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Wildflower Horizons Travel, po box 448, Devine, TX (2026)

08/19/2026

🦁🐅 WILD STAYS | DAY 3: AUSTRALIA 🇦🇺

Yesterday I asked if you'd sleep beside a giraffe.

Today I'm asking…

Would you enjoy a glass of wine next to a tiger?
🐅
Welcome to Jamala Wildlife Lodge at the National Zoo & Aquarium in Canberra, Australia — where choosing your room can also mean choosing your very unusual neighbor.

And today, we're talking about the Jungle Bungalows.

Imagine walking into a beautiful luxury bungalow and discovering that an enormous floor-to-ceiling glass wall is all that separates you from…

🦁 Lions
🐅 Tigers
🐆 Cheetahs
🐻 Sun bears

Depending on the bungalow you choose, you could be lying in bed, relaxing in your lounge or even soaking in a stone bathtub while one of these incredible animals wanders just beyond the glass. 🤯

And this isn't simply an unusual hotel room.

Your Jamala stay is an all-inclusive wildlife experience, with accommodations, exclusive zoo tours, breakfast, high tea or a light lunch, a gourmet four-course dinner and selected drinks included.

And if predators aren't quite your sleeping companions of choice, Jamala has even MORE.

🦒 Giraffe Treehouses where you can feed giraffes from your balcony
🐒 Rooms featuring other incredible wildlife experiences
🦈 Even a Shark Grand Suite

But what I especially love about Jamala is that there is a bigger purpose behind the experience.

💚 Revenue generated through Jamala helps support the National Zoo & Aquarium's animal care, breeding and education programs as well as wildlife conservation and welfare initiatives.

So yes…you're getting one of those once-in-a-lifetime, “I cannot believe we're actually sleeping here” experiences.

But your stay is helping support something bigger, too.

THIS is Wild Stays. 🌎🐾

Not just somewhere beautiful to sleep.

Somewhere you'll probably be talking about for the rest of your life.

Now I need to know:

🦁 Lion
🐅 Tiger
🐆 Cheetah
🐻 Sun bear

Which one are you brave enough to sleep beside? 👀

🌿 Wildflower Horizons | Travel & Experience Curator
Go Far. Grow Wild.

08/18/2026

🦒🦏🌵 WILD STAYS | DAY 2: TEXAS

Yesterday we went all the way to Thailand to stay among elephants.

Today?

We're coming home to Texas. And apparently, we've been hiding some pretty wild stays in our own backyard. 🤯

First stop: Longneck Manor in the Texas Hill Country.

This nonprofit conservation park takes “sleeping with the animals” to an entirely different level.

🦒 Stay in the Giraffe Suite, located right inside the giraffe barn, where huge windows let you watch your very tall neighbors.

🌿 Or choose one of the beautiful Villas overlooking the giraffe and rhino pastures for a little more room while still keeping wildlife right outside your window.

But you're not just looking at them.

Depending on your stay and experience, guests can feed and interact with giraffes, meet the rhinos, participate in unique animal-care experiences and even meet their resident sloth. 🦥

And there's a purpose behind all of it.

Longneck Manor is an AZA-accredited nonprofit conservation park, with its giraffes participating in the Species Survival Plan. Your visit helps support their work in wildlife conservation and education.

That is EXACTLY the kind of experience I love finding — incredible for us, while doing something meaningful for the animals too. 💚

But Texas isn't finished yet…

🦁 You can also spend the night at San Antonio Zoo!

And this isn't simply accommodations next to the zoo.

Overnight guests can receive:

🌙 Exclusive zoo access one hour before opening and two hours after closing
🦒 Included animal experiences such as giraffe feeding
🦋 Access to the butterfly rainforest
🦘 Kangaroo Crossing
🦜 Lory Landing
🚂 Complimentary Zoo Train and carousel access
👣 An exclusive one-hour guided zoo tour with a staff member

Imagine experiencing the zoo after the daytime crowds have left…and then waking up and getting back inside before everyone else arrives. 😍

Two completely different Wild Stays, right here in Texas. 🤠

So now I have to know:

🦒 Would you choose the intimate Giraffe Suite at Longneck Manor?

🌿 A villa overlooking giraffes and rhinos?

🦁 Or an overnight adventure inside San Antonio Zoo?

🌿 Wildflower Horizons | Travel & Experience Curator
Go Far. Grow Wild.

#

08/17/2026

🐘🌿 WILD STAYS | DAY 1: THAILAND 🇹🇭

Okay…we are starting this series STRONG.

Hidden in the jungles of northern Thailand, overlooking the point where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet, sits Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort.

And yes, you can stay among elephants. 😍

But that is only the beginning.

This is the kind of property I love finding because the experience IS the destination.

🐘 Walk through the jungle alongside rescued elephants on their daily walk
🌿 Learn about elephant behavior, care and conservation
🍜 Learn to prepare authentic Thai cuisine
💆 Choose a spa experience surrounded by the landscape of northern Thailand
🧘 Slow down with private yoga or Pilates
🍽️ Enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner as part of the all-inclusive Luxury Explorer experience
🚘 Even your private round-trip Chiang Rai airport transfers are included

And for every night you stay, you choose another included signature experience.

Then there are the experiences you can take even further…

Imagine spending the night in a transparent Jungle Bubble, watching elephants in their natural surroundings.

Or arriving at the resort by longtail boat through the Golden Triangle…to an elephant welcome committee. 🐘

This isn't simply a beautiful resort that happens to have elephants nearby. Anantara operates an award-winning elephant camp with conservation and research at its heart, including experiences designed around observing and learning about the elephants rather than performing for guests.

✨ And when you book your stay with me, I also have access to additional preferred perks that can include VIP treatment, welcome amenities, potential room upgrades, flexible check-in/check-out when available, special local touches and more.

This is exactly why I created Wild Stays.

Sometimes the hotel isn't where you sleep between adventures.

Sometimes the hotel IS the adventure. 🌎🐘

Would you choose the full elephant experience?

I already know my answer. 🐘😂

📍 Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort | Chiang Rai, Thailand

🌿 Wildflower Horizons
Travel & Experience Curator
Go Far. Grow Wild.

❤️

08/16/2026

🐾 A New Wildflower Horizons Series Begins Tomorrow…

What if the wildlife encounter you traveled across the world for wasn't just an excursion…

What if it was part of where you stayed? 🌿

This week, we're exploring Wild Animal Stays — extraordinary places where unforgettable wildlife experiences become part of the journey itself.

Some are far from home.
Some might be much closer than you'd expect. 👀

From waking up to some rather unusual neighbors to staying in places that completely change what you imagine an “animal experience” can be, I have some incredible finds coming your way.

And as always, this isn't just about beautiful hotels.

It's about experiences worth traveling for. 🌎✨

🐾 Wild Stays begins tomorrow! 👀

Which animal would make you book a trip just for the chance to experience it up close?

Go Far. Grow Wild.
🌿 Wildflower Horizons | Travel & Experience Curator

08/16/2026

🐎🇮🇪🇬🇧 What if you built an Scotland & Ireland trip around something you already love?

After sharing Scotland & Ireland during my Ride the World series, I had quite a bit of interest and the opportunity to work with on-the-ground partners to create experience-focused journeys.

So...what could just two days of a larger Ireland & Scotland adventure actually look like?

There is SO much more here than simply booking a trail ride. ❤️ Lets take a peek! 👀

Imagine...

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 SCOTLAND

🚘 Your own private chauffeur for the day(or whole trip)
🐎 A morning horseback ride through the beautiful countryside or along the beach
🏰 Spend the afternoon on the grounds of a historic Scottish castle
🫖 Enjoy afternoon tea with delicate sandwiches & delicious pastries at one of the castle's luxury restaurants
🦅 Try a falconry experience while exploring the castle grounds

Then...

🇮🇪 IRELAND

🚘 Private chauffeur
🐎 Ride through the Irish countryside along a beautiful river
🏹 Try country pursuits like archery or clay pigeon shooting
🏇 Spend the afternoon at the Irish National Stud & Gardens
🥂 Enjoy a special lunch right on the grounds
🌿 Wander beautiful Japanese-inspired gardens and discover thoroughbred history and Ireland's incredible equestrian culture

And...maybe even add a special behind-the-scenes experience. 👀🏇

But here's what I love most:

Your entire vacation doesn't have to revolve around horses.

Maybe only a few people in your group ride while the others want to try something completely different.

No problem!

While one group heads out on horseback, let's create an unforgettable experience for everyone else, too—and bring everyone back together afterward to share one anothers incredible day. ❤️

Maybe you're already taking a guided tour through Ireland and Scotland and just want to add a couple of extraordinary days.

Maybe everyone in the group has a different idea of what makes a trip unforgettable.

That's where experience curation becomes really fun.

We can look at what each person actually wants to experience and weave those moments into the larger journey—even creating different experiences for members of the group when it makes sense.

Travel doesn't always have to start with:

“Where are we going?”

Sometimes the better question is:

“What do you want to experience while you're there?”

🐎🏰🦅🌿

And if Scotland & Ireland has been sitting on your bucket list, I'd love to know:

What's the ONE experience you'd want included in your trip?

🌿 Go Far. Grow Wild.

07/25/2026

📖 STORYBOOK STAYS | CHAPTER SIX 🇯🇵

🏯 Sleep Inside the Story of the Samurai

We've explored castles across Europe and America...
But Japan said, “Would you like to become the feudal lord instead?” 😅⚔️

Japan has only two true castle-stay experiences recognized by its national tourism organization—and they couldn't be more different.

⚔️ OZU CASTLE | Become the Daimyo

This isn't simply sleeping in a castle.
It's stepping into feudal Japan.

🐎 Arrive at the castle on horseback
🐚 Hear the ceremonial conch shell
⚔️ Be welcomed by samurai beneath the banners of the Ozu Domain
💥 Receive a matchlock-rifle salute
🔑 Be presented with the keys to the castle
🍱 Dine privately inside a historic turret
🎭 Experience traditional kagura
🍶 Enjoy sake beneath the moon
🌙 Then sleep inside the castle itself

Once daytime visitors leave, the castle is yours for the night. 🏯
Imagine being able to say:
“We became lord and lady of a Japanese castle for the night.”

🌊 HIRADO CASTLE | The Island Samurai Retreat

Hirado tells a quieter story.

Stay inside the castle's Kaiju Yagura turret, perched above the sea on Hirado Island, with private after-hours access to the castle's main keep.

Your stay can become a deeper cultural experience with:

⚔️ Martial arts
🧘 Zazen meditation
🍵 Japanese traditions
🌊 Incredible island views
⛩️ Temples, shrines & centuries of fascinating history

Ozu feels like you've entered a samurai epic.
Hirado feels like you've escaped to a private island fortress.

🍁 When should you go?
🌸 Spring — cherry blossoms
🍁 Autumn — spectacular foliage

But with Japan, I'd also look at local festivals and seasonal cultural events before choosing your dates. The timing can become part of the story.

❤️ Which would you choose?

⚔️ Become the Daimyo at Ozu
OR
🌊 Escape to Hirado's island fortress?

Sometimes travel inspiration isn't about finding somewhere you'll book tomorrow.
Sometimes it's simply discovering something that makes you say...

“I had NO idea you could do that.” ❤️🇯🇵

🌿 Go Far. Grow Wild.

07/25/2026

📖 STORYBOOK STAYS | CHAPTER FIVE 🇮🇹

✨ Two Very Different Italian Fairytales
What if your trip to Italy wasn't just about visiting castles...

What if you actually lived inside the story? 🏰

For Chapter Five, we're exploring two completely different sides of Italy—one among the mountains and Prosecco Hills of Veneto, and another tucked among the vineyards and medieval villages of Tuscany.
And I genuinely don't know which one I'd choose. 😍

🏰 CASTELBRANDO | Veneto

⚔️ Live the Kingdom
Perched high above the UNESCO Prosecco Hills sits one of Europe's largest and oldest castles.
And getting there is part of the fun.

🚠 Ride the panoramic funicular up to the castle.
🗝️ Explore centuries of history within the castle walls.
🍾 Sip Prosecco overlooking the very hills where it's produced.
♨️ Spend an afternoon in the enormous 2,000-square-meter Princess Spa, where ancient Roman water infrastructure once carried spring water to the castle.
🚁 Or take the fairytale to an entirely different level: CastelBrando currently offers helicopter experiences departing directly from its helipad, flying above the Prosecco vineyards toward places including the Dolomites, Lake Garda and Venice Lagoon.

And yes...the castle actually offers an experience called “Vivere una Favola” — Live a Fairytale.
They understood the assignment. 😂🏰
But then we travel south...

🏰🍷 CASTELLO BANFI | Tuscany

🌻 Live the Tuscan Story
Now imagine waking beneath the towers of a historic Tuscan castle surrounded by vineyards stretching toward the horizon.
This fairytale isn't about knights and kingdoms.
It's about slowing down and becoming part of Tuscany.

🍝 Spend four hours cooking with a chef—making homemade pasta and an authentic Italian meal before sitting down to eat what you've created with Banfi wines.
🐕 Follow a truffle hunter and his dogs through a private reserve before finishing with a traditional truffle-centered Tuscan lunch.
🚗 Drive a vintage Fiat 500 through Val d'Orcia, stopping for lunch at a trattoria in Pienza.
🛵 Take a Vespa through the Chianti hills and discover medieval villages.
🎨 Spend an afternoon painting in the Italian countryside.
🧺 Have a private picnic among the vineyards.
🍷 Explore the winery and taste Brunello in the countryside where it was produced.
And perhaps my favorite...
🎈 Climb into a hot-air balloon and see Castello Banfi and the Tuscan countryside from above.

THAT is the kind of Italy trip I want to talk about.
Not:
"We saw Rome, Florence and Venice."
But:
"We slept beneath the towers of a Tuscan castle, hunted truffles with dogs, made pasta from scratch, drove a vintage Fiat through the vineyards...and saw our castle from a hot-air balloon."

That's a travel story. ❤️

🗓️ And when should you go?
This is one of those destinations where the season can become part of the experience.
🌸 Spring — Green countryside, comfortable exploring weather and fewer peak-summer crowds.
☀️ Summer — Long evenings, vineyard experiences and quintessential Tuscan countryside.
🍇 Early fall — Harvest atmosphere, wine country and one of the most beautiful times to experience rural Italy.
🍄 Fall — Particularly interesting if truffles, wine and food traditions are part of your dream trip.

Some experiences are seasonal or weather-dependent—hot-air ballooning, for example, only operates under suitable weather conditions—so this is absolutely a trip where I'd choose the dates around the experiences you care about most.

❤️ Which Italian fairytale are you choosing?

⚔️ CastelBrando: mountains, ancient history, Prosecco, Roman-inspired spa & dramatic adventure
OR
🌻 Castello Banfi: vineyards, pasta, truffles, Vespas, vintage Fiats & hot-air balloons.

I think I'd have to cheat and do both. 😂
Because they're not really competing experiences at all.
They're two completely different chapters of Italy. 🇮🇹❤️

🌿 Go Far. Grow Wild.

07/24/2026

📖 STORYBOOK STAYS | CHAPTER FOUR 🇺🇸

🏰 Fairytale Castles in America

You don't have to her a passport or cross the Atlantic to live inside a fairytale. ✨

Hidden across America are castles, grand estates, secret passageways, island escapes, afternoon teas and experiences that feel like they belong somewhere between the pages of a storybook.
And these aren't just places to photograph.
You can actually build a vacation around them. ❤️

🗝️ THE ISLAND CASTLE | Singer Castle, New York

Imagine arriving by boat through the Thousand Islands and discovering a castle sitting on its own private island in the St. Lawrence River.
But here's where it gets really interesting...
You can actually spend the night.
Stay in the Royal Suite, explore the castle's secret passageways and 28 rooms, enjoy a privately catered dinner and breakfast, and experience the island after the day's visitors have gone home.

🌅 And one of my favorite little details?
From the island, you can watch the sunset over Canada and wake to the sunrise over America.
Now that is a story worth telling.

🌿 Best experienced May–October, when you can pair your castle stay with boating and Thousand Islands cruises.

👑 THE BLUEGRASS KINGDOM | The Kentucky Castle

Next, we're trading an island for rolling Kentucky horse country.
The Kentucky Castle sits among 110 acres of Bluegrass farmland—and the castle itself is only the beginning.
🫖 Have afternoon tea inside the castle.
🐎 Visit Kentucky's legendary horse farms.
🌿 Explore the castle's farm and gardens.
🎭 Attend a murder-mystery dinner or one of the property's special events.
🥃 Venture into Kentucky bourbon country.
💜 And if you time your trip just right, you may even experience the castle's Lavender Festival, surrounded by blooming lavender fields.

This is exactly why when you travel can completely change the story you get to experience.

🌹 THE GILDED-AGE FAIRYTALE | Biltmore Estate, North Carolina

Biltmore is a little different: you cannot sleep inside Biltmore House itself, but you can stay on the 8,000-acre estate and make the château the centerpiece of a much larger experience.
Wander magnificent gardens and the conservatory. 🌸

🍷 Taste wines from the estate winery.
🐎 Explore the grounds on horseback.
🥾 Head into the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.
🏰 And, of course, step inside America's largest privately owned home.

If you love Christmas, this one becomes especially magical during the holiday season, when Biltmore transforms with elaborate decorations, illuminated trees and special evening experiences.

✨ THIS is why I love travel.

Sometimes the next destination on your bucket list isn't somewhere you've been dreaming about for years.

Sometimes it's somewhere you didn't even know existed until today.
Maybe it's sleeping on your own castle island.
Maybe it's drinking afternoon tea before spending the afternoon among Kentucky horses.
Maybe it's wandering a candlelit château decorated for Christmas.

Whatever your version of a fairytale looks like...
There's probably a place in this world where you can live it. ❤️

💬 Which American fairytale are you choosing?
🗝️ Singer Castle
👑 The Kentucky Castle
🌹 Biltmore Estate

🌿 Go Far. Grow Wild.

07/22/2026

📖 Storybook Stays
Chapter Three: Germany's Fairytale Castle Stays 🇩🇪

"Some stories are meant to be read. Others are meant to be lived."

Germany isn't just home to magnificent castles...
It's where fairytales came to life.
This chapter takes us to two unforgettable regions, each offering its own magical experience.

🏔️ Bavaria
Castle stays surrounded by the Alps
Spend the night in a centuries-old castle like Colmberg Castle, then set out to explore Bavaria's breathtaking mountain landscapes.

✨ Ride scenic cable cars high into the Alps.
🏰 Visit the world-famous Neuschwanstein Castle before returning to your own castle hotel.
🥨 Wander medieval villages where timber-framed homes, cobblestone streets, and traditional Bavarian culture feel frozen in time.

📖 Hesse
Home of the Brothers Grimm
Stay in castles like Trendelburg Castle—famous for its Rapunzel tower—or the magnificent Schloss Berlepsch, where history and folklore come together.

✨ Follow the legendary German Fairy Tale Route.
👸 Climb Rapunzel's Tower.
🏹 Watch traditional falconry demonstrations.
🌲 Walk through forests that inspired the Brothers Grimm.
🕯️ Dine in medieval halls where every meal feels like another chapter in the story.

Whether you're searching for alpine castles or the birthplace of the world's most beloved fairytales, Germany offers more than an incredible vacation...

It invites you to become part of the story.
💬 Which fairytale adventure would you choose first?

🏔️ Bavaria's Alpine Castle Stays
👸 Hesse's Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale Route

🌿 Go Far. Grow Wild.

07/22/2026

📖 Storybook Stays

Chapter Three: Germany's Fairytale Castles 🇩🇪
"Some stories are meant to be read. Others are meant to be lived."

Have you ever wondered where fairytales get their magic?

Welcome to Bavaria, where soaring towers, alpine lakes, charming villages, and castles perched high above the mountains inspired generations of storytellers—including one of the world's most iconic fairy tale castles, Neuschwanstein.

Step into a place where every winding road reveals another breathtaking view, every village feels frozen in time, and every castle looks as though it belongs in the pages of a storybook.
Spend your days wandering medieval streets, exploring magnificent castles, riding scenic alpine cable cars, and ending the evening with authentic Bavarian cuisine beneath the shadow of the Alps.

Whether you're chasing fairytales, celebrating a special occasion, or simply searching for a destination unlike anywhere else in the world, Bavaria is where imagination comes to life.

✨ If you could choose just one adventure, which would it be?

🏰 Touring Neuschwanstein Castle
🚠 Riding to the top of the Bavarian Alps
🥨 Exploring charming medieval villages
🚶 Walking across the breathtaking Marienbrücke (Mary's Bridge)

🌿 Go Far. Grow Wild.

Wildflower Horizons Travel

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