Gordon and Jennifer built Al's Hideaway with the help of her mother "Me Maw" to achieve a dream of sharing a unique and comfortable place for family and friends to visit. Visitors arrive as guests but leave as friends and return as family. The location was chosen because of its proximity to Helotes, Bandera, San Antonio, and Boerne. Al's Hideaway is named after Jennifer's Grandfather "Albert Banis"; he was a POW in WWII and taking her to the beautiful Texas Hill Country to observe nature and the wildlife was his way of finding peace from his PTSD. After completing construction and opening Al's Hideaway Gordon and Jennifer felt the need not only to share this beautiful space with guests but also decided to help children in foster care and began fostering teenage boys since their three children were grown and lived a distance away from Al's Hideaway.