Category Archives: Community

“The Shire” – Vermont

I grew up in the tiny, tiny Northern Vermont town of Berkshire, VT. When I say tiny, I mean I’m pretty sure there’s more cows than people, even now. I thought, what better way to introduce Vermont than to first introduce the town where I was raised! Here’s a glimpse into my childhood. The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same.

View from my parents land.

A few facts:

2000 Census Population: 1,300 people
One store / gas station.
Elementary school is Kindergarten thru 8th grade.

High school? We can pick which high school we would like to attend from one of the neighboring towns.
Two restaurants (one is only open in the summer, the other just opened up), one bar.

MANY, many family owned dairy farms.

It’s a place where “Everyone knows your name”.
Canada is in our backyard. Literally.
‘West Berkshire’, ‘Berkshire Center’ and ‘East Berkshire’ constitute as ‘The Town of Berkshire’.
Closest grocery store – about 15 minutes away.
Traffic? It’s either a car going slower than 50 on the main road or a tractor, probably a tractor.
Not one stop light in town. Not one.

A few more important buildings (considering we have them)…

The Lady of the Lourdes Catholic Church in East Berkshire.

We have a fire department, volunteer only. My dad was a volunteer fire fighter when I was growing up. The big fires were the barn fires from wet hay.

This is the Berkshire Town Hall. I will say this is “new” to me. This building has obviously always sat here but it was recently renovated and it looks pretty nice. The previous town clerks office was about the size of my bedroom… ok probably a little bigger than my bedroom but not that much. This is nice, I’d be interested to go inside.

Finally, coming into East Berkshire from Berkshire Center…. we love those Green Mountains in the background. It makes a sight for sore eyes. I can never get sick of looking at those peaks. The point part of the mountains in the background is Jay Peak (ski resort).

Here’s a little glimpse into my homeland. This town holds a really special place in my heart. If you have any questions about the town or what it was like to grow up here, I’d love to hear them!

Rustic Log Cabin B&B, Fredericksburg, TX

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Fredericksburg, Texas holds just under 400 bed and breakfasts. That’s right, 400. If you plan on staying in this area, I highly recommend going this route. Not only does it bring comfort but also increases the sense of charm into where you are staying. Fredericksburg has strong and rich heritage and one might as well soak it in the best they can.

Absolute Charm is one of the main companies in town that helps to run the B&B’s (there are a few). Since there are so many B&B’s available, it eases making a reservation and coordinating this part of the trip. The neat thing about it is that you actually have to “go into town” to get your information, directions and keys to where you’ll be staying. To get my keys and directions, I headed to Absolute Charm on the west side of Main Street. I brought a sense of adventure.

To find the building, I was told to look for the quilts. That wasn’t a joke. There were beautiful, detailed quilts hanging outside but once you walk in, it’s taken to an entirely different level. I loved them so much, I had to share a few. You will be tempted to buy one or two. I was handed a folder of information, including directions, information about where I’d be staying and a coupon for my breakfast the next morning. The great thing about the B&B’s is you can choose what you are looking for, within town, outside of town or way out there in the country. There will be something that fits your taste.

My lodging was actually about five to eight minutes outside of town along Highway 290, called Cherry Springs Suite. Conveniently, next to the road leading to Luckenbach (I have a deep love for this place). The location and the type of B&B was right on the money for me. Quiet, country views, log cabin. My room, was adjacent to another room which shared a kitchen area but each room had a private living room, bedroom and full bath. Log cabin detail, with rustic detailing, wooden floors, leather couch, massive king size bed. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Cherry Springs was surrounded by a few other cabins, a small winery and a restaurant. If you were done with driving for the day, you definitely wouldn’t have to drive any further. What you needed was all within walking distance. On the flip side, if you did want to drive out to Luckenbach for some live music or to town for dinner, shopping, etc., it’s definitely within an easy drive.

My stay was convenient, comforting, accommodating, safe and most of all it provided a great feel for the area that I was staying in. If you go to the Hill Country, you want to experience it in every sense, that includes where you are staying.

Related Posts:

An Introduction to Fredericksburg, TX

The Enchanted Rock

History of Fredericksburg, TX

Disclaimer: I was not compensated but did receive one night’s stay at the Cherry Springs Suite in return for this post. All photos and opinions are 100% my own.

10th Annual Texas Steak Cookoff

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For the past few years, I have been finding myself in the same place on the third Saturday in May – Hico, Texas. The Texas Steak Cookoff and Wine Festival has to be one of the best events that I’ve had the chance of attending and definitely one of my favorites. This year was no exception and it may have been my favorite yet! It’s affordable, family friendly and an all day affair that won’t be leaving you hungry (at any point during the day).

For the Steak Cookoff:
For $25, you will receive a bracelet which will allow you to enjoy appetizers and the steak dinner in the afternoon (ribeye steak, beans, baked potato, dessert and a drink) cooked to your perfection by the team of your choice. You’re belly will thank you for this day!

Now for the details!
The day started out with an opening ceremony. Yes, that’s Nolan Ryan himself. The Steak Cookoff is co-sponsored by Nolan Ryan Beef and Kroger. Mr. Nolan Ryan took the opportunity to come down to Hico that morning to kick off the event. If there’s a soul in Texas who doesn’t like this man, they’ve probably been kicked out by now. It was great having him at the event!

The Cookoff doesn’t mess around and the grills are hot bright and early. Rolling into town, you can smell the grills. It’s amazing. 11am kicks off the hors d’oeuvres competition. The backyard chefs submit a recipe of their own to the judges. I had the opporunity to judge at last years event and some of the items are absolutely mind blowing and belly filling. I only wish that I had the recipes to some of these items. Don’t be mistaken, these hors d’oeuvres are not just for the judges, the chefs are cooking all day for folks. Walk around, sample some food and spend time with friends (and make some new ones). Here’s a few of the hor d’oeuvres that we checked out this year.

I will say – the ritz crackers I had seen at the previous cookoffs and they are so delicious and have a bit of a kick (for this Yankee, jalepeno’s sure are growing on me). Ritz crackers with peanut butter, honey and a slice of jalapeno – killer!

Hors d’oeuvres Competition Winners:
1st Place: Steak Your Claim
2nd Place: J, L & M Cooker
3rd Place: Heavy Smokers

The shrimp (above) was cooked by the backyard chefs (below). I think these fellas were my favorite group of the day and I’m not quite sure how they sported their attire all day in the heat. Regardless, their food sure was good. They even left the recipe out for the shrimp (which I should’ve grabbed). Tasty, Tasty.

There’s entertainment throughout the day for the entire family. Local businesses are open, vendors are set up within town and four bands played throughout the day. There were even two wine tents.

If that’s not enough, just walk around and visit with some of the backyard chefs. They have grills of all shapes and sizes. Check them out, see what they’re cooking and just enjoy the day! Even their team names are pretty interesting. It’s serious business y’all!

This was homemade bourbon or moonshine. I’m not sure. I didn’t try any… I was headed to the wine tent.

These chefs – I’m naming them the party chefs. This is where it was all happening. Music, TV, dancing and cooking. Keeping busy all day long! They also ended up winning an award for being the best in show. They earned it!

The judging for the steaks begins around 1pm and the top 30 chefs are announced around 4pm. Shortly thereafter, be prepared. To receive your steak, pick one tent and get in line as they will cook it to your liking!

The cookoff had a different set up this year and I felt that it made all the difference. I really think that this is why I enjoyed this year the best compared to the past few years. With over 100 teams participating, the chefs were situated along a few separate streets and seemed to have a little more room. The temperature in May isn’t cool and breezy, it’s warm if not hot. With the new arrangement, it was incredibly easy to maneuver but the fact that they were a little more spread out definitely helped with how hot and crowded it felt in the area.

Time for the steak! I chose to have my steak cooked at the Beef Bro chefs. I usually go by luck of the draw and this year, I didn’t go wrong. My steak was cooked to my perfection and it was pretty darn delicious!

After you’ve received and indulged in your steak dinner, it’s not over. It’s time to announce the winners. Something I haven’t mentioned is with your ticket to the cookoff, you also receive a raffle entry which is drawn at the end of the day. This year, the raffle prizes included signed Nolan Ryan memorabelia and multiple $500 gift certificates to use within Hico (if you’ve seen some of the stores in town – it’s good shopping)!

Here are this years Top 10 Hands:
(The top 5 hands received prizes between $500 and $2,500.)

1st Place: Daddy Brad’s Meat Shack
2nd Place: Pirates of the Prime Ribean
3rd Place: J, L & M
4th Place: Smokin’ Down in Texas
5th Place: J & J Cookers
6th Place: North Dallas Grill Billies
7th Place: Carne Knowledge
8th Place: Smokin’ Natives
9th Place: Wild Hanlon BBQ
10th Place: Beast Feast

Congratulations to the winners and thank you to the town of Hico for allowing me to check out this years event! If you had a chance to attend this year, I’d love to hear your feedback and I’m sure I will see you there again next year!

If you haven’t been to the Texas Steak Cookoff and Wine Festival – be sure to check it out next year (3rd Saturday in May).

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post, however I did receive free admission to the event in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Texas Tuesday link up with Amanda from Princess of the Panhandle and Crystal from Masons Mama. This is a chance for any blogger to participate in a post on the greatness of Texas! There’s so much to explore!