Rancho Loma



 

We had a great weekend, y'all.  On Friday Luke played a gig in Austin and returned home around 4:30 am... right in time for me to get up at 5 to get ready for my Team in Training practice at 5:45am.  We ran 6 miles - I am fairly certain that I've never run more than 5 - 5.5 before, so that was a personal milestone and a great way to start the day.  I drove home and picked up Clementine so Luke could sleep, and we went to Central Market for a breakfast taco, to the Botanical Garden for a little snooze in the shade, Nativa for $10 blouses, and HEB/Twin Liquors for road trip supplies.  [Aside: the new sandwich station at HEB has become such a favorite of mine - even requested during early labor .  I love the goat cheese/pesto/arugula and serrano ham/manchego.]

 

 

We left for Rancho Loma around 1 pm; this was a little trip I planned weeks before as an anniversary/birthday getaway.  I had heard of it through Brady, who got married there, and then it was featured here in Southern Living.  I really enjoy places off the beaten path... especially when luxury accommodations await!

 

Rancho Loma is in the middle of NOWHERE.  It's a destination restaurant on a ranch with five rooms, open Friday and Saturday.  The room was just beautiful, cool and bright and spare and welcoming, with wonderful linens.  No phone. No tv.  No chintzy alarm clock.  It was fabulous.  Dinner was served at 7 (bay scallops, sundried tomatoes with mozzarella, housemade pasta with pepper, steak, and salted caramel pot de crème/milk chocolate semifreddo - all exquisite.)  Afterward we put C in the pack and play, where the little champ fell right sleep, and we drank moscato on the deck and enjoyed the stillness, the silence, and the starry sky.

 

(The proprietor, Robert, designed this building and built it himself - and all of the wall art is his photography. His wife Laurie is the chef.  We were so awed by their craftsmanship and vision).

 

In the morning we enjoyed a slice of zucchini bread and honey-drizzled yogurt with kiwi and blueberries... something about the yogurt was extra-special scrumptious.

 

Reading over this it sounds like terrible hyperbole - with overused tired phrases like 'uh-mazing' and 'blown away' coming to mind, but we were so impressed by every detail.  This was the most luxurious and relaxing lodging experience I've ever had.

 

And now, the photos!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite photo of the trip, titled Sleeping In

 

 

On the return trip we had lunch in Fredericksburg and stopped in Boerne to visit a children's clothing consignment shop - there was a tiny learn-by-color piano in the window, which naturally came home with us.