2022 wrap up

It is easy to get lost in the day to day grind, but looking back on 2022 as whole makes me realize what an amazing year it has been. We have once again been fortunate enough to travel to some amazing places, some new, and some more familiar. We have seen gorgeous scenery, and have ate some amazing food along the way. We have camped, Airbnb-ed, adults only resorts, and luxury hotels. We took a trip to Texas hill country just the two of us, met family high in the San Juan mountains of Colorado, and went with some dear friends to Rocky Mountain National Park.

2022s best places we stayed in no particular order…

  • The Imogene Hotel, Ouray Colorado. The Imogene is located on downtown Main Street, within walking distance of bars, restaurants, and shopping. We stayed in the mountain queen room and it was spectacular. https://theimogene.com
  • Stonebrook resort, Estes Park Colorado. Stonebrook resort is adults only located on Fall River just outside of downtown Estes Park. We stayed in cabin 15, a two bedroom cabin with kitchen, fireplace, and private hot tub. https://www.stonebrookresort.com
  • Agave nest cottage, Fredericksburg Texas. We found the Agave Nest cabin on Airbnb. It was one block off of Main Street, it was quaint, had a kitchenette, one bedroom with a bonus sitting area.
  • Loews Hotel, Kansas City Missouri. We visit Kansas City several times a year and have stayed at many different hotels, but none compare to the Loews. It is a luxury hotel located in the crossroads district, just blocks away from the T-mobile Center. We were lucky enough to stay there during our favorite time of year, Christmas and it was spectacular. https://www.loewshotels.com/kansas-city-hotel

2022s best meals (in no particular order)…

  • Franklin Barbecue, Austin Texas. Franklins is probably the most well Barbecue restaurant in the world, people come from all over the globe to try Franklins brisket. https://franklinbbq.com
  • Secret Stash Pizza, Crested Butte Colorado. Secret Stash is located on Elk Avenue in the heart of Crested Butte. It is one of the more popular restaurants in town so the wait can be long, but it is worth it. http://www.secretstash.com
  • Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ, Austin Texas. We were at Valentina’s for breakfast and it was amazing. If I had to choose a last meal the breakfast taco I had that morning at Valentina’s would be on the menu. https://www.valentinastexmexbbq.com
  • Coffee on the Rocks, Estes Park Colorado. Coffee on the Rocks is a top notch spot to grab a cup of coffee, but what makes special is the ambiance. Get your coffee, head to the pond, feed the ducks, watch the elk, and enjoy the mountain surrounding. https://coffeeontherocks.co/?fbclid=IwAR3xzK_Zm4yrbFVmJOFOXt1XJnR0QY7c4rcaZ9cquFRHGsxE1AC-qWFH6Lg
  • Hitchin’ Post Steakhouse, Fredericksburg Texas. After a day of wine tasting the steak fingers at the Hitchin’ post really hit the spot for dinner. https://www.hitchinpoststeakhousefbg.com

There are many things to look forward to in 2023 and some planning has already begun. A trip to three national parks has been booked. A few shorter trips to Kansas City are on the calendar. A fall winter trip is currently being discussed, but of all I want to enjoy the day to day. I want be more consistent with posting blogs, cook more, make more videos, focus on a healthier lifestyle, be more present everyday and not get lost in the daily grind of work. I hope everyone makes 2023 a year to remember.

Texas Hill Country

Texas Hill Country is located in central/south Texas. Major spots include San Marcos, New Braunfels, Wimberly, Luckenbach, and Fredericksburg to name a few. In Fredericksburg you will find, shopping, restaurants, breweries, live music, and wineries by the dozen. Texas hill country has over 100 different wineries, with over 50 of them located in the Fredericksburg area.

Be ready for day drinking

Fredericksburg is rich with small town charm. Main street is mixed with old charm, restaurants, upscale shopping, and little dives to grab a drink and hear a local musician sing. Also it is the clear the financial investments that have been made in the wineries and breweries around town. I was amazed at what has been done around this small central Texas town.

For our three day stay the wife found the perfect little Airbnb right off of Main Street. It was a short walk to all of what Fredericksburg’s downtown had to offer. Which meant day drinking wasn’t a problem. No driving, and a short walk to take an afternoon nap lol.

The decor of this cottage perfectly matched the feel of Fredericksburg, old charm with an upscale feel. This is offered by Agave Cottages, who is a super host on Airbnb and was around $150 a night when we visited at the end of March. There are so many unique and funky places to stay in and around Fredericksburg it can be overwhelming. Planning what activities and where they are located can help you narrow down where you might want to stay. Luckily for me my wife is amazing at planning, so I leave these details up to her and she always does an amazing job.

The Texas sun and day drinking looks good on her.

The highlight of our vineyard stops for me was our tour at Slate Theory Vineyard. It’s a chic facility that offered amazing Texas wines. Touring the facility and listening to the staff talk about their history and plans for the future made you feel their passion for what they were doing. I have always admired people that are passionate about their crafts, whether be a wine maker, furniture builder, finance person, artist, or anyone in-between. The enthusiasm at Slate Theory is portrayed in their wines. We loaded up more than one bottle before we left.

Selecting what vineyards you are going to visit is a tall task in Fredericksburg, with so many in the area you might want to check into tours that have predetermined stops. It will take some the stress of selecting vineyards, and finding a sober driver away. Agave Cottages offered a tour you could book through them. I will warn you bachelorette parties are everywhere you look around town, and be prepared to wait for a table at dinner time. The restaurants are usually small on the inside and that leads to longer wait times. Don’t wait until you are starving to get something to eat.

This short trip to Fredericksburg was perfect. The temps in late march were more favorable than when summer sets in in Texas. The sun shined bright in the Texas sky, and the wine was flowed everywhere you looked. From where I am located in south-central Kansas it is about a 9 hour drive. To be transported to such a devoted wine scene that close to home was astonishing. I have never been to Napa Valley, but the feel has to be similar. I am not a wine connoisseur I just enjoy seeing people live out there passions. Keep it up Texas hill country we will be back. For me it is a trip I would make a long weekend out of. Wine country isn’t enough for me to make a destination out of, it is more of a stop along the way of what else Texas has to offer.

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