Not a fan of decks either. I'm trying to convince dh we need to remove the small one out back (that is in horrible shape at this point!) and put in a patio. Hopefully....!
oh if a patio is an option, do it!
The back of our house in Hermann is on a hill, so there is no flat land to pave for patio. Steps will lead down into grassy area which is on a hill too.