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Getting there? As with our last hike, getting there was a bit of a haul. We like water on our mid-summer hikes, which usually entails a bit of a drive out west. This particular park is actually located in Blanco County, which is a bit of a drive but also very scenic and easy to find. From Austin, you’ll travel west on Highway 290; after nearly 30 miles turn right on RM 3232. Continue north until 3232 dead ends in a “T.” The entrance to Pedernales Falls State Park is to the right off of FM 2766. The ranger station for paying park entrance fees and collecting a map of the park is a bit less than 3 miles north of the park entrance. The trail to Pedernales Falls itself is a short (>1 mile) trail, and there are also two longer trails: an approximately 4 mile unnamed loop, which is reached by crossing the Pedernales River at Trammel Crossing, or the 7+ mile Wolf Mountain Trail. We opted for the 4 mile loop, and so made our way down the hill past the ranger station, then bore to the right, parking near campsites 33-34, where the trailhead began. River access is clearly marked and the trail was quite simple to find. When did we go? On a Saturday morning around 8:00 AM. It was slightly overcast and quite muggy when we set out; the sun came out later in the day and it was starting to swelter when we arrived back at the car about an hour and 45 minutes later. Pros: Well-populated but still remote feeling park and trails; proximity to Pedernales River & Falls; trails can be used for hiking, biking, and equestrian purposes. Crossing the river was a “pro” to me on a hot summer day, but if wet shoes aren’t your thing, be advised that the crossing is unavoidable if you want to do the 4 mile loop–and you have to cross right at the beginning of your hike as well as the end. Smart hikers (or at least those with more time to spare than we) will bring bathing suits and a picnic and enjoy lunch on the riverbank, followed by a cooling dip prior to heading home. Cons: One word…horseflies. Hundreds! Both seasoned hikers, my hiking buddy and I douse ourselves with bug spray before every hike. Me, Off! with DEET, and she, an herbal spray from Whole Foods that smells much better. However, neither spray worked to deter the horseflies from landing on us at every opportune moment (pretty much any time we were standing still.) I have to say that her natural bug spray actually did better than mine; the flies landed on her but did not bite, whereas I was covered in painful bites at the end of the hike. It was so bad that my hiking partner actually gave her bug spray to a family with children that we passed on our descent; they didn’t have any spray and she feared that the kids would get eaten up! My warning to you: avoid humid summer days or pack your herbal bug spray…hers had citronella and a few other pungent herbs, which I’m guessing must taste really bad to horseflies! Another quick note that may be a “con” to some: the 4 mile loop is pretty strenuous if you take the right leg of the loop as opposed to the left. More uphill climbing and very few truly level spots. This was great for my Saturday hard exercise; but if you’re looking for a relatively easy, scenic hike, you might try the short hike to park’s namesake falls, or if your knees can’t do inclines, perhaps try the longer but more level Wolf Mountain Trail, both within the parkgrounds. Summary: We won’t be doing this one mid-summer again due to the horseflies. However, this is definitely a park that has lots to offer and we plan to make another excursion out here soon to explore the falls and the Wolf Mountain Trail. Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Posted in Real Estate Sales | 1 Comment »
Getting there? Not too terribly difficult, but perhaps a bit of a drive for those of you who live North and East. For us Southwest Austinites, however, it means about a 25 mile jaunt down the Highway 71 “leg” of the Y at Oak Hill, to the Spicewood area. Once in Spicewood, take a right onto Spur 191, then another right onto CR 404. Finally, you’ll take a left on CR 412 and travel about 1/2 mile to the park site. What is a bit tricky is finding the entrance to the hiking trails once you have entered the park grounds. Fortunately, a just-awakening camper helped us out…you have to follow the road to the right as it winds through campsites and then terminates in a small cove where the lake shore will be on your left and campsites to your right. The trailhead is visible from the parking lot. When did we go? On a Saturday morning around 7:30 AM. We were trying to beat the heat but moderate temperatures prevailed! This trail, while shaded, does traverse small creeks leading downhill towards the lake, and I could see how it could be a sweatbox at high noon. Pros: Relatively high lake levels made the view gorgeous! Not much gain in elevation but definitely a moderate hike due to the terrain and lots of ups-and-downs, so a decent workout for only 2 miles. Restrooms near the trailhead…every female hiker’s dream. Also, while it seems this is a popular spot for camping, fishing, and swimming, the hiking/horseback trails were pretty deserted, making for a more enjoyable experience. My hiking buddy noted the swimming cove near the trailhead as we were coming out, and we agreed to pack our suits next time. Cons: This park seemed poorly maintained/attended to. We were disappointed to encounter the map box empty but for payment envelopes. Furthermore, trail markers were present, but the trail itself was not well-maintained and there were a number of side trails to confuse a first-time visitor. It was obvious that horseback riders had traveled trails that were marked “No Horses.” Campers’ unleashed dogs were an annoyance. Lack of trail maintenance lead to several zones of “Ankle-Break Alley” for this wary hiker. As with all Central Texas hikes near creeks and the lake, mosquitoes were a definite concern. Pack the bug spray! Summary: On a sunnier day, with a map, this would have been more enjoyable. Although this hike was not a fave, the possibility of an apres-hiking dip in Lake Travis plus the great views and moderately strenuous workout make this a trail we’d visit again. Tags: Austin, Grelle Recreation Area, Hiking, LCRA, Spicewood
NBC Today Show Finacial Editor, Jean Chatzky, says that with mortgage interest rates at 50-year lows, now may be time to refi or buy. Global financial crises have investors pouring money into US Treasuries which, in turn, pushes mortgage interest rates down. Chatzky says this was an unexpected turn of events that is not expected to last, but rather could “change in a month” if and when the European financial crisis begins to settle. Watch more… Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Tags: Austin mortage rates, Jean Chatzky, NBC Today Show, refinance
In a recent study of home buyer preferences conducted by Avid Ratings Co., we learned a lot about what today’s new home buyer is looking for. How does this relate to properly packaging, marketing and staging an existing home when going on the market? First of all, we can probably assume that these preferences would be applicable to those purchasing pre-owned homes as well. Since the definition of staging includes “preparing a property to appeal to the most number of buyers as possible” and this study shows us what most buyers are looking for, BINGO…we’ve got the ingredients for our action plan right before our eyes. Thanks to this study, we know where focusing our attention will yield the best ROI when staging a home to sell. Ready to get started? First let’s take a look at the Top Features Buyers Want in a New Home:
1. Large kitchens with an island. 2. Energy-efficient appliances and high-efficiency insulation and windows. (These were the most sought-after “green” features from buyers.) 3. Home office or study 4. Main-floor master suite 5. Outdoor living room 6. Ceiling fans 7. Master suite soaker tubs and oversize showers with seating areas 8. Stone and brick exteriors 9. Community landscaping with walking paths and playgrounds. In this blog series, we’re going to dig a little deeper and see how we can take this helpful information, and use it to help us in staging a pre-owned home. After all, you’ve got to be able to compete with new homes and well as other pre-owned homes if you’re putting your home on the market. This is a beauty contest you won’t want to lose! Stay tuned for our next blog entry where we’ll discuss Item #1: Buyers want to see large kitchens with an island… In the meantime, do you have a staging or design dilemma? Log on to www.theinterioritycomplex.com and Ask Dr. Dotty the Design Therapist. We’ll be sure to answer your question in an upcoming blog entry! Tags: austin home stagers, home staging austin, selling a home in austin, staging homes austin
CNN reports that Austin’s economy is forecasted to lead the nation in recovery. Tags: Austin economic recovery, Austin Economy, Austin local businesses, CNN in Austin, Dale Watson
With most of the rest of us, I was heartbroken when it was announced in 2008 that The Backyard was closing its doors as a result of being squeezed out by the encroaching development that is the Shops at The Galleria. But this may just be one of those rare instances where the newer version IS actually a better one. The new location, just west and north of the old one (on the opposite side of Highway 71). Is in a larger, more picturesque setting with…. wait for it… AMPLE PARKING. That’s right, the owners are promising plenty of parking ON SITE! No more parking a mile down 71 and trekking the oftentimes dangerous and dusty paths along a highway carrying cars speeding along at 60+ miles an hour. Looks like first up will be an “exclusive, First-Look” event on Saturday, May 1st, followed by the Gypsy Kings on May 6th and then Willie’s famous 4th of July picnic this mid-summer. Here is a link to a good video I found. The Backyard is back…almost. Tags: Austin Music, Austin Outdoor concerts, Bee Cave, Gypsy Kings, The Backyard, The New Backyard, Willie Nelson
Newflower is a part of the Sunflower Farmers Markets chain (www.sfmarkets.com), a rapidly growing chain of full-service grocery stores offering consumers high quality natural and organic products at lower prices than traditional organic/health food stores. Founded almost 10 years ago, Newflower’s niche is in providing a value option in the natural and organic foods industry. They have 27 retail stores located throughout Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Texas. By keeping their overhead low — no frills stores, no big corporate offices — they aim to provide good, healthy “better than supermarket” grocery options at regular or “better than supermarket” prices. I tried them out today and love it. Planning for a little “in home” Valentine’s Day supper, we bought 3 good-size, hormone-free New York Strip steaks for $3 a piece! For a “surf and turf” option we were tempted to add some great-looking 5 oz lobster tails for $4 each. Check out this week’s sales flyer for some of the other awesome deals on HEALTHY food items! Hey, if it costs LESS to eat BETTER, I’m IN! Tags: Austin Grocery stores, Austin Organic Food, Bee Cave shopping, Hill Country Galleria
Austin’s Lake Travis has been selected as the site for this summer’s “AquaPalooza” in late July. For lake enthusiasts, it’s a huge deal. The annual event draws thousands of boats and people. According to its promoters, last year’s event at Lake Martin in Alabama attracted over 80,000 people and 15,000 boats. (I can’t decide whether this makes me want to make immediate travel plans for that weekend or head out to the lake myself to see what that kind of humanity would look like in the water.) As its name implies, “Aquapalooza” is essentially the marriage of an on-the-water music festival and large scale boat show. The event’s sponsor, Sea Ray Boats, promotes it as “The World’s Largest Boat Party”. The huge gathering features live entertainment, water-related games, contests, and giveaways. Previous events have hosted such big name entertainers as Alan Jackson, Taylor Swift, Everclear and Soul Asylum. In picturesque fashion, flotillas of boats, tubes and all form of watercraft “raft up” with each other to watch performances The selection of Lake Travis couldn’t be at a better time for local area merchants. Two years of exceptional drought and the accompanying low lake levels have been tough on business. But, 80,000 people will spend lots of money on groceries, restaurants, gasoline, sun tan lotion and everything else under the sun. Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce President Laura Mitchell said in the Lake Travis View recently, “it will probably create the most significant economic impact the local business community has ever seen.” That’s certainly great news. Three cheers for this year’s El Nino! Keep filling that lake up; we’ve got a festival to put on. Tags: Aquapalooza, Aquapalooza 2010, austin 2010 summer events, Lake Travis activities, sea ray austin
According to a company spokesperson, the plans they intend to announce this Thursday evening are of a “resort destination, much more elaborate than the waterpark most people think [they] are announcing.” The plans are set to be unveiled at the Cedar Park Public Library at 550 Discovery Blvd, this Thursday evening at 5:30. Stay tuned. Tags: Cedar Park, outdoor activities in Austin, Schlitterbahn, water parks in Austin, waterparks in Austin |
Our readers may not know that personal finance is one of my interests…yes, I am one of those boring people that reads PF blogs and columns for fun. I feel like keeping my finances at the forefront and being surrounded (well, surrounded in virtual reality) by a community of people who do the same helps me to stay on track with my goals when I’m tempted to overspend. One of the great benefits of this is that sometimes I get a “reality check” on whether or not the advice that we provide to our clients in the real estate realm is actually fiscally responsible in the personal finance realm…and wouldn’t you know, according to 
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