Birder's Paradise in the Lower Rio Grande Valley
Written: May 10 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great place to see, central location to a ton of great parks and places.
Cons: Very little else in the area, need more visitor information for what is around.
The Bottom Line: If you're heading to the lower Rio Grande Valley, especially if you are a birder, you have to see this Inn. But do research on the surrounding area, too.
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| martytdx's Full Review: The Inn at Chachalaca Bend, Los Fresnos, Texas |
My wife and I have been looking forward to our recent trip to south Texas to do some birding, hiking and photography. When we first started planning, I looked around for good places to stay. A birding magazine recommended a place called The Inn at Chachalaca Bend, which was supposed to be a great birders' destination. For the most part, they were right.
[ • back(ground) at the Inn • ]
The Inn is located just outside of Los Fresnos, TX, halfway between South Padre Island (20 miles to the east) and Harlingen (about the same west), and just 12 miles north of Mexican border. Located in the lower Rio Grande Valley on 40 acres of natural habitat, trails and natural lake frontage filled with wildlife, the Inn offers upscale accommodations that attract honeymooners and wedding parties, weekend getaways and - perhaps most especially - birders. The lower Rio Grande Valley is a haven for birds, butterflies and other wildlife, particularly species that seldom venture further into the U.S. than this ecological oasis.
A destination in and of itself, one of the big benefits of the Inn is that it is close to a number of other great places in the area. Among the best are Laguna Atascosa NWR, Santa Ana NWR, Sabal Palm Audubon Center, Bentsen-Rio NWR and Estero Llano Grande State Park, among others. 45 minutes, a vast number of different parks with a huge swatch of different habitats are available to interest everyone.
[ • inns and outs OF THE INN • ]
We arrived late at the Inn after a long travel day. The place was beautiful, a blend of rustic western furniture and various bird art throughout. The room itself was awesome, too - and very comfortable (although we didn’t take any pictures, you can see our room here). The grounds were great - between the gardens surrounding the Inn, the Resaca de las Antonias which runs along its back edge and the multitude of birds which inhabited the yard and the surrounding 40 acres, it was amazing to be there. For a birder, this place was heaven, and it was also a great central location for all of our other explorations.
The Inn is a beautiful place. It's not huge - there are only 7 rooms in the main Inn, plus a few more at the nearby lodge - each with a private bath (with shower and jacuzzi tub), and a king bed. The interior is full of rustic western furniture and decor, coupled with a variety of artistic bird painting and posters. The foyer leads into a large dining room with a stone hearth fireplace where guests get their daily breakfast. To the left is a small sitting room with comfy chairs and a ton of birding books, book about Texas and other assorted natureal and art books.
Upstairs, each room is named after a local bird such as Ruby-throated Hummingbird room, the Green Jay room and our own room, the Kiskadee room. The room was large and comfortable with a large king bed, a couple of chairs, a wonderful stone-decorated bathroom and shower room with a jacuzzi tub. The rooms upstairs all open up to a deck overlooking the grounds and the lake. Our room was the biggest one in the Inn, with a large room and a double bath (tub/toilet separated from the sink and closet). At $195 a night, it was a bit more than the other rooms (which run about $175 a night, but are smaller). From what I saw of the other rooms, they all looked very comfortable with mixed motifs (one had a more fancy, decorative look while another was decked out in dark wood and flannel). I have to say that our room was beautiful, particularly the stone in the bath areas, and the best was very comfortable as well. The only downside was that the jacuzzi tub was a little small for two people to sit comfortably, but I have to admit that we were often so tired from 8 - 12 hours of hiking a day that we couldn't take advantage of it anyway.
A lodge on the property is used for business meetings and special engagements, and includes a single bedroom with bathroom. Outside, an outdoor shower and sauna also grace the place for those who want to rinse off (I don't know if you can swim in the river or not).
[ • the GROUNDS • ]
The Inn is beautiful. The back "yard" leads up to the Resaca de las Antonias, with a walking deck, gazebo and large observation deck. Palm trees and flowers are all over the place, and bird of all kinds flock to the multitude of feeders, trees, plants and birdhouses. We saw 5 new species of birds within 5 minutes of walking out the door, including resident black-bellied whistling ducks - a beautiful, if noisy, species. The front of the Inn features more feeders and a fountain, butterfly gardens and a small, forested area where many of the birds evidently hang out.
There are trails throughout the property, including one that leads to a blind to watch some of the local avifauna forage without disturbing them. The trail goes to a river, then out to a field area with more sparse habitat. All in all, for birders there are 4 or 5 habitats present, giving a wide variety of birds, bugs and wildlife.
[ • our EXPERIENCE • ]
Our first morning, we started locally, grabbing some delicious breakfast (fresh fruit, tasty peppered double-baked bacon, French toast, eggs and fresh-squeezed juice) and went out. We went first out to the dock that run along the resaca, and checked out the multitude of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks that are resident on the grounds (and make quite a racket each morning). We were soon treated to Great-tailed Grackles, Purple Martins, the ubiquitous House Sparrows (they’re EVERYWHERE, I guess), a Cooper’s Hawk, a Brown-crested Flycatcher, a Great Kiskadee - all in the first 5 minutes. Not too shabby.
As we walked first around the ‘yard’, we encountered a bunch of other beautiful birds like Green Jays, Inca Doves, Golden-fronted Woodpeckers and Black-crested Titmice, all new species for the both of us. We saw the resident turkeys and chickens, and were buzzed by more birds that we couldn’t get good looks at.
After a bit, we went through their trails in search of the elusive Green Kingfisher, one of two birds on my ‘trip list’, or birds that I really wanted to see (the other being the Harris’ Hawk). We didn’t see them, but we got to enjoy a pretty nice walk through the woods and brush along the resace, winding our way through their private fields and back to the Inn. It wasn’t long, but it was fun. But we wanted to go explore, so we found out how to get to the nearby Laguna Atascosa NWR, and got our stuff together to go for a drive. Before we even got off the property, though, we were treated to a show by some locals on the nearby fence line. After 20 minutes of better viewing opportunities than we could have hoped for, we were off…
[ • service and CERVEZA • ]
While there was everything to love about the Inn itself, the service was a little ... odd. Breakfasts were good and presented almost instantly after we came down the stairs each morning. Normally, it's served somewhere between 7:30 and 9, although they will make arrangements if you let them know beforehand. Fresh fruit and juice were always on hand, and the breakfast entrees changed on a daily balance - French toast, eggs with fennel, waffles, that absolutely delicious bacon, toast, and all of it was fantastic. A stocked fridge provided liquid refreshment (including cold beer) day and night - we frequently grabbed a couple of cold waters in the mornings to take with us for the day.
We were told right off that the Inn takes a "hands off" approach - you won't get intrusive innkeepers or staff here, constantly trying to drag you into the nightly game of parcheesi, which was fine with us. But you'd also better be prepared to fend for yourself to a large extent. We never saw the owners after the first morning, and only saw the general manager twice during our stay. Granted, we were often out by 8:30 and back after 6, but there was little sign of management for nearly our entire stay. That in and of itself wouldn't be bad - except that there's little information to help you out with questions. No local guides, important numbers, directions, recommended restaurants, etc. For a birder's haven, there were also no guides/directions to the destinations that might be at the top of the list to go visit (and there is a really good map that we picked up elsewhere which would have been nice supplement to our stay.
When we did see people, they were extremely helpful with all of our questions. Brenda, the housekeeper, did a wonderful job with breakfast each morning. The grounds people were always courteous and friendly. And Angie, the GM, was a valuable asset, going out of her way to get us the name and number of a particular restaurant we wanted to try. Service wasn't a problem - a lack of resources in the absence of any personnel was.
But we made do, mostly. We wanted to avoid going online while we were away, but when we needed directions, the provided DSL connection allowed us to track down some nearby places. The DSL connection was located in the sitting room, a beautiful room that was classic cabin with the large stone fireplace, deep leather chairs and a set of bookshelves filled with a myriad of books on a ton of books that were a nice addition at night.
One last thought - Los Fresnos does not have much going on - most of the restaurants close by 9 p.m. and there aren't many to begin with (and no fast food, even). If you want to get into a wider variety of eateries, you'll have to travel the 20 miles to near Harligen or Brownsville.
[ • final THOUGHTS • ]
The Inn at Chachalaca Bend was a great place for us during out trip. The Inn and grounds were beautiful top to bottom, and a wonderful place to stay. Central to a large number of great birding spots - and a very good destination in its own right - it was the right choice for us. Having been there once, we know what to expect if we return. Having that knowledge, we could plan our trip better to know how to get to places, where to eat, etc. The lack of those resources at the Inn itself was a bit of a downer - they should consider a quick sheet or pamphlet of key destinations, restaurants, services, etc.
The hands-off service is nice in it's own way, especially if you aren't looking to be waited on or join in the group night by the fire. For us, it worked out well (for the most part), and we'd definitely consider it a top choice to stay for our next trip.
[ • related REVIEWS • ]
• Laguna Atascosa - So Good We Did It Three Times
• Santa Ana NWR: One of the Best Birding Spots in Texas - Most Days
• National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Texas
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
martytdx
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Member: Marty
Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 481
Trusted by: 179 members
About Me:
Doing what I can to try new places, restaurants, books and beers.
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