For a long time, I have been a confirmed Texas basher, in spite of or maybe because I was born and raised there; the politics, the violence, and the bible-thumping narrow mindedness of the place AT THAT TIME drove me to California when I was twenty-three and other than changing airplanes there a couple of times, I haven’t been back since. And I have sworn multiple blood oaths never to return, but I apparently forgot that every time I have said I would NEVER do something, I have ended up doing that very thing, often within a day or so.
As my Darling Marice’s retirement approaches, we have been investigating places to retire, both foreign and domestic. Mexico had a solid lead until three days ago when she found pictures of the Texas Hill Country in a book I inherited from my father. She asked if the actual country was as pretty as the pictures and I, without thinking, said it was; I even added that the hill country was the best part of the entire damn state. I suddenly found myself evicted from the internet for the best part of three days while she researched the Texas hill country, falling in love with it while doing so. With a pleading look in her eye, she finally asked if I would be willing to consider moving there when she was ready to retire. Being completely in love with her and being completely under her spell, I heard myself say “Yes, if it would make you happy.” Based on what she saw on the internet, she has tentatively settled on the San Marcos-Fredricksburg-New Braunfels region. Now, the tentative plan is to visit this coming September to look at houses; she even talked about buying one if we run across one we both like and I found myself wholeheartedly agreeing. Dear God, I’m homesick.
The Hill Country’s great- Fredericksburg is getting a little touristy and expensive, but places like Boerne, Kerrville and maybe Bandera or Ingram aren’t so expensive, and equally scenic and nice.
Boerne’s a great little town - it’s on I-10 about, oh… 15-20 miles north of San Antonio, and 15-20 south of Kerrville. My wife and I discussed that we wouldn’t mind living out there if we had enough money to not have to worry about finding appropriate employment there.
Thanks for the info. Bandera sort of rings a bell with me but I don’t know exactly why; getting old sucks. Do you know anything specific about Florence? If so, I’d appreciate hearing about it.
Florence is kinda nowheresville. Beyond it being a sleepy village a bit outside of Georgetown, there’s not much to say about it. Of course, some folks like it that way.
Thanks for the info; I might have a sort of tenuous line on some property around Florence. The property sounds sort of interesting; it’s twenty acres, MOL, supposedly on a good road. When we retire, we want a little peace and quiet among friendly people and in spite of all my raving, most Texans are friendly. I want some Tex-Mex food and I want some chicken-fried steak. I want to go home to die and that’s the truth.
While I’m not familiar with Florence itself, you’d be inbetween Salado and Burnet and I can’t possibly see how that’d be anything but a good thing. Access to the Lampassas Cut Plain and Hill Country at your doorstep. Beautiful vistas, clear streams, BBQ and friendly folk. Sounds like a recipe for one nice retirement to me. Welcome back, LouisB.
