I am 78 years old. I went to the then-standard six week session at Camp Waldemar for four summers…read morebetween ages 11 and 14. That time remains a highlight of my life. Why? It was my first experience of having my own identity, of not being an appendage of my family, dear though they were. In addition, I learned values not common in a small town in Oklahoma: Grace, beauty, striving to get things right, sometimes by practicing them over and over (swimming, canoe drills, horseback riding, kindness, table manners, pottery, even archery and riflery, for example.) Mainly, however, it was just plain fun! I made sure my sons went to a boys camp in North Carolina of the same philosophy. It paid off.

Camp Waldemar hosted my three-day wedding weekend and they were truly wonderful to work with. Lori,…read morethe event coordinator, answered emails quickly (which was necessary planning the wedding from Boston) and anticipated issues well beforehand. The cabins were clean, facilities wonderful and the food was seriously some of the best my guests ever had. Get the brisket! If you're looking for a real Texas destination -- where guests don't need to drive all over the Hill Country for a river, BBQ, horses and some truly gorgeous landscape, this is the place!

My daughter had so much fun at Camp Heart O' the Hills! She enjoyed her 7 years there.read more

Summers spent at Heart O' the Hills are invaluable! It's the perfect setting for a girl to be a kid…read more-- spending her days having fun in a tech free environment, creating lasting friendships, trying new things, conquering fears, becoming strong, resilient and independent. Spending my formative years at The Heart have made me who I am today, which is why my daughters are doing the same. I couldn't ask for a better girls summer camp than Heart O' the Hills.

Everyone around us had mentioned going to this camp when they were little and all the memories and…read moredescribed the fun they had! I'm was hesitant to send my children away for an entire week without any form of communication other than a post-card, but from what people described they would have an amazing time and boy did they! I would recommend doing the open house when you have an opportunity. It gives you a little peace of mind knowing what they will be doing and how it all works. Riverside is a little older but it doesn't disappoint! Hilltop is a newer camp with nicer amenities but both camps were awesome. I sent my children, one boy, one girl to the second week of camp. My daughter was at Riverside and my son at Hilltop. They separate the camps between boys and girls. I think it gives the kiddos a sense of freedom from having to be around the opposite sex and just focus on sister/brother hood. They do a lot of activities with each other though and each camp visits the other camp quite often. They do dances, plays, competitions! The camp takes photos daily of your kiddos and I lived for them! They uploaded them sometimes by the hour, but usually by the next day! When I would see photos of my son and daughter smiling, laughing and having a great time it really eased this mama's aching and lonely heart. When I picked them up, they both were talking over each other describing how amazing this camp was. I had to make them talk one at a time. Not just from the activities but the counselors who made it amazing! The camp really focuses on ensuring they have quality, caring, professional, compassionate and amazing counselors! These counselors have all been to the camp themselves so they know they have big shoes to fill! They ensure every kid is looked after and ensure each child is cared for. They understand how scary it can be to be away from their family so they make sure every kid is taken care of. They do not tolerate bullying and ensure, if it happens, it stops immediately. No child is ever alone, well except taking a shower and using the restroom. However, they are escorted pretty much everywhere to ensure their security! The entire way home, my kids were sharing with me their wonderful experience, the songs they sung and of course the friends they made during the camp! My kids wanted to go back! So back we went to another week but to Hermann Son's first ever co-ed extended 10-day camp! Boy oh boy! If I missed them for the one week, I definitely missed them more during that long week. However, again, seeing my kid's smiling faces and then coming back to them being so incredibly happy and excited! I'm thinking about sending them several weeks here because it's always different! They are engaged and just had a wonderful time! We will definitely be back again this summer but possibly more weeks! We shall see how this mama does!! You and your kids will NOT be disappointed!! They will LOVE this camp!

Buyer beware. To attend the camp You must sign up for a…read morelife insurance policy which is difficult to cancel. Additionally the customer service is poor at best. I would avoid at all costs. The camp itself was underwhelming, look elsewhere

We just spent two days at the YO Ranch and it was spectacular! Jordan took us on a tour to see all…read morethe different animals they have and she was super fun and very knowledgeable! Highly recommend the animal tour. We got to feed some of the animals and learned a lot! Who knew Zebras and donkeys could mate and make a Zorkie?! So cool! She also introduced us to Patty and Thor the pigs in the petting zoo area. And all the other cuties in there! Lisa was so sweet also! She introduced us to "Sissy" the capybara. We got to feed her several times and it was so neat to call her name and have her come swim up to us! We were there for our anniversary and Lisa made us feel so special and even provided us all the fixin's to make s'mores on the fire they had lit the whole time. I'm a vegetarian and Luis really took care of me for each meal! Very much appreciated! The food was fantastic and he was great to chat with! Being able to take our dogs was just another bonus! We always love anywhere that's dog friendly! They loved all the new smells out there and they also had a blast! We will definitely be back!

We stayed at this Ranch last week last week while we were in Texas. My husband booked it on a whim…read moreoff Expeida - we were actually planning on going to Fredericksburg but ended up there. Lisa was amazing - super friendly and helpful. We were only one of two couples there. Room was great and the grounds were fun. Amazing animals everywhere!! The donkey's were so friendly and the Capybara was so cute and friendly. Lisa gave me some lettuce and an ear of corn to feed her! Funny she is a "rodent". What a sweet rodent! Its a real hunting lodge, so if you are not into that sort of thing, it may not be for you. The only negative was that it is really far away from anything. I mean far! 7.5 miles once you hit the main gate and there are no restaurants near by, no stores, nothing so we went with the $100 per person dinner that Lisa told us about (which was almost inedible). I guess in our minds we were thinking oh its a Ranch, they will have BBQ or good food!! Wrong.... I would just recommend bringing your own food or eating prior to getting there. It by far was not worth $200 for chicken fried steak, flavorless mashed potatoes and canned green beans! Breakfast was just scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. Save the $$$$ on the food for sure, 100% not worth it. Amazing spot though if you bring your own food and I would totally recommend going there if you want to see beautiful animals.

We (Medina Community Church) had a marriage retreat at Deer Creek Camp in September of 2022. It…read morewas our church's first marriage retreat, and everyone at Deer Creek went above and beyond to make the retreat successful. The Camp is beautiful, and you know you will have a good experience from the moment you start down the drive. There are a variety of activities available for all ages. Our retreat was primarily in the pavilion, but our attendees enjoyed spreading out over the camp for our break-out sessions. It was a joy to work with the full-time staff! They are wonderful Christian people, and we loved having the staff join us at different times. They make you feel like you are part of their family. Deer Creek Camp catered all three meals for us, and the food was wonderful. The breakfast and lunch were tasty, and there were a number of options to please everyone. Our evening dinner was a nice sit-down dinner, and the food was delicious. Alma knows how to cook! The coffee and smoothie bar was also enjoyed by our couples. The drinks were delicious. The staff and the interns who served us at dinner were fabulous. They were respectful young men and women who went out of their way to make sure the meal was a pleasure for our married couples. They were obviously well-trained, as they were better than servers we have had in nice restaurants. We strongly recommend Deer Creek Camp for your retreats or other events. It is our go-to place for events for all ages.

2021 will be our son's third year attending Deer Creek Camp's Friends Week. He has the absolute…read morebest time while he is there. Even the first year I had no reservations leaving him in their care. This is the most amazing camp ever. My only regret is that we didn't know about them sooner! Lynda N. 04/10/2021 Odessa, TX

When you pull up, you learn that you picked the perfect horseback riding experience. Talia was…read moregreat, very knowledgeable and it was an awesome ride. The horses are very manageable and even tempered, so you can sit back & enjoy the ride without having to navigate much. I know both me and my boyfriend enjoyed riding Laso & Kermit!

We had a great experience with our group of 10 amateur riders. Tawni is an excellent communicator…read moreand made the process smooth and easy, especially for some folks that were reticent to mount a horse for the first time. Everyone had an amazing and very safe ride, and it was an amazing introduction to horseback riding for many of us, including myself. They also take great care of their horses and seem to care deeply for them, which made me feel even better about an already extremely positive experience. I will definitely use them again next time I'm in Bandera!

We just finished a fantastic weekend getaway/ hunting trip. They have a lot of awesome amenities…read moreavailable like a shooting range, a pool with water slides, a pond to go fishing, a trampoline, a pool table, etc. My boyfriend ended up getting an awesome axis deer thanks to our guide, Hunter. He did a great job getting us prepped for the hunt and showed us all kinds of livestock on the property. He was very knowledgeable about all the animals and an overall great guy. Chef Brian West cooked for us for the weekend and everything was delicious. My favorites were the chilaquiles and the steak. Chef Brian has a special steak rub made with coffee that is unlike any steak I have ever had before. We would love to return in the future.

We had an amazing family vacation at Square H Ranch this week. There are so many things to do…read morehere. We shot guns, hunted exotic animals, fished, swam in the pool, went down the massive waterslides, played pool, shuffleboard, washers, road ATV's, cooked on the massive smoker, and had massive bonfires at night. I highly recommend Square H Ranch and look forward to this being an annual Wing Family Trip.

If you love history and bats this is the place to go. Mexican bats spend their summers here and…read morethen ho down south for the winter. I know sounds strange when you are in the south ( the south the northern snowbirds come spend their winters at). The tunnel is an old railroad tunnel and it now is under the road. Great bars talks are given spring- fall.

Such an interesting, fun activity for anyone who appreciates the outdoors. Was the first bat…read moreemergence I'd been to, and it was fascinating. I'm definitely going to try to go back. The park ranger was knowledgeable and interesting. Seating is outside, on log seats. Dress accordingly. Be sure to get there early, because tickets and seating is limited. You also want to have time to explore before the emergence begins. FYI as much as this is a good family event - you also have to be quiet (no talking) and sit still during the emergence, because noise or lights can scare the bats and cause problems...families with small kids need to keep this in mind, and if you don't think your child is able to keep quiet and relatively still for 30-45 min, this might not be the activity for you.