Hill Country

We hit the road by 9am.  It was supposed to be cloudy today, with the sun coming out around noon.  Since Quinn is very concerned about getting her sun in, we agreed to do a morning tour in the hill country and get back in time to see the sun.

Bandera feels like Nisswa, MN.

Bandera, Texas is a mere 25 minutes from Kerrville.  It is a cowboy town.  Though we didn't see any horses on the road, rumor has it that you will.  Lots of pick up trucks and cowboy hats in this rugged little town.

We parked in front of our destination: a restaurant called the OST (Old Spanish Trail), which is pure Texas.  The waitstaff was sassy but polite and the patrons were all regulars.  Lots of cowboy hats or curled baseball caps.  We sat ourselves just outside the John Wayne Room.  The OST is a dirty spoon where eggs taste like eggs anywhere in America.  But they did have a couple of unique breakfast items.  I got the Bandera Omlette which has jalepenos, ground beef, and onion in it and is smothered in Chili.  Janna got the Migas (eggs, cheese, jalepenos, and crushed tortilla chips).  None of it was great, but then again, when I want a good breakfast, I stay in Minnesota and go the Original Pancake House.

Bandera Omlette

By then it was just past 10 and all the little shops had opened.  Great town to walk around in.  Lots of antique stores and general stores.  Our favorite was a leather shop owned by a former Marine - the Bucking Pony.  He welcomed us into his tiny workshop and showed us all the cool stuff he is working on.  100% custom leather work.

From Bandera we drove to Medina, which didn't offer much, so we went back to the hotel.  Quinn was getting antsy and the clouds were just starting to burn off.

Of course, there is no rush at the Y.O. Hotel to get your lounge chairs by the pool.  There is no scrambling and planning required to claim the best real estate.  For the second day in a row, not a single human being could be found anywhere near the pool.  1pm, 85 degrees, sunny and the pool area was empty.  We all hung around in the sun till 5pm before cleaning up for dinner.

1:00, 85F, mostly sunny, zero people.  Redrum?

Next stop: Fredericksburg, the grand daddy of hill country.  Only another 25 minutes away from Kerrville (in the opposite direction).  I must say, Janna did right by Kerrville.  Sure, it isn't the quaintest of the Hill Country towns, but it is in a great location - a great home base.

Jagerwurst

Our goal is simple, we want to eat in a good German restaurant.  Why German?  This part of Texas took in a lot of German immigrants and that has influenced much of their local culture, including the food.  So we hit Otto's, and boy was it good.  Jagerwurst and Schnitzel and Quail and a crispy flatbread.  This one is going to be tough to beat.  The kids loved it too.  It was a cross between food we ate in Switzerland with a Razz's in Phoenix.  For example, the schnitzel had a curry sauce and the Quail had a paprika sauce.

Curry Schnitzel

We stopped for a quick DQ before getting to bed.  This is our last night in the Y.O.  I will miss the creepy quietness.  I keep wondering if I am in some kind of reality TV show and no one is telling me.  Where are all the people?  How does the Y.O. stay in business?  What does the guy at the front desk do all day long?  Is this an episode of the Twilight Zone?

The Shining

A natural bridge from San Antonio to the Hill Country.

We checked out of our hotel in San Antonio by 10am and headed Northeast to the Natural Bridge Cave.  Juju's flight wasn't until 5:30, so we figured we had enough time to do something touristy.  After a Starbuck's breakfast on the road, we made it to the cave around 11am.  The girls got on their hiking boots or running shoes and we bought tickets to the cave walk.

Quinn smiling.

I am not going to go on and on about a cave.  I am not saying it wasn't cool - it really was.  But it is just one of those things that you can't really describe.  Maybe if I was Faulkner or Twain I could pen something in 30 pages or so.  But I ain't.  I am Jeff.  So you will just have to go to a cave yourself and see something that you don't see everyday.  All the stalagmites and stalag-whatevers.  It is so bizarre and awesome and majestic and forbidden - all wrapped into one.

We took a total of about 200 pictures between us.  It is a different world down there.

G, A, and S are up there at the top left.

The cave had a good supporting business around it.  The buildings around it all appeared to be new.  We didn't do the second cave tour - we didn't have time.  But we did do the Zip Line and the Obstacle Course - well, at least, three of the girls did (remember, Quinn is only interested in sun tanning).  Which reminds me of the trip we did when I was younger.  My mom and dad brought all five of us kids on a three week tour of Canada and California.  Jasper, Banff, Redwood Forest, etc.  It was incredible.  On that trip what I remember most about my oldest brother, William, was that he had his headphones on the entire time.  He didn't smile much and he wanted to be alone.  He was 15.  Hmmmmmm.).

Shelby

From there we drove to the airport and dropped off my mom.  Juju was fun to be with.  She is up for anything, is funny, and loves the girls.  I am a lucky son.

Off we drove North and West to the Hill Country.  Kerrville was our destination.  We made a quick stop at a grocery store for some snacks to substitute for a formal lunch.  The girls listened to music from one of their iPhones as we enjoyed the rolling hills of Texas.  We got into Kerrville at about 4pm.  The Y.O. Ranch is our home for the next two nights.  We got a great deal on a suite, which means we are all bunked in together.  This is the first time I have had all my kids in the same hotel room since they were very little.  The biggest issue?  One bathroom - five girls.

The hotel is dated and reminds me of the hotel in the Shining.  No, I have not seen any twin girls in blue dresses.  In fact, I haven't really seen anyone.  Not a single person was at the pool when we were there.  Every chair was available.  There is maybe one or two people behind the front desk in a lobby that is about the same size as the one Jack tended.  And you remember how the hotel in the Shining has a western decor?  Well, we are in Texas.

It is a cool looking place, but we are pretty much alone in this compound.

Rails.  The restaurant in an old train depot.

Panino

After some sunning by the pool (Quinn's addiction), we headed off to dinner.  Our destination tonight is an old train depot that has been turned into a foodie restaurant.  Think Pane Vino Dolce crossed with Bluebird.  Solid.  Great waitstaff and great food.  I got the Axis Burger (yes, another burger.  But I am a sucker for an out-of-place burger on a menu of mostly light Italian cuisine.  And this one is a venison burger from the Axis deer that is local to this area).  Janna got a pesto linguini with shrimp and the girls all got Paninos (which is either the plural or singular for Panini - not sure).  Dessert was very good too.  We all enjoyed cake.

As we left the restaurant, we saw something that I would have never thought you could even dream up.  A Drive Thru Liquor Store.  Yup.  Maybe they are common down here.  I have no idea.  But like they say about Texas: its like a whole 'nuther country.  Here is the photo.

Drive Thru Liquor.

Mission: Missions

We all hopped in the car around 10am this morning and headed south about 20 minutes.  Down on the San Antonio River was the Southernmost of the famous San Antonio missions, Espada.  We had already hit the Alamo and it was now time to see the rest of these historic and iconic landmarks.

Let me just say: well worth it!  What the Alamo lacks in reverence and awe, the other missions more than make up for.  They are all different.  All in different stages of (dis)repair.  All uniquely integrated into the present day San Antonio world.  For example, Espada has a tiny and active church and a working parish.  But the rest of it is just shells of ancient buildings.  San Juan has a white stuccoed church and a working parish.  San Juan has a few more intact walls and structures.  San Jose has high walls and an ornate church.  The entire walled permitter is intact, as is the ancient store house.  San Jose is simply amazing.  Because the exterior walls were actually little apartments for the Indians, there were little three feet tall cooking huts that looked like tiny igloos with smoke stacks every 40 yards or so.  You could just see this place as an active, bustling community 200 years ago.  Mission Conception was fully integrated into a San Antonio park.  Kind of like having an ancient building on one of the lawns at Lake Harriet, or, not unlike Fort Snelling.  It is hard to tell where the city, the houses, and the Mission boundaries are.  

And each church had a Sunday service underway when we visited.  And, much to our fortune, this Sunday happened to be Mariachi Sunday.  Some of the sermons were in Spanish and ALL of them had Mariachi bands playing in them.

The only Aqueduct in the entire USA helped supply water to the Missions of San Antonio.

San Antonio has such a strong Mexican presence.  It is very comforting and peaceful.  The Missions bring an element of history that is lacking in most of America.  And the Mexican, Indian, and Spanish influences bring a sense of culture.  San Antonio is unique this way.

Puerco at Rosario's.

Mission Conception is not far from Rosario's.  Finally we get to eat at this local gem and it did not disappoint.  Janna had fish and shrimp tacos.  I had the Carne de Puerco en Chile Cascabel - tasted similar to the Pork in Adobo that I loved at Cafe 28.  Janna also had the Sopa Lidas and we all shared, Albondigas, Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas and Flautas.

After that we went and sat by the pool for a while and chilled out.  My Mom had us in stitches telling us stories about family lore.  Quinn is totally consumed with not smiling and sun tanning.  She was able to do both to her hearts (dis)content.  Gillian was lost in a book.  And Shelby and Aubrey chummed it up in the pool.

Juju entertaining at the Tavern.

Dinner was at the Esquire Tavern on the River Walk.  We were looking for something other than Mexican and BBQ at this point.  The Tavern was perfect.  A small menu (which I appreciate), good food, and a quaint, dark atmosphere.  Everyone pretty much got either a burger or beef tenderloin.  All good.

A quick trip to one of the River Walk ice cream shoppes and we went to bed.  Another good day.

I must say, I will miss the River Walk.  When I come back to San Antonio, I will stay on the River Walk.  Maybe it is my childhood fascination with Pirates of the Caribbean.  I don't know.  But when I asked Aubrey what her favorite part of the trip was so far, she said: the River Walk.

Remember the Alamo, but go to Rudy's.

Sleep in.  Work out.  Yogurt.  River Walk to the Alamo.

Skipping the boring stuff.

The Alamo is worth seeing, but, for some reason, doesn't have the reverence or draw that many other historical relics have had for me.  I think of San Chapelle or St. Paul's Cathedral.  These places felt special.  The Alamo not so much.  Not sure why.

The coolest thing at the Alamo, I thought, was the 4ft by 5ft model someone built depicting the final moments of the battle.  It sits in the gift shop.  Crazy good detail with thousands of tiny figures.  I wish I had taken a picture of it because I can't find a picture online.

From there we hopped on a sight-seeing bus tour.  This was my idea.  In my experience, these are a great way to get to see and learn about a city very quickly.  I was wrong.  A total flop.  There were large chunks of the tour when the driver just turned on some country music as filler - maybe there was nothing interesting to share.  We got off twice - the first time at some brewery that they transformed into a fake place with shops and music and condos.  Whatever.  The second time we got off for good at the Mexican Market.  We didn't even finish half of the bus tour.

The Mexican Market was great.  Lots of tent vendors selling stuff.  I love the artists in any place in the world that has any history or culture.  San Antonio, like Paris, has both.  And it was fun to talk to the painters and sculptors.

Goat.  Yum.

We had intended to eat at Rosario's, but the lame bus tour threw us off, so we ate at a place called Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery that is within the Mexican Market.  Janna and I shared the Chili Rellenos and the Cabrito (goat).  Both were delicious.  The Salsa was good too.  My mom ordered the Flautas, which were fantastic.  And the bakery at Mi Tierra is worth going to even if you don't eat at the restaurant.  Overall, we made the right move by getting off the bus when we did.

From there, we walked back to the hotel, stopping briefly at some of the basic sites - including the cathedral where Bowie and Crockett are buried.

The kids wanted to go swimming, so Janna and I left them with Juju and Lulu while we peeled off to go to the Buckhorn Saloon and Texas Ranger Museum.  There I ordered a delicious Saint Arnold's Root Beer from the bar and drank it as we roamed the museum.  This museum was fun and worth the visit.  It reminded me of the Como Zoo when compared to the Minnesota Zoo.  The Como Zoo is smaller and has all the animals you would want to see at a zoo.  The Buckhorn/Texas Ranger museum had guns and history lessons and pictures and thousands of taxidermy animals.  We weren't there more than an hour, which was plenty and right.

A gentle stroll back the hotel where Janna and I joined in the pool activities for a bit.

At about 7:30 we all walked back down the River Walk to a boat tour, which we had already paid for as a part of the bus tour.  The sun was setting and we weren't quite hungry yet for dinner due to our late lunch.  The River Walk boat tour was awesome.  Quick and fun.  The guide was funny and engaging.  The River Walk was buzzing as evening settled in and it was overtaken with lights and people.

We closed out our day by driving 25 minutes out of the city center up Hwy 10 to Rudy's.  A total dive BBQ joint on the outskirts of town.  Like any good BBQ, we stood in line and ordered our food directly from the carver.  Meat was placed on butcher paper and we were given a half loaf of wonder bread.  We tried everything again.  All but the Chopped Pork was awesome.  The Brisket was tender.  The Turkey, a bit dry but tasty.  The Chicken was outstanding, as was the Sausage.  I didn't love the ribs as much.  The Pork Rib was big and strong tasting.  The Baby Backs were decent, but not as tender as I have had.  I am being picky - overall, everything was delicious and excellent.  The sides were great too, especially the creamed corn and the peach cobbler.  Yum.  

Yeah.  Eating in a gas station.  LOVE IT.

Yo Ho Yo Ho. A Pirates Life for Me...

Plane.  Rental car.  Hotel.

Skipping the boring stuff, okay?

Juju met us at the hotel.  It is always fun to see my mom.  She is great with the girls and is always up for an adventure.  And this little Texas visit is going to be just that - an adventure…with lots of food.

It didn't take us too long to dump our bags in our rooms at the Westin overlooking the Riverwalk.  We got changed into "summer clothes", as it was 94 degrees when we got off the plane!  Vitamin D feels so good.  Moisture returns to your skin the minute you hit the warm air.  Your nose opens up.  Sunglasses feel right.  There is no snow on the ground.  Why do we live in the vortex of the polar vortex?

Anyway, we had one goal - get food.  We were starving and, while there appeared to be some winning restaurants out there, we wanted to start with BBQ.  We had narrowed it down to two choices: Rudy's and The County Line.  Rudy's is rated much higher and seems more authentic.  The County Line looks the part, but is right on the River Walk and reeks of tourism.  And since Rudy's is a 20 minute drive away, and we wouldn't mind taking in the sun, heat and stretching of our legs, we decided to forgo our food-snobbery and eat on the River Walk.  To be honest, we kinda wanted to eat on the River Walk anyway.  I mean, touristy things are interesting to tourist for a reason.  And in San Antonio, you have exactly two things you MUST do (at least according to everyone I talked to).  What are they?  (c'mon.  you know them.)  The Alamo and the River Walk.

The County Line was a lot like Famous Daves in decor, but dirtier.  Lots of things hanging on the walls, crooked signs, and a menu of BBQ.  Everyone went a different direction with their food.  Shelby got the baked chicken.  Aubrey the Sausages.  Gillian the Baby Back Ribs.  Quinn the Kabobs.  Juju Baby Back Ribs.  And Janna and I got the 5 Meet Platter - Beef Rib, Pork Ribs, Brisket, Sausage, and Peppered Turkey.  Along with all that came Sweet Tea and Arnold Palmers.

The County Line is also known for their loaves of bread, which were pretty good.  But let's be honest, you could warm a loaf of Wonder Bread and, because it is warm, it would be awesome.  Warm bread = yum.  The salads, too, were decent.  But a good salad is a bad start to a BBQ joint, in my opinion.  Why would there be Caesar Salad in a BBQ restaurant?  Maybe I am naive.  I expect the waiter to say something like. "Um, we don't serve salad here." or  "You mean Cole Slaw?"

Anyway, we were still hungry by the time we got to the real food.  And... it disappointed.  The brisket was tough and the beef rib was fatty and flavorless.  The Turkey, however, was tender, but didn't have a strong taste.  The Baby Back Ribs were good but not great.  The sausage, however, was yummy.  The sides were decent, too.  Janna got the Black Eyed Peas.  I got baked beans (which tasted like the Black Eyed Peas) and Garlic Mashed potatoes.  Good and buttery, but needed a little more salt.

And I know I am going to probably have a problem with Texas sauces all week.  I just like a good sauce and Texas BBQ sauce is watery and not integral to the meal.  I wish it were.

The River Walk canal is narrow, with people eating at tables right up the the edge and not a stones throw from the other side.  Little bridges cross overhead everywhere. 

From there we got some ice cream at a little spot on the River Walk before strolling along the Walk back to our hotel.  The River Walk is really cool.  I have never been to San Antonio before and didn't know what to expect, so let me make the River Walk description very simple - it is the Pirates of the Caribbean (you know, the ride at Disneyland or DisneyWorld).  Seriously.  It is exactly the same, minus the pirates and the cannons.  There are boats going up and down this narrow canal (the river) - boats about the same size as Disney's boats and loaded with tourists.  The cement and stones go right to the canal's edge.  And the canal is maybe 20 feet across.  Plus there are little bridges going over the canal every block or so.  It is Pirates of the Caribbean to a tee.  If only there had been some barrels of rum, some stray dogs with jail keys in their mouths, and a couple of burning buildings, we could have sung the song all the way to the hotel.

Once back at the hotel, we went swimming until 10:30.  Temp at that point was still 82.  Boom!

Finally

Walking up to the castle in Thun

Not that anyone was waiting on pins and needles, but I am finally sitting down (4:50 am, thank you, best sleep yet! since returning) to try to wrap up the last three days we had in Switzerland.  Truly, we were having so much fun and so tired at night, that blogging was about the last thing we had energy for.

a view of Thun from the Castle

Jeff, the girls and I wrapped up our trip with three last days in Montreux, where our friends live.  But before that, we had one last morning in the Berner Oberland and tried to make the most of it, it was hard to say goodbye.  We headed back down to Interlaken and put our bags in storage at the train station and made the snap decision on a rainy day to head to Thun, where we heard there was a castle! and we had promised Shelby at one point before our trip that she would see a castle.  And it was rainy and Interlaken Ost looked like a place we didn't want to wander in the rain.  So, we grabbed a train to Thun which is located on Thunersee and had about an hour to spare before our Golden Pass train left for Montreux.

We should have tickled him while
we had the chance

Thun was a lovely little town and I would for sure love to go back and explore it a little more (beautiful lake and bridges, lovely cobblestone, cute winding streets, etc), but we had only time to hike up quickly to the castle and meander quickly through it and then make it back to the station.  It was a castle, not much else, but had little displays of the history of the area and fantastic views of Thun and Thunersee.  The castle was cool, don't get me wrong, but what I really loved about Thun (which is a sad commentary on what makes me tick) was the little German pretzel shop that was in the train station.  We were hungry campers and Jeff acquired pretezles for all in about two minutes while the rest of us were panicking because the train had arrived and WE COULD NOT MISS IT!  I made the silly mistake of thanking Jeff for running all the way down, ordering six pretzels in English (we are still in German speaking Switzerland at this point), paying for them, running back up to our track and now arrived train by then asking, "Where's the mustard?"   Even Gillian pointed out how completely cruel that was.  Glad Jeff is a good sport, it only took him the first few bites to get over his disdain.  

Gillian practices her riding skills in the Castle

Let the reunion fun begin

We made it back in plenty of time to catch our reserved Golden Pass train to Montreux out of Interlaken Ost.  This train ride is supposed to be one of the top in terms of breathtaking views but, it was overcast that day and therefore, we got some pretty views, but clear skies would have sent it over the top.  Oh well, we were headed to Montreux to see the Homans and didn't care how we got there.

We arrived in Montreux and Matt took us to their beautiful home that overlooks vineyards, pastures and Lake Geneva, not to mention the gorgeous views of the pre-Alps.  Our kids had no interest in gazing out windows though, because there was a trampoline!!  And if they had had their druthers they would have jumped until the second we had to leave.  But, we did pull them away long enough to go on some hikes and visit Gruyere and Broc.

On the way to Chateau de Chillon,
a view of the artist

at Chateau de Chillon on Lake Geneva

Our respite before the downward wander

About those hikes:  The morning after we arrived, we went into Montreux and walked along Lake Geneva to the Chateau de Chillon viewing the blossoming trees, and amazing views once again of guess what, mountains (of which I never got tired).  It was a long walk and so much fun to see the girls scootering and laughing and having the best of fun with their friends.  Fun time as well to catch up a little and hear about the life the Homans have made in Switzerland.  We grabbed lunch at their home and then headed back out for our more adventurous hike to be ended with the reward of promised great Rosti in a little town just up the mountain from Montreux.  What a hike it was, words could not do it justice, but long story short, the kids won't remember much else about their trip to Switzerland 10 years from now because what happened was, we got lost.  In the forest.  On a slippery, wet, mountain.  For a long time (maybe 200 hours, I lost track...just kidding, it was only 50 hours).  Our first clue to the impending problems we would have on this hike should have been when the travel/hike  guide said, "there are no signs from the train station, but you cross the tracks and go left..."  We went left and then went up and over and then ended about 15 minutes later back at the train station.  Back to the drawing board.  We then hiked a pretty steep hill and at the top it was good times for all as we rested on the now closed chair lift, not knowing of course that we had an arduous time ahead.  After the chair lift, it was all guesswork (no signs that we saw) and a right was taken and into the deep woods we went and everyone (but me!) fell and got covered in some way in mud.  Gillian was disappointed that I didn't fall, so when we finally did get down the mountain, she promptly pushed me into a mud puddle...served me right.  We were wet, muddy and a little cold, truth be told, and doing our best to keep it together (the adults were, the kids were fine, of course, because they had just had a great adventure).  We finally walked to the little Rosti restaurant, got there at 5pm and were told that the restaurant doesn't open until 6:30, but they fed us hot chocolate and coffee with cream and we waited until the cook arrived and served us up some yummy food.  Alls well that ends well, right?  Fun day and good memories.

Our forest wandering

Perfecting our technique

The girls take in the Chocolate Factory, Cailler in Broc

The next day was rainy and cold and we decided to bite the bullet, so to speak, and hit Gruyere and Broc.  Gruyere is famous for...gruyere.  And Broc has a chocolate factory and gives tours...need I say more?  We went to Broc first because it was raining pretty hard and it may have been a mistake because after the tour they let you eat as much chocolate as you want, which turns out, on an empty stomach was not that much, we all felt sick when we left, but still managed to buy up more to stuff into our suitcases.  The rain was starting to let up and so we went to Gruyere next and explored that tiny little hamlet of a town, it was beautiful and had lots of little touristy shops and even a little creamery where the girls stood for quite a while watching the man there make cheese, even tasting some in process.  We were wet, though, and tired and chocolate-sick, so we decided to head back to their home so the kids could jump on the trampoline, of course.

watching the cheese making

We left so early the next morning for our flight back home that our last night there was filled with sad goodbyes and lots of hugs.  We miss having the Homans just around the corner from us back home, but made such fantastic memories with them in Switzerland, I do hope to return before they have to come back.

Pretty Gruyere

 There are of course millions of details that I skipped or missed when I write all of this but after 25 days of travel, a lot of experiences and life lessons have been crammed into my brain and heart.  I will reflect for years on the things I saw, the experiences I had and the people I encountered.  I will forever drink tea with mint leaves stuffed into it in memory of my time in Israel hopefully with the new sweet friends I made on that trip, treasure the time I had with Karen and her family and the renewed connections we made, and of course, the mountains of Switzerland will always be calling, having the Homans and Phil there was the icing on top of the cake. (Thanks to Karen, Phil and the Homans for the best times ever)  I feel blessed, I feel a new sense of hope  and feel renewed by it all.  What a gift.  Now we are back to real life and it is sweeter because of what was.  

The flight home, Aubrey sports her shiner...a gift from the trampoline

Jiggety Jig

Well, we are home sweet home and I just wanted to note it.  I will sit down and post the last three wonder-full days with the Homans in Montreux when I am not so braindead.  We have had so many jaw-dropping memories and the trip ended perfectly with our dear friends.

We arrived home today at 12:20pm and the kids just went to bed at 6pm after really struggling to stay awake.  I will try to make it an hour or two more...or make that a half hour or 10 minutes more.  I've got to get up from this computer because it is lulling me to sleep.

I will post properly tomorrow.

Thanks, Homans.

Happy Easter to all.