On the Texas Roads Again...

A year later. This time on a Texas hill country tour. We headed out on Sunday and made our way to Utopia, Texas. A Paradise.

Nev wants to move here. She says it's so pretty. She's right. It lives up to it's name in beauty.

We brought everything. Even the fish. Not really. He's spending the week at Chad's office.

Utopia River Retreat Pool

Worn out from the trip and swimming.

First stop: Garner State Park
Chad and I both have memories of visiting this park with our families as children. It's just as breathtaking and fun as we both remember.

The overcast weather was great for hiking; not so much for getting in the river. Luckily, the sun came out after lunch.

I'm not going to say the water was cold, but ....

It took a lot of pics to get one with Mila not making a silly face.

Mila had to ride the paddleboats. To her disappointment, her legs weren't long enough to reach.

Bye Utopia

Next destination: Bandera, Texas
But not without stopping for lunch at the cutest restaurant in an apple orchard in Medina, Texas called Love Creek Orchards. They had apple everything. Apple pie. Apple ice cream. Apple coffee. Apple everthing. If you are ever in the area, it's a must stop. Great food and cool place. Evidently, they host the best pumpkin patch in Texas if you happen to be in the area in the fall.
We moved on to the Fying L Ranch, our home for the next two days.  Our accommodations are a tiny house log cabin. Chad wanted to see if our family of 4 plus Rohan (the dog) and Ocean (the fish) could live in a tiny house. The girls were a huge "no". Mila is still not convinced it is a "hotel". Chad and I appreciated it regardless. Neat resort. We enjoyed hay (wagon) rides, fed deer, visited the ghost town, played putt-putt, swam in the water park, made smores around the camp fire, played on the playground, listened to live music, visited the Bandera Natural History Museum, watched beautiful sunsets, celebrated Chad's birthday and had fun spending quality time together. Wish the weather was a little more cooperative, but we still had fun.

Checkers while we wait on lunch.

We made it to Bandera.

Obligatory Ghost Town

Outlaws

A little putt-putt in the rain.

Hole in one!

Daddy's hole in one.

Mila's hole in one dance.

Wagon ride to feed the deer.

Music and smores to end the first night.

Day 2 in Bandera, Texas

17 ft Giraff

This guy's famous. He was in "Night at the Museum".

Nev loved the diaramas so much we saw them twice.

Dino bone dig

We did it! We found all the bones.

Might be my fave pic.

Happy bday hubs!

Where's the water?

Wave pool

Daddy love

More smores

Beautiful night

Last stop: Bastrop
Lost Pines Hillcountry Resort. I think this is what the girls had in mind when we said we were going to a resort hotel. Although, they did say Zootopia (Utopia) was their favorite place.

Movie night on the lawn.

From swimming to movies.

And more smores. We ate a lifetime's worth of smores on this trip.

The alpaca tried to kiss Nev and eat M's hair.

A walk throigh the butterfly meadow.

Bye Lost Pines. 

Ate lunch at the Lucky Duck cafe (good food) in Taylor, Texas and we are headed home.