The Maiden of the Rock: A Deep Dive into Xunantunich Mayan Ruins in Belize Belize is a land rich with history and adventure, and for those who love to explore, its ancient Mayan ruins offer a glimpse into a world both magnificent and mysterious. My wife, Linda, and our friends, Eamon and Athena, and I dedicated our third day in Belize to exploring one of the most magnificent of these sites: Xunantunich, or "The Maiden of the Rock." This post will serve as your comprehensive guide to this breathtaking archaeological site, sharing our firsthand experience and helping you prepare for your own unforgettable journey. The grounds are well-kept, which we noticed the moment we walked into the central plaza, and the site is much bigger than we anticipated. The Journey Begins with a Hand-Cranked Ferry Getting to Xunantunich is a part of the adventure in itself, and it’s a detail that adds to the site's remote and timeless feel. The day of our visit was incredibly sunny, and the dri...
On Grey Thursday, (at least that's what I think they are
calling it now), I was able to get an ION Air Pro helmet cam. So, today I will provide videos for a trip
report to Santa's Ranch near San Marcos, Texas. The trip was with BeeGee, Linda, and my
parents. And, I do apologize for the
video quality because I am still learning how to use the cam properly. You should check out all our videos or stop by our YouTube Channel.
Santa's Ranch Background Information
Santa's Ranch has been spreading holiday cheer for
13 exciting seasons. Santa's Ranch is
located at 9561 I-35 North, New Braunfels, TX 78130. The site says look for the 50-foot Christmas
tree, but you will see a long line of cars long before the tree. The Ranch is open from November 7 to January 3. From Sunday
to Thursday, hours are 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., and on Friday & Saturday, hours are 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
50-foot tree and the entrance of Santa's Ranch
The price per car is $28, which is why you need to load up
your vehicle up for maximum efficiency. Plus, there is a season pass available for $56 if you plan on going
through multiple times. However, no
vehicles over 8 ft. are allowed, so no packed buses are allowed.
Finally, snacks will be available at the entrance of
the Ranch (located near the small hut where you pay). There is hot cocoa, kettle corn, and other sweets (like cupcakes)
available, but if you don't get them when you pay, there won't be another
chance.
The Slow Drive
On November 28, we headed out to Santa's Ranch. Once we got close, the first thing we saw
from I-35 was the long line. I guess
everyone was out after Black Friday shopping. We got in line and waited for around 2 hours before finally reaching
the entrance. After the long wait and
the help of a Monster energy drink, I needed a bathroom break. There are only 3 port-o-potties, and you aren't
given a lot of time to use them. While I
was using the restroom, they took our money to enter (credit cards are
accepted) and asked if we wanted any snacks.
The trail of lights is about a mile long and took us about
35 minutes to make it all the way through. The path starts off with lights wrapped around trees to warm you up to
all the excitement to come. Check it out in the video below.
Then we moved into many Texas-themed lights and decorations. You can see tumbleweeds and the Alamo, but my
favorite was a moving light display of a twister picking up a cow. When you move on to the "In the Beginning"
section, which starts out with the galaxy and then the planets. The final part was a ton of Christmas light dinosaurs, and I'm sure the kids would love this section.
Then we moved on to the Bible section. Santa's Ranch has created light-covered
decorations based on some of the most famous stories, such as Jonah and the Whale,
Moses and the Burning Bush, and Jesus' resurrection. Our travels through Biblical Egypt are in the video below.
The next portion was Santa-themed. There were a lot of Christmas lights, Santas, inflatable
Santas, and Christmas Trees. Plus, this
part seemed to be the most interesting to BeeGee. She spent a lot of time sticking her head out of Linda's window (most of the Santas were on her side). I think she enjoyed all the moving
lights.
Moving on, we arrived at what I call the random section. There were stretch hummers made of lights,
the space shuttle made of lights, and a monster truck covered in lights. One of the last parts is the Military support
section. In this segment, there were
military vehicles, including tanks, ships, and jets, made from lights.
We eventually made it through Santa's Ranch, and everyone had
a great time. We headed straight for
home after a total time spent of 3ish hours for the experience. If you live in the area, I would definitely make
a trip to Santa's Ranch for a great Christmas light experience. I don't think I'd recommend the trip if you
have to travel over 2 hours, because I'm sure there is a local trail of lights
closer.
What is your favorite or go-to trail of lights? Additionally, if you enjoy the blog, please follow us on Facebook.
First Time at Sherwood Forest I have recently been introduced to the fun world of renaissance festivals, so Jack and I took a trip to the Ren Faire in McDade, Texas. Upon arrival, a group of characters were handing out flyers to gain attention for their show, which happened to be called Blunt Force Drama. Once we Jack and I finally made it through the festival gates, Blunt Force was of the first shows running. So of course, we stopped there. The show is a melee fighting tournament mixed with adult humor. The show starts by picking judges from the crowd and then the fighting begins. They even have adult humor commercials while you wait for the next round. I thoroughly enjoyed the fighting and the humor, but some might find it offensive (it was pretty racy). Also, I wouldn't take kids. Once the show finished, we followed Jack's policy of taking a lap around the grounds to see what shops and shows are available. This led me to find some awesome leather armor...
Tubing Down the San Marcos River Linda here for Adventures with BeeGee. We’ve been adventuring more aggressively since the Salkantay trek. My goal this August is to continue the adventuring while catching up on blog entries to ensure we preserve these great memories. On Saturday, July 20th, Jarrett, a friend of ours, and I went tubing down the San Marcos River. I realized I had been living in Austin for almost four years now and had not done this iconic Hill Country tourist activity. To be honest, we probably hadn't done it before because I only learned how to swim last year and am not the most comfortable in the water. The San Marcos River is relatively shallow, and the heat in Texas is unbearable, so if you want to enjoy the outdoors but are uncomfortable with water, this is a great option. The water is initially cold, but once the sun comes out, it starts feeling like a great relief from just lying on your tube. If you’re comfortable with water and swimming, I su...
Preparing for the 100-mile Extended Mountain Loop It’s been a while, but I finally found the time to make it back out to Big Bend National Park. If you are interested in our first trip to Big Bend, you can follow along here: Big Bend 2015 . I headed out for the trip around 2 pm on December 2, 2018, for what I’ve termed the Extended Outer Mountain Loop, a 100-mile backpacking trip spanning 7 days. The plan was to meet up with my dad, Bmo, in the Chisos Mountains, cache water, and then start the adventure. Planned 7-day route for Big Bend National Park Big Bend National Park Background Location: 310, Alsate Dr, Big Bend National Park, TX 79834 Admission: $25 per vehicle, $14 campsites, $12 backcountry pass Elevation: 1,800 to 7,832 ft. Weather: Varied from rainy, cloudy, and sunny, 30 to 65°F Difficulty: Strenuous Website: https://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm 7 days' worth of food The Drive Out I didn't get to leave as early as I would have liked ...
That looks like an amazing Christmas light show. I don't know if I'll find myself in that area before the new year.
ReplyDeleteThe flycatcher was last seen on Nov 30. There's really no way to tell how long he'll stay or if he'll return next winter.
I loved all the Christmas lites from your videos. Thank you so much for sharing them with me.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed it. I promise I'll get better at using the camera in the future.
Delete