The Guadalupe River was in surprisingly nice form last weekend.  A good friend, Jacob, and I put our kayaks in at the state park and floated the nine miles down to Bulverde in 3.5 hours.  We were

My life-long best friend Jay Root and I needed a weekend away from civilization. Only a four-hour drive from Boerne, Texas, we found the perfect spot.

We had a great time today tooling around the Hill Country. My wife, Lori, and her mom (we lovingly refer to her as Ma-Ma) and myself jumped in the car for a spontaneous afternoon up north; which, for us, means anything north of Boerne. One of our stops included Becker Vineyards, about 14 miles east of Fredericksburg on Highway 290. Having seen their web site before departing, we were amazed at how beautiful the place was. The grounds were pristine, the architecture so inviting, and the staff so incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. Â After a fun tasting we opted for a glass of the Viognier, which we enjoyed out on the expansive porch. They have a B&B, too, and I can just imagine that it would be a peaceful stay.

In preparation for a new tourism-related project we'll be announcing soon at Digett, we've requested visitor and/or relocation packets from some forty or so Texas Hill Country towns. Two days later, I can tell you the results are going to be eye-opening. I have a few packets sitting on my desk in front of me right now, and all share a lot in common. First of all, they are practically all useless to a visitor. Secondly, they do little or nothing in the way of attempting to coax a visitor to actually visit. Third, they waste trees. Fourth, they waste advertising dollars. Fifth, they take too long to receive. Might this list go on...?

"It took us a while to realize we weren't in the business of lodging."

One might not expect to hear this from the owner of a beautiful old Bed & Breakfast in Bardstown, Kentucky. Rosemark Haven is a gorgeous old structure from the early 1800's. So how could it be that these people are not in the business of lodging?