Family-Friendly Resort with Three Championship Golf Courses

Horseshoe Bay Resort Marriott was named one of the best golf resorts in the country by Golf magazine. Its three championship courses are set amid the lovely Texas Hill Country; the Slick Rock course, for example, has what's called the "Million Dollar Hole," where a winding cart path takes you through a 35-yard waterfall that empties into a dark-water creek. And though golf is popular here, there's plenty more to do at the sprawling resort: there's a full-service spa, numerous waterfront dining venues, and various family-friendly activities. The hotel offers various getaway packages depending on what you want out of your vacation.

If you want to golf, the Unlimited Trent Jones Sr. Golf package includes unlimited play at the Apple Rock, Ram Rock, and Slick Rock courses. Named one of the top 15 courses in Texas by Golfweek Magazine, Ram Rock features 10 water hazards and deep bunkers. At Apple Rock course, you can drive your included cart across 147 lakeside acres, which sprawl out from the water's edge up to the highest point of Cap Rock. The package also includes unlimited use of Whitewater putting course, which has a regulation 18-hole golf course trimmed with rose gardens and exotic-bird habitats.

Alternatively, there's the Jump Start Your Heart package, which includes healthy meals, fitness classes, and rejuvenating spa services. First, you'll fuel up a buffet breakfast at Lantana Grill that includes homemade granola, fresh fruit, and cooked-to-order omelets. You're then welcome to join fitness classes such as water aerobics, yoga, or Zumba. Afterward, feel free to decompress in the eucalyptus-infused steam room or with a Hill Country Rain massage, in which essential oils are dripped onto your back like raindrops. The Tee and Tranquility package incorporates both golf and spa elements in the package.

The resort also boasts seven restaurants and bars ranging from formal fine-dining venues to casual poolside bars. If you choose to bring the kids along, there's a wide range of family-friendly activities, including glow-in-the-dark line dancing, drive-in movies, or s'mores by the fire pit.

Horseshoe Bay, Texas: Tranquil Countryside Dotted with Recreation Lakes and Granite Mountains

Horseshoe Bay is a resort town located in Texas's Hill Country, a region of rolling hills and valleys blanketed in beautiful blue bonnets. The area is nestled in a large cove on Lake LBJ, which is a popular place to take out ski boats, waverunners, and paddleboards.

About 10 miles from the resort, you can find the natural springs at Marble Falls as well as Lake Marble Falls, which is part of the largest chain of lakes in Texas. Head to the town's charming 19th-century Main Street for a day of shopping, or check out the mammoth cliffs in Llano Basin such as Granite Mountain, which spans nearly 200 acres.