For my husband’s birthday, I planned a special weekend getaway to Horseshoe Bay Resort on Lake LBJ, located about an hour northwest of Austin. The resort has everything our family loves; tennis for my daughter, golf for my husband, and lots of water sports and activities for me and the boys!
The resort is huge, and the grounds are amazing, with trees and water features everywhere!
The Resort’s Marina rents boats, wave runners, kayaks and paddleboards! My daughter is all about paddleboarding, and insisted we take one out!
The Marina also offers sunset cruses, fishing trips and Shark Rides for the kids 6 and over! Of course, reservations are highly suggested!
A full service marina, we had planned to bring our boat down, until a little fender-bender the day before we left put my car in the shop, and I couldn’t haul with my rental.
Live Oak Lawn
Before we had even unpacked, my kids were headed down to the Live Oak Lawn, which had horse shoe pits, live music and special activities for the Memorial Day weekend, such as bounce houses, crafts, face painters and much more!
They loved the giant checkerboard, and we played while waiting for the movie on the lawn to begin! It was Storks, and we had not seen it, which always makes movies more fun!
They also had smores on the lawn every night!
Here’s our room, at least the window! Third floor with the window coverings pulled back! I never remember to get a good picture of our room before the kids pile all our things inside and destroy it, which can take only a few seconds!
Our room overlooked the Whitewater Activity Center, and FREE parking was nearby.
While we stayed in the Tower Hotel, we met several families that were staying in condo-style units, which include a kitchenette.
Here’s a view of the front of the hotel, and the hotel pool. One of 3 pools, it had a hot tub and a splash pool for younger children.
My not-so-little fish in the hot tub.
I also realized I didn’t get a good picture of the hotel restaurant, Lantana. They had patio dining, as well as inside, and as soon as the kids finished eating they were back in the water, leaving us free to enjoy dinner, still while keeping an eye on them.
We woke early the next morning, and headed to the Bayside Fitness Center. We didn’t have time to enjoy their packages, but they offer a full spa, sauna, steam room and whirlpool, with many amenities! Click HERE to visit their spa page.
Good Morning, little turtle!
Paseo Pool and Bayside Fitness Center offers free standing machines, weights and fitness classes. I would have loved to have done one of the Sunrise Yoga Classes, but it’s also home to the resort’s tennis center, and my daughter just wanted to play!
The Tennis Center had a good selection of equipment, and my daughter was able to purchase some much-needed overgrip, too!
One of our FAVORITE tennis centers, the resort offers your traditional courts, as well as clay and artificial turf courses! Beautiful trees and water features surround and run along the courts, making for a peaceful and relaxing experience, as well as a nice refuge from the sun between games!
While we played doubles, my youngest met a few other boys, and we able to play on the adjacent kid’s courts, which also have a basketball court.
Horseshoe Bay is home to many USTA tournaments, too, including the Red Clay Summer Classic and the Red Clay Spring Open!
During the summer, the resort host tennis camps for children, which might give me a chance to check out the spa!
Whitewater is the home of several exotic birds, such as macaws, African Greys and Cockatoos! This is Jekyll, and he likes to talk!
Rio was another of our favorites!
While Horseshoe Bay in a golf resort, with some incredible golf courses, we didn’t play. There just wasn’t time in our little Memorial Day getaway! However, Whitewater offers a very unique, 18-hole putting course! My kids and husband loved it!
It’s really beautiful, and we played both during the day and at night.
My son, who LOVES putt-putt courses, thought it was fantastic, even without the plastic mermaids and hippos!
We also got in some great, family ping-pong games! By the time we finished playing and got out my camera, my kids were long gone!
Which makes sense because there is so much to do!! Meet Mingo the Flamingo!
We also got to see the Aftican Spurred Tortoises feeding! The cups sell for $2.00, and here’s a GREAT tip I wish someone had told me…. get there EARLY! The cups sell out quickly, and trust me, you do not want to have the only child that didn’t get to feed the tortoises. Luckily, someone stepped in to share and saved our day!
Hammock Park
If you’ve been reading my post for a while, you know that I am all about hammocks now! We’ve ditched our tents during the summer, in favor of hammock camping! So you know I just loved the resorts HAMMOCK PARK! It was the perfect place to take a short but well-deserved cat nap while the kids went to go have a “snack”!
With all the palm trees, it’s easy to forget you are in the Texas Hill Country… if only there was a beach!
But there is a BEACH!!! Resort guest can also visit the Yacht Club, which has not only and incredible pool, which is 12′ deep at one end! That’s an incredible sculpture of an eagle in the middle of the pool. Parents do need to watch over their kids, as there are no lifeguards!
The Yacht Club has a nice dining room with a dress code, and since I was lucky to keep shoes on my kid we didn’t dine there. I did take a peak at the menu, and I begged for an order of their chicken fried lobster to go!
As much as I loved the pool, the hot tub was the real jaw-dropper of the Yacht Club! Said to be the largest hot tub in Texas, it’s really amazing!
A busy wait staff keeps you cool with drinks and snack from the pool bar, and there are cabanas you can rent for the day!
Did I mention a BEACH? The resort takes advantage of their location on Lake LBJ to bring in soft sand and make an incredible beach! Sheltered from the waves of passing boats, it’s prefect for playing, building sand castles or just keeping your toes wet! While we were there, they had a crawfish boil on the beach, which my husband was all over!
Bring a fun little float to let the kids play, and lifejackets for young/weak swimmers.
The Eggmen, a Beatles Cover Band, was scheduled to play on the beach that evening, too! There is always something fun happening at the resort!
A thunderstorm sent us running back to our hotel. The hotel has complementary shuttles to take you to the Yacht Club and marina, as parking was limited. We actually really enjoyed relaxing under the covered patio at Lantana Restaurant and watching the rain come down, as my youngest splashed in the puddles!
Know Before You Go
You’re about 8 miles to the nearest gas station/store in Marble Falls.
Make your summer/holiday reservations early.
With a family of 5, (and my husband insist on 3 meals a day) the bill adds up quickly eating meals at the resort. We drove just outside of the resort for breakfast. There is a donut shop, and Julie’s Cocina nearby. Click HERE to visit Julie’s Cocina site for hours and menu.
Things To Do in (near) Horseshoe Bay
Play
Visit Longhorn Caverns State Park to see “inside” Texas! Daily tours! Click HERE to read more.
Pick your own berries and peaches at Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls! Click HERE to read more!
Swim in one of our favorite swimming holes at Krause Springs in Spicewood! Click HERE to read more!
Horseshoe Bay Resort
200 Hi Cir N, Horseshoe Bay
Click HERE to visit their website.
Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!
Michelle
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