Texas Dude Ranch Vacation

It is almost that time of year again, the time when school lets out and families start planning summer vacations. If your family is like others, you try to get creative and try new things. You want to go different places, see new things and have new memories.

For a new twist on your vacation, why not try vacationing at a dude ranch? It can be adventurous, fun and exciting. The Dixie Dude Ranch in Bandera, Texas is just right outside San Antonio, in the hill country. The ranch is an old time stock ranch that offers vacations. The dude ranch is still in operation and has been for five generations.

Visitors at the dude ranch can enjoy hiking, horseback riding, swimming, fishing, dancing, hayrides and much more. The ranch offers 20 different units within duplex cabins, cottages and a two story bunkhouse. All of the cabins have air conditioning, private baths and a few even have fireplaces for those who love sitting in front of a fire. All the accommodations are rustic, but very comfortable!

The dude ranch has a fishing pond for its guests to fish in, only rule is it is a catch and release pond, the ranch will even provide the gear you need to fish!

Each day when the dinner bell rings, visitors are treated to a real dude ranch feast! All meals are cooked from scratch, just like they did it in the old days.

Visitors can also hike the trails and hunt for fossils, arrowheads and even check out an old Range War cemetery.

There are many attractions around the dude ranch for your family to see. The Frontier Times Museum is located in Bandera. There is the Cowboy Artists of America Museum just down the road in Kerrville. If caves are your thing, you may want to visit the "Cave without a name" in Boerne. Take the family for a day in the park at Sea World or Fiesta Texas, just down the road in San Antonio.

There are plenty of fun things to do at the dude ranch. It is a unique vacation idea, and something that gets you and your family away from the big city and fast pace.

Spending time with your family outside, without bright lights, loud music and cars could be just what your family is looking for.

Roast marshmallows over a campfire and telling stories, whether it is ghost stories or just old family memories. Take a family ride on horseback and enjoy the great outdoors and all of the beauty that the hill country has to offer.

If you're tired and sore after your long horseback ride, take advantage of one of the two massage therapists the ranch has on hand. They can be very therapeutic and relaxing.

If you love animals, Dixie Dude Ranch is the place to be. They have cattle, horses, goats and everything a working dude ranch needs. There is also lots of wildlife to see. Everything from deer to coyote and maybe a bob cat or two!

Jill works with Inside San Antonio. Their site helps buyers and sellers interested in San Antonio Tx real estate. Their site has information on San Antonio schools and a blog covering the San Antonio real estate market.