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Weekend Escapes Close (But Not Too Close) to Home
In spite of the ridiculously cold weather we have had lately, summer is just around the corner, and weekend getaways are calling all of our names. While you may have big summer vacations planned, it doesn’t hurt to throw in a few quick and easy weekend escapes. There are way too many great options close to the Fort to name them all, but here are a few fun ideas.
I attended the most laid back and charming wedding in Dripping Springs a few years ago. We spent three days in this beautiful hill country town, and I have been dying to get back ever since. We started our weekend at the Deep Eddy Tasting Room, had an incredible dinner at the Treaty Oak Distillery and partied all night at our fabulous hotel, The Liney Moon. The Liney Moon is a one of a kind house that sleeps up to 24 comfortably along with their unique individual cottages that sleep 2-4 each. Well worth the 3 hour drive through the hill country for this relaxing escape. While there, I highly recommend checking out Salt Lick BBQ and stopping by a few of the local wineries.
If a 3 hour drive is too far, Wildcatter Ranch in Graham is only an hour and a half drive from Fort Worth. This beautiful guest ranch nestled in the North Texas Hill Country will transport you and your family to the great outdoors while still providing all the comforts of a nice hotel. The property features 25 miles of riding trails where you can easily spend the day on horseback. They offer group or private trail rides, sport clay shooting, tomahawk throwing, Jeep tours, archery as well as all the hiking you can handle. You can even go feed the Longhorns after a delicious, made from scratch breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant. The on-site spa allows for a relaxing massage, or you can spend a day in their gorgeous pool with beautiful Texas skies and ranch views.
Possum Kindgom Lake, not far from Graham is only about a 2 hour drive and makes for an easy and fun weekend escape. You can rent a lake house or if you’re not feeling like grocery runs and wagon hauls up the driveway, you can go the resort route and stay at Lush Resort. Lush Resort has close to 20 rooms that can accommodate any size family, a spa facility, a bar and grill restaurant that has great burgers and ice cold beer along with boat rentals, a lakefront pool and concierge services to ensure your stay at PK is everything you hoped for. Rumor has it that 2 Old Crows is a must while in town for a great breakfast or brunch.
Glen Rose is a quick hour drive from town and home to some of the most fun family friendly activities around. If you have kids in tow, Dinosaur World and Fossil Rim never disappoint. If on an adult only weekend, play a round of golf at Squaw Valley, and stay at the quietly nestled Paluxy Bend River Cabins. These cedar cabins have a balcony off the master so you can star gaze into the Texas sky and have a private hot tub on the porch. The town square in Glen Rose is full of quaint shops and restaurants to fill your day and I would not miss dinner at the Loco Coyote on a warm Texas night to eat and catch live music.
We all know Austin is a 2 and a half hour drive and we’ve all spent our fair share of time on 6th Street in our younger days. A gem in Austin that I highly recommend checking out is Hotel St. Cecilia. Located near great restaurants and shopping you can’t go wrong spending a weekend in this adorable and perfectly curated boutique hotel. The hotel was once home to descendants of Davy Crockett and was turned into a bed and breakfast in the mid-nineties. Named for the patron saint of music and poetry, the hotel has a rock and roll vibe throughout. There is a luxurious pool surrounded by the beautiful grounds where you can spend your afternoon. Borrow one of their bicycles to explore the nearby shops and restaurants and spend your weekend keeping Austin weird. On the way stop by the Congress Street bridge and see the famous “bats” from a boat in the water if you’ve never done it, definitely try to grab dinner at Perla’s and go check out the custom boots at Heritage Boot Co.
Angela Weaver is a native Texan, raised in Keller, but she got to Fort Worth as soon as she could. At 17, she joined the Marine Corps and served four years active duty. After her military service ended, she went to work for a hedge fund and then a whiskey distillery, both in Fort Worth. Her most important role started in 2009 when she became a mom. She lives with her husband and two boys in Fort Worth and spends as much time as possible on fun adventures with her kids. She loves to spend her time with her boys outdoors getting the full Boy Mom experience, even if that means being covered in dirt, catching fish, or shooting BB guns. She loves the sense of community she has found in Fort Worth and can’t wait share that with our readers.
