The first week of our vacation, we stayed on Lake LBJ in Kingsland. We really loved the location of the Rio Vista Resort, which is two blocks off FM 1431 and waterfront on Lake LBJ. This would be a perfect place if you have a boat or jetski; there were boat docks, including lifts right on the lake. The waterfront cabins, condos and even mobile homes were nice and for rent. The pool and grounds were tropical. Unfortunately, the RV spaces were very close. You can see in the last photograph that we were almost bumping slides with our neighbors. It was a beautiful, clean and quiet location. The couple who owned the resort were nice. We paid $185 for one week for 4-way hookups.
The Historic Railroad District in Kingsland is anchored by the Antlers Hotel, a turn of the 20th century hotel. The district is spread out over 15 acres on the banks of Lake LBJ. There are woods, nature trails, orchard, and an 1800s log cabin with 4 docks that sits on the lake. There are many little cabins and cottages spread amongst the trees, around the orchard, close to the lake or to the Antlers Hotel. Most of these are for rent through the hotel.
The Antlers Hotel opened for business May 1, 1901 as a resort for vacationers traveling to the Hill Country by railroad. It closed its doors in 1923, not to reopen to the public until 1996. Today, the Antlers Hotel has six suites, all opening to the spacious front and back porches. The hotel is a recorded Texas Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Probably the coolest accommodations are the cabooses, each with small kitchen, living/dining area, bath with shower, TV, telephone, queen bed and two bunks. Or try the McKinley Coach, which is a fully-restored 1880s wooden train car, with small kitchen, TV, king bed, two twin beds and 1-1/2 baths. There is also a railroad depot that has been restored and moved onto the grounds that you may rent.
The rest of the district consists of Kings House, where the namesake of Kingsland lived. There is also a 1909 Victorian home that serves as the Junction Restaurant. Take a close look at this Victorian, you might recognize it from the movie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
We went exploring. We drove north on FM 1431 to Hwy 29 and turned east, across the Inks Lake bridge. On the left side of the road is the Buchanan Dam. We turned south on Park Road 4 and entered another geological age.
This short drive took us past igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks and outcroppings. Huge blocks of rocks were strewed around as if a giant had been playing and left his blocks where they landed.
Also on this road, granite quarries that date from the 1880s and were the source of the pink granite that was used to build the Capitol building in Austin.
Inks Lakewith Buchanan Dam in far distance
The Valley Spring gneiss, one billion years old, has been carved by Spring Creek, exposing an interesting area called the Devil’s Water Hole. We are moving to Inks Lake State Park on Tuesday, so we may explore more of this area.
