7 Days/6 Nights

Texas Ranches & San Antonio Trails

Howdy! Pack your cowboy boots for our new tour—Texas Ranches & San Antonio Trails! Our itinerary below is bursting with Texas flavor, cowboys and southwest art, plus the very best of San Antonio. We'll delight in the beauty of Hill Country, the down-home hospitality of family-run ranches, and the history and festivities of beautiful and exciting San Antonio.

Tour Highlights

• Spend 3 nights in the heart of San Antonio's famous River Walk area.
• Stay overnight at a Dude Ranch in the Cowboy Capital of the World.
• Visit five Texas ranches, including the gigantic King Ranch and the Y.O. Ranch, home of the world's largest herd of Longhorns.

Itinerary

Day 1—San Antonio: Welcome to Texas! This evening we’ll have a private reception at the hotel. You'll meet your friendly traveling companions and your tour director. Welcome Reception included.

Day 2—King Ranch/Corpus Christi: Oakville had been a bustling place of commerce back in the mid 1850’s when it was the crossroads of ox-cart caravans and mule trains that crawled the muddy roads of Texas between the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and Brownsville to San Antonio.  We’ll visit the original town square and the historic jailhouse, now privately owned by Mari & Albert Davila.

Our next stop is big, even for Texas. With over 850,000 acres, the King Ranch is one of the largest working ranches in the U.S.

Our first stop will be a Texas-style barbeque lunch at a rustic camp house that was once used at chow time by cowboys herding cattle. We continue the afternoon with an exclusive tour and explanation of the history and the modern-day workings of the ranch.

Then we'll head down the trail to the Gulf of Mexico and Corpus Christi, where we'll spend the night. Meals included: B, L.

Day 3—Corpus Christi/San Antonio: After a hearty breakfast, we tour the legendary aircraft carrier USS Lexington. Those would-be "top guns" in our group can feel the excitement of a jet fighter in action in the flight simulator, if they wish.

We'll have a change of scenery as we travel north to Fayette County where we'll find one of the famous Painted Churches of Texas. The term "Painted" comes from the elaborate faux-finished interiors. We'll take a tour of the prettiest and richest in history, lead by a local guide. Afterward, we'll take a break and sample some fruitcake like you have never tasted before!

Our last stop of this awesome day is exciting San Antonio, the "cradle of Texas liberty." Check into your hotel located right on the banks of the famous San Antonio Riverwalk—your home for the next three nights. Meals included: B, L.

Day 4—San Antonio: Start this morning with a guided tour of Mission San Jose—known as the “Queen of the Missions”.

After dining at a festive spot in downtown San Antonio, we'll experience a spectacular view of the city with a water taxi ride on the river itself. Back on land, we’ll visit Texas’ most famous shrine—the Alamo.  We’ll walk in the footsteps of Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and other valiant men who will live in Texans’ memories forever.

Tonight enjoy the tropical walkways, gourmet restaurants and rare boutique shops lining the river. Meals included: B, L.

Day 5—Johnson City/San Antonio: This morning we'll visit the Lyndon B. Johnson Ranch. You'll love the rolling hills and pastureland that LBJ roamed before becoming President of the United States.

Then it's off to a different kind of "Texas Ranch"—Benini Galleries and Sculpture Ranch. The unconventional ranch is the brainchild of Italian-born artist, Benini, and his Ohio-born wife, Lorraine. Meet Benini and hear the theories and techniques behind these rare pieces of art.

This afternoon we'll visit the old German town of Gruene. You'll step into the oldest dance hall in Texas where George Strait, Lyle Lovett, and Hal Ketchum got started. It's like a small Nashville in the middle of Texas! Then it's a short walk to the Grapevine for a private tasting of award-winning Texas wines.

Tonight, enjoy all the wonderful amenities your hotel has to offer, take a swim at the rooftop pool, or reserve the Optional Excursion below. Meals included: B, L.

Option—San Antonio Rose Live: For those of you who were inspired by this afternoon's vision of country music, sign up for San Antonio Rose Live. This exciting two-hour show features the best of three types of music: traditional country, western swing and gospel. Price: $35 per person.

You can see their new promo video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CkjbiwleRI

Day 6—Mountain Home/Bandera: This morning we'll drive along the back roads to the tiny town of Mountain Home (population 96) and its Texas landmark—the century old, 40,000-acre Y. O. Ranch. Meet the ranch hands who manage the world's largest herd of registered Longhorns and North America's largest collection of exotic animals.

This afternoon we tour Love Creek Orchards, pioneers of the Texas apple industry. No more than six feet tall, the trees don't need much water, and the fruit is delicious.

Our grand finale is the Mayan Dude Ranch in Bandera—the Cowboy Capital of the World! The Hicks Family has owned and operated the Mayan Ranch for 50 years and is delighted to welcome you to their authentic dude ranch…filled with western warmth and hospitality and all the comforts of home.

Enjoy some Texas-style entertainment after a world-class dinner. Meals included: B, L, D.

Day 7—Bandera/San Antonio: Good morning, partners! Today we mosey over to the corral for a trail ride or hayride to a cowboy-style breakfast cookout. There'll be eggs by the dozens, hash browns, thick-sliced bacon, cowboy sausage, oven-fresh biscuits and grits, plus plenty of fresh-squeezed juice and strong cowboy coffee.

After breakfast, you can hit the trail for the hills or down to the cool Medina River. Dude ranch horseback riding is single file at a walk—the best way to see Texas hill country.

Then it's time to pack up. Our new-found cowboy and cowgirl friends will wave goodbye as we "giddy up" to the San Antonio airport. Meals included: B.

Accommodations

• Day 1: Doubletree Hotel, San Antonio Airport
• Day 2: Best Western Marina Grand Hotel,Corpus Christi
• Day 3-5: Drury Inn & Suites Riverwalk, San Antonio
• Day 6: Mayan Dude Ranch, Bandera