It’s amazing how fixated on the weather we can become. We constantly check the forecast, which may or (more frequently) may not be close to accurate. It’s one of the things in the world that no matter how much we engineer, plan or try to outsmart Mother Nature, in the end, we find ourselves red faced.
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We've been trying to keep a closed lid on this-well not really seeing as it was featured in our newsletter-but we're pleased to announce that we have been featured in the January 2012 issue of Southern Living. Riven Rock Ranch was named one of the "South's Coziest Inns," among some of the finest inns and bed and breakfasts south of the Mason-Dixon.
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With the recent winter rainfall, we've had some relief from our drought and Hill Country residents are hopeful about wildflowers and greenery returning next spring! Golf courses are no exception, and we're hoping for a return to health for all the grass on the fairways.
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Chef Brantley and his staff at The Terrace Grill are dedicated to providing local, seasonal fresh ingredients and with the changing of season comes the changing of the menu at The Terrace Grill. Chef Brantley's menu is composed of wonderful meals to keep you warm in the crisp Hill Country winter using premium local Texas ingredients when possible.
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If you've decided to winter in the Texas Hill Country this year, you don't have to forgo all of the traditional winter activities. Sure anything snow related is probably out of the question (how much skiing do you really do on your trips anyway?). But here's one unexpected winter activity that you don't have to do without: ice skating.
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It's finally the Christmas season here at Riven Rock Ranch. We've made a vested effort in celebrating one holiday at a time-too often Thanksgiving is just a speed bump on the way to Christmas. Pumpkins and leaves quickly give way to garlands, lights and snow (or in the Hill Country, faux snow) far too soon to truly take in each holiday.
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With wedding season winding down, we're starting to shift to our holiday parties like our Christmas and Thanksgiving Dinners, as well as our New Year's Eve party. But, this time of year, we start to get little keepsakes from past weddings.
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A mixture of scenic, rolling hills and mild weather make the Hill Country perfect for winter biking excursions. With a bounty of ranch roads and back roads to travel, the possibilities for routes are endless--it’s just a matter of a good map and knowing where to look! Luckily the Hill Country is fast becoming a Mecca of biking enthusiasts. Routes around Kerrville and Fredericksburg are ple
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Take a road trip through the Hill Country this winter and you’ll find the historic architecture has undergone a holiday transformation. Traditional 1800s, art deco and more modern structures take on an almost metropolitan feel at night with the newly acquired bright lights of the holidays. Bandera, Blanco, Boerne, Burnet, Dripping Springs, Fredericksburg, Johnson City, Kerrville, Llano, M
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What better way to spend the first day of the New Year than at brunch with good company?
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Pictures from Phil and Courtney's July wedding are out and they are absolutely adorable!
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October is officially Texas Wine Month and there are a ton of wine-centric events throughout the Hill Country. You have 31 days to meander through the Hill Country, savoring the local wine and visiting local wineries. Some you know, and are commercial vineyards, like Becker in Stonewall, others are boutique wineries like Bending Branch and Singing Water Vineyard right outside Comfort.
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We're in the midst of wedding season here at Riven Rock Ranch, and you may see a number of posts pertaining to different wedding elements we come across at various weddings. We adore the creativity of the wedding planners and brides and their families.
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Looking for a different spin on centerpieces for your next party? You don’t have to travel any further than your herb garden. Fall trends for floral arrangements include herbaceous plants—lavender, basil, mint, among others—that are set to go to seed. These floral arrangements provide a wonderfully wild, organic element to your home or event décor and smell absolutely divine.
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The season of holiday parties is almost upon us!
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How many businesses thrive without a website these days? In an age obsessed with marketing, expansion, increased profitability and immediate information, it’s phenomenal to meet someone dedicated solely to their art. Meet Truman Young—a legend in the Vermont maple syrup industry. Truman has b
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We field quite a few requests here at the ranch for rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, anniversaries and engagements. The first thing our patrons inquire about is The Terrace Grill. After all, you can't beat the atmosphere or the delicious cuisine created by Chef Brantley and his staff.
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It's always a shame to see staff members leave, especially with the close bonds that are formed in this family-owned business, but we certainly enjoy the time they spent here on the Ranch with us. We employ a number of Comfort High School students and we enjoy having them as a part of our restaurant staff. It's important to us to encourage growth and employ local youth.
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If you know us from staying here for a weekend, eating at The Terrace Grill or have just heard about us in passing, you may not know that we host many weddings on the Ranch. From small family weddings to events of up to 250 people, we play host to many of these milestone celebrations. Our beautiful wedding pavilion is a great setting for a magical Hill Country wedding.
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Built to seamlessly meld with nature, Riven Rock is buzzing with active wildlife. Even on these steamy summer days, there are plenty of animals to be seen roaming the ranch grounds-you just have to know where to look!
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We were delighted to have Tanji Patton come out recently and film the Ranch as a part of her site Good Taste with Tanji, which chronicles the best of the food and wine scene in the Hill Country, San Antonio and Houston. Tanji & Co stumbled upon us on a jaunt through the Hill Country having visited a neighboring winery, Bending Branch, and High's Café and Store in downtown Comfort.
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Well, if you need another reason to go out to eat, this week is the 2011 Go Texan Restaurant Round-up. Spanning July 25th through the 31st, the Roundup is meant to support local restaurants, products and food banks.
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We entertain quite a few Hill Country weddings here at Riven Rock Ranch, but we also host a number of other events. Bed and breakfast guests come and go; restaurant patrons stop in for the first time or come to one of their cherished and familiar fine dining spots.
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We adore having guests here at Riven Rock Ranch, whether they're staying in the cottages or personal guests staying in the Main House with the English-Havens family. This week we played host to Nicole Rammer, a family friend of Kathryn, Perry and Hunter.
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We sat down with Joseph and talked about his palette, how he became a chef and his favorite ingredients.
How did you get into the culinary industry?
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Texas Hill Country, what comes to mind? Bluebonnets, lantana, lazy winding rivers and beautiful sunsets - those we knew. Now, however, after our Riven Rock Ranch sojourn, memory banks for my husband and I are filled with so much more. We truly weren’t prepared for what awaited us. It
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Summer is just one of those seasons that takes you back to your childhood and there's nothing like fishing to remind you of days spent at summer camp or grandma's house or just lazy days out on your own looking for whatever adventures or trouble (as your parents called it) the day brought.
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It's no secret that it's hot and dry here these days. Wander into any local watering hole and you'll find old timers discussing the old drought of the 1950s with wells running dry and unproductive crops.
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It’s officially summer and along with the hot weather has come a number of changes around the Ranch. The pool is open, we’ve pruned the grapevines and Chef
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What's more honest than a handwritten note? It's hard these days to slow down, pick up a pen and write a note from the heart instead of firing off an email. More often than not, our guests come to us to embrace a slower pace, a sabbatical from their everyday lives. And so many of them stop and read through our Guestbooks in each cottage. They leaf through our ever-filling pages and stop for a moment to reflect upon their stay with us and share their experience. We all love to read these entries after our guests have left as we reflect upon the unique people we've met and the stories they've told us.
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Open since August 2009, The Terrace Grill, our on-site restaurant, has earned a reputation as a unique dining destination. Riven Rock Ranch has created a wonderful open-air restaurant nestled in a native plant garden, complete with a koi pond and meandering stream. Despite the beautiful setting, the real standout is the exceptional food prepared by Chef Joseph Brantley.
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Built to seamlessly meld with the outdoors, as is the rest of the Ranch, our wedding pavilion and gazebo are the stars of this post. Completed in 2008, this venue has been the setting for many weddings and other family events. Constructed from rock quarried from the Ranch, the pavilion is the perfect venue for an outdoor event.
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Wednesday we were joined by sixty-seven members of the Canyon Lake Newcomer's Group for a luncheon held at the pavilion at The Terrace Grill. The Canyon Lake Newcomer's Group was formed to greet new members of the community and introduce them to the best the area has to offer. Obviously, we were thrilled to have them come visit our restaurant and take a tour of some of the cottages.
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We would like to thank all of our guests for an extremely successful Valentine's Day Dinner! Ninety people joined us Sunday evening for a sold out event at The Terrace Grill. With table settings decorated with long stemmed roses and romantic Latin classical guitar music it was truly an occasion to be remembered.
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