Amazing course for Spartan Races. Really enjoyed the landscape and scenery looking forward to…read morecoming back next year

What an absolutely beautiful ranch! You can camp here if you so desire for a small $10 fee. I was…read morehere for the Habanero trail race!! The trail is great for any kind of race, and there are acres upon acres of land with a little bit of shade. The race itself provided a challenge as some of the trail is soft loose sand. Very difficult agility wise but I made it! I did not camp here but I hear you can do the primitive camping or park it with a camper. The land is also available for horseback riding and you can see the beautiful horses out on the trail, we saw some while we were running as the sun was setting in the evening. Overall I think 7IL Ranch is perfect for a race and also there's space for receptions, parties and etc. Perfect country vibe!

We had a fabulous time staying at Southern Rose Ranch! Donna & Steve were so hospitable during our…read morestay and made us feel so welcome at the Ranch. The breakfast was amazing! The rosemary cream cheese eggs and cheesecake-topped French toast was to die for!!! The ranch setting is amazing and the Rose suite room is beautifully decorated. Loved this place!

Can't say enough about this little getaway. From the farm animals to the gourmet breakfast it was…read moreall amazing. Great for a short trip from Houston. Serenity is the word that comes to mind. Donna and Steve have created beautiful rooms that make you feel like country living is what life is about. My husband and I came here for out 15th year wedding anniversary. Donna set up a beautiful romance package with Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. I even received a delivery from Pro Flowers. Though I was a bit surprised they could even find us. Waking up to a Rooster's crow, and spending evenings in the hot tub with wine watching the baby cow, such a simple pleasure. We will definitely be back!!

Words can't describe our experience with this ranch!!!…read more Darrell was fantastic to help me coordinate this surprise ride for my sisters birthday and my nephews to go for the first time. Our ride was stunning across the fields and trails on the ranch. And they even picked up my dad in the 4-wheeler to feed the cows while we were horse riding so he felt he could be a part of the day (we had purchased feed for the cows ahead). The entire family enjoyed the ride itself, the guides helped us take photos. Next time we would consider staying in the cabins on the ranch. Thank you a million times, it was worth the further drive for the experience itself!!!

Great venue! Darrell and his staff do an amazing job! You…read morewill be pleased with what they have to offer!

We were looking for a place where we could gather as a family and enjoy a relaxing weekend in the…read morecountry and enjoy some leisurely activities. I brought my 3 kids with me along with my sister (w/ 2 kids) and another niece of mine (7 in total). The ride to the property was easy and enjoyable along the back roads of Texas and when we arrived we found the property to be amazingly beautiful and peaceful. Check in was not formal and we drove to our lodge and walked in and unpacked. The 1st person we met was the Cook! Grady was very welcoming to us and after I explained food limitations for one of our party he bent over backward to accommodate our needs and did a fantastic job with our breakfast and dinner menus!!!! The Chicken Fried Steak was the best I have ever had. We enjoyed our evenings together at dinner and just hanging out at the fire pit or playing games back at the lodge. During the days we walked around the property and visited the many different livestock (cows, horses, donkeys, turkeys, a duck, and some rabbits). Taunia also organized a gun shoot for us hosted by a cowboy named Brian. He taught us a few things about shooting shotguns. We also went to a nearby pond, did some fishing, and caught a good many large mouth bass. But the highlight for all was the horseback trail ride hosted by John and his son-in-law Craig (real cowboys themselves). John put us all at ease by giving us some good lessons on what do and what not to do and threw in some great stories. Then we took off with our horses for about 2 hours into the pastures and along and through some tree lines and up and down some gullies. None of us had much experience at all with horses but we were all able to get on them and ride them confidently after our training. It was a fun and relaxing ride and the horses were well behaved and trained to not do anything unexpected. The last day of the weekend was spent sleeping in and having a late breakfast and saying goodbye to all of our new 4-legged friends. Thanks again Taunia, John, Craig, Grady and Brian for all of you're horsepitality and kindness. This was exactly what this family of city dwellers needed to charge our batteries a bit. Take care and see you on the range again sometime.

My husband and I had our wedding at Texas Ranch Life and we loved it! The place is so beautiful and…read moreit provides the perfect country setting for an outdoor ceremony in Chappell Hill during bluebonnet season. Everyone so enjoyed the wedding and loved the scenic drive in route! We had our ceremony in front of the green doors of their historic chapel and the reception hall held our 250 guests after with a buffet, cake table and live band. Everything went off without a hitch and we were so pleased!

Today was a good time had by all. 5 kids, ranging from 3-9 driving to the middle of nowhere to pick…read moreplump sweet juicy blackberries. It is definitely off the beaten path but very worth it. Can't beat $3 a pound plus a friendly welcome by the owners. Call ahead to scope out the conditions.

From the owner: Thomas family ranch is a small pick your own Blackberry farm. Our blackberries are available from…read moremid May through mid June and cost $3.00 per pound. We provide buckets to use while picking but you will need to bring containers to carry them home in. We recommend wearing shoes and socks, no sandals or flip flops, ants and sticker burrs are common. Call to check availability.

Have you ever wanted your own Castle? How about exploring someone else's? Now imagine instead of…read morethis being a historical castle that's huge and old with a lot of history, a local man made it because he always wanted a castle a few decades ago and it still a work in progress. It's a neat thing to see. You can tour it on your own for about 30 minutes and see and do all there is to see and do. There's a guided tour which gives you a bit more history and what's going on today, like trying to finish some more rooms to use it as an event space or Airbnb. If you're looking for something to do that's different, and maybe something Instagram worthy, It's worth the $15. I'm sure kids would have a field day here. Just be aware of what you're getting.

I had no service here to check in over the weekend but this was such a neat little place. We made…read morea reservation online before we went and they were great communicators. I couldn't find my email of the place and when I called and left a voicemail, they immediately called me back and told me they were going to text me when they found my reservation. That all happened in a matter of 5 minutes and I got a text with a picture of my name on the reservation. When we arrived (we stayed the night in Brenham) there was a person with a list and we had paid a deposit for our tickets. She ran the rest and then we parked and walked in. It was a super cool experience because it's so random and also an hour and some change outside of Houston. My kid and my husband loved it and so did I.

I was visiting Houston for a week. As an experienced rider, whenever I visit someplace, I like to…read morego for a trail ride there. Some people collect spoons -- I go for rides :) Most of the places I found IN Houston either were English barns with just an arena. This is about 60 miles outside of Houston, but worth the drive, if you want a good ride. They are really nice people, and you go ride on their ranch. There were several ponds, cattle, and lots of great views. It's a husband and wife operation. It's a little bit of a drive from Houston, but I think it's probably the best trail ride around. They are also less expensive than the Houston places. Very accommodating to your schedule. Highly recommend, and would go again

From the owner: Horseback riding by the hour, horseback riding lessons and horse boarding.read more

The go to place when visiting the Rodeo. Food is good, but expensive and the service is excellent.read more

Great upscale dining at the Houston rodeo! We started with champagne and bacon wrapped quail, both…read moredelicious. Ordered a steak salad and NY strip, our server was attentive and made every effort to accommodate our table of 8. We were not rushed during our meal and it gave us time to enjoy the ambiance of the restaurant prior to attending the rodeo!

This is an absolutely beautiful and very special place to visit located in Katy, Texas. We had a…read morewonderful visit with two small kiddos (ages 5 & 8) and they loved every minute of their experience here. Our small group started with miniature pony brushing and then got to dress up their animals in various accessories. From there they got on smaller horses with a guide leading them and learned basic skills, like stopping (whoa) and had a lot of fun riding around the enclosed area circle. They even played a few games like red light green light. After that they learned to walk with the miniature ponies and even got to take them over a jump and through an obstacle course. We then finished the day with a little carriage ride with the owner, Paige. The highlight of their visit (they said later) was learning to clean out a horse stall. Who knew they loved cleaning so much! All of the guides were wonderful. The main gal that did the instructing was just so lovely and sweet to the kids explaining everything with patience. Definitely a must visit for anyone looking for this kind of experience in the area.

I ride at Paloma Trails and had a fantastic experience! As someone who loves riding horses, I find…read morePaloma Trails to be welcoming and full of friendly animals. The horses are well cared for and great to ride, making each lesson enjoyable whether you're a beginner or more advanced. Paloma Trails offers fun summer camps that are perfect for anyone wanting to learn more about horses and spend time outdoors. The staff and other people there are always kind, helpful, and make you feel like part of a community. If you're looking for a place to ride horses, meet new friends, and enjoy time with animals, I very much recommend Paloma Trails!