TEXAS, USA — Staying in a teepee or hanging by the river from your treehouse; camping is being taken to another level.
If you’re looking for places to get away in the Texas Hill Country, KENS 5 found a few retreats that are getting a lot of buzz on social media. Here are a few we visited this week, as well as previously, if you're looking for an adventure:
Mystic Quarry
"It was popular from the get-go because it was something different out in Canyon Lake. There is a lot of lake cabins, great Airbnb's to stay at, but our tiny homes and the modern styling that we used in them -- that hit that hit a nerve with people," said Co-owner Courtney Trent.
Trent and her husband own Mystic Quarry. They renovated the site after they left their corporate jobs and moved to Texas. Now, five years later, they’ve learned to run these grounds
"We do manage our own social media with our own staff here on site. And that's another aspect of our social media that's unique, is that the people running it live here, work here, they know the community. So, they know what types of things interests our followers," said Trent.
We got to explore the site, from the tiny homes Trent mentioned to the glamping lodges, which, good news for Texans, are air conditioned.
And then, the teepees, which are pretty big on social media.
"We did do research on those and we use a company out of Oregon that pays homage to the Native American roots. It is a complete replica of our Sioux Indian tribe that we're out here," said Trent.
And if you have a furry friend, most of the rental options are dog friendly. They also told us on weekends, they have live music and food trucks.
And Trent said this whole campsite is made possible because of their staff. "When somebody comes in and checks in, we welcome them with a dollar check in beer. And our staff is always smiling. And by the time they're finished with the check in process, that person is smiling ear to ear."
For more information, click here.
Schlitterbahn Resort/Treehouses
KENS 5 traveled a few miles to New Braunfels for a place you might have heard of -- Schlitterbahn. But, it wasn’t to see the water park.
The tree houses were built in 2013. The Henry family had purchased all of the burnt lumber from the Bastrop fires that happened in Texas. Som the tree houses are completely hand built, hand carved from the loblolly pine from Bastrop," said resort director of operations Danny Shannon.
The Henry family created the Schlitterbahn brand in the 1960s, and in that time, they also made resort stays near the park, which was home to Camp Landa, a camp for kiddos.
"They slowly built it into a resort, and they used to do the reservations out of their home, which is a vacation home called their Henry house, which we still rent today. It's really cool because that's where the family lived," said Shannon. "Most people don't even know the resort exists."
For more information, click here.
Texas River Rentals
Located in the heart of the Guadalupe River, if you’re looking to enjoy the outdoors, you could add this getaway to your list.
"Guests can of course enjoy the river -- so that includes tying up your tubes, going floating -- just really hanging out by the river. We also have the covered common area with the flat screen TV, so that just really offers an endless amount of options for people to enjoy while they’re here," said Texas River Rentals' Jessica Johlke.
For more information, click here.
Joy's Country Cabin
If you’re looking for a cabin excursion that’s minutes from San Marcos, New Braunfels and Seguin, you might like this place.
It's 60 acres on Joy Schlichting's family farm. She and her husband restored log cabins that became vacation rentals.
"You’ve got old historic buildings with a lot of charm, but you have all the modern conveniences," said Schlichting. "Plus, you have the quiet of the country and you have a lot of privacy."
And if you’re lucky, you might even be able to feed a cow too.
For more information, click here.
Geronimo Creek Retreat
There’s a lot to do here, but there are a couple things they’re really known for. One of those things? Teepees.
But there are a few others places to stay too.
"We have getaway cabins and tree houses, and then our original homestead house which is the original house to the property," said the Retreat's Stephanie Tate.
Families are able to kayak, friends are able to visit the game room and you can even relax in one of a few hammocks.
"This is a place for families or friends that want to come out and enjoy a couple of days. Every unit is private, so you get your own space to BBQ, hangout, relax at your unit," said Tate.
She also told us about their other properties you can check out when you visit Son's Island, from getaways on Lake Placid to ones near the action in Seguin.
For more information, click here.
