Ranch Fires, Firing Rounds, and Festive Feels: New Yearâs Eve in Charlotte, Texas
If youâre looking for a way to ring in the New Year that includes wide-open skies, good friends, strong drinks, and just enough gunpowder to keep things interestingâlook no further than Charlotte, Texas. This year, Jen and I packed up and headed south to celebrate New Yearâs Eve with James and Stacy Parson at their ranch, joined by my daughter Saydie and a whole lot of good vibes.
Spoiler alert: it was the perfect mix of chill, cheer, and a little bit of âyee-haw.â
đŸ Ranch Life, Charlotte Style
James and Stacyâs ranch in Charlotte is the kind of place that makes you want to cancel all your plans and just live off the land with a porch swing and a cooler. Rolling fields, mesquite trees, and sunsets that look like they were painted by a cowboy with a soft side.
We arrived with zero agenda except ârelax and recharge.â Saydie immediately made herself at home, exploring the property like she was scouting locations for a country music video. Jen found her happy place on the porch with a drink in hand and a blanket over her knees. I wandered around pretending I knew things about cattle and fencing.
đč Cheers to the New Year
As the sun dipped low and the sky turned into a watercolor of oranges and purples, the adult beverages started flowing. Stacy mixed up cocktails that tasted like celebration, and James brought out a bottle of something aged and mysterious that smelled like wisdom and burned like ambition.
We toasted to the past, the future, and the fact that we were nowhere near a crowded bar or overpriced champagne. Saydie clinked her soda can with us and declared, âThis is way better than watching the ball drop.â She wasnât wrong.
đ« Firing Range Fun: Because Texas
No ranch hangout is complete without a little target practice, and James made sure we had the full experience. We headed out to the firing range with a mix of excitement and mild concern for our aim.
Saydie turned out to be a sharpshooter. Jen looked like sheâd been training for this moment her whole life. I missed a few targets but made up for it with dramatic commentary and unnecessary stances. (âI call this one âThe Lone Ranger Squat.ââ)
James gave us pointers, Stacy cheered us on, and somewhere in the distance, a deer probably rolled its eyes.
đ„ Fire Pit Philosophy
As night fell, we gathered around the fire pitâblankets, drinks, and stories in hand. The flames crackled, the stars came out, and the vibe was pure magic. We talked about everything: resolutions, ridiculous memories, and the time James tried to grill ribs during a windstorm. (Spoiler: it ended in smoke and sandwiches.)
Saydie roasted marshmallows like a pro. Jen shared her hopes for the new year. I mostly tried not to drop my sâmore into the fire.
đ Midnight, Mesquite, and Memories
When midnight hit, there was no countdownâjust a collective cheer, a few fireworks in the distance, and a whole lot of love. We hugged, we laughed, and we welcomed 2025 with full hearts and slightly smoky clothes.
Charlotte gave us the kind of New Yearâs Eve you canât planâsimple, joyful, and unforgettable.
𧥠Final Thoughts
New Yearâs Eve at the Parson ranch wasnât just a partyâit was a reset. A reminder that the best way to start a new chapter is with people you love, a sky full of stars, and maybe a few rounds of target practice to keep things spicy.
Thanks to James, Stacy, Jen, and Saydie for making it one for the books. Charlotte, Texasâyouâve got a piece of my heart and probably a few spent shell casings.
Hereâs to 2025: may it be full of laughter, love, and just the right amount of Texas.
Let me know if you want to turn this into a photo caption series or a New Yearâs toast. Iâve got plenty more ranch wisdom and porch philosophy to share.
