In case you live in a hole or this is your first time visiting my corner of the internet, I kinda have this thing for fall. I love the colors, scents and tastes.
I actually mourn Halloween on Nov. 1.
Until I had moved to Alabama, I had never really seen the leaves change color. In North Texas, they get orangey and then just fall off. The first time I had ever seen a red leaf was in Alabama, and I really wanted to see another one.
After doing some research, I learned about Lost Maples Natural Area near San Antonio. I have lived in Texas my entire life, and I had never heard of the place.
People were raving over the internet about the beauty of Lost Maples. After visiting, I completely understood why. When I went, we had gone through some intense flooding in Texas, so the changing colors of the leaves was a little behind.
But even though we were just seeing a little color, it was still an amazing experience. I have to go back now to see it in its full glory.
My suggestion is to wear waterproof shoes and be prepared to climb some slippery rocks. But also bring a camera to capture all the sights.
I fell more than a couple of times trying to cross shallow creeks.
The best part of the trip was embracing the small town vibe of Hondo and Tarpley. In fact, when we left, the people of Hondo were lining up on the street to cheer on the high school band’s trip to compete for Area.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtMpaYRtYzs
I am from a small town, and I have never seen anything like that.
And now to my favorite part – we stayed at an amazing AirBnB between Tarpley and Hondo. It was about 45 minutes from Lost Maples, but hotels are few and far in that area.
This AirBnB was a tiny home with a neighboring bunk house and TeePee that can also be rented out. The tiny home had two beds, a bathroom and a kitchen.
It is called the Tiny House at Twisted Horns Ridge. The owners live on site, and their names are Devin and Sherri. They were amazing hosts, Devin even set up our first fire for us and gave us kindling.
They have the space nicely decorated and will supply you with a toaster oven if you need it. Otherwise, they have a Keurig, microwave, fridge and stove top.
The location also has a grill, hammock and a fire pit. There is also a shared hot tub that has an amazing view of the sunset.
We went to the hot tub with a glass of wine and relaxed as the sun went down. It was such a breath of fresh air.
Plus, they have goats and antelopes hanging out everywhere. They even had baby antelopes when we went! That was definitely my favorite part!
We ended up making steaks and asparagus one night, and we went out for dinner another night. There is an HEB in Hondo that we stopped at to grab snacks.
A few places to eat that I recommend in the area are:
We also really wanted to go to 777 Ranch to check out the corn maze, but it was also rained out. I have only heard great things, so if you are there when it is dry, go!
Where is your favorite place to visit in the fall?
