As your self-appointed Senior Influencer, it is my sworn duty (to no one in particular) to tell you about really great things I discover, like the automatic wine bottle opener and automatic jar opener I received as gifts. But that’s not why we’re here.

We’re here to talk about my recent escapade in beautiful, albeit cold and somewhat drizzly, Mineola, Texas.

For those of you new to Texas or cocooned in a fog of unawareness, Mineola is a gem of a town in East Texas, north of Tyler and east of Canton.

Last week, son Adam took me on a three-day idyll to a VRBO outside of Mineola on Lake Holbrook. The retreat was a birthday present and included his cooking, his driving and copious amounts of coffee and wine. There was also a lot of laughing which happens when you are with Adam for long.

We set out on Tuesday morning in driving rain and stopped for lunch at the newly restored Beckham Hotel in Mineola. When I opened my car door, a river an through it, the parking lot that is, and while my very serviceable Tom’s survived, it is likely that Adam’s leopard prints did not. But we were undaunted, though damp, and enjoyed our lunch.

We went from there to Pine Mills Pottery deep in the piney woods, where owner and Dallas ex-pat, Daphne Hatcher, opened up just for us and let us browse to our hearts content. We loved their art and purchased several pieces that are both beautiful and functional.

That evening Adam made delicious, creamy, pesto pasta while I watched. He is quite the cook.

After coffee and biscotti on Wednesday, we set out for a drive to Van, where we ate lunch at the Farmhouse Restaurant. The owners rebuilt an actual barn inside the corrugated metal shell. The food was good, but the show-stopper here are the PIES. Many different kinds including sky-high meringues. We bought a buttermilk pecan and ate slivers of it through the rest of the trip.

Then we went to the nearby Valle Della Pace Winery for a wine tasting. The owner there, Don Clark, was so hospitable, taking time to explain his family’s wines and helping us choose several to take home. (We believe in supporting local businesses. And we believe in wine!) He also told us about a wine festival coming to the area in May. The many East Texas wineries will be participating.

Then back home to a steak and baked potato dinner. We spent the rest of our evening talking and watching castle documentaries on TV. The ultimate in nerd happiness.

Our last morning, we packed up and did the chores required of the VRBO (washing dishes and schlepping out trash) and then headed back into town. We were a little early for lunch, so browsed a while at Lost Creek, a precious shop run by another Dallas ex-pat, Mimi Hendrix. I was looking for a birdhouse, but bought a birdbath instead, which I will install in my back yard as soon as it thaws out (the backyard, not the birdbath.)

Our lunch was next-door at Kitchens Hardware, which is exactly what it sounds like, a restaurant attached to a hardware store. Full bar, live music, great comfort food, and extremely friendly owners.

Everyone in Mineola is friendly and eager to talk about their sweet town, a lot of which seems newly restored with many cute shops, bars, restaurants and plenty of special events throughout the year. The bottom line here is that we had an amazing time discovering Mineola and the area around. But we barely scratched the surface of what’s available.

I intend to work on planning a girls’ weekend in Mineola, a family weekend at the lake, and a Tapestry getaway (you know how we love a good winery!) Adam plans to grab Corey and do the wine festival in May. All short weekend retreats to the inviting, vibrant East Texas piney woods.

Who knew?

Oh, yeah, Adam knew.