Summary:
We spent a belated honeymoon here in September 2012…read moreand decided to go back at the same time every year for honeymoon repeats! Friendly, family-built, -owned, and -run, this place is perfect for a relaxing, private getaway in nature. The location is fabulous - less than half an hour to the national park, about 10 minutes to the little shops and a convenience store of Terlingua, and 15 to the social center of the area, the Terlingua Ghostown. The buildings haven't been updated since built (in the '80's), and Cabin 1, where we stayed, needs a bit of maintenance, but the bed was comfy, the rooms clean, the towels fluffy, and the pillows downright luxurious. This is perfect for anyone who's more interested in quiet, privacy, and the spectacular nature of the region than in room service.
Background/history:
Louise and Bobby Ray started buying property in the 1970's and moved to the place in the mid 1980's. It is now 230 acres, and Louise is thrilled to have guests hike around the property and enjoy it. They built everything there - the main building that functions as an office and also the family's main living quarters; a second house for the housekeeper; and Cabin 1 (the only "cabin" that is actually a cabin and not a mobile home). Bobby Ray passed in 2004, and Louise and her daughter Wanda have been keeping up the property ever since. They and Wanda's teen-aged son live on the property. Although everything was clean and neat, and Louise extremely responsive to any requests, it seems that anything more than basic maintenance has gone by the wayside since Bobby Ray's death, but we saw nothing that changed our overall love for the place. (For example, the shower surround in Cabin 1 needs to be replaced, and you can tell that water is running down behind it, but that didn't effect our stay.)
Cabins, Amenities, etc.:
We stayed in Cabin 1, the only true cabin, with the other 4 (Cabin 3, the only 3-bedroom, was struck by lightning and burned down in early 2012) all single-wide mobile homes. We peeked into one, and it looked very similar to ours, just smaller rooms. Cabin 1 is definitely on the best site (Louise suggested it to us when I told her we were on honeymoon). The view is SPECTACULAR, with views to both east and west. It feels very isolated, though Cabin 2 is actually close, just cut off from view by a big mound of rocks. No one stayed in #2 during our stay, so we had total privacy; not sure how it would be if someone was there. The cabins are stocked with all you need - full kitchens (modern fridge, coffee maker, microwave, stove), dishes, cookware, etc. The only things you need bring are "specialty" items (for us, a sharp knife, garlic press, champagne glasses) and food/drinks. There is even statellite TV! We had absolutely NO cell phone service or Internet in the cabin, but got wifi in the office and dependable cell service 5+ minutes away in Terlingua (and, surprisingly, most places in the national park). Each cabin has a wide porch with chairs and a small table - AMAZING at all times of the day, really!
Cabins 1 and 2 are on a high area, with outstanding views. Cabin 3, above both of them (but all separated from view of the others), burned, and Louise has built a large pavilion on the site, which any guests can use. Cabins 4-6 are on a lower level and, although a good distance from each other, are within view of each other.