The 40 mile Apache Trail Scenic Drive that winds right through the Superstition Mountains sounded like a great way to spend the day. Ernie, our 2013 SUV Chevy Equinox was certainly up for the challenge. With his low, sporty front spoiler I was a bit worried but the unpaved section of the road was not a problem for Ernie. This being said, the narrow and rugged route requires attention while driving but offers endlessly unique views.

 

 

From Gold Canyon, which is just east of Phoenix, the drive starts in Apache Junction. The Superstition Mountains offer a rugged backdrop as you start heading out. Yes, they are ruggedly beautiful but that ruggedness is also what made them so hard for early travelers to navigate throughout history. I am happy to report that we didn’t really get lost on the drive, except maybe in the beauty of the backcountry.

 

 

During the 19th century, the main route through the mountains was a path carved by the Apaches– later adopted by stagecoach travelers—hence the name, the Apache Trail. It’s still one of the best ways to drive through the Superstitions and a whole lot safer I imagine now in a car than it was then. This trail is a modern driver’s dream and a big rig RV driver’s nightmare with hairpin turns, sweeping curves but loaded with stunning new views around every corner. Seriously, I can’t imagine bringing the Road House back on this wilderness road. The trail was turned into a road in the 1930s to support the development of dams along the Salt River with Theodore Roosevelt Dam being the big boy.

We thought about bringing Bentley except he isn’t a big fan of windy, hairpin turns but he sure would have loved to swim in Apache Lake.

 

 

There is a lot to explore along the way, mining history, ghost towns, three lakes and the amazing Roosevelt Dam. All this plus the natural beauty of the Superstition Mountains and the Tonto National Forest make for a great day of driving.

The Goldfield Mine and Superstition Mountain Museum are the first stop just outside Apache Junction. The museum offers exhibits that educate folks about the rich history of Arizona, starting with the story of the Apaches. The area is known for lore about lost mines and ghost towns. The museum may spark your interest about these mysteries but I am always a bit suspect of a museum that offers an Elvis Memorial Chapel along with a 20-stamp ore crusher. But who am I to judge, maybe some folks want to get married and host a reception at a museum with Arizona history and an Elvis Chapel!!

Speaking of suspect, the Goldfield Ghost Town is supposedly home to an authentic gold mine and the town that once boomed before it died out when the mine dried up. Guessing the original mining town didn’t have a zip line but they do now along with live gunfight reenactments, a Saloon now a  restaurant, horseback rides and a narrow gauge railroad you can ride. Best I can tell there isn’t much left of the town itself that prospered there from 1892-1898. The current owners have done a good job of rebuilding the town so you do get the flavor of being in a old west town…okay, a really commercialized old west town!

One thing this area is rich with is history and natural beauty. The Lost Dutchman State Park is a great destination by itself for hiking, camping or picnicking. In the 1840s, the Peralta family of Mexico discovered gold near Apache Junction and continuously made trips to bring it back to Mexico. As the story goes, the family was ambushed by Apaches while on a gold expedition, leaving all but one or two family members left for dead. Decades later, Jacob Waltz, aka “the Dutchman,” was said to have found the mine, and hid gold in the Superstitions. When he died, he took the location of the mine to his grave.

 

 

The park is obviously named after the local lore around the Lost Dutchman and should you be curious about the tales of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine or just want to take in some of the most gorgeous sections of the Superstitious Mountains, Lost Dutchman State Park will deliver. You can RV or tent camp in the park which is right at the base of those beautiful red cliffs. Better yet, spend an afternoon hiking and biking through the rugged trails that lead to Tonto State Forest. The park really is worth a day trip by itself  even if you don’t camp.

But getting back to the scenic drive…the next place you will get to ogle is Canyon Lake. The great thing about this drive is that is gives you a good overview of some places you might want to come back and spend more time. Canyon Lake is one of four lakes created by Salt River dams (the others are Roosevelt Lake, Apache Lake and Saguaro Lake) and is strikingly beautiful.

 

 

The lake offers scenic red canyons with calm water that beckons you to boat, ski, fish, or just take it all in. There is also a campground and the Lakeside Restaurant & Cantina. We have done some hiking in this area and always hope to see some of the local bighorn sheep perched atop the canyon!

 

 

The next stop and the end of the paved road is at Tortilla Flat which was originally a stage coach stop and later a simple freight camp which supported the building of the dams. Tortilla Flat is Arizona’s smallest community – population 6 and still has a post office as well as a voters precinct. Like Goldfields, there is a bit of touristy vibe with a saloon, a mercantile and their own website but hey those 6 hardy peeps have to make a living too!

 

 

Once the pavement ends so do all the tourist traps and now all you see is natural beauty for the next 40 miles. Granted the road is washboard with hairpins turns but this is some beautiful backcountry.

 

 

 

 

Back on the pavement again, we stopped to gawk at the massive Theodore Roosevelt Dam. It was originally constructed between 1905 and 1911 to control the erratic flow of the Salt River and to harness the water for irrigation. The dam turned the Arizona desert into land that could be farmed and was one of four dams constructed along the Salt River.

 

 

Theodore Roosevelt Dam is unique in the way it was originally constructed as it was the world’s largest “cyclopean-masonry” dam, a Greco-Roman style of building that uses huge, irregular blocks. These massive blocks were cut out of the surrounding hills…can’t imagine how they were hoisted up over three hundred feet. The dam was later modified in 1996 and is covered by new concrete and stands 357 feet tall. The modifications expanded the lake’s storage capacity by 20 percent — enough for 1 million more people. Phoenix metro is over 4.5 million people and growing so the water and hydropower are vitally important resources.

 

 

 

By now we had worked up an appetite so we made a lunch stop in Globe at Nerdburger…great homemade burgers in a funky diner. The town of Globe relies on the mining industry which is still alive and well in this area of Arizona.

 

 

 

The total loop drive from Gold Canyon RV Resort was about 127 miles and my only disappointment was the overcast skies which don’t make for the best photography. Hmmm, maybe I just have to go back on a sunny day!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Continue reading →

We have been on the go the last since we arrived in Gold Canyon Arizona on March 2nd so I haven’t really had time to sit down to write a blog post. My bad…but I will try to redeem myself.

Dinners out with friends, happy hour get togethers, cooking dinner for friends, playing pickle ball, hiking in the Superstition Mountains, concerts and having friends visit from out of town have filled our days to capacity. No complaints from these two retired people but looking forward to a few sleep-in days!!!

The Handlebar Pub and Grill in Apache Junction, know as AJ by the locals is one of those places you might just drive by and not notice. If you do notice it, you might still just drive by because it doesn’t look like much from the road.

 

 

The inside is a bit dive bar-ish in a good way but the outdoor patio is the place to be. Live music most nights…actually good live music and a great selection of beer on tap. This place isn’t going to win any James Beard Awards but the food is good and the Green Chili Cheeseburger is one of my favorite things on the menu.

 

 

We decided this is the place to go when you roll into town and need something simple and easy that is prepared by someone else – no dishes to do afterwards either!!! Seems we are not the only ones who like the Handlebar as it is full with a waiting list almost every night.

We have gone on several hikes the last two weeks. The hiking options in the Superstition Mountain Wilderness which are just out our back door in Gold Canyon are abundant. Many people think that Arizona is a big, flat desert but that is so WRONG!!! The Superstitions are one of many mountain ranges and the elevation reaches up to 6,266 ft in the Supes’.

 

 

One of our favorite hikes is the Garden Valley Loop Trail which takes you through really interesting varied terrain on the 5.6 mile hike. On a wetter year (not this year) there is water in the creeks around the canyon making it a great place to stop for lunch and to bird watch. It is really a beautiful hike, lots of variety with canyons, vistas, creeks and mesas so we wanted to share it with our Portland friends Dave and Tanya during their recent visit.

 

 

 

 

Garden Valley was farmed by a small group of Hohokams probably some one thousand years ago when the climatic conditions were more favorable. It was cool to stand on the knoll above the valley where the old Indian grinding pots are still visible and imagine how their community worked and lived.

 

 

 

I did some research online about the Garden Valley area and found Tom Kollenborn’s great website that chronicles the history of the Superstition Mountains. It is thought that this large valley floor had more than 200 acres of usable farm land when there was a sufficient supply of water. Today mesquite and chain cholla have become the primary vegetation because the cattle growers over-grazed this area for the past century. The indian ruins and the cattle ranching may be long gone in Garden Valley but the history of its occupation can be traced back for centuries.

 

 

The Hohokam people lived around the Mesa area of Central Arizona for almost 1,500 years. They appeared around 1 CE and disappeared about 1450. Their agricultural society flourished around the middle Gila River and Salt River. These sources allowed them to farm beans, squash, corn, and cotton. The Hohokam were skilled agrarian’s, managing the soil to replace lost nutrients. Additional food came from extensive gathering of wild plants, dry farming agave, and hunting deer and small animals.

At one time a ruin was located in the center of the valley. This structure probably housed twenty-five to thirty individuals, while small caves on the fringe of the valley contained other families. Prior to 1930, the valley floor was literally covered with stone tools used by the ancient inhabitants who cultivated this special parcel of land.

 

 

The Apaches and Yavapais probably moved into these rugged mountains around 1500 A.D. The Apaches and Yavapais both constructed temporary rancherias or farmsteads in locations such as Garden Valley, Frog Tanks, Dismal Valley, Rock Tanks, Reavis Valley, along Tortilla Creek and many of the tributaries draining into the Salt River.

 

 

According to Tom Kollenborn’s website, in November of 1931, the Arizona Republican co-sponsored an archaeological expedition led by the City of Phoenix archaeologist Odds Halseth. The expedition selectively collected surface artifacts and documented their location before removal. The members of the archaeological expedition made a cursory inventory of surface artifacts they did not collect. Several hundred lithics were inventoried on the surface, recorded, and left in place. The lithics of Garden Valley were primarily indicative of the Hohokam culture.

 

 

Unfortunately, none of these lithics remain on the floor of Garden Valley today. They all have been taken by collectors over the years, however we did see pottery shards as well as the ancient grinding pots.

 

 

Past Garden Valley is an abandoned corral and trail going up the other side of the canyon which are part of a cattle ranch that was once there. It’s hard for me to imagine that there was enough grazing for the cattle in this rocky canyons.

 

 

 

 

We all enjoyed this 5.2 mile hike and felt no remorse eating a big meal later that evening with our Oregon/Washington friends. I made a killer Baked Chorizo Bean Dip for the appetizer and not a morsel was left.

 

 

 

Boyce Arboretum was also on our list of places to take our Portland friends Dave and Tanya. I wrote about the Arboretum after our visit last year and knew they would enjoy the birding opportunities there as well as the great walking/hiking paths through the 392 acre property. The hummingbirds were abundant, Black Chinned, Rufous, Annas and my new favorite – the Broadbill Hummingbird.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is just a small sampling of our last two weeks but I think you get the gist…go, go, go!

 

Our time here at the Outdoor Resort in Palm Springs has drawn to a close. Three and a half months has flown by and we have had a great winter so far.

Great weather, making new friends and having old friends visit have been the highlights of our stay here. The weather has been absolutely beautiful and it is great to be so active, hiking, biking and our new passion – pickle ball!

Getting the Road House ready to roll takes the better part of a day. Seems we have collected a few new things along the way but thankfully we have lots of storage under the coach. Wally does most of the outside packing while I concentrate on the indoor chores. In this post, you will get to see all the prep Wally does to get us ready to roll.

 

 

Bikes go on the rack that is attached to the hitch on the back of the coach. The traegar smoker/grill legs fold under and it is stored under the coach. The teak bistro table and chairs fold up nicely and also fit into one of the three large compartments under the coach on the drivers side.

 

 

The outdoor rug is usually the biggest pain in the buttosky. It does a great job of collecting dirt and sand so we usually blow it off with our battery powered leaf blower, then fold it up and store it in a canvas bag. Again, it fits under the coach in on of the three big compartments on the passenger side. The trick to all this packing is to remember where the heck it all came from and then try to repack it all the same way.

 

 

Well, we did acquire a few things here in Palm Springs …the outdoor fire pit with a 10 gallon propane tank, a small side table and two doggie fencing panels. Hey, we needed that stuff so don’t get all judgy on me!

 

 

After Wally gets everything stowed, he takes off the UV window screens that cover the windshield and side door, then he cleans the windshield and applies rainex. A clean windshield makes the driver a happy man! He also has to retract all of our awnings and make sure they are locked. Yes, we had one of them come loose last year and of course it was the big awning on the drivers side slide out. Lucky for us, there was no damage.

 

 

The best is left for last…dumping the black tank and running the cleaning genie which automatically washes down the inside of the black tank.  Wally then has to wash and stow the gray/black water sewer hose. It’s really not that bad as fresh water is run through the sewer line prior to disconnecting and stowing it. Trust me on this one, the hose always goes back in the same compartment and nope, NOT my job!!!!

 

 

Wally usually disconnects the water and sewer the night before we roll but leaves us plugged into power. This makes his departure morning go faster and cleaner. He partially fills our fresh water tank so we have shower water the next morning. Isn’t he a smartie!!

There is still chore of getting the tow bar for Ernie ready but we (yes, I am helping on this one) will connect the car and the braking system in the morning after we pull out of our site.

Ta-Da, that is mostly it for pre-departure chores. In the morning, we will both re-check our task lists and hopefully be rolling for Arizona around 8 am.

Oh wait, there is one last chore to be done…..

 

Yes, the spice Paprika is quite wonderful, especially the sweet smoked version but what I am in love with right now is the recipe app Paprika 3. Being an avid home cook and past personal chef, I have collected recipes for years, created recipes and shared recipes with friends. My recipes were stored too many ways, paper copies, photos and several places online. Most of my favorites resided online in an email folder which had made them easy to access in the past but if the wireless connection was not good (or non-existent on the boat) there were issues retrieving recipes. Not to mention they were in no particular order so it was often frustrating to find recipes or remember what recipies I have. Additionally, this archaic system was really hogging a lot of my precious iCloud storage.

 

 

I finally decided that it was time to find an app to migrate my recipes to, so after copious amounts of research I purchased Paprika 3. Within a few minutes I was off and running…downloading recipes via their browser and reloading recipes that I had saved in my email folder. I wish there had been an easier way to mass import my existing recipes but alas there was not. The good news is that it just took a few keystrokes for each one and voila my recipes were in Paprika. I would estimate it took me about 4 hours to get all 300 plus recipes migrated. Yes, a bit of an investment of time but think of it as a hiatus from the book you might be reading or from watching mindless TV!

 

 

The other function in Paprika that is awesome-sauce is the shopping list. Simply pull up the recipe and touch the shopping basket icon and the ingredients are brought into the shopping basket where you can check off the ones you already have on hand. Then hit add for the remaining items…TaDa…now you have a shopping list!! Need some paper towel or dishwashing soap too? Yes, you can easily add these to your shopping list which will organize your items. This well organized shopping list makes it easy to breeze through the store. LOVE this function. The list is easy to access from the app on my iPhone and I can delete or flag items as I shop.

 

 

You can also create a menu plan for the week, then create your shopping list and off you go to the store. Creating a menu plan certainly can make your week easier from a cooking perspective and really cuts down on impulse shopping.

If you are really feeling tricky, create a pantry of all the things you already have on hand and then add the things from your shopping list. I haven’t used this function yet but definitely will on the boat as it is hard to remember what is in the bottom of the under counter pantry or stashed under the bed.

I really needed this app during the holidays when I was cooking multi-course dinners as Paprika allows you to pin recipes. Pinning recipes makes it a easier to juggle between several different recipies. Open up a recipe and tap the pin icon in the bottom left. Once you have a few recipes pinned, tap that same pin icon to bounce between them. Paprika will remember any ingredients you’ve crossed off and the directions you have highlighted so you don’t lose your place.

 

 

Scaling recipes is another handy function that the app has and is really great when you are trying to feed a crowd but the recipe is scaled for 4 people.

 

 

Overall, the $4.99 investment for the Paprika App was well worth it. I have been using the app now for about 8 weeks and still love it. Just today I created a one week meal plan, a shopping list and went off to the store knowing exactly what I needed to purchase – SWEET!!!

 

Instant Pot

 

 

Some place are simply hard to capture through the lens of a camera but Joshua Tree National Park has got to be one of the most photogenic place we have been this winter. I am a very amateur photographer so you can bet I was thrilled when I started viewing the beautiful park iPhone pictures on a larger iPad screen later. Joshua Tree was good to me for sure.

 

 

Not only is the park a beautiful place to photograph, the hiking is great too. It has been over 20 years since we had visited Joshua Tree so we spent the day getting reacquainted.

 

 

With two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado, Joshua Tree National Park has a fascinating variety of plants and animals who make their homes in a land sculpted by strong winds and occasional torrents of rain. The risk taker side of me is really jonesing to be in the desert when a major torrential downpour happens. Not so crazy as to want to be hiking in a slot canyon but perhaps somewhere high enough to safely watch all hell break loose!

The park website has some great info on safely visiting the park (okay, no info on where the best place is to watch a flash flood) as the weather can be extreme and there is no cell service inside the park. “Remember, your safety is your responsibility”. Hmm, was that directed at me specifically???

 

Dark night skies and the surreal geologic features make Joshua Tree a popular place to camp. With 792,510 acres, four visitors and nine campgrounds there are days of exploration to be had. We did some recon for sites large enough for the Roadhouse but like most national parks, big rigs like ours have a harder time finding a site that will accommodate length beyond 35 feet.

 

 

 

There are also many great picnic areas scattered all around this section of the park. We found a great lunch spot at one of the picnic areas near Jumbo Rocks.

 

 

We spent most of our day in the northwest section of the park doing short hikes and taking in all the natural beauty. We started the day by driving from Palm Springs to the Cottonwood Visitors Center. From there we worked our way up to Keys View stopping at the Cholla Gardens and a few other areas along the way.

 

 

 

 

 

Barker Dam is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the 1.3 mike hike was my favorite of the day.  The area is just stunning and the water there made it feel like a real oasis in the desert.

 

 

The dam was originally constructed by the Barker and Shay cattle company in 1902 and was added to several times by William “Bill” Keys, a homesteader and local legend. The dam serves as a tangible reminder of the tenacity and ingenuity of homesteaders struggling to survive in the extreme deserts of the American Southwest. Rusted metal pipes scavenged from abandoned mines protrude from the top of the masonry and concrete dam that catches and holds seasonal precipitation. No springs exist in the area, so catchments such as Barker Dam were vitally important for ranchers and homesteaders trying to settle the desert.

Sadly, this historical dam has suffered serious vandalism and in 2015 the area around the dam was closed off to the public. REALLY, what the hell is wrong with people – when I read about things like this happening in such areas of beauty I really lose faith in humans. We are fast becoming a failed species.

 

 

Thankfully, the NPS partnered with the University of New Mexico who helped the Joshua Tree National Park develop a method of mitigating the scratched graffiti at Barker Dam.  The year and a half partnership culminated with a weeklong project where architectural conservators from the University of New Mexico volunteered their skills to effectively cover the visual impacts of scratched graffiti from the entire surface of the dam. Okay, my faith in humans is slightly restored!

 

 

Bill Keys and the Desert Queen Ranch are quite a story. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time for the tour but it is on my list of things to do when we make another visit to the park. So, I promise a follow up to this at a later date!

Unlike the many rolling hills of sand found at other parts of Joshua Tree, Hidden Valley is composed mostly of large boulders and countless rock making it one of the most popular destinations in the park for rock climbers. That, and the fact that there is a campground just across the road with just nine super cool sites tucked back in the big boulders make this a popular place. So listen up avid campers, if you haven’t camped at Joshua Tree National Park, you should put it on your bucket list.

 

 

No climbing for us, instead we stuck to the trail and enjoyed the short walking/hiking trail around Hidden Valley. I can see why climbers love this area – the massive rocks ringing part of the valley are just spectacular. For non-climbers, Hidden Valley is one of the easiest trails in the park, despite the difficulty of rock climbing here. You can take in the rocks scaling to 4,200 feet at their highest point and the climbers climbing on them, all while hiking a loop trail that is just over a mile.

 

 

Hidden Valley has some interesting history too. Back in the 1870s a pair of brothers, Bill and Jim McHaney and their band of cowboys known as the McHaney Gang were known for stealing cattle and horses and hiding them between the rocks at Hidden Valley. They rebranded the cattle there, with 55-acres to do so. At the time, the herds had abundant amounts of grass to feed on, as it covered most of the valley’s floor.

After the herds were rebranded, they were sold off in other states. At one time a successful business, by the end of the 19th century, many cattlemen and miners had moved into the region and quickly it became too risky a business.

Our day in Joshua Tree came to an end all too soon and as dusk descended on the park, it was time to head back to Palm Springs. Good thing it is such an easy day trip from the Palm Springs area because we need several more days to explore the many parts of the park we didn’t get to.

 

 

 

 

 

Texas and History, Texas and BBQ, those connections no one questions but Texas and Wine? Does that seem like an oxymoron? Well, it sure did to me. I had only tasted one Texas wine with mixed reviews so I wasn’t expecting much when we went wine tasting near Fredericksburg. Of course, I did a ton of research prior to and learned some interesting factoids about the Texas wine industry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did Ya Know…that Texas is the fifth largest wine producing region in the US?

Did Ya Know… Texas currently has over 350 bonded commercial wineries?

Did Ya Know… Wine production in Texas continues to grow each year with over 1.5 million gallons produced in 2014?

Did Ya Know… There are eight American Viticultural Areas in Texas?

Good grief, I could go on and on as there are some truly interesting things to read about Texas wine history. But I won’t, so check out the link to Wikipedia should you want to dive in further. Just a word of advice, this history goes particularly well with a glass of wine so get out your wine opener!!!

When I wrote earlier about Texas BBQ and history, I told ya’ll this would all tie together – right?? Well, Napa and Sonoma may be more famous for wine, but Texas Hill Country has one key thing they don’t… amazing smoked meats – BBQ to be precise. Couple that with all the historical happenings in Texas and wine and you have a winning trifecta.

With only a week to explore Texas Hill Country, we chose to hit our winning trifecta in and around Fredericksburg. We could have literally spent a week in Fredericksburg just visiting wineries but with only a day to explore we picked out three wineries to visit and taste.

Our first stop was at Becker Vineyards near Stonewall. Becker Vineyards farms 46 acres of estate fruit and owns two additional vineyards near San Angelo and Mason, Texas, totaling just over 87 acres of vines. The tasting room was huge and packed…since it was a holiday week, I think everyone was at the Fredericksburg wineries.

Becker Vineyards’ winery is a 10,000 square foot reproduction of a late 19th century German stone barn, a style prevalent in the Texas Hill Country. Since first opening in 1996, two winery expansions have taken place to accommodate 74 tanks and over 2000 barrels. They also boast state of the art Italian designed bottling equipment, processing 55 bottles per minute.

 

 

The tasting offering were extensive and expensive at $20 per person for 6 tastings but you do get to keep the Riedel wine glass. Many of the wines we tasted were single varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay but also included blends of grapes grown at their three different vineyards. One of my favorites was the 2015 Roussanne Reserve, with its deep rich flavors of pear and mild tropical fruit. The grapes for this wine come from the Bingham Vineyard in the Texas High Plains.

Pedernales Cellars was our next stop where we were warmly greeted by the tasting room crew. Seems this winery has won its share of ribbons, metals and saddles at tasting competitions. Yes, saddles…nice saddles too! I would have happily plunked my bottom in one of those pretty suede seats and ambled around the winery on a tall, lanky texas horse. Alas, that was not offered as part of the tasting experience but we still enjoyed ourselves anyway.

 

 

 

Pedernales specializes in Spanish and Rhone style wines and sources its grapes from vineyards in the Texas Hill Country and Texas High Plains – most importantly from the original estate vineyard started by the Kuhlken family in the 1990’s.

We are big fans of Rhone style wines and really enjoyed the 2015 Pedernales Texas GSM Melange. We bought a bottle to take to a blind wine tasting that we were attending back in Palm Springs. Rhone style and Texas are definitely not synonymous when I think of Texas wines so I knew it would be a fun entry.

 

 

Our last stop of the day was at Hilmy Cellars which turned out to be our favorite winery of the day. The tasting room was small, intimate and the staff were incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the wines.

 

 

The Hilmys purchased the winery property in 2006, and planted the first three-acre block of sangiovese clone vines in 2009, so this is a very young winery. The second planting of approximately two-and-a-half acres was put in the following year, and consisted of an experimental block of tempranillo, petit verdot and tannat. Ninety to ninety-five percent of the fruit for their current wines came from the Texas High Plains region, with the rest originating in the Hill Country.

Like most Texas Hill Country Winery’s, Hilmy is working with grapes that are best suited to the hot summer climate which in my humble opinion are also well suited to blending as that can often bring out the best characteristics of all the grapes.

Their white wines were my favorite and they have some more unusual varietals like albariño which is a white grape variety most prolific in Portugal & Spain. Albariño is known for it’s distinct bouquet, bright acidity, and its ability to thrive in high heat. As a result of those characteristics, it is gaining traction in Texas.

We tasted rose, white and red wines and left with a few bottles of the 2015 Persephone which is a blend of viognier and marsanne. The grapes are fermented separately in stainless steel, then married seven months prior to bottling, then aged in the bottle seven more months to further develop the bouquet. This full-bodied, well-structured yet supple wine exudes notes of fresh pineapple, melon and pear. A beautiful example of hot climate whites grown in Texas and definitely on the quality scale with similar wine from the Walla Walla wine region in Washington State.

 

 

At the end of the day, I was sure glad I had left my skepticism for Texas Wines behind and ventured out to try some Texas wine. We all really enjoyed our day tasting in Texas Hill Country and wished we had a few more days to see what else was out there!

Texas and History, Texas and BBQ, those connections no one questions but Texas and Wine? Does that seem like an oxymoron? Well, it sure did to me. I had only tasted one Texas wine with mixed reviews so I wasn’t expecting much when we went wine tasting near Fredericksburg. Of course, I did a ton of research prior to and learned some interesting factoids about the Texas wine industry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did Ya Know…that Texas is the fifth largest wine producing region in the US?

Did Ya Know… Texas currently has over 350 bonded commercial wineries?

Did Ya Know… Wine production in Texas continues to grow each year with over 1.5 million gallons produced in 2014?

Did Ya Know… There are eight American Viticultural Areas in Texas?

Good grief, I could go on and on as there are some truly interesting things to read about Texas wine history. But I won’t, so check out the link to Wikipedia should you want to dive in further. Just a word of advice, this history goes particularly well with a glass of wine so get out your wine opener!!!

When I wrote earlier about Texas BBQ and history, I told ya’ll this would all tie together – right?? Well, Napa and Sonoma may be more famous for wine, but Texas Hill Country has one key thing they don’t… amazing smoked meats – BBQ to be precise. Couple that with all the historical happenings in Texas and wine and you have a winning trifecta.

With only a week to explore Texas Hill Country, we chose to hit our winning trifecta in and around Fredericksburg. We could have literally spent a week in Fredericksburg just visiting wineries but with only a day to explore we picked out three wineries to visit and taste.

Our first stop was at Becker Vineyards near Stonewall. Becker Vineyards farms 46 acres of estate fruit and owns two additional vineyards near San Angelo and Mason, Texas, totaling just over 87 acres of vines. The tasting room was huge and packed…since it was a holiday week, I think everyone was at the Fredericksburg wineries.

Becker Vineyards’ winery is a 10,000 square foot reproduction of a late 19th century German stone barn, a style prevalent in the Texas Hill Country. Since first opening in 1996, two winery expansions have taken place to accommodate 74 tanks and over 2000 barrels. They also boast state of the art Italian designed bottling equipment, processing 55 bottles per minute.

 

 

The tasting offering were extensive and expensive at $20 per person for 6 tastings but you do get to keep the Riedel wine glass. Many of the wines we tasted were single varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay but also included blends of grapes grown at their three different vineyards. One of my favorites was the 2015 Roussanne Reserve, with its deep rich flavors of pear and mild tropical fruit. The grapes for this wine come from the Bingham Vineyard in the Texas High Plains.

Pedernales Cellars was our next stop where we were warmly greeted by the tasting room crew. Seems this winery has won its share of ribbons, metals and saddles at tasting competitions. Yes, saddles…nice saddles too! I would have happily plunked my bottom in one of those pretty suede seats and ambled around the winery on a tall, lanky texas horse. Alas, that was not offered as part of the tasting experience but we still enjoyed ourselves anyway.

 

 

 

Pedernales specializes in Spanish and Rhone style wines and sources its grapes from vineyards in the Texas Hill Country and Texas High Plains – most importantly from the original estate vineyard started by the Kuhlken family in the 1990’s.

We are big fans of Rhone style wines and really enjoyed the 2015 Pedernales Texas GSM Melange. We bought a bottle to take to a blind wine tasting that we were attending back in Palm Springs. Rhone style and Texas are definitely not synonymous when I think of Texas wines so I knew it would be a fun entry.

 

 

Our last stop of the day was at Hilmy Cellars which turned out to be our favorite winery of the day. The tasting room was small, intimate and the staff were incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the wines.

 

 

The Hilmys purchased the winery property in 2006, and planted the first three-acre block of sangiovese clone vines in 2009, so this is a very young winery. The second planting of approximately two-and-a-half acres was put in the following year, and consisted of an experimental block of tempranillo, petit verdot and tannat. Ninety to ninety-five percent of the fruit for their current wines came from the Texas High Plains region, with the rest originating in the Hill Country.

Like most Texas Hill Country Winery’s, Hilmy is working with grapes that are best suited to the hot summer climate which in my humble opinion are also well suited to blending as that can often bring out the best characteristics of all the grapes.

Their white wines were my favorite and they have some more unusual varietals like albariño which is a white grape variety most prolific in Portugal & Spain. Albariño is known for it’s distinct bouquet, bright acidity, and its ability to thrive in high heat. As a result of those characteristics, it is gaining traction in Texas.

We tasted rose, white and red wines and left with a few bottles of the 2015 Persephone which is a blend of viognier and marsanne. The grapes are fermented separately in stainless steel, then married seven months prior to bottling, then aged in the bottle seven more months to further develop the bouquet. This full-bodied, well-structured yet supple wine exudes notes of fresh pineapple, melon and pear. A beautiful example of hot climate whites grown in Texas and definitely on the quality scale with similar wine from the Walla Walla wine region in Washington State.

 

 

At the end of the day, I was sure glad I had left my skepticism for Texas Wines behind and ventured out to try some Texas wine. We all really enjoyed our day tasting in Texas Hill Country and wished we had a few more days to see what else was out there!

My last post was all about Texas BBQ which has its own unique history and believe it to not, this whole series of posts about BBQ, history and wine ties together, really I promise!!!

If you are as much of a food geek as I am, here is a great website where you can read about the history of Texas BBQ. I have added a few more recipes on the Epicurious page of side dishes that I think go great with BBQ Brisket or Ribs.

So this is the perfect segue way to talk about some of the cool historical aspects of Texas Hill Country. I am not even sure where to start as far as all the historical events that have occurred in Texas so I am just going to dive in and tell you about the things we did and saw. There is so much more to see and do so this may just whet your appetite for a trip to Texas.

 

 

Battles have been fought, heroes born, and pivotal laws passed in the Hill Country. The state’s capital hums in the northeast corner of the region, and legendary names echo throughout. It’s no wonder that this region acts as a magnet for history buffs. Personally, I wouldn’t classify myself as a history buff but more of an interested learner and avid questioner. My poor Mother can attest to my need to know…geez, I about drove her crazy with my “why does” questions.

One thing I found fascinating was the strong German influence which is still alive and well in Texas Hill Country today. Our visit to Fredericksburg helped answer some questions about why (yep, a why question) so many Germans immigrated to Texas and why Hill Country?

 

 

The downtown historical area is a charming step back in time and the city’s German heritage is on display at the Pioneer Museum, which features settlers’ homesteads and artifacts. In the nearby town square, Marktplatz, the Vereins Kirche is a replica of a 19th-century German church that once stood in the city.

 

 

German immigrants came in search of what we call the “American Dream,” but they didn’t come to America. They came to The Republic of Texas which was newly independent from Mexico, but the dream and promise of a new way of life they sought still rings true here in the US, well at least for now! The reason that these immigrants came to Texas was to start a new life away from the social and economic problems of their mother country. In the 1840s, a group of noblemen called the Verein got a land grant in the Republic of Texas that promised settlers large quantities of land, transportation across the sea to the land, a home, furnishings, utensils, farming equipment, churches, hospitals, roads, and provisions. These German-Texans came by the hundreds for a chance at this new life.

In towns like Fredericksburg, many people still speak German. One very famous Texan, Chester Nimitz, who was of German descent on both sides was born in Fredericksburg. Nimitz was an important Commander in Chief in the military during World War II. While my German heritage friend Laurie and I combed the German historical sites and yes, the retail shops, the guys visited the vast National Museum of the Pacific War featuring WWII exhibits, including a recreated combat zone.

The other cool thing I learned was that Texas BBQ, yes we are looping back now, like Texas itself, has many origins. South Texas is influenced by Mexico, especially in the barbacoa realm. German and Czech butchers built the most famous style of barbecue in Central Texas’s meat markets, and in the Hill Country they still use what they refer to as “Dutch” or “German” pits lit by coals directly under the meat.

We took a day trip to San Antonio to visit the Alamo and the Riverwalk. Best I can tell there is nothing significantly historical about the Riverwalk itself but we really enjoyed the vibe with great restaurants and killer Christmas lights! The River Walk winds and loops under bridges as two parallel sidewalks lined with restaurants and shops, connecting the major tourist draws from the Shops at Rivercenter, to the Arneson River Theatre, to Marriage Island, to La Villita, to HemisFair Park, to the Tower Life Building, to the San Antonio Museum of Art, to the Pearl and the city’s five Spanish colonial missions, which have been named a World Heritage Site.

 

 

 

 

 

The Alamo however is significant in Texas History. It is a world heritage site and has quite a brutal history so all you history buffs …this is where you start groovin!

 

 

The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna launched an assault on the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar (modern-day San Antonio, Texas, United States), killing all of the Texan defenders. Santa Anna’s cruelty during the battle inspired many Texans—both Texas settlers and adventurers from the United States—to join the Texan Army. Buoyed by a desire for revenge, the Texans defeated the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto, on April 21, 1836, ending the revolution.

The grounds at the Alamo are beautiful and so peaceful. It’s hard to imagine all the brutality that happened here. The museum inside is well worth an hour and is well done.

 

 

 

 

 

The highlight of the trip for me was our visit was to the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site near Johnson City. President Johnson created the Great Society programs which included antipoverty programs, civil rights legislation, the creation of Medicare and Medicaid, the passage of some environmental protection acts, and the creation of laws to help protect consumers. Unfortunately, some of this important legislation is being challenged by our current administration.
While many people remember him for the US’s controversial involvement in the Vietnam War, I was so impressed with his humble beginnings, his work ethic and how his struggle to getting an advanced education shaped much of the social programs we now have in place. A great example is the Head Start Program, which promotes school readiness of children under 5 from low-income families through education, health, social and other services.

 

 

President Johnson had a deep attachment for place and heritage. The LBJ Ranch was where he was born, lived, died, and was buried. After the President’s death in 1973, Mrs. Johnson continued to live at the Ranch part-time until her death in 2007.

 

 

After a stop at the Visitor’s Center, we took the guided tour of the Texas White House and then toured the rest of the Ranch at our own pace in the car, stopping at sites along the way such as the President’s birthplace, Johnson family cemetery, and the Sauer-Beckmann Farmstead. Apparently, Johnson worked long hours, slept little and felt his best when he was on the ranch  – which was often so that’s how the ranch got dubbed the Texas White House.

 

 

 

The guided ranch house tour was great as the docents were very knowledgeable and the tour size was limited to 10 people. The tour left you with a strong sense of how dedicated President and Lady Bird Johnson were to the administration, social change and leaving a historical legacy. Soon after President Johnson retired from office, the National Park Service, with funds donated by the former President, purchased the Johnson Settlement area. Four of the original buildings were still standing. Besides the cabin, they included a barn and cooler house built by James Polk Johnson, Samuel Ealy Johnson’s nephew and namesake of Johnson City.

We also really enjoyed touring the Sauer-Beckmann Farmstead which is inside the park. Another brainchild of the Johnson’s, this living history farm is presented as it was in 1918. Volunteer interpreters wear period clothing, do the farm and household chores as they were done at that time, and conduct tours for the visitors. Volunteers and park staff operate the farm, harvesting and preserving vegetables from the garden, raising livestock and feed. The smokehouse is still in use and the Victorian style house and barns are open to the public as well.

 

 

 

 

We happened to be there when the “cook” was in the cook house making lunch for the staff and volunteers, using foods raised and harvested on the farm. It was a cozy place to be that day as it was 45 degrees outside but we didn’t stay for lunch (okay, we weren’t  really invited) because we had the Salt Lick BBQ in our sights and some wineries to visit…but that is a whole other post!

 

 

 

 

 

 

BBQ, History and Wine…What a trifecta of fun. Yes, perhaps a strange combination but in Texas it just worked. I am going to break this trip into three parts because everything is bigger in Texas so there is no way to cover it all in one sitting!

 

 

Our recent road trip sans the Road House took us from Palm Springs, CA to Austin TX and back. In just over a week, we traveled over 2,500 miles round trip not counting all the day trips around Hill Country. I can tell you this for sure, it is way easier and more comfortable traveling in our RV. On the other hand, there is no way we would have done the long distance drives to get to Texas in the RV that we did in the car.

 

 

Given my ridiculous attraction to good food, let me just start by saying I ate more BBQ Brisket during our week in Texas than I did in the last few years. There was one day we had BBQ for lunch and dinner… it is just that good!!! We did have some other terrific meals so never fear there were some vegetables in my diet too.

 

 

Pork ribs, sausage, turkey, beef ribs, and pulled pork typically round out a menu, but no plate of Texas barbecue is complete without brisket. Brisket is king and how it’s cooked is considered the true measure of a pit master’s skill. If Texas had a list of barbecue commandments, Thou Shalt Order Brisket would be No. 1.

Want to get the best serving of brisket every time? Make sure you know what to ask for. Here are some pointers on how to order at any BBQ joint worth their salt…

The brisket is essentially broken down into two areas, which are most commonly referred to as the lean and the moist. This can vary regionally and even how the brisket is sliced varies, but if you say lean or moist that should make sense to any brisket slicer.

Brisket is cut from the breast section just below the chuck (there are two per carcass), and consists of two distinct areas separated by a layer of fat. The point (also called the deckle) is the richly marbled, fatty section that sits on top of the flat, the bigger, leaner bottom section.

Lean (flat, dry, bottom) – This is the typical brisket slice most people think of when it comes to brisket. These slices are typically long and skinny and have the nice ring of smoke around the edges. If done properly it should still be plenty moist, but little if any noticeable fat.

 

Moist (point, top, wet, loose) – This part of the brisket has a lot more fat marbled into the meat. Most if not all should be rendered into the meat, but you may still see some of the fat streaks in the meat. Obviously, this will be much juicier and have more flavor.

 

 

In Texas they don’t typically serve a little of both on every order but do ask what your preference is – moist or lean? Me, I am a moist girl, every dang time. Maybe it’s my southern roots?

Another good thing to know…white bread, onions, and pickles are free. Condiment stations are always loaded with quartered white onions, pickles, and cheap white bread. There might occasionally be a charge for more premium bread or fancy pickles, but the standards should definitely come for free. Oh, don’t forget the pickled jalapeños to really kick things up a notch.

Finally, thanks to exorbitant licensing fees and a complicated labyrinth of laws that govern how establishments in Texas can serve and sell alcohol, many Texas BBQ joints are BYOB. Bring a six pack or a full cooler, they won’t bat an eye!

Once we crossed the Texas border, something happened, a vortex if you will, pulling us closer to the BBQ mecca. Fort Stockton, best I can tell isn’t the mecca for anything but we had to stop for BBQ because yes, there was a BBQ joint listed on Google. Practically dying of boredom as the drive from El Paso to Fort Stockton was flat, dull and mind numbing, Dickey’s BBQ was just what we needed to breathe some life back in to all of us.

 

 

The place wasn’t much to look at from the outside, but you could smell the smoke when you stepped out of the car. Inside, it was just what a BBQ joint should look like and it smelled like delicious BBQ heaven. Granted Dickey’s is a chain but the BBQ was damn good and it gave us the will to keep driving on for another 5 hours!

 

 

 

Our next BBQ fix came the day after Christmas, after reading this quote about the Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood…I knew we had to go. According to Scott Roberts, owner of Texas’ famous Salt Lick BBQ restaurant, “The United States is the best damn country in the world, and Texas is the best damn state in the country – doesn’t that just logically mean that we would have the best damn barbecue?” Well, your damn right on all counts Scott!!!

When the Salt Lick opened in 1967, it was just a limestone pit built into the Roberts’ family land. Over the more than 50 years since then, they’ve built an entire restaurant around the original pit, adding indoor lighting, running water, and all of the other amenities necessary to a functional restaurant.

 

 

What a place… a big sprawling outdoor seating area with mega smokers billowing and cavernous indoor family style seating plus a honest the goodness BBQ pit burning away. This time I went big (it’s Texas right) and had the moist brisket with BBQ bison ribs followed by a slice of Pecan Pie. Whoa, howdy was that delicious.

 

 

Our other favorite BBQ was San Marcos BBQ. Not only was it exceptionally good food, it was so good we had lunch and brought more Q for dinner. The owner, Justin Pearson is a great guy and I really enjoyed chatting with him after lunch. Working hard and good food are two things this young man takes very seriously. His website write-up really spoke to me:

“I was born and raised in Luling, Texas, where we take two things very seriously: good BBQ and watermelon. I spent my summers working with the watermelon farmers, where I learned the value of working hard. I also worked alongside my grandfather at his restaurant, Chisolm Trail BBQ, where I learned the passion that goes into creating truly good food.

After graduating from Texas State University, I decided to bring my passion for great BBQ to the amazing city of San Marcos. That is how San Marcos BBQ and Catering came to be.

Great BBQ brings people together. It requires hard work and dedication. It allows for innovation and creativity. The mission of my restaurant is to bring joy to as many people as possible, through excellent food, friendly service, and a family atmosphere. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the smile on a customer’s face. That’s the best part of working hard and making good food.”

 

 

Many thanks to Justin and all the great BBQ Pit Master’s out there…I am definitely feeling joyful and smiling at the thought of more good brisket. Being around this much good BBQ has us wanting to up our Pit Master skills. So, we don’t actually have a BBQ pit but we do have an awesome Traeger Smoker which we use for grilling and smoking just about everything.

I have also been wanting to add a recipe section to the blog and was inspired by the work ethic of all those amazing pit master’s. So in their honor, please check out my new page  – Epicurious where you will find my favorite home BBQ brisket recipe ~ Bon Appétit.