West (of Dallas) Texas Roadtrip: Part 1

by Ester Harrison

Years ago, I read about a little retreat three hours west of Dallas called Rancho Loma. The articles completely captivated me. I knew that somehow, someday I had to experience this place. Last month, we finally found a rare free weekend and set off west.  Using the Roadtrippers app and website to plan an itinerary, I decided to make this a discovery trip of West Texas. 

Honestly, I thought there would be very little to see except great expanse between Dallas and Valera, Texas. Boy, was I wrong. In fact, we had a hard time deciding on whether to stop at Dinosaur Valley State Park for a energetic hike, at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center for an animal adventure, or at the Dr. Pepper Museum for a cultural stop. All different types of activities and all 1 1/2 to 2 hours west of Dallas. 

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Road trip: California

The last time I was in California my family was driving through the massive state in our Silverado Suburban and we, the kids, had commandeered the radio for a reprieve from the classical music by shoving in our tapes of Ace of Base and Meatloaf. Needless to say, it’s been a while. This trip, I decided to make limited plans and travel with only a backpack throughout. A foodie excursion, I feasted at mostly farm to table and local restaurants, the price of which was offset by booking various types of nightly accommodations. From an Airbnb booking in LA to a Bed and Breakfast in Sonoma and a Hostel outside San Francisco, I tried it all. 

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