RVing With Dogs

Traveling in an RV is an exciting and popular way to vacation. So this summer my family and I embarked on a whirlwind tour from Austin bound for Yellowstone National Park. The crazy part wasn’t just that we traveled 4,000 miles in 13 days – it was that we traveled with our 3 dogs!

If you’re considering RVing with dogs I humbly offer the following tips based on my experiences! Enjoy the ride. And the read!

A Sensational Sunset In Ridgway State Park Colorado

RVing Isn’t For Everyone. If you’re more the room service, chocolate on the pillow, spacious room kinda person, RVing may not be most suitable for your traveler’s DNA. While I had to adjust on a few fronts, I was rewarded in many other ways. Things like ultimate freedom, big skies, and once-in-a-lifetime memorable moments with the family. If you’ve never been RVing you can get a good idea of the experience by watching the movie “RV” before your departure. The movie is hilarious and would only have been more funny with canine costars. Here’s the trailer:

Rent & Reserve Early. RVing is extremely popular! The RV Industry Association reports that the industry has tripled in size since 2009. With 25 million Americans RVing each year, if you plan to stay at state or national parks you’ll want to make your reservation early. 6 months would be a good starting advance timeframe to ensure you have ample time to “presearch” your itinerary and score the RV and campground you most desire. The Reserve America website was super helpful in securing our campsites, like our home away at Colorado’s Mueller State Park.

Me And The Pups In Mueller State Park Colorado

Flex Your Creativity. When we discovered we couldn’t find available state parks within an hour of Santa Fe and Yellowstone we took a left turn (figuratively speaking). We rented through Airbnb which resulted in a welcomed relief from the RV. Our modern cabin rental had a full-size washer and dryer, shower, satellite TV, and a large kitchen which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Harley, Libby, and Lucca in Bear Lake, Utah

Consider All Costs. RVs can be an affordable way to travel per the RV Industry Association. You’ll want to consider things like the daily rental fee, estimated gas, campground fees, and any extras – our rental levied a mileage fee and an hourly generator cost to run the supplemental AC (luckily we didn’t use the generator once we left Texas).

Right-Size Your Trip. 4,000 miles across 6 states in 13 days isn’t for everyone! In retrospect we should have taken more time to stop and smell the roses. Our friends have been asking “would you take another RV trip again?” I would but I’d opt for a much shorter travel distance like a weekend trip to the Texas Coast, a Round Top rendevoux, an outing into Texas Wine Country, or even colorful Colorado, which is not that far away.

You’ll Want To Stop In Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

Travel With Tech. We used our grocery store app to make a convenient/portable list of things to take on the trip. You should be able to score forgotten items or restock ice/water, food, or dog supplies along the way. Our iPad, USB chargers, LED camping lights, and iHome portable speaker ensured we had a few comforts of home on the go.

Don’t Forget The Dogs! Remember to take food, medications, special toys, beds/blankets, bowls, collars and leads. We purchased a 7-gallon water container to ensure the pack was never thirsty.

Palo Duro Canyon, Texas

Explore. There’s so much to see and do! Just in Texas alone we were able to enjoy Palo Duro Canyon State Park which is the second largest canyon in the US. Dubbed the “Grand Canyon of Texas” this park treated us to impressive, colorful views of the ruggedness of Texas. Did you know Texas has an official bison herd? Neither did I until we decided to stay at Caprock Canyons State Park. In addition to wild bison, you can enjoy the The Bats Of Clarity Tunnel plus over 90 miles of trails! In Telluride we rode their dog-friendly gondola which treated us to free and unforgettable 365° views of the valley from 10,540 feet above the valley below!

The Dog-Friendly Gondola In Telluride, Colorado Is Tops (Literally)

There was so much to see on our six state adventure! Perhaps the best part of RVing with dogs is the bountiful bond you’ll create. This form of travel will gift you with unique views and experiences that a plane or train simply cannot. Truly “home was where we parked it” and having the dogs with us only made the family vacation complete.

Have questions about RVing with dogs? Reach out to me – I’d love to collaborate!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty

Email: JoePaul@KW.com
Mobile: 512-222-3302
Web: JoePaulReider.KW.com

Your Austin Holiday Gift Guide

With mere days before the big day we’ve amassed a shopper’s shortlist of our favorite local goodies to put more fa-la-la-la-la in your holaday gift giving. ❄️ ❄️❄️  These gift ideas are sure to delight the senses!

Owl bet you have someone on your list who would love one of these granite owls. Perfect for the garden! Available at Hill Country Water Gardens – our go-to place for inspiration for special things inside and especially outside the home!

Show them the love for your favorite state! These one-of-a-kind works of art are made from recycled wood. Gift cards, T-shirts and more available at Hemlock & Heather online.

Don’t just give them a present – give them an *experience* to remember! Boating Lake Travis is one of my family’s favorite things ever. Gift cards are available beginning at $60 at QuickGifts. Surf’s up!

Kiss goodbye to dry lips and give a hello kiss to a great smile, compliments of Austin-based Lizard Lips! This stuff heals, moisturizes, and protects for life’s greatest adventures (like when you’re enjoying the lake). Available online or at our favorite home away from home… Buc-ee’s! 

“Create world peace one backyard at at time!” Wind chimes from Music of the Spheres are tough as Texas nails but create etheral sounds that delight. You can purchase these online or swing by the East Cesar Chavez showroom to get yours. *And theirs!*

It may be local honey but you’ll send their taste buds into outer orbit with Round Rock Bourbon Barrel Honey. This stuff is the bomb diggity that’s fresh. Raw. And local. Score it online! Plus try our honey-roasted cashew recipe that was inspired by this tasty liquid gold.

What do super Texans drink? Super Texan wine, of course! This wine hails from Flat Creek Estate and it’s won several awards including “most romantic wine,” from the Home Style Austin Team. Available at select HEBs, online… or via short drive to the wine estate. From Cedar Park head west on 1431 for about 30 scenic minutes.

Gift them comfort food for the soul! Soul Popped is a small biz on the rise with Texas-sized flavors like Chicken ‘n Waffles, Banana Pudding, and Heavenly Macaroni & Cheese. Dash to Barton Creek Square or the Soul Popped website to get your groove on.

Dorothy won’t be the only one claiming “there’s no place like home” when your lucky gift recipient lights one of these “Home Sweet Home” soy candles! Vanilla bean, spice, juicy raisins, and oats will ignite the heart and home. We score ours regularly at Honey & Hay in Cedar Park.

They’ll always be able to find their way home with this Austin’s Neighborhood poster. Maybe it’s the Realtor in me but what a fun way to celebrate the neighborhoods that make Austin so great. Available on Etsy.

All the best for the happiest of holidays from us to you!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty

Email: JoePaul@KW.com
Mobile: 512-222-3302
Web: JoePaulReider.KW.com

Hummingbird Nectar Recipe

Dedicated to the High Flyers of Central Texas

Around mid-March there’s a bit of a buzz in the air; this marks the remarkable annual arrival of the hummingbirds to the Central Texas area.

It’s easy to see why people are attracted to these expert flyers – they are tiny miracles with wing beats of up to 200 per second. Not just that but they can fly upside down, backwards, and they can dive at speeds of around 60 miles per hour!

I’m a fan of hummingbirds and have found easy ways to attract them to my garden. Over the years I’ve picked-up some tips below for how to be hummingbird friendly, including an easy recipe for making nectar that can attract hummingbirds to your home.

Time:

To Prepare: About 5 minutes
To Cool: About 30 minutes

Fast Facts:

❤  Clean your hummingbird feeder regularly. Make sure to clean and store your feeder after the hummingbirds have migrated from the area (usually late summer to early December).

❤  Change the nectar weekly and every 2-3 days in the hotter summer months. When you see the nectar turning cloudy it’s fermenting, signaling it’s time to clean the feeder and change the nectar.

❤  Avoid red dyes, honey, and artificial sweeteners; they are not necessary and in some cases can be unhealthy for the birds.

❤  There are some great resources available for how plants can attract hummingbirds to your garden. Texas A&M’s “Herb’s For Texas Landscapes” is one of my trusted favorites. You can download a .PDF of the resource here.

Spotted in northwest Austin this Canyon Creek hummingbird takes a well-deserved break.

Nectar Ingredients:

1 Part  |  Sugar
4 Parts  |  Water

What To Do:

1. Fill a medium pot with the water and bring it to a boil.

2. Add the sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

3. Remove the pot from heat and let rest until cool.

4. Transfer the nectar into your feeder and feed away! If you make extra nectar transfer to a storage container and keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks.

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty

Email: JoePaul@KW.com
Mobile: 512-222-3302
Web: JoePaulReider.KW.com

I scored this handmade crystal hummingbird at the Blanco Lavender Festival – it’s a favorite!

DIY : Terrarium

A Bewitching “Terrorium”

When the days grow short and temperatures begin to dip we find special ways to bring nature’s influence indoors.

Making your own terrarium is surprisingly simple and you can create to your heart’s content! For this project I decided to create a Halloween-themed terrarium which was going to be a gift to my special friend Heather who loves the thrill of Halloween as much as we do. Let the terrific terror begin! 🎃

Tips:

• The material quantities below are approximations; you’ll want to adjust them to meet the needs of your own project and the size of your terrarium.
• I decided to purchase a terrarium that included a removable lid; with or without the lid the terrarium looked great and will provide flexibility to give the succulents a little air in between their steam baths.
• I found my green moss matt (a thin sheet of green moss) and bunches of colorful red and green mosses at Michael’s. I found the terrarium at Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts. I was rather selective about finding just the proper size and creep-factor of my Halloween miniatures so I turned to Etsy and scored a trio of accents from The Little Hedgerow. You can see more of the minis I hand selected below. If you order from Kim at The Little Hedgerow, tell her the folks at Home Style Austin say howdy!
• While we created the spooky terrarium shown in this post, you can transition the miniature decorations and plants throughout the year to coordinate with the seasons.


Materials:

1  |  Glass Terrarium
Assorted  |  Mosses, Unmoistened
2-4  |  Succulents
1-2 Cups  |  Succulent Soil
To Decorate  |  Garden Accessories (Miniature Accessories, Stones From The Garden, etc.)
Things To Have Handy  |  A Craft Table, Scissors, Magic Tape, A Spray Bottle Filled With Water



What To Do:

1. Line The Terrarium.
My moss matt was perfect for creating a green edge at the bottom of the terrarium. I trimmed it about 3 inches tall and formed it in a circle around the bottom of the terrarium. I used a couple pieces of Magic Tape to help keep the moss in place while I planted the succulents. I lined the bottom of the terrarium with more of the matt just to keep the soil well contained in my handmade moss bowl. Hint: You may think 4 hands are better than 2 here, but 4 hands likely won’t fit inside the terrarium! 🎃


2. Plant The Succulents.
Place about a cup of soil in the bottom of the terrarium. If needed, gently separate your succulents to the desired size, placing them with some room to grow. Fill in any holes left by the plants with more soil until things are well planted.

3. Trick Your Treat.
Place your mosses and chosen miniatures around your succulents. My miniatures came with small metal picks which helped keep them in place. I even decorated the terrarium lid, since this was a special gift.



4. Care & Feed.
Succulents thrive best in well-drained soil. So since your terrarium likely won’t have a drainage hole, don’t overwater the plants. I used a spray bottle and spritzed every few days, making sure to let the soil dry between waterings. You can wipe the inside and outside of your glass terrarium with a moist paper towel to remove any water spots or dirt. When your plants get too big for their tiny home you can transfer them into another pot or outside to enjoy the Texas sun.


Stand back and marvel at your work of art! With a little care and feeding your terrarium will be a prized creation that will last you for years to come.

Enjoy and please email me with any questions about this project!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.
JoePaul@KW.com

DIY : Succulent Planter

One Excellent Succulent

If you’re looking for a fun and easy way to make a lasting impression, make and gift one of these unique succulent plants.

Once you have the supplies, these “succulent hangers” are surprisingly simple to create. The end result is a one-of-a-kind handmade plant that will surely delight both you and the lucky recipient.

Tips:

• The material quantities below are approximations; what you use will vary based on the size of your plants and the number of succulent planters you’re making. PS ~ While you’re making one you might as well make more!
• You may find 4 hands are better than 2! Our friend Eileen lent us her 2 hands which were especially useful during the forming and wrapping stages shown below.
• Most of the supplies are easy to find; we found plants, soil, sphagnum moss and the garden wire at Lowes, green moss and the rainbow-inspired decorative twine came from Michael’s. The clay soil was the hardest for us to locate but we scored a 40 pound bag of it for about $5 at Hill Country Water Gardens (it’s one of our favorite nurseries). PS ~ 40 pounds of clay soil is deceivingly small. 

Materials: 

1 – 2 Cups  |  Potting Soil
1 – 2 Cups  |  Clay Soil
About 1/4 cup (To Form)  |  Water
1 (or more)  |  Succulent Plants
Two Handfuls  |  Sphagnum Moss, Moistened
Two Handfuls  |  Green Moss, Unmoistened
10 – 15 Feet  |  Decorative Twine
To Hang  |  A Piece Of Driftwood Or A Found Stick (about 6 inches long)
To Hang  |  Some Green Garden Wire (available at most craft stores)

What To Do:

1. Make Dirt.
In a medium-sized bowl mix together equal parts of the potting and clay soil. Add water and combine until the mixture resembles a pliable dough. Set aside.

2. Form Planter.
Remove your succulent plant from its container and wrap it with enough sphagnum moss to entirely encase the roots. Then wrap the moss-covered succulent with the prepared, wet, soil from Step 1 above, forming a ball. Wrap green moss around the succulent and trim any excess that rises above the edge of the succulent.

3. Wrap Planter
Using your decorative twine, wrap the planter several times to secure the soil and moss to the plant. A few times I carefully wrapped the twine on top – and between – the succulent branches to help form a well-wrapped “ball.” Along the way test your wrap to ensure the plant hangs level. As we formed the wrapped planter we created 4 extra-long suspensions at each “corner” of the succulent planter and then wrapped the hanging stick (below) to help keep the plant stable in the breezy winds of Central Texas. Make sure and leave enough excess twine at the top of the plant for hanging.

4. Prepare To Hang
Wrap the excess twine around your hanging stick (from Step 3) to your desired length and tie them off at the top of the stick or tie and tuck the twine along the bottom of your succulent planter. To suspend from a nail or hanger wrap the stick a few times with the garden wire and secure.

5. To Care & Feed
Hang your succulent in a semi-sunny place, indoors or out. Make sure to keep the plant happy and keep it moist by misting daily or by watering liberally or letting rest in a shallow bowl of water. Succulents don’t need to be over-watered but they do need a little love.

Enjoy and please email me with any questions about this project!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Fall 2014 Gardening Guide

The Fall Gardener’s Resource

This gardening guide has some great suggestions for Fall planting here in Central Texas. Inside there are:

• 10 tips for a successful Texas garden and landscape
• Gardening tips by month
• Local gardening clubs and organizations
• Local viewing gardens
• And more

You can download a free .PDF of the guide here. Thanks to our friends at Gracy Title for making the guide available to us all!

If you really, really love gardening make sure and download the Native and Adapted Landscape Plants Guide by GrowGreen.org – we have found it to be the best staple for Central Texas year-round gardening.

The Home Style Austin Team wishes you the very best of Autumn … indoors and out!

 

 

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Email: JoePaul@KW.com
Mobile: 512-222-3302
Web: JoePaul.KWRealty.com

Free Real Estate App: If you’re home hunting this weekend or beyond, download my free Keller Williams real estate app – it’s chock-full of features!

• Text “KWCP11X” to 87778 or
• Download it here:
  http://bit.ly/kw-mobile-app

Brushy Creek Regional Trail

Oh, Brushy Creek

One of the best parts of living in Avery Ranch is the proximity to great golfing, amazing neighbors with Texas-sized Avery Ranch spirit and memorable vistas thanks to Brushy Creek.

I knew we lived a super-short drive to Brushy Creek Lake Park but it wasn’t until one day on my dog walk when we darted between two boulders near Rutledge Elementary that I realized we could pick-up the expansive Brushy Creek Regional Trail (BCRT) just a few minutes from our front door in The Landing – no car involved!

With cooler Texas weather on its way, why not grab the family, pack a picnic and make a day of nature’s greatness? Let’s take an online stroll of some of my favorite moments along the trail. Hint: click on the pics for a larger view!

Ready for big views and curvy curves, like this?

Even my Labs Boomer and Harley stop to smell the wildflowers.

In the cooler months the lake’s rising fog can be surreal.

Luckily, in Spring the bluebonnets of Brushy Creek awaken to remind us of their natural beauty. Don’t they look like a “sea of blue?”

And then there are special bluebonnet moments like this!

And unexpected moments like discovering the “Dino Dig” for the first time at Champion Park.

And surprises like finding wild deer looking at you mere feet from the trail. Hello, dear deer!

What’s that big rock doing here? Is this granite? 

Oh, yes it is! And it has a magnificent story behind it!

When you finish reading the historical marker, why not admire the train trestle’s architecture?! This is the same Capitol Metro train line that runs through Avery Ranch into downtown Austin!

Speaking of interesting shapes, look at this riverbed rock formation!

And here’s another formation that’s several feet tall!

Back on flat ground Boomer and Harley head full steam ahead for open ground…

 … In search of rippling waters like this watering hole. This spot cooled them down for sure!

Following the rippling waters will take you to a really, really big watering hole (a.k.a. Twin Lakes Park). We were glad the ducks and geese were willing to share the lake with us. 

Canoeing on Twin Lakes is always fun!

Gazing at wildflowers along the trail is also fun!

“Sunset time” is probably my most fun-time … it makes the perfect ending to a great day at Brushy Creek!

I hope you enjoyed these pictures! Have some of your own you’d like to share? Post them on the Home Style Austin Facebook page – we’d love to see them!

I hope you enjoy all the best of Brushy Creek,

 

 

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Email: JoePaul@KW.com
Mobile: 512-222-3302
Web: JoePaul.KWRealty.com

 

 

Wildseed Farms : One Amazing Adventure

Texas Blooms

Any trip to the Hill Country must include a stop at Wildseed Farms. It’s the largest working wildflower farm in the nation and is located just east of Fredericksburg on 290.

We decided to make a brief stop here to see if anything was in bloom and we were blown away! The farm is over 200 acres largely decorated with colorful blooms that are changing throughout the year. Stepping out of our car we quickly discovered there was much more here than just the colorful fields:

• Lantana Nursery – One of the largest plant nurseries in Central Texas – we scored some great succulents here. They also offer a large selection of pots in seemingly endless shapes, sizes and colors.
• Specialty Foods – Salsas, preserves, hot sauces, pickled veggies – many of which were available for a free tasting. After devouring some complimentary golden caramel corn nuggets we left with an armful of stuff including Bread & Butter Jalapeño Dip Mix, Habanero Garlic Salsa and Five Amigos Fire Roasted Pepper Salsa. Score!
• Apparel and Home Decor – There are tons of things to discover here – you can check out the virtual tour and have a look around.
• Seed Packets – It was hard to narrow down our selection to just a few – you can even buy seeds by the pound for larger landscaping projects.

You can visit Wildseed Farms online in a click – their website is quite extensive and you can even save a tree or two by viewing their digital seed catalog instead of having one snail mailed to you. While the website and digital catalog will quickly please the armchair gardener in you, nothing beats an in-person visit to the farm to enjoy the foods, smells, colors and the countless surprises that await in full splendor.

We’re not surprised Lady Bird Johnson was a frequent visitor here; the farm and folks are incredibly inclusive and easy to get to know – they’re open 7 days a week throughout the year, dog friendly, encourage free photo taking and they even let you stroll among the flowers with your wine and beer from the Brewbonnet Biergarten! What’s not to love about that?

As they say at Wildseed Farms: “Come for the flowers, and stay for the atmosphere!”

Green thumbs up!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Email: JoePaul@KW.com
Mobile: 512.222.3302
Web: JoePaul.KWRealty.com

 

 

 

Home Sweet Home On The Range

Outdoor Home Living 

I have to say our team at Home Style Austin HQ was pretty much blown away when we saw these amazing tents!

Conceived as a treehouse that you can take with you anywhere, the tree tent hammock combines the versatility of a hammock with the security of a tent. “Because the world is not flat,” the makers of the tent say.

In addition to taking your spirits to a new level, the folks at Tentsile plant 3 trees for every tent you or I buy which I think is an awesome gift back to Mother Nature. High fives! Let’s watch this video to see this creative form of home living in action:

Whether you’re in your primary home or traveling in your home on the go, enjoy the very best of the great life; “Home” truly can be found wherever we hang our hearts … even in our hanging tents!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

A Free Guide For Central Texas Gardening

Our friends at GrowGreen.org recently updated their Native and Adapted Landscape Plants Guide which is a gardener’s staple for smart gardening here in Central Texas. The guide is only updated every few years and you can download your eco-friendly guide below!

The plant guide contains earthwise plant choices for Austin area gardens including:

• Beautiful native and adapted plants ideal for Central Texas
• Pictures for easy to find/identify drought-tolerant plants
• Useful plant info (including height, spread, water needs, wildlife friendliness, maintenance info and more).

Download your free copy of the 2013 Grow Green Central Texas Plant Guide at this link. In addition, you can search the Grow Green online plant database at this link.

Plants make our homes complete which is why landscape gardening is one of the valued principles behind the creation of Home Style Austin. We hope this plant guide will help you with happy, smart gardening … the Austin way!

Enjoy,

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.