BBQ’s aren’t the only hot thing in Texas.
Austin can be a weird place. And no, I am not the one making the call; the locals themselves take pride in their ‘weird’ capital, so much, so it’s the city’s unofficial mandate to “Keep Austin Weird.” But if you want a simple kind of life within the Lone Star State, a GlampingHub lodging experience at Red Rock is worth the wager.
The eco-friendly lodging in Red Rock can be the yin to Austin’s yang. This secluded one-bedroom cottage in south-eastern Texas is located on a farm one-hour away from Austin’s quirks. Just don’t expect it to be your typical farm stay.
Everything’s bigger in Texas
Expect your glamping experience to be just as big in the Texan outback!
This sustainably-built, triangular-designed cottage is nestled between the woods and overlooks a large meadow.
It comfortably fits two people with a queen-size bed, kitchen and bathroom. With a design inspired by nature, its standout features include its glass window wall that overlooks the meadow with its adjourning, spacious veranda. As the cottage is elevated, it provides a perfect vantage spot to witness visiting the local Texan wildlife, both from the creature comforts of your bed or perched on the veranda. (How wildlife watching just got lazy!) The outdoor patio also acts as a sublime spot to unwind with a book or cheeky drink with the sounds of nature working as background music (so leave the holiday beats on mute).
The overall stay isn’t just about embracing a stay in small quarters amongst nature but also getting involved with life in the Texan outback. The cottage shares the land with six walking trails, a massive outdoor BBQ setup (bigger in Texas they say!), outdoor games (bocce, horseshoe) and of course, animals.
Texan safari
Expect to get a taste of a Texan safari at this GlampingHub cottage so bring out the binoculars!
Safari animals are replaced with a local Texan equivalent; deer’s, bobcats, wild turkeys and the Holy Texan Grail, a Longhorn. Thankfully a sturdy fence exists for a reason as the Texan bull’s gigantic horizontal horns is both frightening and impressive – but only from afar!
I was also lucky enough to catch the sight of deer in their element running across the farm land as well as spotting native birds flying around the property.
It’s a fun farm life
As it is a farm getaway, you can expect to see some farm animals keeping in theme with Austin’s quirks, of course!
Chickens, deer, sheep, and baby goats call the farm home with the latter two having a very playful pen. Instead of typical farm sheltering for animals, the animals roam in and out of a miniature country town – wooden houses marked with ‘saloon’, ‘sheriff’ and ‘mercantile.’ It makes for some entertaining farm life viewing to see an old sheep standing in as a sheriff on the farm.
If lucky, there may be a chance to get involved with the morning feeding. In the early morning, I fortunate to be greeted with a chorus of ‘Baas’ from the adorably small lambs in their playpen. I was their favourite person that morning with them all swooning over to receive their first feed of the day. It was such a heart-warming experience.
One hot Texas BBQ night
The farm is a great place to practice your hone your Texan BBQ skills under the stars.
The I-wish-I-had-this-in-my-own-backyard large outdoor BBQ kitchen and lounge area is a perfect setting to enjoy a balmy Texan night while cooking up a storm. The fairy lights hanging from the trees aides to make the scenery that extra bit magical. (I made a mental note to invest in these outdoor orbs on the next trip to Bunnings!)
It is also a great spot to have an outdoor BBQ breakfast cook up with admiring the farm animals nearby. A convenience store is located a 10-minute drive to pick up extra items if need.
Other farm activities
There are plenty of other ways to occupy your time at Red Rock.
Get your shoes dirty by going on one of the short walking trails around the farm. The novelty-named Turkey Trail and Armadillo Alley are great trails for bird spotting while walking through the bush.
There is also a labyrinth circle if you seek a moment of reflection and solace in the Texan outback.
The farm stay also encourages you to be social with games such as lawn balls and horseshoe throwing that are fun to participate late evening once the weather cools down.
Around Red Rock
This GlampingHub Red Rock accommodation is a short distance away from McKinney Falls State Park, Roughs Nature Park, a mecca for scenic walking trails and horseback riding. In the northeast, Bastrop State Park is a popular spot with locals to go mountain biking and hiking. If you are looking for a respite from the Texan sun, Colorado River is nearby and with rafting, kayaking, tubing and fishing activities.
Ultimately, it is more than just a farm stay at Red Rock. There is so much on offer at this unique glamping spot in the Texan outback, and it is the perfect add-on to any stay in Austin.
The details
For more details on this Red Rock property, head to head to online accommodation marketplace, GlampingHub.
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Julia travelled as a guest of Glampinghub and all thoughts and opinions are of her own.
