Gonzales Lazy Dude Ranch


	Texas ranching [Full Image]

Where the oaks of Central Texas meet the Mesquite of South Texas, this 2,500 acre (1,000 hectare) ranch is one of the most beautiful and historic "smaller" working cattle ranches in Texas.

Looking for a real Texas vacation? Saddle up and head the finest working ranches complete with cattle, chuck wagons and cowpokes. Ranches in Texas cater to all types of customers, and city slickers among you are all welcome. With plenty of Western hospitality, our featured ranches offer you a chance to test your cowboy skills and a taste of authentic tradition.

Maybe it's the serene valleys tucked between rolling, cedar-studded hills or the abundant indigo and scarlet wild flowers of spring. Perhaps it's the cypress trees that line meandering river banks or the friendly small towns where time ticks at a slower tock. Then again, it could be the siren song of Austin's musical melting-pot. Whatever the appeal, the Texas Hill Country captivates fans the world over and is where you will find your dream ranch.

Geographically-and nostalgically-speaking, the region encompasses the heart of Texas, with terrain that varies from hilly to undulating to downright flat. Defined on the east and south by the Balcones Escarpment and bordered on the west and north by plains and prairies, the area incorporates both the geographical centre of the state, at Brady, and the governmental core, in the capital city of Austin.

While fabled hills, clear-running rivers, spacious parks, hike-and-bike trails, and a wealth of lakes feed your fresh-air fantasies, you will find that the Texas hills are intellectually. If you appreciate good wines, there are vineyards and wineries galore to explore, while the shopper in you will relish the multitude of arts-and-crafts shops in the heart of the Hill Country.

And in Texas, the three R's are ropin', ridin' and rodeoin'. When it comes to intense, bone jarring rodeo action, there's no place like Texas. What was once a competition to test ranch skills is now one of the Lone Star State's most popular sporting contests. Rodeo is a year-round sport, and you can find the live, heart-stopping action of a rodeo somewhere in the state every single month. Family friendly, these destinations offer the perfect combination of relaxation and recreation -- cowboy style!

Details

Price Includes

(HR-9275-P)

Return Transfers from San Antonio or Austin Airport

7 nights accommodation

All activities offered at the ranch (weather permitting) including "after work" activities like Fishing

Up to 8 hours riding per day

All daily meals (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

Price Excludes

We can arrange flights from your local regional airport for you where ever you are in the world.

Pure Vacations is an IATA agent and this enables the company to book flights with all airlines.

Suitability / Level

Easy

Minimum Age

Itinerary & Highlights

Pure Vacations is ATOL protected for your financial protection and also carries an IATA licence for airline reservations. Pure Vacations meets all the EC Travel Regulations of 1992.

Accommodation & Centre Details

Located in Gonzales County, where the first shot of the Texas Revolution was fired with the famous "Come and Take It" cannon, it has been in Lieutenant Colonel Clay Allen's family for six generations since 1854. 144 years of continuous ownership by the same family makes it one of the oldest original ranches in this part of Texas. The original log cabin and log barn, built around 1873, can be seen less than one mile from the main guest house. The infamous Texas outlaw of the late 1800's, John Wesley Hardin, had a home on this ranch and the foundation blocks can still be seen across the creek on one of the horse trails. One of the most practical, or you might say 'inventive,' killers in Texas, Lonnie Burnett, lived in an underground home nearby. He loved to have company and hung a sign, "Welcome Stranger" on the door to welcome guests. The 10 gauge shotgun tied to the door was to insure a long stay. The wagon tracks of the legendary Camino Real (Kings Highway), between San Antonio de Bexar and Galveston, can still be seen running through this ranch.

Supposedly, Generalissimo Santa Anna's wagon train, loaded with gold to pay his troops, was buried on this ranch when the Mexican Paymaster learned of the General's defeat at San Jacinto. Five miles from the ranch is "Salt Flat," where untold generations of Indians found salt on the surface of the ground and collected it under a mutual peace treaty older than the pyramids. The ranch is featured in the Southwestern Gem Hunters Guide, as it has an ancient rock fault running through the Southern part, which is rich in petrified wood and palm tree, agate, jasper, quartz, and other minerals ideal for jewelry or collecting. Two creeks run through the ranch, lined with oaks, elm, and pecans, begging for exploration by foot or horse. They are full of large catfish, waiting to be caught. Wild hogs, whitetail deer, and wild turkey gather at the feeding station less than 100 meters from the main guest house. Other wildlife, such as armadillos, squirrels, and even a gray fox roam the ranch, or rather, the yard of the guest house. Almost every night, a large pack of coyotes, roaming the surrounding woods, serenade the guests. One of the oldest live oak trees in this part of Texas, the Indian's Salt Flat Truce Tree, is located on the ranch. Over 600 years old, this tree was better than 143 years old when Coronado explored parts of Texas for the fabled 7 cities of gold. On a quiet day, you can almost hear the stories it could tell, in the rustling leaves.

Working Ranch Guest Activities - Unstructured. Rest, relax, or join in as you wish. This is a working ranch with normal ranch activities. They change daily and can include cattle work such as sorting, gathering, scattering, roundup, roping, branding, riding fence, and going to cattle auctions to help us buy and sell cattle. Tell them what you would like to try and they will attempt to accommodate. All riding is geared to ability levels and previous riding experience is recommended, but not required. There are a limited number of horses suitable to beginner and novice riders. You may, depending on your ability and desire, participate in all ranch activities that are available. You can take relaxing nature walks, or enjoy the sun around the pool. Wildlife and nature photography. Sandies and Elm Creek, 2 natural lakes, and 8 stocked lakes offer fishing for catfish and bass!

The on and off ranch activities listed below can be scheduled upon request, time and work load permitting. The ranch will always try to accommodate guest requests. Some of the off ranch activities may cost extra. Plan on staying at least 7 nights for maximum enjoyment:
- Roping Lessons
- Horse management instruction
- Unlimited riding (NOT nose to tail)
- Professional Western Riding Instruction
- Team Penning lessons
- Cattle work in the pens
- Playday Instruction - barrel racing, pylons, etc
- Shooting instruction - rifle and pistol
- Farrier demonstration
- Pasture management instruction
- Historical tours
- Visit to Cattle Auction
- Visit to Saddle Factory
- Visit to local rodeo (barrel racing and calf roping)
- One or more meals at Cowboy restaurants in the area (where our friends eat)

And these after-work activities are open to everyone staying at the ranch....
- Pool for swimming
- Fishing
- Horseshoes
- Pool table
- TV room with video library (Star Wars to John Wayne)

Gonzales Lazy Dude Ranch

Texas ranching

Details

Itinerary & Highlights

Accommodation & Centre Details

Holidays Extras