Sam surprised me with a weekend in the Hill country and we found two places I just had to share with you. The first was our lodging: Juniper Hills Farms.
This place is amazing. We stayed in Casita Verde and everywhere you turn there is something sublimely beautiful to see and discover. These folks have thought of everything. They deliver homemade baked goods each morning, and the cabin is stocked with homemade granola, farm milk, and delicious orange juice. They taught a cooking class Saturday afternoon and invited us to join the class for dinner Saturday evening. Later that evening we built a fire in the fire pit and made smores (they actually sell smores kits – how cool is that?!).
Steeped in history, the farm has a small herd of donkeys, two beautiful rescue Greyhounds, and a handsome tabby named Jordan. The neighboring farms have goats and turkeys. The views at sunrise and sunset are stunning and there are plenty of outdoor spots in which to commune with nature and enjoy delicious coffee. You might even find an Indian arrowhead on this historic ground.
Sunday we alternated between laying out by the pool, lounging in the hammock, and baking in the Sauna. We could have played bocce ball, but we were too lazy. A few days here will definitely leave you feeling refreshed and renewed!
The other place we found is The Wild West Store, located at 13709 Ranch Road 12 in Olde Town Plaza in Wimberley, TX. The signs outside said “500 pairs of boots on sale” and “The Boot Whisperer is in”. Since my husband has been shopping for boots for over a year now with no luck (we’ve looked in The Stockyards, El Paso, and a couple of joints in Arizona) we were compelled to check it out. We walked into Ms. Ulli Johnston’s store and BAM, like a magician, she looks at Sam’s feet then pulls a pair of PERFECTLY fitting boots off the shelf for him. A pair of gorgeous Nocona’s from the 1980’s…superb quality, very slightly used…only $200.
She did the same for me, she doesn’t need a shoe sizer because of her supernatural gift, then pulled a single pair of spectacular, red lizard boots from the 1970’s for me. These are definitely showgirl boots and exactly what I have been looking for. The previous owner of these boots said they didn’t fit her, which is why she brought them to “The Boot Whisperer” to trade them in for a pair that she could wear. Ms. Johnston says she is able to “nail it” for customers about 70% of the time. Truly amazing and a very fun shopping experience.
