There is nothing like a wine tasting at a beautiful vineyard to see the countryside while on vacation…
Here Victor and I are with Patty, Don and their daughter Courtney!! They gave this wine tasting to Victor for his 70th Birthday while we visited them!!
This is Michelle, she was our wine expert for the tasting at William & Chris Vineyards!! She also gave us a rustic wooden tray of cheeses, bread, fruit and nuts…one of the best wines we tasted was this Skeleton Key… In 2010, a skeleton key found on the vineyard estate became the inspiration behind this label. They say that this wine “unlocks the flavors of William Chris Vineyards and Texas.”
After the tasting, Michelle brought us on a private tour of the Vineyard…showing us all the containers that hold the wine, she told us that each barrel or container gives the wine its distinct flavor over time…not only wooden barrels but, cement, pottery and stainless steel!!
I found this ceiling fascinating, made of vintage doors and an old cart added to the old world charm of this vineyard and the beautiful vistas of the land!!
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Our next stop is one of the best barbecue restaurants in the Country!!! The Salt Lick BBQ, it did not disappoint me, who doesn’t like meat!!! That is my plate on left, a half of chicken, it was so flavorful and tender that the meat fell off the bones and I ate the whole thing… and the beans, potatoes and coleslaw were delicious too!!! On the right is Don and Courtney’s dish, which was all they could eat, and the food kept coming to them!!!
This is the fire pit where all the meat is cooked, they invited me in to take the picture, they are so proud of what they do, everyone who works around this pit knows exactly what they are doing, it is very well choreographed!!! This restaurant is a must see, if you are in the Austin area!!!
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I asked Patty and Don if they could bring me to place where they had country line dancing…they brought us to the White Horse!!!
They weren’t line dancing this night, but they were doing the two-step…this couple silhouetted are so smooth👢
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Patty and Don saved the best for the last day…This is The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, dedicated to her as their founder, in 1995…
These beautifully rustic archways greeted us when we entered the Center…
This lady also greeted us, but couldn’t get up because she was sitting on her owlet eggs that were about to hatch any day…can you see her, she is Athena the Great Horned Owl, to the right of the plant? She and her mate, Bubo, have been nesting at the Wildflower Center for 8 years!! I feel so lucky that we got to see her!! Read more about Athena and her mate here.
This tree would be perfect for a swing…isn’t it lovely?
These tree sculptures are among the many artworks scattered around the grounds of the Center…
Also scattered around the grounds are these beautiful patches of wildflowers…
Patty and I are kneeling in the middle of a medium strip!!! When we saw the beautiful wildflowers we asked Don to stop so we could take a photo!!! Did you know Lady Bird Johnson had patches of wildflowers planted around Texas highways and also around America’s highways…her landmark was The Highway Beautification Act?!! You can read more about this at “Lady Bird’s Legacy: The Texas Wildflower”
The blue wildflower is called bluebonnet and it grows plentifully in the spring all around Texas, it is custom for people to have their pet’s photos taken among it!! The orange wildflower is Indian paintbrush and if you see it with the bluebonnet it is very striking, but we were lucky to see yellow with it too, the yellow wildflower is large buttercup…
Chances are if you see wildflowers growing on the side of a highway in America, it was probably put there by this Act…What an amazing legacy from our 36th first lady, Lady Bird Johnson!!!
🌟I have one more segment of our trip that I’m excited to bring you on, but you’ll have to wait for a special post I’m planning…🌟
Visions of My 70s 
I have enjoyed seeing your pics of Austin. I was born and raised in Texas, and lived most of my life there before we retired to Arkansas. I lived mostly in the Houston area, but also, I lived a good amount of time in Austin, Wimberley, college in San Marcos, Austin and San Antonio.
No joke about the Salt Lick. It is one of the most amazing places I’ve ever eaten. We use to buy their BBQ sauce back when they sold it in Quart jars. 🙂 That was before it became so well known.
I hope you are safely home, now, and if not, that you have a safe trip back home!
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WOW, what a wonderful place to have been brought up in!! Now I know where you get your love for nature!! And now I know why Patty and Don retired there…they have nature trails right outside their door, truly a beautiful city!! I don’t eat much meat, but that meat at Salt Lick was amazing!! Next time I hope to try Franklins, if we can get in the door!! We are safe and sound at home planning our next adventure, thank you for your good wishes!! Happy Spring🌻
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What a wonderful trip Carol! Love seeing all your adventures!
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Thank you Nancy!! Yes, it was a wonderful trip, we hadn’t been away in such a long time!! Wishing you and your family a wonderful Easter💗🌼🌷
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Very nice. I did not know they put wine in cement, pottery and stainless steel barrels. The barbecue looks yummy. What a legacy Lady Bird left.
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I didn’t know either, until we went on this wine tasting, each container has a special flavor!! There is nothing like the taste of that barbecue, you can smell it when you drive into the parking lot and the fire pit was something else too!! I always think of Lady Bird when I drive by patches of wildflowers on highways, there are even some driving down the Cape❤️🌸🌼
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WOW, you really got the grand tour of Austin! How awesome!!!! We have lots of vineyards here in NC too, and in fact, our Danielle got married at a winery. It was so beautiful. We’ve made the round of several and it’s so much fun seeing how the wine is made and tasting different varieties. So happy you were able to enjoy this. Great memories. And, by the way, Victor does NOT look like he’s 70!!!! Must be good genes in the Class of 68!!! LOL
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Yes, that’s a good way of putting it, The Grand Tour of Austin!!! I’m not surprised you have lots of vineyards in NC, the weather is good for them!! There are even a few on Cape Cod!!! I bet Danielle’s wedding was beautiful being on a vineyard, such lovely vistas for picture taking!! Victor will love hearing he doesn’t look 70…not only did the class of 68 have good genes but being in Norwood must have had something to do with it too🤣 Thank you for your comments Nancy, I really do appreciate it💗🐇🌸
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I love following your adventures. I did know about Lady Bird Johnson’s Highway Beautification Program which is wonderful. The story of Athena was amazing especially the fact that they come back year after year. I’ll have to show you the watercolor that I did of a Great Horned Owl.
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Thank you Sue, I’m so glad you are enjoying my blog!!! Athena has had her owlets, when Patty and Don went back to see them, they weren’t tall enough to peek over the ledge, so they didn’t know how many she had! I’ll do some research, maybe I can post a pic of them!! I would love to see your watercolor of the Owl, I’m sure it’s stunning🦉💗
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I love seeing your adventures! Those wildflowers are absolutely incredible. I bet the colors were amazing. What a wonderful trip. The food looks divine, too 💕
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Yes, it was a wonderful trip!! So glad you’re enjoying our adventures, thank you for checking in💗 We have a new adventure in the making that doesn’t involve travel!! Can’t wait to announce it!! Happy Spring🌷🐣🦋🐇
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That is awesome! Cannot wait to read about it 💗
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Hi Carol,
I learned so much from your visit to Austin. I had no idea it was filled with so much culture and all those good things. I did know about Lady Bird Johnson’s wild flowers,
and they are beautiful. I can see you and Victor had a wonderful, fun time with Patty, Don, and Courtney, and that they are enjoying life in Austin. Austin looks like a great place to visit. Your choice of clothes was perfect, hope they worked out. Can’t wait for blog number 3; I’m sure its special.
Warm wishes to you, Victor, and your family for a Blessed and Happy Easter.
Love,
Lucille
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We were so fortunate to be able to visit and have Patty and Don bring us to all the places they love in their city…we so enjoyed the culture, nature and food!! And I’m glad you liked my choice of outfits, at one time I had 4 layers on, but we went to be with them so a little cold didn’t bother us:)
Thank you for keeping in touch with us this way, Lucille! Hope you are doing well and enjoying good weather this spring…thank you for the good wishes, may you as well have a Blessed and Happy Easter💞 Love, Victor & Carol
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