Wimberley, Texas

Wimberley, about 15 miles northwest of San Marcos, was our first venture into the Texas Hill country. This little town is part of the Blanco River Valleyand home to many artists and authors. Texas is divided into 7 regions: Big Bend Country, Gulf Coast, Hill Country, Panhandle Plains, PineyWoods, Prairies and Lakes and the South Texas Plains. We have barely scratched the surface of this huge state.

Our first stop was at the Gourmet Tamale Kitchen (food first of course). We enjoyed Black Russian Cake (just like the drink); cherry scones and bought chicken, beef and pork tamales to take home. On full tummies, we visited the Central Texas Bonsai Exhibit at the Jade Gardens. Owners, Chuck and Pat Ware, have been working with bonsai (tree in a pot) for 20 years. Their exhibit includes more than 160 species of trees and more than 1000 containers of speciman trees. In some of the photos you can see the wire wrapped around the trunk of the trees to encourage growth in different directions. Chuck smiled as he told us of the people who got "bonsai seeds" for Christmas and then came to him wondering why what grew didn't look anything like his bonsai!!

Next stop was Old Baldy, a large hill with 284 stone steps leading to the top and some pretty fantastic views. Not surprising, Abby is in the best shape and climbed effortlessly.

On to Pioneer Town, a recreation of an 1800's town which has been the set for many movies.

Somehow I doubt the settlers who built this cedar log cabin actually subscribed to Bell Express Vu (note the satellite dish) but it's all in the spirit of things.

Our final stop was a stroll around the market square and all its quaint little shops. Abby enjoyed browsing at Purfect Paws, a doggie boutique. She fancied a new dish set ($58) and a lovely collar ($32) but like the good girl she is, took "no" for an answer. Since the fudge shop was closed, we followed our noses to a store advertising "healthy chocolate" - can there really be such a thing???? Yes, there is - we paid $3.78 for 1.6 oz of chocolate which contained no sugar or dairy products. This delightful little morsel, made with organic ingredients, contained virgin coconut oil, raw agave syrup (from the agave plant - tequila!!); cocoa powder, soy, banana, and almonds. Truly, it was delicious despite the price.