic lights to direct the nearly 3,100 people who call San Saba home: the big light and the light at the school. [Read more…]

Roll Out the Barrel: Notable Texas Wineries Worth Visiting

March 23, 2018 by Samantha Saenz Leave a Comment

Wine tasting in the Perissos vineyard
(Credit: Matt McGinnis)

When I sent in my RSVP for the annual Roll Out the Barrel event, I was signing up for three winery visits in one day. Although I wasn’t exactly sure what I was getting into, certified sommelier Matt McGinnis clued me in. Roll Out the Barrel is a Texas take on the time-honored tradition of hosting en primeur tastings of newly available wine for journalists and wine professionals, traditionally held in Bordeaux each spring.

Although far from France, Texas Hill Country is definitely becoming known for wine. Thanks to my intimate, first-hand experience during Rolling Out the Barrel, I now have a better understanding of why. Here’s what I learned from three day-trip-worthy Texas wineries.

Thank you to the vineyards featured in this article for allowing me to attend Roll Out the Barrel at no charge. All opinions are my own. [Read more…]

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