Glamping in Texas Hill Country
In May, while we were following strict social distancing guidelines, we were feeling stir crazy. We packed up our 4 year old and 2 year old daughters and headed for the hills — Texas Hill Country to be specific. We were going for an overnight of glamping.
For my four year old this was a fantasy realized — “Camping? In the woods? Will there be s’mores?” And for her parents, we were looking forward to a change of scenery and experiencing something new and different. The travel advisor in me was excited to take the up-and-coming glamping trend for a test run with my family and check out one of the companies with glamping tents all over the country, Collective Retreats.
GETTING THERE
3 hours driving from Houston
4 hours driving from Dallas
1 hour driving from Austin airport
ROOMS
My daughter’s loved the golf cart ride to our tent on arrival and the tent itself was pretty impressive. Our tent was one of fifteen at Collective Retreats Hill Country and was spacious (x sq ft) with a king bed and en-suite bath, boho design and private deck. Since we were only going for one night and our kids are young, we opted to just all sleep together in the king bed— sleepover style. This property has several electronic fans arranged in the tent and a window unit which cooled down the tent nicely for sleeping. If you are traveling with older kids, they have one family tent which includes an additional sleeping tent next to the “master.”
MEALS
Breakfast is included in your rate (highly recommend the breakfast tacos!) and other meals need to be ordered in advance so the on-site cooking staff have everything they need. You can order full meals or the specific ingredients to prepare the food yourself with on-site grills. During normal times, they offer farm-to-table communal meals and seasonal cocktails. And, of course, after dinner they have s’mores kits available for roasting at their Texas-sized fire pit overlooking the valley.
ACTIVITIES
Typically horseback rides, streams, fishing,e tc.. available.
Since there were still local policies in effect that prohibited most public activities, we opted to hike on property, pick flowers, play cards, listen to music, read and enjoy the outdoors. All of these activities would have been made a bit more enjoyable if there was an on-property water activity: stream, pool, etc. We happened to be there during an unseasonably warm Spring weekend. Jacob’s Well nearby
PACKING RECOMMENDATIONS
A portable speaker
Plenty of snacks (we brought a cooler and they have a yeti + ice in room)
Bug Spray
Indoor activities: playing cards, bookings, coloring books
ADDITIONAL TX OPTIONS
Just 10 minutes from downtown Austin, there is an adorable outpost with 8 cottages, an onsite pool and dining options.
Another option between Houston and Austin includes 3 African safari tents (650 sq ft) which sleep up to 5 guests and golf carts for each tent which can take guests to the San Marcos River - a 5 minute golf cart ride away. This fall they will debut new 2 bedroom tents with kitchens and ample indoor and outdoor living space for the whole family.
If you would rather stay in an individual cabin or ranch home, there are several options all across west TX ranging from 2 - 6 bedroom with sprawling acres, ranch-style activities, pools and more.
Overall I think your experience will have a lot to do with the weather and these weekend trips are ideal for fall and spring. As always, your KJ Travel team is here to help you find the best fit for your family and ensure you are getting the best rates, value and booking terms. We’d love to talk!