Sunday, September 6, 2009

Weekend Adventure

Husband and I were invited by some friends to go to a grape stomping festival at a vineyard nearby. We decided to make a day of it and visit the Lyndon B. Johnson Ranch near the vineyard. Pres. Johnson was born and raised in Central Texas and the ranch he owned is now a National Park. We enjoyed driving through the ranch and touring the house that Pres. and Mrs. Johnson lived in and raised their family in. The ranch is nestled in a beautiful part of the Hill Country. The ranch is still a working ranch, so we encountered some livestock along the road. The cows have the right of way on the ranch and they know it! I am convinced that cows move slower when they know people are waiting on them.

LBJ's grave in the family cemetery




The Texas White House.

Hello cow! If you look closely you can see the LBJ brand on the horn. The cattle on the ranch are show cattle, so they are not branded on their hide.


Windmill on the ranch



A barrel of grapes


Into the barrel I go! It was cold, squishy and smelly, but super fun!



Husband gives it a try.



Husband proudly displays the fork he found at the vineyard. He was talking about taking it back to the barrel of grapes and tasting the grapes. We were able to talk him out of it though!


Part of the vineyard


After stomping the grapes, we took a tour of the winery. It was interesting to learn about the wine making process. This steel drum holds 10 tonnes of grapes!


Barrels stored in the barrel room. The room held over 2000 barrels.



Don't ask!




The vineyard's logo.



Us with Joshua and Alaina