Home Care In Kendalia, TX

Spend three days tubing, driving backroads, and listening to country music

March 26, 2020

Kendall County—about 50 miles northwest of San Antonio—is growing fast, thanks to urban sprawl. Luckily, it’s still maintained its idyllic Hill Country charm and unspoiled views. It might be tempting to roll other destinations, like Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, and Bandera, into a three-day weekend in the area. But sticking to Kendall County, which encompasses hamlets like Sisterdale, Waring, and Kendalia, offers more than enough to fill an itinerary. This rural county provides a more relaxing and less crowded trip, with historic dance halls, abundant live music, and the requisite Guadalupe River.

Friday

4 p.m.

A weekend on the wild side of Kendall County starts south of the Johnson City-Stonewall-Fredericksburg tourist strip. The Walnut Canyon Cabins, run by Rhonda and Carl Rubadue, offer panoramic views. Nearby, Block Creek Bed & Breakfast provides wildlife and nature sights from a historic cottage located within the Block Creek Natural Area. The wildlife preserve was created by Sharron and Larry Jay for wildlife photography workshops, which are scheduled throughout the year.

6 p.m.

Less than 5 miles from either lodging sits The Old Tunnel State Park, best known for its 3 million Mexican free-tail bats that hang out from May through October. Dedicated in 2012, the state park—the smallest in Texas—was built around and above the old Fredericksburg and Northern Railroad tunnel, which was abandoned in 1942. These days, around dusk, the bats emerge from the tunnel to feast on moths and wasps, creating a stunning sight. Directly above the tunnel is a designated viewing area, where seats are $5 per person. Myrna Langford, a Texas Parks & Wildlife volunteer, enjoys watching the emergence from the top. “I like seeing the precise ribbon formations of bats winding into the sky,” she says. She also recommends taking the trail down toward the tunnel to see the diversity of the tree canopy and birds.

7:30 p.m.

Around the corner from The Old Tunnel State Park is Alamo Springs Café, a funky neighborhood restaurant renowned for its half-pound hamburgers, onion rings, and the plate of the day (steak on Friday, enchiladas on Saturday, and chicken-fried steak on Sunday). Owner Brian O’Neill greets customers from behind the counter, setting the tone for the casual atmosphere. Need a beer? Grab one out of the cooler and let your waitress know how many you’ve had. Want a frozen mug for that beer? Open up the vintage refrigerator in the corner, look in the freezer compartment, and help yourself. Live music starts on the outdoor stage around 6:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Saturday

10 a.m.

A classic Hill Country drive, with wildflowers still in bloom, is a must-do. The landscape along this route remains mostly undeveloped ranch country. Picturesque wedding and event centers have staved off encroachment from San Antonio’s suburbs for now. On Farm-to-Market Road 473, about 8 miles south of Old Tunnel, three ramshackle buildings make up The Cartoon Saloon. What looks like a Western movie set is the private studio of artist JP Rankin, known as “The Cartoon Cowboy.” The saloon serves as a photo-op for passersby.

Back on FM 473, a right on North River Bend Road leads to James Kiehl Park, one of the few access points to swim or float on this stretch of the Guadalupe. About 5 miles away, on Waring Welfare Road, is the small settlement of Waring. There you’ll find the reinvented Church at Waring, an old church that has been restored into a small special event center with occasional concerts and religious services, and the Waring General Store, which opens for steak night on Wednesdays.

Following Zoeller Lane from Waring, through farm fields, leads back to FM 473. The 22-mile drive to Kendalia stretches through the hilliest part of the county on a very narrow, shoulderless road that is extremely popular with weekend bikers and motorists. At the historic Kendalia General Store, stock up on sandwiches, drinks, and snacks for the road. Kendalia Halle, a relic on FM 3351 dating to 1903, still functions like it always has with Saturday dances most months of the year.

Noon

Floating the river is practically mandatory in this part of the state. Bergheim Campground, 7 miles south of Kendalia on FM 3351, rents tubes, kayaks, and paddles for a three- to four-hour float down the cypress-lined Guadalupe River, ending at the bridge at Edge Falls Road. A shuttle ensures you return to the campground safely.

5 p.m.

Nicolaus Zink, a German freethinker, founded Sisterdale in 1847. These days, the historic farming community provides a chance to mingle with locals, bikers, cyclists, and other travelers at the Sisterdale Line, a bar in a repurposed old general store. The other center of action is at the south end of town in the old cotton gin. It’s now home to Sister Creek Winery and Vineyards, a very laid-back operation open for tastings and tours.

6 p.m.

Dinner at an authentic barbecue joint is always something to look forward to, and Black Board Bar B Q takes it to the next level. There awaits half-pound servings of Angus or wagyu brisket, chicken, and links of wild boar sausage and boudin accompanied by sides like Asian slaw and mac ‘n’ cheese. Be sure to order the house specialty, Luckenbach Lollipops–fried quail legs and thighs. There’s also live music, typically singer-songwriter or country, all over the county, often starting as early as 6:30 p.m. on weekends at venues like Sisterdale Line, the Church at Waring, The Roundup (south of Kendalia), Kendalia Halle, and Alamo Springs Café.

Sunday

10 a.m.

The Cave Without a Name in Boerne hosts cool and crystalline entertainment. At this privately owned cave, an hourlong tour shows off an array of dazzling stalactites and stalagmites. Be warned: The only way in and out is by walking down and up 126 steps. What makes this cave stand out are the Saturday evening classical and new-age concerts held inside its Throne Room.

Because the temperatures in the cave remain a constant 66 degrees year-round, it’s the perfect place to linger and commit the pristine Hill Country views to memory. The crowds and the traffic await on the other side of the Kendall County line.

Bergheim Campground and River Outfitters offers RV hookups and primitive camping sites, as well as bathrooms and showers, along the Guadalupe River.

103 White Water Road, Boerne. 830-336-2235; bergheimcampground.com

From the April 2020 issue

KENDALIA, Texas — Some 40 miles north of San Antonio, along a lonely two-lane road, stands a bedraggled, tin-sided building that hints at Texas’ past.

Kendalia Halle’s multi-tiered wooden truss was decked out in white lights as Bruce and Louetta Schwab joined about 200 others for a monthly dance. The Schwabs live east of Dallas and during their recent visit to central Texas Hill Country decided to visit the old hall, where patrons paid about $20 to hear Bobby Jordan and the Ridgecreek Band. “It’s a combination of her love to dance and my interest in German history,” said Bruce Schwab.

Kendalia Halle was built more than 100 years ago by German immigrants, who through the latter half of the 19th century comprised more than 5 percent of the state’s population, according to the Texas State Historical Commission. It’s one of an estimated 1,000 dance halls that sprung up around Texas in the 1800s, knitting together German, Czech, Polish and other immigrant communities.

About 400 such halls still stand — many unused and decaying — but only two traditional Texas dance halls continue to operate on nearly a daily basis: Luckenbach Hall in Fredericksburg and Gruene Hall in New Braunfels.

“The culture has shifted away from rural areas where most of the halls are, but what we see is that these cultures are foundational to what Texans are and what Texas is,” said Patrick Sparks, board president of Texas Dance Hall Preservation.

Sparks’ group and others are working to preserve the state's remaining dance halls, in part by creating an inventory so that the most distinctive ones become candidates for the National Register of Historic Places. Such designation would enable the halls to apply for grant assistance and protections against encroaching development.

More practically, it would raise their profile among tourists and other travelers.

“You can still go out on a Saturday night and experience an authentic dance hall like you could 100 years ago and that's something that really defines our culture here in Texas,” Sparks said.

Some dance halls also are architecturally unique, according to Sparks. The Cat Spring Agricultural Society Pavilion west of Houston is a 12-sided hall built in 1902 by German immigrants that features an elaborate wooden truss rising up to a cupola. At one time there were about 40 such “round halls” in the state, Sparks said, but now just half that number exist.

Carolyn Vogel is president of a nonprofit association that operates the Twin Sisters Dance Hall. It’s believed Twin Sisters, not far from Kendalia Halle, has hosted at least a monthly dance since the 1880s. It costs about $16,000 a year for volunteers to maintain the building. “On a good year we break even,” Vogel said.

The association is seeking an IRS designation as a charitable organization that would allow it to apply for state grants and other money, which would prove valuable in addressing expensive repairs like the nearly $20,000 needed to replace the roof, she said.

Twin Sisters, founded by German immigrants, for years served as a vital community center, Vogel said, and it’s important “to reacquaint and refamiliarize people with this heritage.” “We’re really working to bring people back,” she said. “I think it’s a unique type of entertainment, also.”

From about 1870 into the 1920s, European immigrants in Texas built hundreds of these halls. They largely served as meeting places for agricultural groups, rifle clubs and mutual benefit societies. Over time, Sparks said, they also became important social centers that on many evenings hosted popular dances.

The popularity of the halls waned as Texas’ population shifted to the cities. In 1900, 83 percent of the Texas population lived in rural areas; 50 years later that percentage had fallen to 37 percent, and continues to decline.

Nowadays, a couple hundred remaining halls may host an event or two each year, but only a few dozen are used at least on a monthly basis, Sparks said.

When Lee Temple bought Kendalia Halle with his wife Judi in 1995, business didn’t look so promising. One weekend he laid out $700 for a band only to have one couple show. While still not a moneymaker, Kendalia’s monthly dances, along with wedding receptions and birthday parties, help the Temples break even. “Texas dance halls are becoming a very good investment because there are fewer and fewer of them,” Lee Temple said. (AP)

The bobcat kittens will need a year to a year and a half of care before they can be released back into the wild.

More Videos

KENDALIA, TX — Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation is in need of donations to help care for bobcat kittens taken from their natural habitat earlier this week.

Animal Care Services says that a family living off Eisenhower Road near Salado Creek initially reported that they found the pair of felines at a back alleyway and decided to take them into their home. When they tried to feed them, the bobcats bit one of the family members.

By Wednesday, the agency found out that the young bobcats were actually found in Atascosa County. According to ACS, the family maintains that they believed the cats were bengal kittens, a rare domestic breed.

The pair of bobcat kittens have been placed at the Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation facility in Kendalia, Texas. Kelly McCoy, Director of Animal Operations, said that the bobcat kittens will need a year to a year and a half of care before they can be released back into the wild.

"At the end of their care, it will probably be several thousand dollars, making sure they can hunt, and all the hours to make sure they are healthy and getting the right care here," said McCoy of the cost to rehab the animals.

She added that this is a tragic case because now the small window of finding the felines' mom has diminished and the bobcat kittens will need intensive care to learn what they should be learning in the wild.

"They were clearly healthy, and when [the mother] returned, they were gone. And they were kind of experiencing the same loss. They were crying out for her," McCoy said.

Game Warden Captain Michael Morse says that the family could have violated a Texas Parks and Wildlife code regulation. The violation is a misdemeanor offense. The family could be facing those charges after taking in the wild animals.

ACS and a Bexar County Game Warden will continue to investigate the incident.

Until then, the Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation is reaching out to the community for donations to help provide the life-saving care the bobcat kittens need.

If you see animals in trouble, Wildlife Rescue says that you can call their 24-hour rescue hotline at 830-336-2725.

Two-stepping is a time honored Texas tradition, and the Hill Country is home to some the best two-stepping experiences in the state. Whether a newbie to the scene or an age old two-stepping fiend, the perfect dance hall awaits those “boot scootin’ boogies.”

From Austin to San Antonio and everywhere in between here are some of the best dance halls in the Texas Hill County. Time to get “two-stepping!”

1. Kendalia Halle | Kendalia, Texas

Photo: www.kendaliahalle.com

What started as a town party venue built by the town residents has since become a favorite of Texas originals such as Dale Watson, Gary P. Nunn, and others. More than 110 years later, the party is still going.

1135 Farm to Market 3351, Kendalia, TX

2. Mercer Street Dance Hall | Dripping Springs, Texas

Photo: www.wideopencountry.com

New to the two-stepping scene is Mercer Street Dance Hall. However it has already built quite a reputation as a popular country music venue in Central Texas. It’s definitely a true authentic Texas dance hall experience.

332 W Mercer St, Dripping Springs, Texas

3. John T. Floore’s Country Store | Helotes, Texas

Photo: www.shophelotes.com

San Antonio is well accustomed to the ways of dance halls and honky-tonks. and there is no better such place than John T. Floore’s Country Store. Musical greats such as Elvis, Hank Williams Sr. and Patsy Cline have all graced the stage of this iconic dance hall and it continues to play host to some of today’s biggest artists. The final touch? Cowboy boots dangling with the ceiling.

14492 Old Bandera Rd, Helotes, TX

4. Luckenbach | Luckenbach, Texas

Photo: www.traveladdicts.net

The microscopic town of Luckenbach is essentially two buildings: a post office/general store — which turns into a bar with a stage out back — and a dance hall. That’s it. As such music can be heard all throughout the day as chickens peck the ground at your feet. Most of the music during the week takes place on smaller stages outside, but the dance hall plays host to top Texas country talent on the weekends.

5. Broken Spoke | Austin, Texas

Photo: www.preservationaustin.org

Austin, too, is no stranger to the honky-tonk dance hall and the Broken Spoke is a prime example. For decades, this iconic dance hall has been a popular stage for Texas’s country legends such as Bob Wills and Dale Watson. On any given Saturday night, one can find a melting pot of cowboys, tourists, hippies, college kids and yuppies alike all mingling and two-stepping across the floor.

3201 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX

6. Gruene Hall | Gruene, Texas

Gruene Hall is quite possibly the oldest dance hall in Texas. Top artists from Texas and beyond perform at this rustic dance hall on a daily basis.

Situated in Historic Gruene, Gruene Hall is one of the most popular two-stepping experiences in the Hill Country, bringing in visitors for both afternoon and evening shows. For new and expert dancers alike it is a can’t miss stop.

1281 Gruene Rd, New Braunfels, TX 78130

BOSTON – Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver has resigned and the Synod of the Phanar in Constantinople, with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presiding, has elected him Metropolitan of Lystra, an honorary position.

The National Herald in its publication on Friday, March 15, 2024 titled ‘Eparchial Synod Meets, Elect Two new Bishops for Archdiocese of America’ also reported on others matters addressed by the Synod and had revealed, among other things, the following: “Extensive discussion took place regarding Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver, who has been residing for several months now at the Monastery of the Archangels in Kendalia, TX, and not in his Metropolis, while refusing to resign. The Metropolis of Denver is essentially being governed and administered by Auxiliary Bishop Constantine of Sasima.”

TNH also reported that, “it was decided at the Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese of America that Archbishop Elpidophoros would visit him [Met. Isaiah] at the Monastery in Texas, conduct an on-site inspection, and diagnose his overall condition to determine whether he is able to fulfill his episcopal duties, and based on this, the Synod would make a decision.”

The Archbishop Elpidophoros visited the Monastery in Texas where Metropolitan Isaiah resides on Thursday, March 21, and received his resignation, which he conveyed to Patriarch Bartholomew.

In his letter, Metropolitan Isaiah, signed as “former Denver,” requested the Patriarchate to elect him to a Metropolitan See of the Throne, which was indeed done. He was elected to the once-illustrious Metropolis of Lystra, which now exists only on paper since the Turks have demolished it, as they have done with almost all the Metropolises except for a few exceptions, such as Chalcedon, Derkon, Prinkiponissa, Smyrna, and Pisidia – which have minimal flocks.

Metropolitan Isaiah will continue to reside at the Monastery of the Archangels in the city of Kendalia, receiving his full pension and related benefits, including medical insurance.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, March 23, Archbishop Elpidophoros, following the publication of related articles by TNH, posted on FACEBOOK photos from his visit to Metropolitan Isaiah at the Monastery in Texas, writing the following: “I visited our beloved Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver, who has now retired from active service, and prayed at his right hand last Thursday at Holy Archangels Monastery in Kendalia, Texas, where he is resting. I thanked him for his many years of valuable service to our Archdiocese, serving in many positions to which he was called. I pray that the Lord give him many more years of health and that the Lord will enlighten us with a worthy successor.”

At the Synod session in the Phanar on Saturday, March 23, extensive discussion took place regarding Metropolitan Evangelos of Sardis, former New Jersey, and it was noted by at least five hierarchs that it is not right and that certain injustices against him should continue and that the situation should be rectified. It was argued that he cannot be considered ‘retired’ because he is serving as member of the Synod of the Patriarchate. It was also mentioned, however, that other hierarchs of the Throne are retirees, such as, for example, Theodoritos of Laodicea, who is an active Metropolitan of the Throne and also the director of the Phanar Office in Athens and a member of the Synod during this synodal period, as well as Makarios of Aneon. It was emphasized that Theodoritos served for years as auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Thyateira but at some point left and returned to Athens.

It was also argued that Evangelos should be included on the list of candidates for Metropolitans of the Archdiocese of America, from which Archbishop Elpidophoros has excluded him on the grounds that he is ‘retired’. While all this was being said, Patriarch Bartholomew remained silent and merely listened. He asked the chief secretary to bring the list of the active Metropolitan of the Throne and sure enough Evangelos is among them. Bartholomew didn’t know what to make out of this.

It is recalled that Archbishop Elpidophoros in August 2020, in a meeting he had with Patriarch Bartholomew in Constantinople, persuaded him to dethrone the then-Metropolitan of New Jersey Evangelos, to place Methodios, the first-ranking hierarch of the Archdiocese of America, on liturgical suspension, and to abolish the Charter of the Archdiocese, which he did with his recommendation to the then-Synod on October 8, 2020, which met at the Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi of Baloukli. It is emphasized that all this was done without giving Evangelos and Methodios the opportunity to defend themselves against Elpidophoros’ allegations and also without any notification of the abolition of the Charter being given to the Eparchial Synod and the Archdiocesan Council, as provided in Article 25 of the Charter.

More known reversals regarding the Charter, followed, leading to divisions among clergy and laity across America, and finally the Patriarch was forced to restore the Charter as it was, and to stop Elpidophoros from any further actions.

The Patriarch even went so far as to apologize for what he had done in America, as revealed by The National Herald when it obtained a confidential report, but apart from the restoration of the Charter, he did nothing else to rectify the unjust and unjustifiable decisions and other actions contrary to the best interests of the Archdiocese and the Greek Community of America.

More About Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver

Isaiah Chronopoulos was born in Portsmouth, NH in 1931, one of four children of Dennis and Mary (Kapsimalis) Chronopoulos, who had immigrated to the United States from Olympia, Greece. After completing his pre-college education, he joined the United States Marine Corps and served with distinction during the Korean War.

He studied theology at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Boston and at Halki Theological School. He was ordained a deacon at the Holy Church of St. Spyridon in San Diego on February 25, 1962, by Archbishop Iakovos of America and a priest at the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Los Angeles on March 18, 1962, by Bishop Dimitrios of Olympus. On November 30, 1969, he received the rank of Archimandrite. He served as chancellor of the Diocese of Chicago and also served for several years as Dean of student life at the School of Theology in Boston. On May 25, 1986, he was ordained titular Bishop of Aspendus, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of America. He served as chancellor of the Archdiocese from 1986 to 1992. On June 23, 1992, he was elected Bishop of Denver. On November 24, 1997, he was elected Metropolitan of Proikonnisos and continued to pastor the Diocese of Denver. On December 20, 2002, following the elevation of the Diocese of Denver to a Metropolis, he was promoted to Metropolitan of Denver.

RELATED

Church

Eparchial Synod Meeting to Vacancy of Denver Metropolis

BOSTON – The Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, with Archbishop Elpidophoros presiding, is scheduled to convene on Monday, May 13 to prepare the ‘triprosopon’ (three-person ballot) for the election of a new Metropolitan of Denver.