Property at a Glance: Reservation on the Guadalupe

The accommodations at Reservation on the Guadalupe are canvas tipis, but not what you’d expect—they have flat-screen TVs with cable and DVD players, kitchenettes, and private bathrooms with walk-in showers. Each extra-large cone sleeps up to six guests on three queen beds or two queen beds and one sofa bed. Set on the banks of the Guadalupe River, the property even has a riverfront deck where you can enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning.

• Where you’ll stay: Each tipi has its own private full bath house with fresh towels, toilet tissue, and electronic door locks.
• Kitchenette features: sink, mini refrigerator, induction cook top, and toaster oven.
• Barbecue grills and fire pits make you feel like you’re hanging out in your own backyard. Guests also have access to a private riverfront park.
• Outdoor recreation along the Guadalupe River includes fishing, tubing, guided raft tours, kayaking, horseback riding, and bird-watching.
• Community game room: Play ping-pong, poker, and board games, use WiFi, or watch your favorite show on a big-screen TV or Amazon Fire. It’s located inside a treehouse.
• Distance from Austin and San Antonio: about 54 miles (Austin) and 50 miles (San Antonio)

Texas Hill Country: Pastoral Landscape of Ranches, Rivers, and German-American Towns

A picturesque region of rolling hills and valleys covered in bluebonnets, the area of central Texas known as Texas Hill Country has been compared to the landscape of Tuscany by the New York Times. Texas Hill Country is a backyard playground for nearby cities, as it lies just west of Austin and northwest of San Antonio. Urbanites often escape here for the weekend to enjoy the slower pace and beat the heat—the region’s slightly higher elevation means it’s often less humid. With many state parks and spring-fed rivers, the Hill Country is also a haven for outdoorsy types; activities range from fishing and tubing to rock climbing. The Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is popular thanks to its main attraction: a gigantic pink-granite dome in the middle of the park.

Among the Hill Country’s major towns, Bandera best captures its cowboy spirit. It’s not uncommon to catch an open rodeo in the summer or to see a ranch hand riding to the store on horseback. The town is also surrounded by dude ranches where you can get a taste of the local lifestyle. Just north of Bandera, the town of Fredericksburg is also worth exploring. Along with New Braunfels, it was one of the main settlements of local German immigrants in the 1840s—a heritage that visitors can still see today in the “Willkommen” signs hung on shop doors.

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