Blog | Golden Country Cowgirl

Lost Maples Winery – A Winery in Transition

I have been a member of Harvest Hosts since the beginning of my RV adventures in 2018. The program offers interesting and unique places to stay while supporting small businesses. It’s such a win-win program you can’t help but love it. My favorite places to stay through Harvest Hosts is wineries. You usually have a beautiful parking spot with awesome views and you can walk to go wine tasting and never have to worry about driving. Sometimes you meet the winemaker or get a special behind the scenes tour. My stay at Lost Maples Winery in Vanderpool, TX, certainly lived up to all expectations. About Lost Maples Winery History Tom & Glenda Slaughter were the original owners of Lost Maples Winery. The winery sits within…

Tower of the Americas – Amazing Views

When I visited San Antonio in 2018, I didn’t do a whole lot of research before I arrived. As a result, I didn’t really know what I wanted to see and do there other than The Alamo and the River Walk. As I rode around on the hop-on hop-off bus, I learned about so many more things to see in downtown, including Tower of the Americas. Tower of the Americas Fun Facts Built for the 1968 Hemisfair World’s Fair which celebrated San Antonio’s 250th anniversary Construction started in 1966 and took 18 months to complete At 750 feet, it is the tallest observation tower in Texas It was the tallest observation tower in the US until the Stratosphere Tower was built in Las Vegas in…

Natural Bridge Caverns – A San Antonio Must-see

outdoor display of flowers on a wagon with text overlay: Natural Bridge Caverns A Sam Amtonio Must-see!

If you love caves and caverns as much as I do, then Natural Bridge Caverns should definitely be on your list of things to see in San Antonio. When I lived in Northern California, I visited Mercer Caverns in Calaveras County and Black Chasm Cavern in Amador County. Neither of these caverns prepared me for the breathtaking enormity of Natural Bridge Caverns. Now, don’t get me wrong. Natural Bridge Caverns is definitely not the largest cave in the world, or even the US, by any means. To clarify, the largest cave in the world by volume is Hang Sơn Đoòng located in Vietnam and the largest in the US is Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, which is also the longest in the world. You might wonder…

Best Places in Brownwood Texas in One Day

five photos from Brownwood with text overlay: Brownwood, Texas Four best things to do in one day

While I was in Abilene, I had a great time visiting with other RVers at the Lolapalooza event. During the week there, I decided to go a slightly different way when I left than I had originally planned. Brownwood, Texas seemed to be a good distance for a stop but I knew nothing about it. I decided to stay at Lake Brownwood State Park which was an awesome choice. I spent a couple of days catching up on writing, including two newsletters and a blog post. After two days of that, I had to get out and visit the best places in Brownwood Texas. After a fair amount of research, I put together an itinerary for the day (Friday). Be aware that the Brown County…

Frontier Texas in Abilene – Where the Old West Comes to Life

Museums are at the top of my list for attractions to visit in a new town. Even the smallest museum can give you tremendous insight into a location. So, when you come across a world-class museum like Frontier Texas in Abilene, where the Old West comes to life, it is an awesome bonus. Frontier Texas! opened in 2004 with just a visitor information center, a Texas-themed gift shop and the exhibit “The Century of Adventure.” In 2013 the museum opened the new $2 million exhibit entitled “Blood & Treasure on the Frontier” which is the exhibit you see today. Frontier Texas! From the moment you enter, the building is pretty impressive. High ceilings in the main room let in lots of light to showcase the…

Asian Elephants at The Preserve

When I travel, I’m always looking for “experiences.” Even when I go wine tasting I’m always hoping for something extra, like a tour or a food pairing. When I learned about The Preserve and the opportunity to meet their magnificent Asian elephants, I knew I needed to check out this unique experience. The Asian Elephant Experience at The Preserve The Asian elephant experience is, first and foremost, meant to be educational. The elephants are ambassadors, raising awareness for the plight of this endangered species in the wild. The Preserve mission states, “Contact cultivates caring, which encourages conservation.” The facility gates open 30 minutes before the program start time. This gives you an opportunity to check out the elephant artwork in the gift shop. I was…

Best Wineries in Fredericksburg, Texas

Although the Texas Hill Country AVA (American Viticultural Area) covers 9,000,000 acres (14,062 square miles), Texas Wine Country centers near the charming town of Fredericksburg. If you search the Internet for the best wineries in Fredericksburg, you’ll find that each article lists different wineries. There are a few, however, that most seem to agree on and those are the ones I tried to concentrate on for this visit to Texas Hill Country. Fredericksburg is centrally located in Texas in the very heart of Texas Hill Country. Since it is only about an hour and 15 minutes north of San Antonio and 1.5 to 2 hours directly west of Austin, it is a perfect getaway location. Many of the wineries are located on Highway 290 between…

Fall RV Trip Update — The Art of Resiliency and Flexibility

Is it just me or have we had to be super resilient and flexible for the past couple of years? Barely a month ago I wrote a blog post about my fall RV trip plans which included a conference in El Paso, Texas. Due to changes, some beyond my control, I have had to make several modifications and update my fall RV trip plans. Conference Update I debated with myself for weeks about whether or not to attend this conference. It wasn’t a concern about illness. I felt the conference would not live up to the one I had attended in the past due to the restrictions and safety measures in place. The purpose of the conference is to showcase the El Paso food scene.…

How Important are your Feet?

As a horsewoman, I am familiar with the saying “no hoof, no horse.” While I sat getting a pedicure last week, I started thinking about how that applies to the human foot. If you think the condition of your feet doesn’t have anything to do with travel, read on! How important are your feet? Would it surprise you to know that the average human walks about 100,000 miles in their lifetime? Just like with a horse, your feet are your foundation. They are vital for mobility. Yet, we don’t take care of them like we do the rest of our body. We often take them for granted until they cause us pain. Once a foot or leg becomes painful, it can be totally debilitating, even…

Electric Bike and the Solo Senior Female Traveler Saga

Electric bike with text overlay: Electric Bike and the Solo Senior Female Traveler Does the saga have a happy ending?

Back in 2019, when I was planning my RV trip, I saw lots of YouTube videos about electric bikes. One brand in particular, Lectric eBikes, caught my attention. Lots of nomads that I follow reviewed their bikes and just raved about them. I thought an electric bike would be a really fun way to get around campgrounds and other places I stayed on my trip. Lectric eBikes was selling their bikes through a Kickstarter at an amazing price so I decided to jump on it. Electric Bike Purchase in 2019 I had to wait several months for the bike to be shipped. It finally arrived, just in time for my trip. Unboxing it was exciting and relatively easy! You can see from the video that…