For the past five years, my family has “glamped” in several places within a four-hour drive of Austin. It is one of the highlights of our year and something our kids look forward to every year.
Let’s first cover what my definition of “glamping” includes:
- Staying in a place with a lockable door, a bed, a kitchen and indoor plumbing. It is not relaxing for me to battle creatures on my way to a yellow-lit bathroom 20 feet away from a tent at 10pm y’all. So, we do cabins.
- A good place to disconnect. TV and the internet are not something that I search for in my VRBO/HomeAway location (although it is frequently included).
- A place to hike with kids at nearby locations.
- A place to make memories over messy s’mores at night.
- A nearby town to eat dinner out one night. This IS a vacay!
That’s it. So simple. So fun.
Over the years we have developed a routine to our three-night “glamping” experience.
Day 1:
Make our way to the cabin at a leisurely pace as there is no plane to catch. I like to start the laid back vibe by having a “suggested” departure time. Once we get there we swing by a local store for milk, eggs, firewood or anything else that is perishable or that we forgot to bring from home. We unpack and the kids enjoy exploring the cabin and grounds. Easy peasy.
Day 2:
Wake up leisurely. Eat leisurely. Go for a hike leisurely. Cook dinner with libations in hand. S’mores. Easy Peasy.
Day 3:
Repeat Day 2. Eat a dinner in local diner to get the feel of small town Texas. Easy Peasy.
Day 4:
Throw the bags back in the car. Roll back home leisurely. Easy Peasy.
Things to bring from home:
- Printed (or screen shot) directions of how to get there. Cell service has often been poor as we approach our cabins in the woods and Waze would not work. Lived and learned on this one.
- S’mores! Buy good metal marshmallow roasting sticks. You will be using them a lot.
- Breakfast
- Fruit
- Packable lunch stuff for hikes: PBJs, fruit, snacks, hand wipes, sandwich bags
- Dinner for night 1. We now have a routine of eating spaghetti bolognaise (or “fake meat” for our vegetarians) the first night. It’s easy to pack and cook and is an all-around crowd pleaser.
- Refillable water bottles
- Backpacks
- A roll or two of toilet paper as sometimes the cabins are not well-stocked.
Here are some of the places we have gone.
Canyon of the Eagles
If you are hesitant to do the outdoors, this is an EASY place to introduce yourself to glamping. If you have an RV or want to truly camp they also have reservable sites. They have a restaurant with great food and a multi-function room where they often have singers/performers. There is a game room, a bar, a pool (not accessible in the winter), boat tours, children’s reptile shows and multiple hike paths on the grounds. They keep a fire burning at night between the pool and the bar so you can make your s’mores and then walk away. One of our favorite parts was visiting the massive, high-powered telescope with trained staff telling you about what you are seeing. They also have multiple places for people to set up their own telescope gear as stargazers come here for major events.
Log Country Cove on Lake LBJ
This is another place that puts the GLAM in Glamping. There is a large variety of sizes from small cabins to large vacation homes that could fit 14+ people. The cabins are very nice and well-spaced out from the nearby cabins. Many of the cabins have easy access to a lovely place to wade in the river. You can play away on Lake LBJ, visit nearby Longhorn Caverns, Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery, golf and/or hike the Sarayu Trail and Inks Lake State Park. They are offering 20% off Spring Break, too!
Garner State Park
We have re-visited this park multiple times and had a fantastic time each visit. There are multiple tree-lined trails that our kids have been hiking from a young age. The Frio River is calm, wide and fun for a splash-about. You can stay on the grounds in a cabin, which a friend told me is very primitive and you need to pack everything including sheets and towels. Leakey, Concan and Utopia all provide easy access to the park if you are looking for a cabin. We had a great experience at the Fox Fire Cabins. These are small towns, so do not expect to find a nearby HEB. They have convenience stores for milk, etc., but that’s about it. There are about 2-3 restaurants to choose from in each town so pack most of your meals, and you will have a great time.
Fredricksburg/Enchanted Rock
Fredericksburg could be an opportunity to explore Enchanted Rock in the day and have a heavy touch of convenience and entertainment in the evening. Enchanted Rock is awesome, but the secret is out on it. Make sure you make reservations to enter. You could camp there, but remember we are glampers, not campers, so I cannot comment on any of that opportunity. We stay in Fredericksburg or day trip it from Austin.
Port Aransas
This year our annual “glamping” trip with the cousins became more of a trip experience. Hikes were on the beach and the convenience factor was much higher than our typical glamping trips. Turtle lovers will enjoy seeing the turtles along the pier’s rocks. Nearby Mustang Island State Park had miles of barren shoreline, which was very refreshing. Our teens loved the freedom of piling in the golf cart and cruising to the beach. Not really “glamping,” but a run get away that I thought I would add in.
Places that I would like to go in the future:
Have you been anywhere cool? Please share your favorites.
Happy Glamping!
