Boerne, you've done it again. I'm in love - you're small enough where I'm not overwhelmed by city crowds but you still pack a punch for things to do! You check all the boxes - golf, wine, great food, and outdoor attractions.
Boerne postcard mural located at The Corner Cartel near James and Main Street
Last weekend we were hosted by the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott San Antonio Boerne. Although the hotel was nothing spectacular to look at, the service, cleanliness and amenities certainly made up for it's lack of style! The hotel was conveniently located (less than 10 minutes drive) relative to Boerne's Hill Country Mile, home to over 80 restaurants and shops. The Hill Country Mile has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Small Town Main Streets in America by County Living Magazine, so you have to check it out!
For the hotel itself, we stayed in a King bed suite with a sofa bed on the 2nd floor; the hotel is also pet friendly, so Quinn made the trek!
Quinn relaxing in the living room + king bed in our suite at the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott San Antonio Boerne
In terms of amenities, I always appreciate a microwave and fridge in the room, which this one had. We also made good use of the outdoor hot tub and pool here; and although fairly small, the hotel has a fitness room with some cardio equipment and free weights.
Outdoor pool and fitness room at the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott San Antonio Boerne
Due to COVID restrictions, the complimentary breakfast was still available, but only staff were allowed to serve the food. I don't usually eat breakfast until late morning these days, so we only experienced the buffet to grab some cereal for “A”. To be noted is another breakfast option, a food truck on site called Taco's Losoya's Express. We ate there Saturday morning and tried both their breakfast bacon + egg taco, as well as their special, the "Chicharron Norteño". The food was really tasty and highly affordable - most of the breakfast tacos were under $2 each and the regular tacos under $3 each.
Chicharron Norteño taco with avocado and the menu at Tacos Losoya's Express in Boerne
I ate 1 Chicharron Norteño taco in the morning and was full through our round of golf until dinner!
During our previous visit to Comfort in September, we golfed at the Buckhorn Golf Course and were paired with a delightful couple that live in Boerne. We had so much fun with them the last time, we kept in touch and met up this trip, again at the Buckhorn. This course is about 20 minutes from the Fairfield, which is an easy drive.
The Buckhorn Golf Course with rolling hills and interesting power lines throughout the course in Comfort, TX
You can visit my previous Comfort post for thoughts on the course, which pretty much remain unchanged. I will say that the power lines didn't bother me as much and I didn't notice any sounds coming from them this round. The pin placements were just as difficult - always on a fun angle or incline! But it was really nice to have this type of challenge, as we are accustomed to mostly even ground at the courses we've played so far in Midland/Odessa.
We also had the wonderful opportunity to visit Cascade Caverns, just "down the way" from the hotel. The caverns have been open since 1932 to the public and spans 1,670 feet in length. The cave is particularly unique in that it's 95% alive, making it the wettest show cave. It is also the only show cave to have a 50 foot waterfall.
Our tour was about an hour long and we loved our time with "Stingray". Although sandals were fine, I'd recommend sneakers for the tour as there are many stairs to travel in/out and the floors inside are wet. Tours run on the hour from 10-4 and they also offer camping on site among their 103 acre oak forest campground.
T-Rex on site and inside Cascade Caverns in Boerne, TX
Funny enough, there's a T-Rex statue outside the gift shop/office. In the 90's the comedy, "Father Hood", starring Patrick Swayze was shot for several weeks at Cascade Caverns with the dinosaur, where it still remains today!
All of these adventures really worked up our appetite - we ate downtown both nights in Boerne. We didn't have any reservations for the first night (don't make this mistake!!) but we were able to get in at The Creek, located near the Main Street bridge on the Cibolo. This is a 'fine dining' restaurant with a high end wine list - so be prepared to pay a little more, but the portions were very generous. I particularly loved their homemade soup! If you book in advance, the outdoor seating options looked lovely.
We loved the soup, escargot, and lobster mac + cheese at The Creek in Boerne, TX
On our last night, we had reservations at the Richter Tavern, which I had made the week before. The tavern is located within a larger space that also houses a bakery and wine / beer bar. We loved the vibe at this restaurant, it's a little more laid back than The Creek, and is also pet friendly! The culinary highlights were the pork belly bites, homemade "Richter Road" ice cream and of course, the margarita flight!
The pork belly bites, smoked chicken wings, and margarita flight at The Richter Tavern in Boerne, TX.
We were able to indulge a little more on our last night, courtesy of the transportation service arranged by the Fairfield Marriott with Chauffeurs on Demand. This luxury transportation company will work with you to drive you anywhere in the Boerne/Comfort/San Antonio area.
Much of their work is contracted for wedding shuttle services or private clients to and from the airport - but they are willing to meet your needs in the most comfortable vehicles. We had the pleasure of meeting Vin, who took us to and from downtown. I was afraid it might be too much trouble with needing the carseat, but he was kind enough to let us leave it in the SUV so we wouldn't have to carry it around. Although they have various vehicles in their fleet, we were transported in a Cadillac Escalade with leather seats - extremely clean and actually smelled nice!
To top off the trip, we made a trip to Kerrville Hills Winery. It was Mother's Day on Sunday and the winery was holding a Mother's Day brunch. I had contacted them in advance about a tasting, despite the large event, and they were gracious enough to have us come.
Admiring both the wine barrels outside and the fireplace inside at Kerrville Hills Winery in Kerrville, TX
When we arrived, live music was being played outside. We were greeted by Sonia, the tasting room manager, who made us feel right at home despite having both a small child and a dog. We were also taken aback by the offer to join brunch, despite not signing up (or paying) in advance. They handed us a glass of Viogner as soon as we settled and the owner John Rivenburgh made a point to welcome us, which was appreciated. Although a new winery, just opened in 2019, John's roots run deep in Texas winemaking, and it was a true joy to meet him.
To my surprise, the whites were my favorite and we went home with all four in their current collection. The Aire Y Sol Viognier and 2016 RW Picpoul Blanc were our favorites. I also want to mention Donna, who guided us through the tasting. After all the tastings I've done in NY, CA, and TX, Donna was one of the most knowledgeable tasting room staff I have ever met. She knows her stuff and can actually give you detailed information on the varietals of grapes and wine you're tasting - I've found not all tasting rooms actually can provide this!
Overall, we just felt so welcome at Kerrville Hills Winery. It was such a busy day for their staff hosting the Mother's Day Brunch - they easily could have told us they were too busy for a tasting. I can't thank them enough for their kindness and will be getting back there again as soon as possible.
Again, another amazing trip to Boerne. In addition to Kerrville Hills Winery, I need to thank Lyn Rae "Stingray" at Cascade Caverns, Jorge at Tacos Losoya's, Vin at Chauffeurs on Demand and an extra big thank you to Hilary at the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott for making this whole trip possible. I'm completely overwhelmed by the kindness we found in our travels this weekend and can't say enough about these businesses. Go Visit Boerne!!