Neal's Lodges - Hill Country Retreat
Written: Nov 02 '99
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Quiet repose, beautiful riverside setting
Cons: May be a bit too old and rustic for some
|
|
|
| counsel's Full Review: Texas Hill Country |
For a person who grew up in these rugged hills it's hard to describe their appeal. It's especially hard to describe it to someone who's been to the Rockies, the Sierras or the Pacific Northwest, where the forests are more lush, the mountains bigger and the rivers wilder. These hills have sparse growth, characterized by juniper, cactus and some live oak. The limestone cliffs are not large in the sense that the Rockies are large, but they have their own majesty. And because it's Texas, the Hill Country can get hot, hot, hot.
But that the Hill Country is attractive to a lot of people is not in doubt, if the frantic pace of development is any sign. I grew up on the western fringes of San Antonio. The hills were all around me, and 10 minutes of driving took me to Helotes, a genuine Hill Country small town (back then) with a great barbeque joint. An hour of twisting, turning and climbing down Highway 16 took me to Bandera - a beautiful, quiet town during my childhood, now rife with dude ranches and souvenir shops on the town square.
I lived in San Marcos, south of Austin on I-35, during my college days, with its rushing springs pouring thousands of gallons of water every minute into the crystal clear San Marcos River. I took dates to the high, winding road of Devil's Backbone on Ranch Road 12 on the way to Wimberly - to enjoy the beautiful view at the picnic spot, of course. I camped by Canyon Lake near New Braunfels, watched the Perdenales Falls flood years ago, and paddled a canoe down the Guadalupe River near Hunt, west of Kerrville. Now everyone does these things, where they can still be done. Some of those places I enjoyed so much are gone, or changed to the extent that one can no longer do the things I enjoyed so much growing up.
But there are still quiet, serene spots in these hills, and they call to me even now from southeast Texas. Even further west of Kerrville, in Concan, Texas, lies Neal's Lodges, a still-unspoiled traditional vacation spot for people nationwide since the Great Depression.
The Frio River runs clear in this part of the state, and some of the best swimming spots in the Frio are at Neal's. The cabins are very rustic - some of them are downright old - but that does not seem to stop the influx of repeat visitors, year after year, decade after decade. There are elderly couples, still visiting, who came to Neals for the first time after World War II. The restaurant contains some very interesting memorabilia and photographs of the old days, worth seeing.
This fine restaurant, part of Neal's, is situated on a ledge overlooking the river valley. It serves traditional Texas fare - don't look for 5-star menus at Neal's. The Roosas, current owners of Neals (the past story of ownership is interesting, have them tell you about it during a slow moment at the general store) cater to the most popular pastime, tubing down the Frio, by renting people old innertubes and trucking them upriver a few miles so they can spend a leisurely 3 or 4 hours (or shorter periods, when the river is high and running) floating back to riverbank at Neal's. It's not an angler's paradise, but bass and catfish are caught regularly (you'll need a fishing license), and Neal's peaceful riverbank with its giant rock outcroppings are the perfect place to take your kid fishing for the first time, as I did mine.
At Neal's, you can rent a large, multi-room lodge or a tent site on the riverbank. You can stay a day, or two weeks. The scenery around Neal's affords some great hiking, and horseback riding is available. The nearby towns and points of interest are worth seeing.
To get more information about Neal's and to make reservations (strongly suggested in the summertime), visit http://www.nealslodges.com . I'm thinking of my next trip already.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
counsel
|
 - Top 1000 |
|
Member: Dwight
Location: Houston
Reviews written: 117
Trusted by: 499 members
About Me:
If I smell flowers, I start looking around for a coffin.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.